CARF Outdoors - New YouTube Channel

I have decided to create a new YouTube channel dedicated to all of my fishing and outdoors shenanigans.

You may still follow my original channel, because, I will be uploading other random videos up there such as my acoustic covers and other things.

Here's a link to my newest video, and you can access my new channel from there.

MONSTER BLUEY'S ON THE FLY

            

Here's a cover of a song from my favorite band, Thrice.  You can follow this video to my original channel where you can expect more of this and other random, non outdoor type things.

                                 

Pike On The Mind

My buddy DanK found this picture, and shared it with me not long ago.  I posted it on my Instagram, so, you might have seen it.  I really wish I knew the orgin of it, because, I LOVE IT!  I've tried a few Google searches but came up empty.  It gets me excited for the upcoming season.  I cannot wait to get into some predator fish with teeth!

I've been slowly building a stockpile of flies.  Some for myself, but most of them are for others.  The one below is an articulated double, and it'll find it's way into my personal box, and hopefully, it's next stop is the jaws of a musky or pike.

Ice Jigs for FSA Custom Rods

My homie +Ed Schmitt of FSA Custom Rods reached out to me, and asked if I would be interested in decorating some ice jigs he plans on pairing up with some custom ice rods he's building for some Veterans.  Without hesitation, I agreed to the job.

About 2 weeks later, my GF was going through our mail, and asked what I ordered from the "Used Anal Bead Emporium.  Wait...what did you say?!?!  I got something from the WHAT? HAHA!!!!  Luckily the contents of the envelope contained zero anal beads - used or new, and only some tungsten ice fishing jigs, stickers, and a note from my buddy Ed.  Oh, what a funny guy you are!  Haha  I got a really good laugh out of that.

Now what the heck to do with these jigs.  Very different than what I'm used to, but a hook is a hook, and after much thought, I had an idea.

I painted them all orange.  In retrospect, I should have only done half in orange, and the other half in another color or left them the original color, but oh well.  I'll just blame it on the beer that I'm pretty sure I was drinking that night.

A little flash, Senyo Fusion dub, and viola, ice jigs completed.  Hopefully, these will go great with the ice rods that Ed is building, but more importantly I hope they catch some fish for those Veterans that need some fish action through some hard water.

Ed is a Veteran of the Marine Corps, a very talented rod builder, and obviously a funny guy who is a fan of used anal beads.  He's built rods for quite a few of us here in the Chicagoland area.  He can do any type of rod; casting, spinning, fly, or ice.  Some others that can attest to the quality of his work are Brookfield Angler, and The Impractical Fisherman.  

So, if you're in the market for a new rod, shoot Ed an email at - ed@fourseasonsangler.com and be sure to like his Facebook page FSA Custom Rods.

Trouterspace & The Remedy Fishing Channel

The dudes at Trouterspace and The Remedy Fishing Channel have uploaded a new video, and it's a fantastic.  Short, sweet, and get's me jazzed to get on my kayak to do some fly fishing for smallies and pike.

If you don't already, I suggest you follow them, because, they're always putting out quality stuff.  They also have one of the cooler blog names out there.  I'd name a few others, but I'll save that for a future post.

Click here for their website.

TROUTERSPACE

Zombie's Need More Cowbell

The weather has been super fantastic here in the Chicagoland area.  (That's sarcasm.)

Rain - Rain - Sunny - Rain - Snow - Sunny - 30 degree's - 50 degree's - Snow - Sun - and more rain.

With that said, it gave me some much needed time to get some cleaning done around the house, and more importantly get my fly tying desk in order, so, I can once again sit at the vise and fill some spaces in my personal fly boxes, and to fill some orders.

With the end of my favorite show The Walking Dead last week, and the start of their other show Fear The Walking Dead, I was in the zombie mood, and the flies I whipped up yesterday displayed just that.

Zombie inspired Minimum Cowbell's

Zombie's need more cowbell, right?

