FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

My buddy Rusty is still catching them on both the creek and the river so today it will be off to the creek later, slept in the morning for some reason but usually no problem on the creek or river. The day looks beautiful so off I go.

Weather

50/76.  Partly sunny and pleasant with no chance of rain.  Wind  ENE 5 – 15 mph.

Tides

Low 1:52 pm.   (Only tide today.)

Activity Periods

Minor  1:16 pm to 2:16 pm.  (Only period when out today.)

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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About halfway through the day I made a cast with a DOA Cal paddle tail and when I lifted up it was a “red’ and it was fighting like crazy.  It was heavy and unfortunately I just kept reeling and never did set the hook.  So I reached down and picked up a white Controlled Descent Paddle Shad on a 1/8th swim bait hook which was ready to do a little red fishing, and started reeling.  One smacked it and the fight was on.

That is no redfish!  Hard to get her all in the picture.

CPR and back she went.  No crappy pictures can do this fish justice.

Initially the plan was to fly fish some, but the big girl above put that one to bed.  There is a real chance that the one that got away on the prior cast was also a really big trout.  So I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to catch another big girl, but it was not to be.  But the fishing was really consistent.

Putting in at 10:30 the tide was really low and the water had that copper color to it.  The wind was fairly light, but since I was in the skiff no water temp.  First up was a bank that always has them on it and 3 came over the side which started things off just right.  And until quitting at 3:30 there were fish everywhere I fished.

Other than the big girl all the fish came on small 3″ paddle tails, with a dark back, fished on a 1/8th, and hopped off the bottom.  Hard as I tried they just did not want the reeled Controlled Descent.  Most came around half way back, and often it was just a little twitch, or a funny feeling, few smacked it.  On one point alone I caught 8, which were basically fish sticks, but they were biting.

This is what most of the 30+ caught today looked like.

You could squeak out a limit, all were CPR, but you had to wade through a bunch.

As hard as I tried to catch another big fish it just would not happen.  With the low tide it really seemed they just wanted a smaller bait, and if it was not hopped off the bottom the strikes were few and far between.  And the fish were positioned a little differently than normal due to the low tide.  Today it was the steeper banks, some straight up and down, that had the better fish.  You really had to slow down to keep contact with the bottom with some of the steep drops.  Many of the flatter banks I like only had little ones on it, and it seemed the farther down I went the smaller they were.  Wish I would have had the other boat with a temp gauge, it might have been instructive.

Only 2 reds today, but as usual they were appreciated.

Other than the 2 reds above, I did add a small flounder to round out a slam.  Always nice to have that happen even if they are small.  While the bite was consistent they were tricky today, you had to be on your toes, and that certain sweet spot off the bank let me get ready cause the hit was coming.  So at 3:30 I called it a day.  I seem to have a trout “limit”.  After catching a ton it reaches the point of pointless, if that makes sense.  When it is an easy 30+ that seems to be my go home limit, but it sure is fun to catch release a bunch.

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And another horrible water story.  A sperm whale stranded and died on the Scottish coast.  And in the stomach was “Fishing nets, bundles of rope, plastic cups, plastic bags and other garbage were found in the whale’s stomach, according to a necropsy done by SMASS.”  A total of 220 pounds of trash!  We are destroying our waters and have polluted the ocean to the point where they are finding all kinds of stuff in mammals, birds, and fish.  It can not keep going like this.  So if you fish this is important and time to do what you can, when you can.  No clean water, no life, that is how it works.

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And I managed to do it again, I inflated my self inflating life jacket.  Almost exactly one year from when I did it last time it happened again.  I toss it on the seat when the boat stops and this time when I went to put it back on the pull cord got hung on the backrest and it inflated.  Nice.  At least I had another re-arm kit so no big whoop, other than the $20 for the kit.  So now I have put the pull cord in the edge of the jacket where it does not hang down looking for a reason to inflate.  But it is nice to know it works just fine, it may save my life.  But another lesson learned in a 50 year fishing life.  One thing we can say for many of those life fishing lessons, they always cost money.

And speaking of costly lessons I broke a spinning rod today, my favorite trout rod for light line and small baits.  I hate it when that happens.  And then when I decided to quit I reached down and pulled the trolling motor cord and it broke and I almost fell on my ass.  Oh well, just the cost of doing business.

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Rusty fishes Fayette regularly and he let me know there was a fish kill on the north end of Fayette recently.  He reports that the fishing has been slow, same as Louis told me the other day.  Not sure what the fish kill is all about how about a quick uneducated guess:  They killed the grass on Fayette and I wonder if the loss of grass led to a much lower oxygen content when the lake reached it’s peak warm temperature causing the die off.  I continue to bitch about what is happening to our waters but a fish kill is a symptom of something.  And my usual question:  Does TPWD give a crap?  And did they investigate? Seems that might be something biologists would want to know.

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So another good day of fishing this week, as far as big fish go.  A big bass on Monday, a big trout on Wednesday, can’t wait to see what is coming the next 2 days because the plan is to be on the water somewhere.  Big fish are what I like about winter.  It is not as fast as spring can be, but the odds for bigger fish go up.  And it helps when you get a little lucky like I did today.  But it proves the adage, the more I fish the luckier I get.  So keep stopping and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

*******************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

After looking at the weather it is bass tomorrow and trout Wednesday, at least for a start.  And on the lake I decided to change things up a little.  First thing in the morning has not been all that special on the lake, and with the periods running in the afternoons, I decided to go late and fish until dark and see how that goes.  They should be a little stunned in the morning anyway with this small cold front.

Weather

40/68.  Partly sunny with 0% rain.  Wind N 5 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Friday  94.57 msl.  Today  94.55 msl.

Activity Periods

Major  4:52 pm to 6:52 pm.  Minor  11:28 am to 12:28 pm.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

Got it Done.

I was on the water at 10:30  The air temp was 55 and the wind was blowing 15mph straight out of the north.  With a mile high sky, falling water, and a cold front I expected it to be tough, and it was.  The water temp remained the same as it has been and the color was not all that hot, combination of wind and falling water.

So first was up lake and not being sure what to throw today I pitched the Pit Boss, swim jig, Bang O Lure, and spinnerbait.  And of those only the Pit Boss and swim jig produced fish.  In fact, I fished 7 hours and ended up boating 8, 4 on each bait.  And as a side note fishing in the afternoon was about like it has been fishing early in the day.  But it was the Pit Boss that made the day worth it.

