What the heck is going on: Jan 2022

Holy cow! New year and the FAS team is on the same old bullshit.. Doing a cheeky audit of where this channel is NOW compared to where it WAS, is a perfect practice in gratitude… because good golly gosh this thing has grown like a damn weed! Between the crazy locations  to the amazing fish caught we seemingly went everywhere and back! The growth and community that has been built across all the platforms has been absolutely amazing to see.. Really there is nothing more to say.. other than… THANK YOU!

FAS Year in a snapshot:

-Mopped up the spring in the Driftless Region

-Copped the cheeky MBA

-Moved to New Mexico

-Fished Southern CO and Northern NM like a man possessed 

-Partnered with TDSF, HEX, ANT, & Postfly 

-Survived MEAT HANG 2021

-Hit 5k on YT, 3K on IG, & 400+ on the Cord!

-We made a friggin website

-Crushed Missouri in the Fall & Early winter

-Went down Dixie way for hot North GA action 

WHAT A YEAR Y’ALL!! 

But that is more than enough GASSIN.. Its time to get back to the prime time grind because folks we are in the heart of winter.. For a lot of us anglers this can be a tricky time.  There are only so many IPA’s to try and shit ass flies to tie. I would implore any and all out there to keep the faith and think of warmer months that are well on the horizon.  If any of you out there fish like I do.. There is a good chance you hit the ground running with the first sight of spring and red lined all the way through the holidays.  

Every piece of gear I own from camera equipment to rods.. need some milk..  No joke.. I look like such a sad sack of shit when I get all geared up these days.. But Father Winter offers up a few short weeks of unfishable conditions that both me and my gear need. This is the perfect time to do a major audit on all your gear and get an understanding of what you might need for the following seasons. Clean those reels, replace fly lines, order some new boots, and of course tie as many flies as your bobbin can handle. 

On top of gear, this is the best time to hone in on where you actually want to go during the prime months of the summer and fall. On dark nights in my cozy apartment, I rip through stacks of angling literature.  This is where I gain inspiration and insight on adventures I want to go on. You will be amazed how little details grabbed up during these months will have significant effects on trips to come.

So we have our gear and mental prep taken care of, the last thing on my radar during this period of downtime would be working out. I don’t really care what kind of fishy adventures you plan on doing during 2022, you can always be in better shape.  This may seem like a true meathead approach but I mean it.  I would argue that more than half of the fish I catch in a year are due to the shape I am in rather than the gear I’m using or overall angling skill. Having the ability to go further, stay longer, and most of all getting the hell out should be paramount to any outdoorsman. Now I understand that not everyone is Cam Hanes.. But start small and build.. Do some push-ups, work that core, run a few miles, and drop that holiday weight. I start small and build every single day. If my dumb ass can do it, you can too. Take that shot of discipline and get it done. 

Jumping off my soap box, I am going to wrap this up by previewing this month's adventures.  I am leaving my parents house in Missouri now that the holidays are over and I'm dipping back to the desert.  I hope to hit the Rio Grande for a few grind sessions in New Mexico. Weather dependent I might try to hit some of the tailwaters in Colorado to combat fish with the crowds.  BUT these are all extremely weather dependent and will most likely be a last minute kind of decision. So I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best, and if I'm lucky ill see y'all out on the water! 

-Mike w/ FAS