The Midwest Drift 2016 Carp Fly Swap

Here's a quick review of the awesome flies I received as a participant of the 2016 Carp Fly Swap hosted by The Midwest Drift.  Big thanks goes out to the guys at The Midwest Drift for hosting the swap.  I had a good time tying up the flies that I submitted and I'm really excited that I now have a carp box, with actual carp flies!

Maybe this year, I'll catch more than one.

2016 Illinois Fishing License

Just a reminder to all from Illinois.  Our Illinois fishing licenses have expired, and it's time to get to your local tackle & Bait, or big box store to get your 2016 Fishing License.

To purchase your Illinois fishing license online click the link below.

CLICK HERE

...and remember.

Spring Is Here

Spring is here...not quite, but the sun is staying out longer and I have ample time to wet a line in my backyard lake before dark.  

The crappie bite has been crazy awesome!  I hooked and lost an unexpected bass that was a very nice size, but totally schooled me and my 3 wt.  I even snagged a carp that took off like a bat out of hell, and left me with a little parting gift.

Spring is here.

Musky Skittles

These were a big hit at the fly fishing expo.  Looking forward to making some more of these.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!!

Bass On The Mind

Just some recent flies that have come off of my vise.

CARF's clouser minnow variation.

I was wandering around Bass Pro Shops fly tying section one day and they had these Rainy's popper heads on clearance, and I just couldn't pass up the deal.  The green ones are medium, and the yellow are small.

Size 1 poppers in a froggy pattern.

Size 4 poppers.

There was a theme that night....can you guess?

Has Google fixed the G+ comment issue, yet?  I apologize if I have not replied to a past comment of yours.  I know Google is working on the issue, so, hopefully, they'll resolve it soon.

Chi-Tie February Meetup

What is Chi-Tie?

"We are just a group of fly fishers and tiers meeting up for a few beers while tying.  Trying to build connections and community among us in Chicago.  We welcome anyone and everyone."  - Chi-Tie

The core members of Chi-Tie are Dave Knutzelman (Urban Assault Fly Fishing), Adam Alexander (Adam Alexander Photography), and Tim Adkins (Critical Angling).

They meet on the 2nd Monday of each month, and I have been able to join them a few times.  One of those times was last month, and there was no particular theme.  There were some new and old faces, and everyone was tying something different.  Flies for bass, trout, and pike.

Few beers, few flies, and some great fishy conversation.  Always a good time at Galaway Bay.  So, if you're ever in the Chicagoland area and it's the 2nd Monday of the month, you definitely check out Chi-Tie.

Bunch of leeches I tied up.

Article in DNAinfo

My homie UA Dave was recently interviewed in an article for DNAinfo.com about fly fishing in Chicago.  Dave has been a great promoter of fly fishing in Chicago.  The video our friend Adam Alexander Photography shot on the Des Plains River made the article, as well.  Good to see these guys getting in some print.

Click below and you will be brought to the article.

Chicago Is a Fly-Fishing Mecca, Even on 'Nasty-A--' Bubbly Creek

Article By: Justin Breen

Twitter: @dnainfo_breen

I've Got The Hook Up

My homie UA Dave hooked me up with some medium sized popper heads with eyes.  Just add a hook decorated accordingly and water.  Bass and pike should lose their minds over these.

Which one is your favorite color pattern?

1. Fire Tiger

2.  Orange Crush

3.  Red Hot

The beer is Pseudo Sue from Toppling Goliath Brewing in Iowa.  If you're a craft beer fan, this is one that should be on your list to try.  It's delicious.

DPR Northern Pike - A Winter Float

My homies UA Dave, Adam Alexander, and their buddy Chris got out the Des Plains River this past weekend.  Being the end of January, the weather was perfect out.  I wish I was around to join them on the float, but I was in SW Wisconsin fishing for trout.

Adam is a professional photographer and usually focuses on still shots, but this outing, he decided to shoot some video, and I think he did an excellent job!  The video is short, sweet, very well shot, and tells a nice story.  Check it out!

Get's me excited to get back out on the DPR.  I miss those toothy snot rockets.

