Brian K. Shaffer

Steve - great bio! I will look for you at the SowBug this spring. Should be fun to talk to you. best fishes - Brian

Nice to have you - even if you do have that Cubs emblem by your name! Pull up a chair and enjoy! best fishes - Brian

ABOVE - This is a cute little guy.. and very easy to tie in minutes! ABOVE - Take this guy to Roaring River and you will wear your arm out!

As far as crowding the eyes of your flies you are tying.. just make a note to start your thread at least one hook eyes length behind. Never start on top of the eye. Also - check this out : 20 tips to increase your tying speed 20 tips to increase your tying speed - Fly Fisherman Magazine Happy tying - Brian

Here is the latest update on Eric and his pops : 8 in the livewell / 1 is a 20 inch brown.. maybe over 3lbs ( his dad caught it on a rogue, but dont tell anyone ) see you at the weigh in - Brian

The MO Dept of Conservation puts out an annual Fishing Prospects manual.. and every year Lake Taneycomo is mentioned as being very capable of producing the new state record largemouth bass. The biologists don't just make this stuff up either. Nice fish Frank! best fishes - Brian

Update 10:55am 19 inch brown caught / released Full livewell 8 active fish for E and his Dad Warming up - changing techniques possibly more updates to come - Brian

Fascinating! Getting a " fish " eye's view like this. WoW! neat stuff gonna go back and stare at the cam for a while - Brian

I will bring some trash bags too.. and a couple packs of hot dogs! More than likely a noon time clean up will get more attention, and give a few guys driving more time. So lets shoot for 12 on the 4th - meeting at the pavillion at # 2. Sound ok to you Dano ? besy fishes - Brian

Anybody got an Orvis catalog laying around ? ( dead giveaway )

Nice PICS Phil! I already have a confirmed update to add. Eric and his father have 2 fish in the livewell. More updates to follow. best fishes - Brian

Being that it is winter time ( despite the lack of snow ), I have noticed that the upper end of Lake Taneycomo is getting a little cluttered with refuge. Mostly is just a little trash here or there.. but some places have debris that just looks bad to everyone. No one but us who care are there to pick it up. I am proposing we clean up a little, hopefully on the first Saturday this February. 2/4/06 Can anyone else pitch in to help me ? It aint gonna take much to bend down and pick up a little trash, and it's an excuse to go fishing with a bunch of other O/A board members / friends. You think we can pull this off ? Thanks - Brian

You know, its kinda funny that the Branson T/U chapter is now " defunct ". There really are a lot of people who do want to keep something going. Politics aside.. its just difficult to get people to show up to meetings. I would like to do a river - clean up sometime soon, something that if I had a venue (like tu or fff) to get volunteers.. it would go over well. But as it stands now.. I have nowhere to look. I am going to post a thread on the LT board right now.. hoping that you guys (and all who read) will attend. best fishes - Brian

What's a good ' freshly molted pattern ' for sowbugs / scuds this time of year ? I noticed this today while watching / fishing / hunting bugs. best fishes - Brian

Gavin got more than a couple right.. but they were mostly.. uhh.. patterns developed / therefore named by the tier. As in - not just a bucktail streamer.. but a " .. " streamer. Or not just a BWO but a " ... " addition to the fly that makes this pattern unique. Check the pics again.. do some research for fun.. More NEW flies to recognize will come tomorrow - and this time -- even harder patterns ... as you gotta stay up on your game, right ? happy tying - Brian

Phil - I have tied with the minky dub from SLF.. but your special blends do sound good.. knowing they were derived from a guy who has spent a lot of time mixing and mastering blends. (rolan) To everyone : Have you ever read the backs of the Wapsi dubbings ? They just about giveaway the recipe for the blend right there.. but you gotta know how much of what to go with what. I have a few " select blends " of Trilobal antron mix in stock.. let me dig them out and give them a look. happy tying - Brian

Wayne - I still get a kick out of reading that.. " white headed professional fisherman " Why does that strike me as so funny ? who knows - Brian

hey there Forsythian - It sounds like you are talking some night fishing.. something I am very fond of. To adress the situation at hand.. it sounds like you should try a Muddler Minnow in a size 10 or even a size 8. Fish this using a 9ft 4x tippet and leader conbination using any method you wish / stripping, swinging, direct casting as you would with dries during the day. The fish will find this fly.. here's why this works so well. Grease the leader down to like 6 inches of the fly. This will allow the fly to stay in the zone for those risers and sippers. Do not forget to cast right to the rings with this fly.. its like dry fly fishing at night for fish - most of which are quite a bit bigger than your normal day feeders. That being said - I will try to make it over some evening.. but the rest of this week and weekend is shot. feel free to e-mail me direct : ozrkflyfisher at wm connect dot com let me know how you did tonight - Brian ( by the way Phil - I rise and shine at 9.. maybe 9:30am everyday - for about 2 weeks now )

Hey Steve - Fill up 3 or 4 of those zip lock bags with Shetland dubbing and sell that on eBay to pay for your Aunt Lydia's Sparkle Yarn! Sweet! ha ha ha - Brian

Hey Patrick - was that picture of Robin taken at the white river ? Is it right at the mouth of crooked creek entering the white ? am I even close ? (oh and check your signature url.. your www has a , on it) best fishes - Brian

Quick - put some dubbing on it and hide! Just kidding.. but I would lean toward AR saying it illegal and MO saying it is legal. For whatever reason AR has a better grasp on the rulebook.. as is aint quite so ' vague '. I would try it out on hatchery fish.. heck.. even try it on Taney once or thrice.. but I wouldnt take it out west and use it on the SJ. best fishes - Brian

Yup.. thats the San Juan. What a tremendous fishery. Scenic is as understatement :

Yup - Butts got it right again (so did you Dano). The Gulley Worm is exactly right. Now I will make it trickier. Name all of these 1-9 : 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9)

Oops - you're right, that road is Forsyth. Epps is that road where you turn off to get to the bridge down from Stockstill. Turkey Creek can fish well.. if you watch it. I know of a guy who caught a gorgeous 6lb rainbow out of there. WOW is right. This was years ago when it held more water that is has now. Mostly stockers are in there.. tiny fish.. and the herons love them. best fishes - Brian

Tippet - Take a look at the Peak vise at BPS. It is pretty nice. I have tied on one and like it. Also the Blackfoot is a decent vise.. but for the money - spend a little extra and get the Montana Mongoose version. The cam operation is just so much easier than the knobs on the Blackfoot for hook adjustment / holding. That 270 is a nice reel. Smooth operation, great drag power and a sexy design. I'll take 2 please. Keep us posted when you do get a vise. Also - did you read this : Selecting the best fly tying vise - FlyFisherman Magazine happy tying - Brian