This was a toad, big and healthy.  One of those you could get your fist in her mouth.

I pitched the California color Pit Boss right next to a brushy tangle and instead of sinking it just started moving to the right, once I set the hook she did the big mouth open wallow like the good ones will do at times.  Then a half hearted jumps by the boat and I put the lip job on her.  No guess how big, but she was a good one, nice and thick.  She got CPR’d and off she went.  Nice to get a good one in the boat.

But as far as the rest of the day it was literally one here and one there.  And as it has been for a month they basically all look the same.

They have looked like this for weeks.

I wish I could give you a real pattern, hell I wish I knew one, there just does not seem to be anything or anyplace they like more than anything else, at least as far as I know.  One on a channel bank, a couple on points, 2 near brush, one with no reason to be there, it was spotty.  But considering conditions I will take it.  After losing one like this Friday it was nice to redeem myself.  One thing about sticking a big one, some may fool you, but when it is a real one there is no question.

It really has surprised me how slow the Bang O Lure fishing has been so far, normally one of my favorite patterns on Coleto in the winter.  But winter has just arrived here so it remains to be seen how the fishing goes.  I know one thing, until they quit dropping the lake the fishing will remain spotty.  But all it takes is a big fish and it is all good.

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I met Jeff and Louis from the bay City area at the ramp when I took out.  They were the only boat who fished as long as I did and their results were about the same.  Had one about 3 1/2 and the rest were small ones like the ones above.  We got to talking about the grass being gone and Louis said they asked about it and were told it was “natural” order of things.  Which Louis said is actually the name of the herbicide they used on the lake.  “Natural Order by Monsanto.” Good one and so true!  (I am not buying the natural thing either, which I was told over 3 years ago.  Everything is gone, including the hyacinth, which is basically impossible to get rid of.)

They were headed to Fayette today until a buddy called who is a good tournament fisherman and advised them to change lakes.  They fished Fayette for 5 hours yesterday without a bite, which I guess is unusual for them.  Then they told me about a fish kill that happened late summer on Fayette, which I had not heard.  So Rusty – what do you know about that and have you fished the lake lately?  So it was nice to meet them and talk fishing, and the rest of you if you see me at the ramp say hey

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Unfortunately there are a couple of things that need doing tomorrow so no fishing tomorrow.  But after that it will be back on the water.  I want to do at least one more day on the creek, or maybe the river, with the flyrod before that slows down.  And time to plan a little fishing trip before heading north to visit the parents and grandkids.  If it would cloud up and be relatively calm it will definitely be the Laguna.  With the water cooling big trout time is right around the corner.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

*******************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

Weather

79/72.  Warm and cloudy this morning with a 65% chance of a shower.  Wind Calm then clearing with gusts to 30 out of the SE.

Lake Level

Today  94.57 msl.     Yesterday  94.62 msl.

Activity Periods

Major  3:09 pm to 5:09 pm.   Minor 9:52 am to 10:52 am.

I really did have high hopes for the fishing this morning, and in one respect it was good, to bad I did not get it done.  Started with the spinnerbait but I made a change.  To make it stay on top slower making a big wake I went with a #6 and  #3 tandem which was easy to run slower making that good wake.  I had not been fishing 10 minutes when a big one jumped all over it.  I have to admit it caught me by surprise and I just did not get a good hook set.  She jumped a couple of times and on the last one right by the boat off she went.  To bad, it was the best one I have had on in a while.

This is what all 7 of them looked like this morning.

Not totally bummed out but that one hurt.  Of course that led to me throwing the spinnerbait a whole lot more than I intended to.  The problem was I only caught 3 more on it all morning.  And that happened in a 30 yard stretch.  As hard as they are hitting it to bad I did not get more bites, the ones that come for it are smacking it.  There was only 1 or 2 that did not get it once they came for it.

If I were guessing, and I am, this water falling thing has them a little hinky.  The weather was perfect, it basically drizzled all morning with light rain, and the wind was not to tough even when it came up.  The water was not quite as clear as it was yesterday, again from continually falling added to a little rain, and the temp had just dropped a degree over the whole lake.  They just don’t like it or there would be a lot more shallow.

Finally putting the spinnerbait down led to a few more fish, in fact 4, I should have stuck to that all morning.  The bunch I caught in one place yesterday were gone so it turned into a hunt and peck morning.  Then disaster number 2 reared its ugly head.  Reeling the swim jig along nice and slow letting it fall with the contour and one thumped it big time.  I set the hook, felt  some serious weight for about 10 seconds and the line parted.  Not even “break” it just let go softly.  That is exactly what you get when you do not retie.

The only good to come of that was I switched to blue/black swim jig with a glitter blue craw trailer and ended up catching a few.  2 of them hit it on the fall after a big hop.  They will track the swim jig and for me that is the easiest way to provoke them.  Generally I straight reel for about 5 – 10 feet as most bites come close to the bank, then I try to give it a big hop and let if fall on a slack line.   They usually hit it on the first couple of cranks after you tighten back up.  All of that leads me to believe that pitching the beaver style plastic to wood is probably still the best bet as long as the water continues to fall.

There were a few folks out but like yesterday the majority had hit the road when I got the ramp at 1:00.  Today was a miss more than I caught day and 2 were in my control and I just did not get it done.  This is my favorite weather and time of year and the fishing is disappointing right now.  Coleto historically has great winter fishing and hopefully it will improve if the lake stabilizes.  There will be some new locations as the water falls making some areas to shallow and some just right.  So it will be an interesting winter on the lake.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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I must be nuts but I quit fishing Friday to come home and watch the Razorbacks, guess I really am a fan.  But something has to change because they are bad, really bad.  So lets see if it makes my day or ruins it.  Well not to bad.  It was one of those bad games by 2 bad teams that actually was pretty entertaining, nice after repeated ass whippings.  So now the new coach hunt goes into high gear and we shall see.  The AD hired the new basketball coach and we are now 8 – 0.  Maybe, just maybe, he will hit another home run but only time will tell.

The Aggies just got killed.  I switched over to another game after they got down 28 – 0 in the first quarter.  LSU and Ohio State are clearly the 2 best teams in the country.  Just have to see how next week comes out for both of them when they play in the respective conference championship games.  I sure hope we get to see them play each other before it is all over.