Links

Adam Alexander Photography

Urban Assault Fly Fishing

CHI TIE

Cold Hands and Panfish

The wind, it's unforgiving and cuts right through you like White Castle sliders on a Saturday morning.  You're freezing cold, and you're unsure you have a face, because, you can't feel it anymore.  The snot dripping from your nostrils is uncontrollable, but it doesn't even phase you, because, the fish don't care, and neither do you at this point.

Your mind starts to wander, and you start talking to yourself in your head...

I should have worn that extra layer.

I could be home tying flies right now.

Do I have boogers hanging from my nose?

I wish I could feel my face.

I wish I could be poppin' bottles instead of holes.

I sure could go for some chili and my couch.

I should have spent the extra $10 bucks on the nicer gloves.

Should I leave now?

Why am I out here?

I wish I had a shanty.
Is this ice going to break?

Welcome to the exciting world of ice fishing.

(In my opinion.)

Big thanks to Catchafew for bringing his shanty.  It was used a total of 15 minutes.

I don't always ice fish, but when I do, it's because, I forget how miserable I'm going to be out on the ice.

Invited a few friends out to ice fish my backyard lake after work one night.  DanK, BassMan Kevin, and Catchafew all arrived around 7 PM on a Wednesday night.  Have more friends around this time made the outing a lot more tolerable.  The stories and laughing made me forget about the cold.

The ice was 8-10 inches, but it had me buggin', because, it kept making noises.  It didn't phase the other guys. They're experience ice anglers, and kept reassuring me that I wasn't going to fall in, and if I did, I would have only been in about 6 foot of water, and a 100 yard walk back to my house.

DanK trying to coax a bite.

DanK and BassMan set up some tip ups, while Catchafew and I jigged with waxies under a vexlar.  I had a nice sized bluegill on, but lost it right at the top of the hole.  Eventually the wind picked up, and Catchafew set up his shanty.  What a life saver that was.  I even caught a small panfish.

Catchafew was the only guy not able to hook into a fish.  DanK and BassMan found the same size sunfish as me, in about 2 foot of water.

After drilling holes everywhere, some false hope, because, the tip ups being triggered by the wind we all decided to call it a night around Midnight.  Even thought I couldn't feel my face, I had a good time, mainly because of the company.  Thanks, again, for coming out guys!

My first fish of 2016.  Definitely a wall hanger.

If you come across any melted ice in my backyard, BassMan Kevin and his centerfold jigging pose is to blame.

BassMan Kevin aka Mr. January melting some ice.

A little play on a very disgusting videos that I've seen and most everyone has heard about.

IF4 - Chicago Stop

The International Fly Fishing Film Festival will be back in town in 2016, thanks to hosting sponsors a Tight Loop Magazine (+atightloop), DUN Magazine (+Jen Ripple) , and Fly Squared Media.  

Venue - Star Cinema Grill (There are servers, so, you can order food and drink during the show.)

When - Wednesday, February 24th

Time - Doors open at 6 PM, and the show starts at 7 PM.

Tickets - $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

TICKETS CLICK HERE

This event has sold out the past 2 years, so, it's wise to get your tickets in advance.  I've got mine purchased!  I can assure you will have a great time.  Lots of beautifully shot fishy short movies of places that most of us can only dream of going to, and lots of awesome raffle prizes.  What's not to like about all of that in the heart of winter!

Winter Creek Stroll

Grabbed my 3 wt and a few flies and headed over to Poplar Creek.  The water was still slightly high from the melting snow and freezing rain we got, but I've seen it in worse condition, so, I wasn't too worried.  The sun was shining and it was a brisk 20 degrees outside.

The scenery of the snowy banks and rock piles was a beautiful sight as the sun was reflecting off of the water.  The fishing was the complete opposite, but that's okay, because, it was a joy to get out.

Shook a bit of the cabin fever off and cleared my mind.  Gotta love the free therapy that being outdoors and fishing provides.  I know I do.

