Passing it on

With the trout not biting, I watched as my son made cast after cast to a section of river that constantly produces for me. With each strip I await the sound that you make when you catch that first fish doing something new. As the sun starts setting behind the trees, a rod tip is lifted and excitement fills the cold air as I hurry back upriver to help net the trout. A quick picture and a high five let me know that a new bond had been formed between him and the river.

This was something that I've been looking forward to the whole time he was away at school. Trying to teach him a new way to fish has not been easy but with some casting help from one of my guide friends he picked up on it after a few hours.

A few minutes later he was hooked up again and after a few jumps the trout sent the wooly bugger back to him. As the light was fading I managed a few trout to the net on a dry fly and he ended the day landing his second trout.

This was one of those days that I had thought of for many years and I cant wait to get back on the water with him soon.

The smile says it all.....
Take a kid fishing...

Lazy Drift

Slowly drifting down the river, the sun rising above ancient Cypress trees that have withstood many devastating floods. I am staring intently at the indicator while the bead and emerger dropper slowly glide along the bottom through the channel.

Having booked a full day trip on the Guadalupe river with ReelFly Fishing Adventures, today wasn't about me but more about helping a friend catch his first trout on the fly rod. Watching his indicator go under and seeing the smile on his face as the trout bent the fly rod over is what its all about. A picture was taken and then a released fish swam away to hopefully bring a smile to another face one day.

After a few more fish, lunch made its way down to the river as ReelFly had BBQ sandwiches delivered to take care of the hunger pains that had built up.
Sliding the raft over the weir, we made our way down to where a limestone shelf runs along the bank and a cut channel right along it. Drifting the rig through and seeing the indicator go under I soon had my first fish of the day.

After releasing the fish. Brent dropped us off on the ledge so we could work down it while he took the raft through a shallow section. Again, my indicator went down and with the rod lifted a large Rainbow came out of the water trying to shake free. Seeing the size of the trout, Brent dropped anchor and came running with the net. The fish had taken me to the reel and ended up bending the hook and releasing itself before we could slide it into the net.
Fixing the hook and casting in the same drift. I was met again with another large trout, this time the odds were in my favor and the fish was quickly released after a photo and high five with the guide.

Working our way down the river brought more fish during the day with most all being good sized trout.

 

 

Having fished the day before and days prior to this trip had me knowing that conditions would be tough. Brent from ReelFly worked hard all day finding fish as well as coming up with a pattern by pumping a few stomachs and matching the hatch. The result was a successful day with close to 15 trout caught and released.

 

 

 

 

If you find yourself in Sattler, TX looking for info on the trout fishing on the Guadalupe river. Stop into ReelFly and they will be more than happy to share information as well as being the best stocked fly shop at the river. Tell them I sent you.

 

 

 





Christmas Dreaming

It's that time of year again, when you start thinking about some gear that you went all year without and would come in handy. While I won't get a fraction of the gear that will be listed here, there are still a few items that would come in useful as I paddle and wade myself across this state.

While we don't get extremely cold for a long period of time, we do have the occasional three to four day front that comes in dropping the temps and making fishing miserable for a while. One thing that is lacking would be a good wading jacket. It would have to be warm but flexible to be able to take while fishing from the kayak or while wading the river.
The KAST  Velocity jacket would be my choice for this since it offers the functionality that i'm looking for.

Another item needed is a new pair of wading boots. Currently I wear a pair of hunting boots over my waders. While they have worked they are not made for wading. The boots that I am looking at are made by Korkers footwear and come with interchangeable soles to change for traction assistance.

When wading I try to pack as light as possible and should be able to save weight and take the important items with me by utilizing a Tightlines Sling Pak by Vedavoo, and it's made by hand in the USA.

 

 

A good pair of nippers comes in handy and the best of the best would be made by Abel Reels. Yes it seems like a lot for a pair of nippers, but if you take care of them I think it would be money well spent judging by the feedback that I get from people who have been using them.

 

 

One can never have too many hats and I like the hats that Howler Brothers offer.

