Dad was only a part time fisherman but a full time quail hunter, he lived bird hunting all year round and knew the names of every pointing dog in ours, and surrounding counties. His dad, my papaw, was the "real fisherman" of the family and HE knew the names of every bend of every creek/river north of I-70. There were only 2 flyfishermen in our area and as far as I know he was the first. I don't know who influenced him but waist high stacks of F&S and SA served as end tables in my grandparents house so he prolly picked it up from Zane and Tap.
He fished "the seasons", starting the Spring off chasing flatheads, then buggin' for bass, then limb lines for channel cat during Summer with a few trips West for trout thrown in right about the time school was starting (was pissed that I never got to go on one of those). Then in the Fall it was back to bass buggin'.
The flyrods never got a break during the catfishing spells since their job at those times were to keep the lines baited after he had bought every XL goldfish from every baitshop within driving distance.
I'll probably get some hate mail after revealing this: but I have yet to see the numbers of 15+ Smallmouth in the "Ozarks" than what was common in the Salt river tribs. Before I moved down here I expected the SM fishing to be AMAZING because of what I had read about "Ozark streams", but aside from the scenery and the coloration in the fish I still remain a bit unimpressed. Those ol'muddy creeks up north grow some brute smallies. You just have to concentrate on the stretches that "remind you" of Ozark streams and ignore the long stretches of mud/clay banks.