And the Alabama – Auburn game was one of the best games I have seen in a while.  And Saban bitching about Auburns trick punt play was priceless.  I would suggest that getting 13 penalties hurt them way more than that.

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Looking forward to this week.  The weather looks great and the Boss is working all week so I will be free to hit the water.  And while I won’t be spending all weekend at POC with the Fishmas boys I will be headed down there for at least a day.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

*******************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  Planet.

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Have a Happy Thanksgiving and have a safe holiday.

The Boss is working the holiday as usual, which for me means fishing.  Fishing the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday has been a staple for years, and back to when we were on the ambulance, decades.  It is usually cooler and the traffic is light on both those days and I always enjoy the quiet.  I never forget how lucky I am.  So thanks Nancy, you are the bomb!

As I prepare this today the weather is looking like we just might get a few showers. which is not going to stop me from heading to the lake in the morning.  After fighting the blog yesterday I need to have a rod in my hand so it will be up and gone in the morning.  Time to make sure the boat and tackle is ready to go and get out the rain suit.  (See Todd below.)  And as I said on Facebook, I want to be home in time to see the Cowboys floundering around like a trout flopping on the deck.  It is back to real life and we shall see how the day goes.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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And speaking of Controlled Descent they have received what is the “last” pre-production mold on the new Knockin Tail Lure and I can not wait to get my hands on some.  Michael reports he caught some good trout on the prototype the other day and they were hammering it.  We are trying to work out a day of fishing together to give them a good go.  It is going to catch fish, end of story.

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Weather

72/66.  Mostly cloudy with a 64% chance of a few showers.  Wind NNE 10 – 15 mph.

Lake Level

Today  94.62 msl.   17 days ago  94.92 msl.  (It keeps on dropping, the ramp is headed to interesting.)

Solunar Times

Major 1:18 pm to 3:18 pm.   Minor 7:54 am to 8:54 am.

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A dreary day – Perfect!

It was raining pretty good at daylight so I hung out and watched the radar.  Finally about 8:00 the big stuff was gone so I headed to the lake.  This is the kind of day where you catch fish, cloudy, drizzle, and a 15 mph wind.  The ramp is definitely lower but still ok as long as you don’t back in over 25 feet.

The water temp was 66 at the ramp, 69 near the discharge cove, and 66 over most of the lake.  The water color is clear at the lower end with some color up river.  Which of course is my usual starting place.  Spinnerbait was first up and while not fast by any means the ones that did bite were stopping it.

The 2 best on spinnerbait out of 6.

I probably stuck with it to long but it is still the all time favorite.  Running right below the surface making a wake, the spinnerbait has to run exactly level, generates some of the best strikes in bass fishing.  I generally threw it on flatter banks with cover, harder to get them to bite buzzing it if the bank is to steep, the bite window is a lot smaller.  It seemed like a big one was coming on the next cast, but it just did not happen.  So time for favorite technique number 2, swim jig.

They were thumping the bluegill color 1/4 ounce swim jig with a Rage Craw.

While fishing the spinnerbait was getting bites it was time for a little deeper bank and the swim jig.  It only took about an hour until I hit one steep bank and caught 5 in nothing flat slow rolling it.  They were still near cover but I guess with the falling water they want some protection of deep water nearby.  The bites were those nice thumps that says they have it.  After that time to point hop down lake and see if one would eat a Bang O Lure.

Until I quit about 2:00 to watch the game it was slow “pickens”.  A small one did finally hit the Bang O Lure on top, but down lake it was just a hair to windy.  A couple more jumped on the spinnerbait on a windy bank with stumps, and I did not have another bite on anything else.  It seemed like they just slowed down, but I did not get to several spots that have been consistent as I tried to get a feel for what they are doing.  Of course the discharge can be really good this time of year, just not my thing.

For a 5 hour trip I will take it.  And the best thing about today is I just might have a clue so tomorrow is looking good.  Not even going to unhitch the boat.  The plan will be to throw the swim jig a lot more, it improves the big fish possibility by a good bit.  Can’t wait to see how it goes.

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I did miss my buddy Todd at POC last weekend but he sent along these pictures.

After his run to Conte he had it all to himself and he sent this picture on his arrival.  Take a close look at what might be missing.  Shit happens!  He ended up pulling the day out with a nice limit of reds so all was not lost.

That will work!

Of course it reminds me of a story.  On the way back from Florida the Boss and I stopped at a motel in Jasper Alabama.  The next morning we left and got about an hour and a half away and remembered I left more than a dozen rods behind the door.  Nice way to start a 10 hour drive back to Arkansas.  Having done things like this more times than I care to remember I now take a second and make sure I have my stuff together.  Sometimes the lure of just getting on the water is to strong, we are a bunch of kids once the boat comes out.  It happens to the best of us.

And last but not least on his weekend.

Pork is what’s for dinner.

Those of you who have followed this blog know about Todd and his cooking.  He is a great cook and fishing trips with him always include some serious eats.  Sorry I missed him!

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Hope you have a great day whatever you are doing.  Mine is going great, let us see how those Cowboys do.  As long as it is not just flat pouring it will be gone at daylight with the weather looking perfect.  I can feel a big fish coming.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

*******************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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(This is my 1, 149th post and all is right with the world.  If there ever was a time to call it a day with the blog this was it. What looked like a daunting task beyond my abilities updating the site was resolved with a little perseverance.  I am not done yet, there is way to much to tell, so many places to go.  The final way to check is to finish off the Colorado trip.  I wanted to fish today but fixing the blog took precedence.)

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Colorado

This trip had 2 goals, besides just generally having a good time, do some fly fishing, a big success, and see and photograph wildlife, another great success.  I drove out early and then picked up the Boss at Denver International on Pena Street.  Didn’t know neighbor Jesse’s fame spread that far!  As you know I was in South Fork fishing and my wildlife viewing started off with a bang.  A huge full curl ram, then mule deer bucks fighting, set the tone and it went from there.

We stayed at McGregor Mountain Lodge which could not have been better situated.  Only 2 minutes from Estes National Park, and 5 minutes from the town of Estes Park, all on the same road.  As usual the Boss made a great choice.  From seeing around 100 cow elk in town the first morning, to the big bull bedded down 15 feet from our porch when we  left, it was up close and personal the whole trip.  So without further blather here are the critters!

