The local fly shops only offered trout flies - with the occasional white bass and panfish selection. Eventually one of them moved into bass flies. I went to the internet to find my flies - grass roots research. I became involved in fly swaps. It was interesting to find out what types of custom fly patterns anglers were tying for their favorite warm water species.
I hit the message board and online groups to learn the techniques folks were using to land fish. I do consider myself untraditional. There are a lot of books out there about fly fishing for trout, salmon,etc.
Sure, there titles on warm water species but you won't find most of them at the Barnes & Nobles. Especially when your looking for panfish flies - even crappie flies; you just won't find but a couple of titles - heck, maybe just one specifically.
I seem to find myself to be of a rare sort of fly fisherman. Sure, I see the occasional fly angler, mostly during the white bass run. There are a few of us that hit local water such as streams behind grocery stores or those good locations wedged between two highways and a local golf course.
I never saw anyone doing what I was, fly fishing from a boat - except on Lake Swepco. Maybe it's just not common in Arkansas or the Ozarks. I am sure the Kings River and Clear Creek are fished quite often by fly fisherman. Heck, even the Elk River too.
But, I don't float these streams with groups nor network to find the best locations. I hunt. I go out and figure things out on my own. Most of the time.
I've kinda fallen of the intellectual and instructional aspects of this blog. I am trying to keep it simple and offer up patterns that I use. I'm one of these guys that will fish just about anywhere but that means having a diverse selection of flies - and I like to have custom flies - bluegill flies - flies for dirty water and tight, slippery, nasty places to fish.
After all, isn't part of the adventure just figuring out where to go and what to use??