2016 Muskie Expo - Chicago

The Chicago Muskie Show.  It's always a good time.  Last year management switched along with the venue, so, I was skeptical of going.  However this year The Fat Gordo and DanK mentioned going, and I agreed to join them.

I, personally, don't have any specialized musky casting rods or reels or use any of the other equipment I see at this show, but I love going, because, I love chasing musky, and talking to others who are like minded.  Plus the gear is pretty damn cool!!!

I think this would work well in the Driftless Area for trout.

The lures at the place are ridiculous!  You won't find 3/4 of this stuff in any big box store.  All of them are handcrafted by the individuals who are selling them, and while I will never own 98% of this stuff, but it's just hard not to admire the craftsmanship and thought behind all of them.

Wild eastern brook trout in small streams would love this.

Chris Willen Guide Service at my local fly fishing shop DuPage Fly Fishing Company about 2 weeks ago giving a presentation about fly fishing for musky, but I was not able to attend.  Lucky for me, he was at this expo and was giving a presentation, too.

Chris tying up some musky bugs at his booth.

Chris is very knowledgeable about his craft, and his presentation on Fly Fishing for Musky really showed that.  He covered all the necessary equipment, flies, techniques, practices, and went in depth on some more, and answered some great questions from the audience.  After hearing he was bitten off 16 times on a flouro leader, I am making the quick switch to the knotable wire leaders.  Thanks, for a great presentation, Chris!

One day I was listening to ESPN's Mike & Mike, and they had Christian Laettner on as a guest, because, ESPN had an upcoming 30 for 30 documentary about him titled, "I Hate Christian Laettner."  During his interview on the show he mentioned that he is an avid musky fisherman, and has a website The Muskie Life.  

Well, walking around the expo who do we see...Christian Laettner himself!!  Such a cool dude!

Highlight of the expo - Christian Laettner.

Meeting Christian Laettner was definitely the highlight of the Muskie Expo for me.  Turns out he has some pretty awesome stickers and t-shirts, as well.  His daughter is an artist and created this design for him.  Look closely at the markings on the musky, and you will see "Musky Life" hidden within.  This sticker will definitely find a home on my Yeti cooler.

Musky.

There was much of the same throughout the show, but there was 1 lure that really stood out to me - Beaver Baits Trophy Musky Lures.  They looked like super duper sized game changer fly that was weighted with treble hooks, and a beaver tail.

That's a lot of buck tail!

These lures looked freakin' awesome, and the video they had playing showcasing it's action in the water made me want to buy one for the hell of it, but my wallet spotted the price tag and whispered to me that it's probably not a good decision.

Love this color pattern.

Another cool product I seen at the show was this Just Encase fly box.  Just Encase makes some really shnazzy boxes that are fantastic for all of those big musky lures.  They just released a version of their box that is made specifically for big musky flies utilizing magnets.  Really cool innovative product.

Awesome!

One of my missions while at this expo was to find a lure to replace my buddy Musky Mike's top water musky lure.  Over the summer I casted one of his high into some trees - We're Huntin' Musky.  I was unsuccessful finding the exact same lure, but I am still determined that it will pop up somewhere online.  For the meantime I purchased this one that had similar dimensions and make up as his.  Hope he likes it!

Fly Fishing Chicago

My buddy +Dave Kuntzelman (Urban Assault Fly Fishing and CHI-TIE) gave a very informative presentation on fly fishing opportunities around the Chicagoland area at a recent NIFTY aka Northern Illinois Fly Tyers meeting.

He covered the different species we can catch, flies that he uses for those species, gear, and access to the waters he fishes.  Dave talked mostly about Lake Michigan, and shared some great stories of 20-30 lb carp that really put his reels and fishing skills to the test, and the passerby's that offer him money for the carp that he catches.

Thanks goes out to NIFTY and Dave - t'was a good time!

Fish where you live.

For more information about NIFTY and CHI-TIE, please click on their names at the top.  This will bring you to their websites.

Winter: It's Here

2016 is here...Hooray!

Winter is finally here...Boo Yah!

Justin already has cabin fever...Woohoo!

Lots of time on my hands.