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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Day 1

Each day was different.  On this day it was cold and below freezing.

Everything was laid up all day, but when we came around the corner we spied a set of horns on the hillside.  And from there on it was nothing but big bulls.  We basically dive and glass, looking for whatever we can see.  And if we are lucky the 600 lens can reach them.  It takes patience but if you take it slow amazing what can be seen.

How many do you see?

We would see lots more of these big boys over the next 3 days.

Though we saw a few mule deer does, until the big warm up the next few days the bucks were few and far between.

Mid afternoon the big boys were out of their beds and feeding.  It was really something seeing big elk that close, and we spent plenty of time watching them.  The guy on the bottom right was a hoss, and his horns were broken and worn down from a tough fall rut.  He was obviously the boss.

As the sun began to set they started to bed again.  The bottom right was right across from the lodge.  Looks like he broke off a pretty good piece of his rack.  So day 1 was a real success.  We have never been fortunate enough in our travels out west to really get to observe so many nice bulls up close.  So day 2 we were going to go to the fly shop and set up our trip but when I went outside it was so nice I knew they would be moving, and it was a great choice.

Day 2

Before we get to the wildlife trust me, we took time to stop and take it all in.  Estes Park is beautiful and the day started off warmer after a fresh snowfall.  So here it is, the park.

The front was about to blow through bringing the sun out and making a perfect day for being alive.

The roads were slick with ice under snow but the 4Runner had no problems.  We did see 3 cars in the ditch, not sure why they were driving on it, but the park was fairly busy as much of it is open this time of year.

We did stop and take a mile hike around a lake, then back to chasing animals.

Hard to decide which is better.  No matter what it was just to beautiful to be true.  We really appreciate the ability to explore new places and it never gets old.

As it began to warm out came the mule deer.  They were scarce day 1 but on the move today.

They were browsing on the clumps of grass with the occasional bite off a pine tree.  We wanted to be back in town by 10:00 to get our fishing trip settled so after a short morning in the park it was off to town.  Changing plans and hitting the park at daylight was the right choice.  After getting that squared away we looked at the map and decided to take a scenic drive in the national forest and of course, there were the elk.

The first one was the only elk we saw on the morning park drive that we were able to get a picture of.  The big boys were way out in a field in the park but once on the afternoon drive we saw plenty.

These guys were in a field outside of town.  The cows had already moved down and the bulls were on the way.  We never saw them together except for the big herd in town headed to the golf course.  So with another successful day we headed to supper, which included elk!

Day 3

Being out last full day, and having to meet the Kent at 10:00 for the fishing we were in the park before the sun came over the mountains.  Whether fishing or looking for animals, daylight is the money shot and we had another great day.

It was such a pretty day for our last drive in the park.  And the mule deer bucks appreciated it.

This guy decided to bed down with a buddy.  It was one nice buck.

What majestic creatures.  The last guy was the master of all he could see.  This was the last picture before the fishing trip and it was the perfect end to 3 days in the park.  Each day was different and you never knew what might be around the corner.  And our timing could not have been better, and we were so glad we had the 4 wheel drive.  It is a long way there, and of course even longer back, but not only having 4 wheel, much less all the “stuff” you could need for cold weather and fishing is a load, made every inch of the drive worth it.

It is hard to put this trip in perspective but it had it all.  Great weather, fishing, and animal viewing checked all the boxes.  The place we stayed, good eats, fishing with Kent, seeing a big ram, snow, mountains, the park, South Fork, the Big Thompson, elk, mule deer, people stuck, the Boss falling on her rear end, and on and on.  We made a pact last winter when viewing the Whooping Cranes at the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, lets see how many animals we can see this year, and it has been a success.

And on a travel note the Boss just outdid herself.  In October of next year we are embarking on the biggest fishcatchingtravel of all time.  Plans are made, deposits are down, now comes the hard part, the waiting.  First up will be 4 days at a riverside camp on the Zambezi River in Zambia.  I will be able to fish for tiger fish, a bucket list fish, anytime I want.  Not only game drives but walking drives, yikes!  And you can take a canoe trip on the river amongst the crocs and hippos!  They say to bring the bino’s as you can see animals from your porch.  It is known for elephants to stick their head into your cabin!  Tons of wildlife, lions, hippos, crocs over 12 feet, wild dogs, even leopards are commonly seen.  The leopard is the only one of the big 5 we have not seen and I can hardly wait.

Then it is off to Uganda for 2 days viewing the gorillas.  Just thinking about that gets me all giddy.  We chose 2 days because we have heard the following form other folks – Day 1 to much time on the camera, Day 2, really watch and see how cool it is.  You hike into the jungle and can spend an hour just watching a group, and you see a different group every day.  The travel time to get there is something.  4 flights in 2 days until landing on a small plane in the jungles of Zambia, it will be worth every minute.  And as usual she has folks waiting at every step of the way to keep us from getting lost.  This is going to be something.

So now it really is back to “real life”.  Since I spent today working out the kinks in the blog tomorrow morning it will be off to the lake.  Then I will be getting the 9wt fly rod out and heading to the creek to try my luck.  Next time you are our fishing or hiking take the time to appreciate your surroundings.  The catch is the bonus, being alive in the outdoors is what it really is all about.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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Sorry for the late report but I updated the word processing program on my computer and it is just plain hard to teach an old dog new tricks so here we go.

Before telling you about the fishing I want to compliment our guide. We met Kent Anderson for our trip at Kirk’s Fly Shop in downtown Estes Park. You never know when you hire one, as an example Peru, terrible, Costa Rica, top notch. In this case he was topnotch, one of the best guides I ever fished with. He took 2 neophytes and put them on wild trout under less than ideal conditions. And if you ever get to Estes Park stop in the store, great owner with all the stuff you might ever need.

The Boss with a rainbow.

We were fishing the Big Thompson River outside of Estes Park. It is a tributary of the Platte and was the best open water around. The river was way down in flow rate, about 15% of the level Kent likes, and clear as a bell. As you can see from the picture above it was not very far across and the fish were spooky. Filled with cool little runs and pools, it was in a pretty setting at the bottom of a canyon. Kent was patient and really did teach us how to catch wild trout in about an hour. I have taken 2 classes, and fly fished several times, but he taught me more today than I learned all those other times combined. He is a real pro.

