We actually have our first celebrity sighting for the FFF.....in this weeks Fishadelic Foto Friday we have Conway Bowman with a HUGE Carp.

Bowman caught this carp at Beaver Island, MI.....where Indigo Guide Service is teaming up with Evan Muskopf of Feather-Craft (and Fly Fishing the Ozarks video) fame for a hosted trip and there are a few spots left.

Check out www.carptrip.com for more information.

Recipe:

Recipe:
Rear Hook Hook: Any 3xl streamer hook
Tail: Marabou

Underbody: Estaz Lights UV

Wing:  Marabou

Under-Wing:  Marabou
--- Front Hook: Same as the rear hook finished off with a Fish Skull

I have one more fly left in the Galloup line of streamers....so coming soon, the Boogieman which I am crazy excited about.  It is a seriously cool tie, pretty easy and it just plain looks mean.

Also, if you want to be the first to know when I upload new tying or fishing videos be sure to subscribe to my youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/flyfishingtheozarks

Winter fishing this year was absolutely awesome.  We hit a point where 22" browns on streamers were "cookie cutters" do I need to say anything else?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Directly speaking, this fly is awesome.  It is fairly specialty as in you really have to fish it on a sink tip as it has NO weight--AND it is absolutely best fished from a boat, wading just doesn't do this fly justice.  What you first notice is that it is a lot like his famous "Zoo Cougar" only articulated, but then when you really look at it, the Heifer Groomer is a lot easier to tie than the Zoo Cougar, palmering marabou and stacking deer hair is basically all you have to do to tie this awesome articulated streamer.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 Recipe:

Rear Hook

Hook: Umpqua U301 (or any 3xl streamer hook)
Body/Tail: Marabou (palmered)
Wing: Mallard Flank

Articulation Point:
Beadalon
3 Glass Beads

Front Hook

Hook: Gamakatsu B10s #2
Flash: Flashabou
Body: Marabou (palmered)
Wing: Mallard Flank
Head: Deer Hair

Thank you guys so much for watching these videos, fishing with me, and hopefully having  a great time right along with me as I flew through this year....you are the reason I guide, shoot video, and have this blog.

2011 Greatest Hits......

Click here to view the embedded video.

As I type this the river is slowly coming down from a GREAT rise and I am getting ready to pound the banks with Justin Spencer from Sunburst.....the Winter is looking very promising.

Here you go guys, Fall 2011....a video for the ages (ok, not really)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Lake Ver’ making a Million Casts.

Thinking back on Lake Vermillion... Musky fishing can be equated with an adventure race. In a race there are parts where the course is smooth and comfortable. Then, there are places that hurt! Both happened on Lake V.

For the first two days it was up hill but smooth. We were casting,enjoying the new sites sounds, and smells of the North Woods, it was great. It was amazing to watch the sky full of the mountainous clouds billowing and grand. The loons called lazily over the north woods water and there were dozens of bald eagles. North woods eagles were like buzzards in Ozark County, everywhere.

Yet by day three the hurt broke the surface. Brian manages to impale a giant purple popper in his shoulder. We all know Brian can cast 107’ feet like he was brushing his hair, but this cast made me cringe as a gust of wind crumpled it.

THHWAAACK!

Have you ever taken a 2/0 hook sunk to the bend in yourfriend’s shoulder?

We managed to remove it and what did we do, kept casting.

Thoughts of “Why are we still here?” “God, if I just catchone I’ll end my musky career right now”, “This is starting to get ridiculous”Thoughts that never cross a fly fishing guide’s mind begin to take over. Soonyou cast out of desperation to catch THAT fish, knowing that, the next castwill be “the one”.

And it is! The next cast that you place right in the meatslot, watch it hang slowly, thinking “that is the one”. Then you notice castingslack is in the trolling motor right as big head comes out from under the logand chews your fly like laffy taffy. While your falling out of the boat to setthe hook… That is when IT happens… THAT is when your chance comes, and goes,like THAT!

 The high that comes with musky fishing is also in similarityto a race finish. The adrenaline of hooking a fish as long as your leg matchesand perhaps surpasses that jolt of knee buckling energy that hits at the finishline of a long and exciting race.

That’s on your next cast though. Not this one. Try again…

Fish are the excuse to adventure into the wilderness, butthey end up only a sliver of the story. We gain much more than a “grip andgrin” when we set out with friends into unimaginable adventures.

There is nothing in this world with as much value as good friends.