I moved to Springfield, Missouri from Austin, Texas summer 2003 and was asked this question by one of the fly fishers in the new fly fishing club I joined. Austin, my previous fly fishing home is centered in the heart of the hill country’s clear flowing, springfed warm water rivers. In the hill country no one wears waders! Why? Because it’s hot, that’s why. There is nothing more wonderful than standing in the beautiful clear waters of the South Llano River, casting a brightly colored popper to the swirl of a glutinous Guadalupe Bass, while being spiritually nourished by waters so refreshing you felt you were in heaven. My fly fishing guide business specialized in all 155 miles of the South Llano and main body of the Llano Rivers. The two rivers converged in the little cowboy town of Junction, Texas and I spent many days paddling canoes and kayaks guiding fly fishing clients in those pristine waters. Now, here I am in Springfield being asked if I am going to wet wade! Well of course I knew that some people wore boots and waders but those people were trout fishers who fished in the winter….well at least that was the case in Texas. In Texas wader wearing fly fishers fished one river for trout, the Guadalupe River and then only from November to March. Here in Missouri, trout fly fishing was year round, there were numerous locations where a wader wearer could catch a brown or rain. I realized an adjustment in my apparel was necessary if I wanted to meet and make new fly fishing friends.
Hi ho, hi ho it’s off to Bass Pro I go. In the Outlet Store, I found a pair of children’s denier, belted, boot foot waders to replace my old Simms’s neoprene waders. They fit perfectly and price was better than right. My friend Sharon and I quickly drove to Tanneycomo to wade the ice cold waters for trout. Once in the water, I saw schools of trout swimming around my new waders, bumping my boots, looking like they too wanted to shop Bass Pro. The Texas trout were not the boot bumping type. Sharon explained they eat the micronutrients my boots stir up when I walk. Thus continued the education of a warm water fly fisher.
Days of ice cold water, multiple layers of long underwear under my waders and the continuous dribble of my red nose had me longing to paddle stretches on clear warm water rivers where I could cast my 7 weight while standing chest deep in fluid that felt like the magical elixir of God. I had to get out of this trout water and get back to where I belong. My soul was at home in the wilderness, in the places where there is only me, my kayak, green herons, white tails, no one else except the great bronze back savage small mouth bass.
To cultivate my fly fishing business in Missouri, I had to explore. People would say, “Oh you’ll have no problem guiding here, you can start right away.” Of course they were thinking of trout fishing at places like Roaring River, Bennett Springs and Tanneycomo. Yikes! Those places have bumper to bumper, wader clad fly fishers standing in ice water and even some fly fishing from the bank. Give me the clear flowing mountain rivers where a fly fisher can wear nylon shorts and sandals, catch wild fish in wild undamned waters and never see another person all day. I had to explore! I had to get out and paddle stretches in search of the best places for my type of fly fishing. It did not matter whether the water was warm or cold or what species of fish were in the water, I wanted to be in water where I could wade chest deep or toe deep, swim in, get wet in and most of all catch fish in. My chances were best if I went after the small mouth bass, goggle eye, sunfish, large mouth or channel cat.
It is my firm belief that a guide must absolutely know a river inside and out before ever attempting to take a paying client on a guided trip. With that strong conviction in mind, I began my investigation. My research took me to Beaver Creek, Bryant Creek, Crane Creek, the Osage Fork of the Gasconade, the James River, Swan Creek, North Fork of the White and many other Missouri rivers. All rewarding experiences to me because I am not species oriented, meaning I do not seek one type of fish… I seek the places where the wild things roam. It’s not necessarily quantity either, it is the whole experience. The riffles, rapids, the smooth flow just right for casting from my vessel and silently floating up to deer unaware of my approach. It’s wet wading along side a great blue heron, standing fearlessly next to me so intensely focused on his own fishing he does not notice me, it’s finding caves where ancient tribes of Indians prepared their catches and the fish….oh the beautiful, healthy, aggressive wild fishes of the Ozarks!
You know, it never dawned me that the type of wet wading, fly fishing I do was physically demanding. It is not unusual to be paddling, walking, wading, pulling a boat over rocks, constantly getting in and out of a vessel from sun up till sun down - physically demanding is an understatement! Being hardy is a must as well as wearing fly fishing clothes that work. I would call my type of fly fishing the ropes course of fly fishing. Pack everything in dry bags, freeze your water, travel light, wear sunscreen, take a throw rope and get ready for a long adventure filled day in the wilderness, home of the wild fish.
Trout parks are okay, but I’ve paddled river where the eagles fly, had osprey’s dive ten feet in front of me snaring a fish in its talons, starred in amazement as a beaver paddled close to my kayak and made the sound of a boulder falling off a mountain as his tail slapped the water to warn me to stay away, why would I settle for less? The answer is, “Yes, I believe I’ll wet wade”.