This style of fishing is considered technical. Close roll casts to tight runs, many with less than 5 feet of promise land, it all had to be right. We were using a nymph and egg combo with a couple of spilt shot and an indicator. It was critical to get the drift just right, and many of the strikes were nothing more than a twitch of the indicator, you had to be on your toes.

Nancy with one on and Kent doing his guide thing.

One thing I will give those trout they can be tricky. It took the Boss a few misses until she invariably got the hang of it, and once she did she started catching them. I did ok, I think it was 6, and with a little more experience would have been a few more. We caught rainbows, cutbows, and browns thanks to Kent. He really stressed doing in all right and concentrating on what we were doing. I often say that in fishing it is the little things that make the difference at the end of the day. It is no truer than in fly fishing.

Of course there was an ulterior motive, putting the Boss on fish. She has been successful on both her outings and I think she is really starting to like it, of course what is not to like where wild trout are caught? And of course there is a real side benefit to me, she will come along with me. So there are definitely more trout in our future, and with a little more experience it will be off to catch a bonefish.

The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

And finally I wanted to let you know a little more about Kent. He has been guiding for over 14 years in some great places, including northern Colorado, southern Wyoming, and Bristol Bay Alaska. He also guides backcountry camping, guided hiking and horse/lama trips, and snow shoeing trips. Want to do something great in the outdoors he is your man. So if you are ever in the area stop in Kirk’s Fly Shop and they will hook you up. The area is beautiful and he will put you on some fish in one of the most beautiful places on this earth.

Often catching is the reason for the season, but in this case it was the total package. Beautiful scenery, great river, and we learned a ton. Kent told Nancy several times while she was fighting a fish to turn around and look at where she was. So true! Not sure how a day of fishing could be any better. It was nice to get out of my comfort zone and learn/do something different. And to get to share it with the Boss made it extra special. Plus I now know how lucky I was to catch that bunch of browns the first couple of days, the blind hog thing.

Sorry the links and picture size are somewhat wonky but still trying to work my way through the new word processor. A computer guru I am not by any stretch. But a little practice and all will be well soon. Next I will get up all the wildlife pictures we took in the park, we got some awesome shots if I must say so myself. Overall the timing on this trip could not have been better.

There is so much more that should be said but you get the point. Next up I plan to be on the water Wednesday and Thursday. A couple of days to recover from the long drive and I will be good to go. With the Austin Boys coming in a couple of weeks there will be a couple of days on the salt with them. And I am getting the heavier fly rod out and heading to the creek for a day of trying to catch a red or trout. Just what I need another fishing method, but hey, never wanted to be a one trick pony and as I get older I appreciate being in the outdoors so much more. The fish are just the icing on the cake. So thanks for your patience. Keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

GOOD LUCK AND TIGHT LINES

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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Got these comments, first from Clyde and Anonymous.

Good Luck.

They may have meant the fishing, which was great, but that is not what made this a bucket list day.  But thanks guys, it was awesome!

It was a lot colder this morning and of course I was up bright and early.  So I headed for a drive, when I checked the river there was ice, so time for a drive up to what the sign says is Pool Table.  Figured I would kill some time and then it happened.  I was way up on the mountain with a big cleared ridge off to the west with the morning sun on it.  I saw a patch of white so I stopped and broke out the glasses.  (Glad we finally bought real ones for our animal searches.)  And then it stood up.

There it was, the Bighorn ram of my dreams.  The one you see in magazines, on hunting shows when I was a kid, the one I have driven hundreds of miles looking for.  He got up and it was a giant.  Way bigger than the ones I saw in Yellowstone.  A full curl with a supper heavy body, he was the old boss of the mountain.  One side of his horns was worn down and cracked, the other past his eye.  And he was kind enough to let me watch him walk on top of the ridge for 10 minutes.  Then he bedded down again so I eased out of the truck trying to be sly, he turned his head to give me a languid look, he was not afraid, and then he dropped over the side.  I have seen lions on a kill, walked up on cheetahs in Africa, been in a herd of elephants, but I have never seen a more regal and majestic animal in my life.  So thanks old boy

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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But it goes on from there, I was living right.  I called the Boss and told her as I idled along on the top of the mountain.  Then I looked over and told her I think there is some elk.  As I got closer it was 5 or 6 mule deer, no big deal right?  So I stopped the truck, pulled out the glasses, and was treated to something I have only seen one other time in my life.  They were all bucks, and 2 of them were locked in mortal combat.  Pushing and pulling, kicking up stuff, they were flat having at it and the rest were watching.  One was quite a bit bigger  than the other and after a couple of minutes the small one called it quits.  It was something.  So in about a half hour I was lucky enough to be there and it will go down as one of the best animal mornings of my life.  And then the topper of the day, the fishing was great!

At this point I am a happy camper and haven’t set foot in the river.  Earlier I checked out another place the guy at the tackle store told me about and it looked good for later so I headed to the place I got them yesterday, and had about the same results.

They were right where they have been the day before but it was a little tougher.  The edges were iced over and there was lots of floating ice.  I kept after it and caught the 3 above, and missed a couple on both Rooster Tail and some midge thing-a-ma-bob.  I was finally starting to get a better handle on the fly rod.  As it warmed I decided to try the new spot, it looked good and it was only a mile away.

The glory hole!  A beaver damn.

My day was only going to get better if that was possible.  It looked really good so I decided to throw the spinner first up to see if I could get a bite, and I did.  They were smacking the crap out of it and I actually lost a really big fish for that river.  So knowing where they were time for the fly rod.  And it worked out great.  As a side note, you can keep 2 browns under 12″ and all rainbows released immediately so there are plenty of brown trout.

Here is a few of the dozen I ended up catching there.

So now I am making good casts and catching them on the black fly when I noticed there were some rising on the far bank.  Some kind of hatch, so in a moment of insight why not throw a small white fly, they liked the white Rooster Tail.  And from that point on until I lipped or caught every brown in that pool and it was game on.

Fly rod mania!  The river is full of these.

The white fly was suspended about a foot or so below the indicator,  (Or as we rednecks call it – a bobber.)  and the perfect cast got a bite.  Not sure what the hatch was but they were on the chew.  They were in a 75 foot stretch on the sunny side with the occasional riser. Once most of the ice was gone it was easier to make a good cast.  And if you made a perfect cast above them it was often a bite.