 

 

 



My Lifeproof case has started to wear at the perfect time. I guess putting it in and taking it out of the life jacket case has taken its toll on it. Looking around at my local fly shop and seeing the Lifeproof case by DeYoung Canvasfish has me hoping Santa puts one of these in my stocking.

 

When you wear Buffs on every outing. It doesn't hurt to have a nice variety. Original Buff has been making some that are exclusive to fly fishing and have some cool designs by Bug Slinger.

 

 

 

Since I like to fish glass the list wouldn't be complete without a new hoodie from The Fiberglass Manifesto.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed looking at my list to Santa. What's on yours........







It's aTrout time

After retrieving my sling pack that was left in the jeep after the Devils River trip with the crew at Reelfly, and picking up some new flies for trout. Decided to hit the Guad up today and see how the trout bite was doing.

 

 

Slipping into the water I was worried about the cold since the waders were left behind and I chose to wear shorts. With the hot weather that we have had lately the water felt good until you got waist deep. Wading a few hundred yards over the slippery rocks and limestone ledges, my destination was reached and I began to cast a Girdle bug upon the cypress needle covered water. Working the fly just below the surface and feeling the bend of the custom glass rod as I gently stripped and lifted the rod to set the hook. Fish on and after a short fight I worked it into the net for a few pictures and a release.

 

 

 

Another bonus that occurs this time of year is the changing of colors as fall arrives in Texas. We are not in an area that has extreme changes during the different seasons but when we do, the beauty is magnified.

 

 

 

The day was productive for the few hours that were fished. Occasionally a trout would rise but I had no takers on dry's. Most of the fish caught were on a girdle bug in black with white legs. Had a few followers when throwing a booger in black and green but the size didn't appeal to the fish.

 



 

 

 

 

See you on the river..........

 

 







Row...row...row...your raft

Locking the oars in place after settling into the seat. Steam rising from the water, the aftermath of the cold front passing through during the night. Today, the fourth day on the water I am greeted with sore muscles in my back and neck and a burning in my arms as I expel energy to get the raft with all it's gear moving forward to start the day.

The trip began with me stopping into ReelFly Fishing Adventures to say hello and welcome them back home after taking the summer off to guide in Utah to get away from the heat here in Texas.
Before leaving the shop I had agreed to row a raft with a cameraman, his assistant, and all of their gear down the Devil's river. The most remote and dangerous river in the state along with being the most beautiful.

How often do you actually get to scratch something off your bucket list with the demands put on you these days. When the chance arises, you sometimes have to go for it. Going into this I knew it would be very demanding since the Devils river is one of the most remote stretches of river in Texas. The majority of its land is private and once you put in you are a good three days from taking out. Besides being picturesque with its fall colors and crystal clear waters, it is home to some serious class II and III rapids along with a 15ft waterfall. .

 

 



The drive there was like sitting around a campfire as I listened to stories of rugged terrain and large fish being discussed from trips taken before. It seemed to take forever to get to our destination as it usually does when you are ready to start any adventure. Turning off the highway and onto a dirt road that made its way through cliffs and washed out creek beds just made the anticipation grow. Turning that last corner and seeing the beauty of the river for the first time made it all worthwhile.

 

 

Sleeping on the small islands that nature had provided made for peaceful nights as you listened to the sound of water moving over rocks as the wind gently rocked the tent hammock that we each slept in. The bugs were kept at bay with the mosquito netting and full rainfly to keep you dry during the night, My only wish would have been to have a skylight to enjoy the stars in between the storms.

 

 

 Two cold fronts passed through our area days apart keeping the fish at bay for most of the trip. Fish were caught, but it took many casts to entice the take. The natural beauty of this place made the scarcity of hooking up seem irrelevant as you drifted by engrossed in the sights.From the deep crystal clear pools of water to the rugged cliffs, it was like being in an old Western movie.

 

 

The river offers up a variety of fish species. We were fortunate to catch Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, and a few Carp with most falling for Clousers stripped at a medium pace.

 



 

 

 

 

This will go down as a trip of a lifetime and thanks again to ReelFly for the invite.

 

 

Some of the pictures taken on the trip.