More Fish ( Every Day In May )

Day 19 and the topic is More Fish.

Since it's about fish again, i'll just post up some pictures from trips that were sucessful and enjoyable.
Thanks for viewing and hopefully i'll catch some more tomorrow to add to the photo albums.

Fish ( Every Day In May )

Day 18 and the topic is Fish.

Happy Friday to all, today I will focus on the species of fish that are sought after in the rivers that I fish.
First up is the Largemouth bass. Aside from some of the trash fish that are found in the local flows, this has to be one of the most sought out fish around these parts. They can be found in lakes, rivers, and stock tanks.

Next up is the Hybrid bass, it is a cross between species of bass to be found in the local rivers. These fish enjoy more current and pound for pound have to be one of the hardest fighting fish around here.

One of the prized fish to catch out of the local river is the Smallmouth bass, they have been crossbred and are one the hardest fish to target. It's usually luck when you come across some and they are usually in the heaviest current breaks. One of the nicest looking fish in the river for me.

The true prize on the river is the Guadalupe bass, a pure strain is a rare find now days but they are still there. They are found in very few rivers in Texas but are common in my home river. Not growing to a large size but a lot of fun on a 0-2wt fly rod.

The easiest fish to catch around here is the Sunfish, while they come in many different species they all have the same attitude. Something just fell in the water and i'm going to eat it. I can't tell you how many times i've had to go to a larger fly just to keep them off the hook, does'nt work all the time though.

Another surprise fish that you come across occasionally is the Rio. When you hook one of these your first thought is of a nice bass. A very strong fighter and eager to devour a fly.

This fish, the Rainbow trout is the icing on the cake. I don't have to travel outside of the state to catch one. I can actually find them 15 minutes from the house. While they are not native, they do survive because of the cold water in the Guadalupe river. Stocked each fall and winter by the local chapter of Trout Unlimited as well as the state makes it nice that you can stay close to home and catch them.

While these fish are not all of the species found in the rivers that I fish, they are what I target and enjoy catching the most.
Thank's for following along and hope to see you on the river some day.

Fly ( Every Day In May )

Day 17 and the topic is FLY.

When I started out fly fishing, my first flies were some that were purchased from a chain store. Then I graduated to a fly shop, which pretty much had the same flies. Then I was approached by         DragonFly Angler Flies about trying out some of the warmwater flies that he was hand tying, and that is where the boundaries were changed. Not only was the quality of a custom fly better than what I was finding in the stores, but the durability is what is the most impressive part to me. Except for the few that i've lost to the tree gods the remainder are still being used to this day.

Here is a look at some of the flies that I am using from him.

Panfish Treat

Currently he is tying me some Deer hair poppers and some Cajun Cheerleaders for me to try out on the river here.

Cajun Cheerleader

Panfish Hair Popper

Support your local fly tyer........................................

Leader ( Every Day In May )

Day 16 and post title is Leader.

When I started out fly fishing the leaders that were used were specific to the species that I was fishing for. While they seem to do the job that they are asked to do, you always find yourself searching for something different. Fishing for bass, the flies are usually larger and it takes a pretty good combination of rod, line, and leader to turn over these larger flies. Upon searching I came across an article on furled leaders and their ability to turn over large flies with less effort than store bought ones. After some research I was able to get my hands on some for bass fishing as well as some for chasing trout and smaller fish.
I have been using the furled leaders from Christopher Fave Fly Fishing. He makes custom hand tied tapered leaders, what I can tell you from using them is that they are strong and hold up well to the stress that i've put them under. Nice guy to do business with and very reasonable on the price, plus great service. If you are in the market or just want to try one out you will be satisfied with them in my opinion.

Line ( Every Day In May )

Day 15 post and the topic is Line.

I'm not much of an expert when it comes to choosing a fly line for a rod. Not only should it match the weight of the reel but you need to closely match the type of fly you will be slinging to the appropriate line.

Since most of my fishing is done on the rivers here in South Central Texas I have only used weight forward line, since most of what I throw are either poppers or boogers. The depths that I need to present to can be reached using the WF line by adjusting the length of your leader and tippet, or by adding split-shot.
There are so many manufacturers of line that I chose a different route from the mainstream producers and went with a line made by Flytooth Flyline. They make a brand called Razorstrike and I am currently using it on my 7wt rod.

As for casting, the line is very smooth and has minimal stretch. With the forward taper it does an excellent job of turning over larger flies.
The best advise I have for finding the right fly line is to ask others or visit your local fly shop.