What I enjoyed most was getting to catch a bunch, good practice, and as the cast had to be perfect, so it forced me to think about what I was doing.  It really was a beat down and I can only imagine if I knew what was hatching it might have even been better, but no complaints.  I love self adventure, doing something different on my own, and having it work out.  This was the day that makes the drive worth it.  Big ram, fighting mule deer, then a bunch of brown trout, it does not get any better than that.

Next up 1s picking the Boss at Denver INT, and off to Estes Park.  There is some snow in the forecast, maybe big time, but that is what makes coming out here what it is.  We should see plenty of wildlife, and maybe the area close that has Mountain Goats.  And, plus I will be ready to have the Boss here.  I am already in trouble for having such a cool day while she works.  I appreciate her every day.

We should see some serious elk, and even if it is a half a day, more trout is in my future.  The Orvis beginner we got to stick our toe in this flu rod thing is just fine.  It worked for me and I am the worst trout fisherman on the planet, for now.  So the adventure continues and I did want to say a couple of words on doing something like this.

If you have never tried something half blind like this it is actually not that hard.  What do you want to catch, or the animal you want to see, start there.  You do not have to stay at the hilton, it is $69 a night here, no killer.  Once you decide where the next question is when is the time right?  That can vary, maybe it is crowded for that fish, but here no one is around and I have had it to myself.  Part of doing something like this is accepting that it may not be what you hoped for, but when it happens, reveling in days like today.  Guees that is why I towed the boat blind to the Everglades, or fished Lake Conway in a death defying thunderstorm, it is in the doing.

Sorry for the mini rant, but for me this is what it is all about.  Just hoping and wishing something cool would happne.  Seeing something, no matter what it is, cool makes it worth it.  Hoping you are catching them where you are, and thanks for the support and comments, it mean a lot to me.

And this from Rusty.

Great job Doug on the fly fishing!! Now you know how I got into tying my own flies! Much cheaper and a lot of fun. Keep sending pics!
Rusty

Out of the 12 I bought yesterday only 6 are left.  I am sure a lot of that has to do with my casting, and some to the knot tying which cost me a fish or 2.  The learning curve is high but there is something to be said for “fooling” them.  While it is still totally foreign to me it is nice to add another arrow in the arsenal, it is a cool way to fish.  And add the scenery what more could you want?  (Other than the occasional redfish.) The adventure continues.  So keep stopping in folks, there is more to come, and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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It does not get any better than this!

Silence.  Except for the occasional car it was quiet, the kind of quiet if it has been awhile you forget how nice it is.  Every rustle of the tree and grass, birds, far off sounds in the woods, it was great.  And basically there is nobody here, South Fork is dead as a mackeral, and it does not get any better than that for a visiting fisherman.

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

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My first brown trout on a fly and I did it all by myself like a big boy!

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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When I headed to the river the sun was out and it was 32 degrees.  There are 4 or 5 public access spots along the South Fork River on the way to Creede.  I have been by there several times and always wanted to fish them so this was it, and the weather could not have been any better.  In fact, I wore my insulated waders, tomorrow it will be the Simms.  The water is not that deep and combined with the air temp don’t need the heavy waders.  Hard to describe how nice it was today.

Now remember that I am no fly fisherman, not even close, but the whole idea was to see it I could actually catch a fish by myself.  I got lucky and picked the right access.  So I waded in and with my superior skill, or lack thereof, I managed to miss the first several.  The fly shop put me on a couple of flies that looked like a hopper/bug/ something or other, and I had one try to jerk the rod out of my hands and I missed him.  Then I managed to catch a bush behind me and lost it.  And later managed to lose the other one.  The learning curve on this fly fishing thing is big, Hell, I can barely see the 5X tippet to tie it.

The Rooster Tail did some damage.

Then I had a couple of midges so I rigged 2 of them with an indicator and finally landed the first brown above.  Mission accomplished.  Of course then I snagged them up and lost them, so no I have no more flies, big rookie mistake.  But as a back up I had the light action spinning rod in the truck with some Rooster Tails, my old go to bait on the White River.  The fish were in a deep run and with a perfect cast one would jump it.  But after catching a couple and missing a couple it was time for a move.

I headed to the next 2 accesses just to see what it available for tomorrow and not a bite.  The river is low and they just were not on the shallow stuff, but I wanted to be sure that there was not another place, I did not find one.  It was funny how they just were not in shallower water where normally I would catch them on the White River.  But this is a different deal.  So with the sun behind the mountain I called it a good day.

The road goes on forever and the party never ends!

So I give the day an A+.  I managed to catch a fish on a fly and withouut me losing my baits it would have been a few more.  The air temp topped out at 66 and the day could not be any more perfect.  The stage is set for what could be a good day tomorrow, I definitely know where I am not fishing tomorrow.  And a trip to the tackle store has taken care of the not enough baits thing.  (Rookie mistake.)  Now I know why the fly guys have a box full, and when you combine it with my inexperience, I may need them.  Can’t wait to get to Estes Park with the Boss.  Another day of fishing and some serious animal viewing.   So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

*******************

The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

********************

Getting ready for any trip is part of the anticipation.  Getting organized, making plans, trying to figure it out, all play a role in fishing travel.  Not really having a clue exactly what is on tap the first couple of days, at least I drove by that river last time out and there are plenty of access points with lots of people fishing.  So with the tackle store next door I can have them set me up with the leaders and flies I need at this time of year.  Most stores I have patronized on trips are pretty helpful when you buy stuff, and why not get it there so it is the best lure for that time and place.  Then just fill me in on the general water stuff and access and I can maybe figure it out for myself.  That approach has worked for me from Canada to Key West and when it all comes together it is a great feeling having done it blind.  There is always a little feeling of apprehension when heading somewhere new and doing something out of my comfort zone.  But that is what doing stuff like this is all about.

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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Random fish picture.  That really was a big one!

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I got this comment from SA Joe concerning the article on Skull Creek

Doug,
Read that article about the creek…For more than two months, the waters of Skull Creek have flowed black, its surface covered in an iridescent sheen. April 10 said that water samples collected in the creek registered elevated levels of hazardous chemicals associated with oil and gas waste, including xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene. Toluene, a solvent present in paint thinners, glues and nail polish remover, and xylene, another solvent, are both dangerous to inhale.

