Fly Fishing for carp in Kansas is our first love, however, fly fishing is not how we started fishing!
Here is a little background information on the FlatsLander guides:
Captain Paul "Sodie" Sodamann and Craig "Professor" Phillips
As a kid growing up in Kansas, I learned to fish with a cane pole, bobber and worms. Grandpa Sodie would take us to a hot bluegill pond where we could catch fish all day long. How I got started fly fishing, I am not quite sure. Grandpa never fly fished. He was strictly a bait on the bank kind of guy.
I am a retired school teacher of thirty years and hold my Ph.D. in Education from Kansas State University. I also currently teach a college course in fly fishing for KSU.
I am past vice-president-Conservation for Federation of Fly Fishers Southern Council. As a life member of FFF, I have served on the FFF National Conservation Committee, and National Saltwater Committee. I also hold my Master Casting Instructor certification through FFF. I serve on Advisory Staff for Temple Fork Outfitters Fly Rods and Pro Staff for Scientific Angler Fly Lines and Mustad Hooks I am also a member of Coastal Conservation Association, Florida Keys Chapter.
I am a representative for International Game Fish Association, an IGFA certified Captain and previously held the two pound class tippet record for Longnose Gar. It was not a big fish, but it sure was fun to catch on two pound test line!
I took my U.S.C.G. license exams in Marathon, Florida. I spend most of my summers in the Keys for the great fishing and, believe it or not, the weather is cooler there than is in Kansas.
Aside from the fishing: I am a pilot and have owned a 1947 Aeronca Chief and a 1946 Taylorcraft. I am a certified scuba instructor, skydiving instructor and white water kayaking instructor.
As a fishing guide I can not promise you will catch fish, but I sure will do my best to provide you with the opportunity to do so. And we can have fun at the same time. If you are looking forward to a low pressure fishing trip and want to learn a few new casting skills, I will be happy to provide that for you. If you want a serious attempt a Bonefish in Florida or Carp in Kansas, that can be arranged. I will do my best to make your next fishing trip a memorable one.
Like Sodie, I grew up in Kansas and learned to fish with "traditional" tackle - spin-casting and spinning tackle with bait or small lures. Later, I graduated to bait casting tackle and fished for Largemouth bass, but still tried to find time to go fishing with my Grandparents in the heated fishing docks at Grand Lake in Okalahoma. It was there Grandpa taught me to fish with 1/64th ounce jigs on ultra light spinning rods and reels. I didn't know it then, but those were really just weighted flies! I took up fly fishing around 1990, and taught myself since no one around here was teaching the sport at that time (at least no one I knew). I stuck with it an eventually had what I call an "Ah-ha" moment when I finally felt the rod load and unload and saw the line lay out nicely in front of me. I was soon hooked, and while I still occasionally fish with conventional tackle, I always look at a fish or a piece of water and think about how I might fish it with a fly rod.
I teach fly fishing, fly-casting and tying at KDWP's Becoming an Outdoors Woman program and NWTF's Women in the Outdoors program. I've taught those venues since the programs started - over 10 years ago for BOW. Sometimes I help Sodie out with his KSU class, and we have done programs at the Federation of Fly Fishers Southern Council Conclave, and for fly fishing clubs in the area.
I'm also on the Pro Staff for Temple Fork Outfitters Fly Rods, Scientific Anglers Fly Lines and Mustad Hooks. When guiding from a boat, I use a Mitzi Skiffs flats boat. I am a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers, the Coastal Conservation Association (Texas Chapter), and am also an IGFA Representative. I've been fortunate enough to have fly fished the saltwater of Florida, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Belize, and Bimini and wetted a fly in the freshwater of a pretty good number of states. To support my fishing habit, I work for the Army at Fort Riley as a Sustainability Planner.
We can't guarantee you will catch fish on every trip, but you will learn a little about the fish and their habits and habitats, get some good tips on your casting technique, and we'll do our best to make sure you have a good time. So, let's go fishing!