Wow, that really shows they dont give a shit about Texas or the waters. But manage to crack on kayakers and such for just getting into a stream and deciding what is navigable waters. But never go get the polluters. UGH !!!!!

I read it and was disgusted, why I posted it.  The bigger point, there is a chemical plant up stream and of course “it is not us” .  Nonsense.  All that did not miraculously appear out of nowhere.  And your point about going after kayakers is a perfect example of the point I continue to make, enforcing the small stuff and letting the big boys off the hook.  You take one fish, fine, potential loss of privileges, and maybe confiscation of your equipment.  But polluters on the other hand kill thousands of fish, no response from TPWD.  (I am aware other agencies respond in many ways, but what does that have to do with the fish?) That an event like Skull Creek happens and TPWD is not there assessing damages on day 1, and then considering potential penalties and corrective actions for the loss of fish, says a lot.  And one last word, the time to criminally prosecute anyone who knowingly/intentionally pollutes, including corporate officers, has come.  Quit letting them off the hook.  As I continue to say, follow the money.

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And Matt sent this along Wednesday, and he got it exactly right, you can tell he knows his winter fishing.

You should be fishing today in the river, barge canal or a turning basin somewhere. The weather is perfect for it.

You are spot on.  Some of my best winter trout action has come in the turning basin in this very weather, and of course the river or creek is a great fall back no matter the weather this time of year.  But a “problem” reared it’s head yesterday so no fishing for me.  We looked at the weather out west, it looks amazing, so the frenzy began.  My living room is now covered in all the cold weather gear, fishing gear, totes, bags, and now clothes.  When packing for an extended trip which will include everything from 60 degrees to 0 with tons of snow there is no such thing as to much stuff.  Today totes get packed, then the Boss’s stuff so when she flies out later to join me she will not have to bring anything on the plane.  One of the advantages of being retired, when it is time to go I can just go.  So let the games begin!

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And Rusty is continuing to lay the smack down on them.

While you were on the lake Monday, retired Larry and myself came down to fish the creek before the Artic Blast hit. We got a late start (10:00) and I said we are going to quit at 2:00 hoping we would beat the storm. Started slow catching 9 fish before 12:00. all the boats around us left and we move up the creek and started catching one keeper after another. Ended up with 24 or so and left them biting. From 12-2 they wanted it fast, so Larry and I were giving them the “Shrimp Skitter Boogy” and they were slamming it. Wind and rain hit and it was a tough ride home to La Grange fighting the wind gusts, couple times I thought the boat and trailer was going to flip over. Have a great time in Colorado. I’ve started using my fly rod on the salt when the wind is not so bad. Safe travels.

Sounds like a great day.  One of things I really like about the creeks and rivers this time of year, keep it in the water and the bite will happen at some point.  Rarely a blank.  And the way the wind was blowing I am sure it was exciting on the way home.  Days like that I am happy not towing the Carolina Skiff.  The wind gets in that tub and it threatens to launch!

Leaving for Colorado shortly, plan on fishing 2 days near South Fork then pick up the Boss in Denver and off to Estes Park and a day of guided fishing on some private waters.  (She is already jealous and whining.  Just because I have a cool cabin on the river with a fireplace, and steps from the tackle store, she is acting like a big baby because she has to work.  Can’t blame her!) Want her to have every chance to catch fish, of course the ulterior motive is getting her hooked for good on fly fishing.  And hoping to see plenty of animals with the Elk down from the high country, topping off what will be a good trip.  Thanks for the report.

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More Internet Bragging From Florida – Or are you that stupid?

• Busted after posting a picture online of 6 cobia, including 2 undersized.  And as side benefit when the officer met the guy at the marina to give him a ticket a couple of additional knuckleheads were taking a picture of short fish at the bragging board.  A two-fer!
• Busted after intentionally hitting a buck with his vehicle, they had been doing this regularly, and then posting a picture online.

Folks just don’t get it.  Game and Fish officers are constantly checking social media in their areas and they have access to information which helps investigate and prosecute these cases.  Think before you post, the world is watching.

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And last this from my buddy Dan Oko.  One of the Austin Boys he is an accomplished writer and fisherman.

Trout Among Dragons

Talk about fishing adventure travel it does not get much better than this.  Hell, I was not sure where Bhutan even was until I Googled it!  We got to fish together for his article on the pursuit of boating a ShareLunker.  No simple task, we are talking about Falcon early this year.  No better place to chase a big one.

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All packed and ready to go in the morning.  If it is not in the truck I don’t need it.  It will be a hard day, around 800 miles, but at least some of it is in West Texas with a speed limit of 80 mph, amazing how many miles you can travel at 80.  I will stay at the same little motel near the border, then just an hour and a half and I am at the tackle store getting hooked up.  Looks like there is good internet where I will be the next week, they always say that, so hopefully I will be sending along some updates and wildlife pictures.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines 

FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

Brought to you by

The Best Wading System on the  planet.

*******************

The wildlife was moving with the big front.

Lake Level

Today  94.81 msl.   Week Ago  94.92 msl.    (The lake is shrinking and at this rate the ramp will become an issue so be sure to not back in to far.)

Solunar Times

Major 11:34 am to 1:34 pm.   (So much for that projection.)

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The new Knockin Tail Lures are coming soon.  Now I am really excited.

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The conditions looked absolutely killer.  Cloudy and fairly calm right before a huge front was set to blow in around 4:00, it had real potential.  Not sure what better bass fishing weather you could want!  When I woke up I was feeling the last 3 days at POC.  My back, my shoulders, my arms, all sore from 3 hard days at it.  (Hell getting old!)  But it looked great outside so I loaded up and hit the lake around 8:30.  No way I was not going to take advantage of this.

The water level at the ramp clearly was down, the water temp was 71, and it was completely calm.  (The temp was a low of 65 up lake, the rest in the 74 range.)  Expectations were high, and that was the last good moment of the morning.  Starting up lake it was buzzbait first, and I might as well have been tossing a dirty sock, nothing.  So time for the Bang O Lure, I just received my new ones.  And for some strange reason they wanted no part of it, a really rare occurrence this time of year on the lake.  Unfortunately with my superior skill I managed to break the bill off a brand new one.  Good thing I bought 5.

At this point I am puzzled big time so I tossed the Pit Boss to cover, and other than 8 or 10 smalls all morning, not a good one came over the side.  Why there is no pictures?  When I say smalls I mean smalls!  It did have a similarity to the trout bite the other day, no conviction.  Of 15+ bites I only felt 1, and several others that might have been fish let go immediately.  From that point on I am completely puzzled.  Big front coming, great conditions, it just must be me.  So now it is hitting my “good” spots, and even those failed to produce except for the plastic.  But I soldiered on, mixing the buzzbait, Bang O Lure, and even the Controlled Descent Jerk Shad, with the Pit Boss, and no matter how much I wished and hoped, they would not chase anything.

Finally at 2:00 a light drizzle started but the fishing had not improved so I called it a day.  The timing turned out to be perfect as it started raining on the way to the house.  Then around an hour after I got home here it comes, and it was as advertised.  40mph plus, it dropped 30 degrees, really cold rain, it had it all.  As I write this they are saying an inch of snow is possible.  (Didn’t happen.) It seemed like fall/winter would never get here but after 2 big fronts this week it is official, welcome to winter.  (As I am headed to Colorado in a few days this is a little climate acclimation.)

It is funny but today’s results are one of the reasons I love the sport.  You just never know.  Some of the best days I ever had you would have thought there was no reason to float the boat, today should have been perfect.  And instead of dissuading me it just drives me to try to figure it out.  “Real’ fishermen take it in stride, days like today come with the territory. Getting pissed does not help.  If you looked up the definition of optimist fishermen would be listed.  So we keep casting and reeling, hope springs eternal.

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There were a couple of cool outdoor experiences today.  With the front on the way the really big gators were out.  Funny, but that is common on Coleto with a big weather change.  The really old ones have been alive for decades and they know the drill.  And as a side note I set up to take a picture of a whopper on the bank when he exploded in a massive swirl.  2 casts later right where he was I caught a small one.  That is the second time that has happened, in the past it was 2 on buzzbait, 1 on each side of a big gator.  Obviously they are not afraid.

Then as the front came closer the ducks were really flying and I saw several large bunches.  Of course deer were out and about, I saw the eagle, and at one point there was a hog squealing somewhere.  Not sure what was happening but someone was getting his butt kicked.  All made for a great day to be on the water.

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Water quality is the staff of life for fish, and consequently fishermen.  The threats are real, and as I have ranted before our paid state employees from multiple departments leave something to be desired.  Take the case of Skull Creek, which flows into the Colorado and then Matagorda Bay.  It is running “black” with a stench that will make you sick.  It is a mess and what irks me is that something should have been done immediately.  Not sure where the system broke down, but it did.  (Follow the money?)  At least the Attorney Generals Office has filed suit.  I will try to keep up and fill you in if I find the results.  No matter what the creek was still suffering and there is no excuse for that.  So read the following and see what you think.  We have to stay informed and vigilant.

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/04/17/texas-attorney-general-sues-inland-recylcling-and-remediation/

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I was hoping to get a day on the river with the flyrod before heading to Colorado, we will just have to wait and see how this weather plays out, and when I decide to leave.  It may be soon as the weather is really nice where we will ultimately be headed after the Boss joins me.  Just letting it play out, but no matter what some trout fishing is right around the corner.  As I have proven to be quite deficient in the flyfishing department hopefully I can redeem myself this go round.

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And You Have an iPhone Why?

And in the “what were you thinking department” the Coast Guard had to rescue 2 kayakers from an island in the middle of Copano Bay on Tuesday.  What were they thinking?  The wind was blowing 29 mph and it was 45 degrees with 1 – 3 foot seas and nasty.  Now I don’t get completely off the hook for bad weather choices, I have made a few, but there really is no reason for that in this day and age.  The weather was ugly enough I would have hesitated to take the boat out, much less a kayak.  So be sure to check the weather, that is what that fancy iPhone is for.  And be sure someone knows where you are going and when you plan on coming back.  Fishing in the winter can be awesome, and life threatening.

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Florida has proposed some serious changes to the speckled trout rules as off and on freezes and serious water quality issues have reduced populations.  As usual the guides are leading the charge against the changes, often without a real scientific basis for their objection.  (I get that, it is just fear for their livelyhood.)  Florida has separate zones, and in some areas they are talking a 15 – 19″ 3 fish limit with one over the slot per boat.  Additionally they are proposing not allowing the guide or crew to keep their limit, a practice that has gone by the wayside in most states years ago.  When I started guiding it was 10 bass with no length limit, and guess what – we had lots of small bass.  Over the decades I have seen the same fight in other places and in the long run the world did not end.  In fact, in most cases it only got better.  Take our coast and the initial opposition to the 5 fish limit not that long ago. Folks were screaming the sky is falling!  In spite of the changes folks kept coming, there are more guides working the coast than ever, and our fish are bigger as a rule.  (Plus nothing liked the reduced pressure of getting your customers 5 instead of 10.) And one rule that surprised me is that they still take speckled trout commercially and they want to reduce it to 50.  That one is a no brainer – stop it.  Change is tough but in the long run anything that preserves the fish is all right by me.

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TPWD Game Warden Notes

The internet strikes again.  Another pea brain posted a picture of an illegally taken teal online.  The wardens then looked her up, and though she had a license she did not have the required hunter education.  Before it was over both her and her husband ended up getting tickets for illegally taking ducks.  Remember look before you hit post, they are watching.

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And one last comment – Arkansas Football.  They just fired the coach, who’s contract has a $10.1 million buyout.  They are currently paying the last coach an $11 million dollar buyout.  So here we are, owing $21 million, we have no coach, and recruiting starts in a couple of weeks.  I just said to the Boss – the clock is ticking.  Well no it is not.  When you are already dead the clock is irrelevant.  They need a complete change of staff and culture from top to bottom to try to break the cycle.  Then hire a new coach and set a “real” plan, 5 years give or take, and then see what he can do.  Whatever, or whoever, has had input on the coaching decision at Arkansas is not getting the job done.  (I am being nice here.)

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The weather is marginal so not sure when I will fish again before Colorado.  Finally made a decision on where and how, so the packing starts tomorrow.  I am going out early as the weather is awesome there the next week and if it all goes as planned it will be knee deep in some stream somewhere.  Then later Estes Park and a guided trout trip with the Boss.  So let the fishing begin.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines