Are you a fly fishing minimalist, or a full blown gear geek who has to have every piece of gear imaginable?

My first fly fishing trip for trout was in the summer of 1999. I went up to the Little Red River in Arkansas, and spent three long days fishing and caught one 12 inch brown trout. To say it was a learning experience is an understatement. Much to my chagrin the one twenty minute casting class that I had taken at Bass Pro Shops, and practicing a few times in the grass. Did not make me an effective enough caster to catch very many trout. I also learned that while it's a good idea to invest in quality gear(I didn't). It's more about the angler themselves than what brand of rod they're using.


So, there I was at the public access area behind the dam on the Little Red. With my beginners "Hobbs Creek" fly rod and reel kit from Bass Pro with the neon orange fly line. My hip boot waders, a box of the wrong flies,too large of a leader tied on, and a ton of cheap vest tools and zingers all over my very cheap vest. The world record brown trout at the time had been caught on the Little Red by Rip Collins. It was a 40 pounder caught in 1992, and I was going to break Rip's record!    

First cast--the fly might have gone the length of my rod.
Second cast--well that's not far enough, let's false cast a few times and go!.....zoink....in a tree behind me.   
Third cast--Ok, concentrate now, oh wow! Pretty good! Not at all where I was aiming but ok.
Fourth cast--Knocked off my own hat.

So, as you can imagine after doing this for a while and having to take thirty minutes to untangle the worst mess ever. I decided that maybe I should move downriver and try to find someplace no one could see me. Instead I decided it would be a good idea to watch some of the other fly fisherman close by. 

There were two in my viewing range. The first was a guy probably in his mid thirties that was decked out in a lot of very,very nice and expensive looking gear. The second was an older gentleman wet wading without waders and not even a vest. Since I thought that the first guy MUST know what he's doing to have all of that awesome gear. I focused in on him. He wasn't casting at the moment so I approached him and introduced myself. His first words to me after hello were to ask me what kind of rod I was using. I sheepishly showed him my Hobbs Creek, and he proudly brandished his Sage. 

He had on a water resistant felt fedora hat. The most expensive vest Orvis sold at the time (I only knew that because I had drooled over it in their catalog). Simms Guide series waders,fingerless gloves(did I mention it was July?),tons of zingers on his vest. Both straight and curved hemostats,knot tying tool,leader straightener,two clippers, and one zinger was stretched in his right hand which was in the water. When I asked him what he was doing he pulled his hand up from beneath the surface of the river and told me it was a thermometer. He then educated me on the fact that if the water temp is too high, trout become sluggish and won't feed. He went on to say that must be why he wasn't catching anything. Did I mention we were about 500 yards from the dam, and the water was cold as hell?  

Anyway, I thought how lucky I was to have found such an expert fly fisherman to learn from! He went on "teaching" me about fly fishing. Although his teaching revolved more around what I NEEDED to buy than any useful fishing tips. I thanked this nice gentleman for his time and went back to thrashing the river myself.  

I watched him for the remainder of the day, and saw him again and again during my trip at different parts of the river. During all of this time I never saw him catch a single trout. So, I thought, "wow if an expert like him is getting skunked then I don't feel so bad!"     

On the final day of my trip I took to the water again. I still hadn't caught a single trout at that point.I mean it was bad. I had at least gone to the local Orvis dealer there in Heber Springs and bought some beadhead sowbugs which are the go to fly on the Little Red. The nice gentleman that helped me at the Orvis shop took pity on me, and actually took me out to the parking lot for a free casting lesson. He showed me how to stop knocking my own hat off, and how to cast further than I could piss. He was a super nice guy, he even sat down and showed me how to tie the beadhead sowbug. I wish I could remember his name. I also wish that I had listened to him on hiring him as guide. I would have accelerated my fly fishing education tremendously, and would have probably caught more than one trout.  

I went back to public access area behind the dam again on that final day. There standing in the water again was the older gentleman that I had seen on the first day. Still with no waders on and no vest. He was catching trout after trout! I was amazed! I watched him for some time, and then he headed out of the water close to where  I was. I approached him and started asking him how he was catching all those trout. He simply said,"Olive Wooly Bugger." I then told him that he could cast really well, an asked how he learned. He answered, "I taught myself, just trial and error." I then asked about his rod. He told me it was a "Wal-Mart special"  A beginner's fly rod and reel kit in a box that he had bought at his local Wal-Mart. He then told me the story about how he had left it on top of his truck the week before and had ran over it, breaking the top piece. No sweat, he just went to the Wal-Mart there in Heber Springs and found another cheap rod that the piece fit his. Then it was back to fishing.

I thanked him, and he was on his way. I walked down onto the water and stood there for a while just thinking. I realized in that moment that gear. What kind or how much, has very little to do with being a good fly fisherman. It takes time,and practice to perfect a good cast. It takes time and study to learn how to present flies properly.  I also learned that for whatever reason. Having the right attitude about fishing will help you catch more fish. I can't explain it, but it's a fact.

I went on that afternoon, and FINALLY caught that ONE trout. No, not on an Olive Wooly Bugger. It was on one of those bead head sowbugs, but I was just glad to finally land one. 

I hope you enjoyed reading,

Tight Lines!

Shawn                               

Sometimes we forget........

Little fish are better than no fish, and fishing a small pond is better than not getting to fish at all.

I've been super busy lately with my son's baseball team, and taking time to romance my wife. I took her to see a production of Grease at Casa Manana Theater in Ft. Worth Saturday night that she enjoyed immensely. That I haven't had much chance to grab a rod and fling some flies at fish. 

So, Sunday evening I headed over to the pond on my in laws property where we have caught some very nice largemouth bass in the past. Grasshoppers abound in our area lately, and it was a little windy so I tied on what has become my go to Bass pattern. A Green foam grasshopper tied on a size 8 hook. First cast I rolled it out past the weed beds, and the grasshopper hit the water with a realistic "plunk". I let it float for about a second when this nice Bluegill tried to inhale it.

          
It continued like this for quite a while cast-catch,cast-catch. I had a good time although I really didn't catch anything of any real size. I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the hunt for the next big fish. That we forget what it was like to be a kid and have a blast landing easy little fish after easy fish. I also think a common mistake people make when they first introduce someone to fly fishing. Is that they take them out after trout the first time when they should be learning on easy to catch bass and panfish.

As I mentioned earlier we have caught some really nice bass out of this pond. My father in law landed a 12 pounder out of there once. The drought conditions that we have been in the past few years has really taken a toll on our little pond however. We haven't seen a nice bass in quite some time. I did land some tiny ones. Maybe we'll get some good rainfall this fall and they'll grow up. 

    
The fishing related highlight of my Sunday was stopping by Cabela's and picking up ANOTHER new fly rod! I decided to jump back on the Temple Fork Outfitters bandwagon and I selected one of their Pro Series II 4wt's. I can't wait to go harass some trout with it! I'll be hitting the Lower Mountain Fork river at least twice this fall/winter, and the Brazos in December when they stock the Rainbows. So, I'll be using this rod quite a bit.   

    
Tight Lines!

Shawn
   

The Common Sense Guide to Finding and Fishing With a Guide Part 2

I titled this the "common sense guide", but you would be surprised at how many people don't know, or do know and just don't practice the things I write about here. 

Part 2

Advice and proper etiquette while with your guide

 

Ok, so you've followed all the steps in part 1 and booked a trip with the guide of your choice. Now you might have some questions, especially if this is your first guided trip. Or, maybe you've fished with a lot of guides and have been committing some serious etiquette blunders without even knowing it.  Either way, read on, and I will give you some tips that should help you have the best trip possible. As well as making sure the guide enjoys the day with you as well.

Be on Time!

Your guide will have worked out beforehand where they want you to meet them the morning of your trip. Maybe it's spot where they launch their drift boat. It might be the fly shop, or a parking lot. Wherever it is, be on time! Remember, your guide is a professional. Respect the guides time just like you want your time to be respected. You're paying a lot of money for this, so why be late? People do it all the time, and I just don't get it. 

Your guide has probably either pre-fished the water they're going to take you on Or, has been on it with other clients the day before. So, he or she has a plan about where they're going to start you out. How much time to spend fishing each hole at what time of day. As well as back up spots if the fish just aren't biting in those locations. If you're late you may throw their whole plan for the day out of whack. Or they might not get you to all the spots that they wanted to take you to. Either way it might result in less fish caught for you.   

Keep in mind that your guide wants you to catch a crapload of fish just as badly as you do. They need you to tell your friends about the awesome guide you went with and caught 55 Rainbow Trout and 18 Browns. That's how they make their living. By positive word of mouth advertising. If you do something that causes you to catch less fish. Chances are you'll forget to mention that part when telling your friends about your trip.   

Being on time means on time. Not super early either. Your guide might have something they need to do on their drift boat before you arrive. They might need to run into the store that you're meeting in front of to grab something for your shore lunch. If so, then it's going to make them feel uncomfortable if you show up 45 minutes early, and are waiting on them. 

"I've fished here and there and caught this and that" 

Your guide has heard more fish stories, and has probably forgotten more about fly fishing than you'll ever know. So, don't try to impress them by making yourself out to be the second coming of Lefty Kreh. 

Listen to what your guide is telling you

If your guide tells you to cast to a certain spot....do it! Even if you can't see the fish that they see. Your guide has trained, experienced eyes, and will see fish where you can't a lot of the time. A perfect example of why this is important is fly fishing for Bonefish. Bonefish are often called "ghost fish" because they blend in so well with their surroundings. It's pretty much impossible to even see, much less catch Bonefish on a fly without an experienced guide to locate them for you, and telling you exactly where to cast the fly.Unless you have plenty of experience doing it yourself.    

Your guide may tell you not to wade through a certain spot in a trout stream. Probably because there's a spawning bed there. Please heed advice like this. More baby trout mean more big trout for your fellow fly fisherman to catch later on. Or, they might just know that there's a big drop off that you're about to step into and fill your waders up.

If your guide tells you to strike.... do it! Even if you don't think the fish took your fly. Remember they want you to catch fish as badly as you do, and their trained eyes will see a take that you miss. 

If you're taking your first drift boat trip. Be sure to listen to your guide! When more than one fly fisherman is casting from a drift boat it's important to cast perpendicular to the boat. With the anglers paying close attention to when and where the other is casting.If not, you're going to spend the day tangling your lines together, but at least you'll provide a lot of entertainment to the other boats that may drift past you. Your guide will give instructions during your trip to help you avoid this.       

Be Teachable

One of the best things about spending the day with a guide in my opinion. Is the chance to get expert instruction.  A lot of guys have the attitude of "I just want to be shown where the fish are, I already know how to do the rest." That's the wrong mindset to have. I've learned a lot of things from every guide I've fished with. So, make sure to listen when you're guide wants to teach you something. Pay attention if they give you a demonstration on how to present a certain fly. If you just glaze over, or act like you know it all. Then your guide might think "well it's a waste of time to try to teach this guy anything", and it might keep them from bringing up something later that might really interest you and help you.  

If you're new to fly fishing hiring a guide is one of the smartest things you can do. For the instruction alone! It will greatly ease the learning curve on casting, knot tying, learning to the read the water, how to fish the different types of flies properly......and so on.

Every fly fisherman needs someone that knows what they're doing to look at their casting every now and then in my opinion.You can develop bad mechanics over time without even realizing it. A good knowledgeable guide is the perfect person to do that. Just like Major League hitters have a hitting coach there to let them know when they start to make mistakes or have bad mechanics with their swing. Don't let your ego get in the way of fishing better. 

Ok trip's over, do I tip the guide?

I always tip. I tip anyone that provides any kind of personal service, and I consider guiding to be a personal service. How much is up to you. If you feel that you received excellent service, then tip accordingly. 

If the service wasn't so good......well I'll leave that up to you. I tip anyway, because I believe in pay it forward. Plus, you never know maybe this guy or girl is just having a bad day. Maybe they just lost a loved one or found out their teenage daughter is pregnant. Who knows? Don't confuse a bad day's catch with poor service though. Sometimes fish just don't bite. Even in the best spots. So, don't punish your guide for it. 

Hope you enjoyed reading,

Tight lines!

Shawn

       

               

        

The Common Sense Guide to Finding and Fishing With a Guide Part 1

I titled this the "common sense guide", but you would be surprised at how many people don't know, or do know and just don't practice the things I write about here. 

 

 Part 1

 How do I find a guide to hire?

 So, you've decided that you want to hire a guide to take you on your next fly fishing trip. Maybe you're fishing new waters for the first time. Maybe you're tired of getting skunked on a particular tailwater. Or maybe you think you could learn a thing or two from a good guide. Whatever the reason is, how do you find a good guide, and more importantly the right guide for you? I have a list for you below. Starting from the first place you should start from the last.   

1. Ask your friends- Odds are, if you fly fish you have at least one buddy that does too. Ask them if they know of a good guide for the water you want to fish. Even if they haven't fished with said guide at least that gives you a starting point. If your buddies don't know of one, have them ask around.Chances are,they will know somebody that knows somebody. I listed this as #1 due the fact that this where you're probably going to get the most honest reference. 

Plus, you can ask your buddies questions you can't ask other people. Like,does this guy/girl have bad breath? Do they have B.O.? Do they cuss? Will they mind if I smoke? Now, you may be asking yourself. "What the hell does any of that have to do with them being a good guide or not?" Well, you're looking for someone that you'll be spending either a half day or full day with. Believe me, you don't want to be in a drift boat all day with a guy/girl that showers once a week and doesn't believe in deodorant.       

2. Message Boards- Even though message boards are impersonal and anonymous.That's also exactly the reason that you can find honest information on them.People will give you their honest opinion without fear since no one knows who they are in real life in most cases. You can find a message board on just about any fishable water anywhere. Whether it's a local fly shop's forum,or on a sub-forum of one of the bigger sites. A lot of the time you'll find guides posting fishing reports in these forums. They will almost always have photos of trips,clients holding fish, and a link to their web page. This can be a good starting point for you, but don't stop there. Jump in there and start posting! Don't be afraid to post a topic like "I'm looking for a good guide,know of any?" Ask more questions once you start getting responses. Private message questions to your responders if you don't want to ask a question on the open forum. As I said above you can get some really good honest information this way. However, you can get some completely bogus responses from people who have no idea what they're talking about too. So, don't just go off of what one person says. Double check, and do your best to fact check everything.  

3. Fly Shops- Almost everyone goes by the local fly shop before they hit the water. To ask what flies are working,to buy some gear, and of course the always popular "where are the fish!" You might as well ask about guide services while you're there. Or better yet call ahead to the fly shop and ask. Guided trips have to be booked in advance anyway. Good guides are busy, and are booked weeks out. If a guide is available right away that's probably not a good sign. 

This isn't my favorite way to find a guide, because many fly shops have guides that either work for them. Or,on some type of consignment basis. The guides that they are affiliated with the fly shop may not be the best guide, or the right guide for you.   


4. Search engines(Google,Bing,etc.)- My least favorite way of finding a guide. It's impossible to tell anything about a person's personality or what their customer service might be like from a web site. Plus, it's not cheap to hire a guide, and picking one with no recommendations at all can be scary. Just because someone has a fancy website doesn't that they're a great guide, and there are some really awesome guides out there with no website at all.

 "Ok, I've narrowed it down to a few guides I think would be good. What now?"

Call, don't email, call the guides on your short list. Even if you just read this and have already emailed them. Call them. The reasons for this are many.

1. You can get a much better idea of someone's personality, and if they are a nice person or a jerk over the phone. Can't do that with email.

2. If they answer the phone right way, during the day, during the busy season, that could be a bad sign. Remember, the good guides are busy. So, you're probably going to have to leave a voicemail. This will also give you an idea of their customer service as well. If it takes them a week to call you back. That may mean the rest of their service and attentiveness is lacking too. If the number is a cell phone and they answer your call streamside.... How would you feel if they do that while on your trip that you paid for?

3. It gives you AND the guide a chance to ask questions. Interview them just like you would interview anyone else you were going to hire. Ask them about their fees. Even if you already have fees from their website ask anyway, because they may have changed and the website isn't updated. Or, if you were referred to the guide by someone you might get a "brother in law deal" Just ask. Ask if they charge for flies,tippet, etc. while on the water. Yes, there are some guides out there that will charge you for every inch of tippet used,every fly lost,every sinker, and strike indicator. Make sure you ask so you don't have a bunch of surprise add on fees when you settle up after the trip.If you're a beginner ask them if they guide a lot of beginners. If you're bringing your young son or daughter along. Ask them if they have experience guiding and instructing kids. You're hiring them to catch fish. So, don't be afraid to ask them what an average day's catch count is for their clients. I also always ask about lunch...hey, I like to eat!  Bottom line....ask lots of questions!

The guide may ask about your skill level. Be honest, this is very important! If you're a beginner, or just don't cast well. You don't want the guide to take you to spots where you have to be able to double haul to present the fly to the fish. Plus, it gives the guide an idea of what type of and how much help and instruction you might need. As well as if the species you're wanting to fish for matches your skill level. If you've never fished salt water before, and you're wanting to go right out after bonefish. Your guide is most likely going to save themselves and you a lot of frustration. By suggesting that you go after a species that you'll actually be able cast well enough to catch. The guide will ask (if you haven't already told them) what type of trip you're looking for. Wade trip,float trip etc. So they can tell you what they have to offer.     

Take good notes during your phone conversations. It will help you decide which guide to hire.

"I've decided on my guide!"

 Once you've made your decision call the guide back and book your trip! I like to take some time off from work and go during the week. Just because it tends to be less crowded. That's no guarantee that there won't be a lot of people on the water,but it helps. You're paying a lot of money for this. So, try to give yourself every possible edge towards making the most of it!    

Thanks for reading!

Part 2 -The Common Sense Guide to Fishing With a Guide coming soon

Tight lines!

Shawn      

   
 


 

Brazos River, behind Possum Kingdom Dam- Hwy 16 Bridge area 9-3-12

Just two hours from the DFW area sits a great fishery for fly anglers that is often overlooked. The Hwy 16 bridge area of the Brazos River behind the Possum Kingdom dam holds Largemouth Bass,Sand Bass, and various panfish year round. Also, each year from December thru early March Texas Parks and Wildlife stocks the river with Rainbow Trout.From the fish hatchery located just down the road from the dam. The Rainbows are only 9-12 inches long, but are still great fun to catch. This is great if you just want to hit the water with you fly rod for trout but only have time for a short day trip. Just watch the Texas Parks and Wildlife webpage for stocking schedules. Which should be posted by mid-November.

My family spent the Labor Day weekend at my in-laws condo on Possum Kingdom Lake with some good friends of ours. After two fun filled days Saturday and Sunday of tubing,swimming, and taking the kids bait fishing off the dock. It was time for me to hit the river with my Orvis Trident 7wt Monday morning. 

From DFW take I-20 West toward Weatherford. Take the exit for Hwy 180 West that goes through Weatherford and Mineral Wells.  Stay on 180 West until you reach Hwy 16 North.  Follow Hwy 16 until you see the dam and bridge (pictured above).

   

 There is a nice parking area just off the road. If you get there early enough you won't have any trouble finding a place to park. I got there about 7:30 in the morning, and even on a holiday parked without any problem. The walk down to the river from there is just a few hundred feet, and is a nice easy paved slope. Kayakers and Canoers use this ramp, so be mindful to stay out of their way.   

This photo was taken from the ramp. As you can see there is great fish habitat right there! With the rocks creating several riffles and pools. You don't need to get into the water if you don't want to. You can roll cast from the bank and land your fly out to the center of the river. However, it is easy wading if you choose to. The area directly under the bridge is a great spot also, and is the only place you'll get any bites once it gets hot.To get under the bridge though, you do have to wade some shallow water. Be on the lookout for snakes when fishing in the Spring and Summer! I have seen water moccasins in the past, and saw two swimming the shallows in the morning yesterday. 

My Wife came down and took some Photos of me

Top water action was good on foam crickets and grasshoppers. Caught several panfish and smaller bass.

 

There were a lot of fingerlings in the water that I figured the larger bass must have been feeding on. So, I started striping a deceiver quickly through the pools and started landing some bigger largemouth bass. Like this largemouth pictured here.     

It made for a good Labor Day morning. I'm definitely looking forward to this winter's Rainbow stocking. 

Gear and fly suggestions   

 Winter trout stocking 

 3 or 4 Wt. rod 

 Waders, the water is very cold December thru March

 Gloves, I prefer  fingerless 

 Leader: 6 to 9 feet in length is good(remember:these trout  are young stockers and not very leader savvy)

 5X or 6X Tippet

 Flies:

 Wooly Buggers, Black or Olive work very well

 Brassie and Zebra midges

 Sowbug patterns

 If you want to use dries, the Royal Wulff, and Parachute Adams work well.

    

 Rest of the year, for bass and panfish 

 6 to 8 Wt Rod (there are some large bass in there!)

 No waders needed unless it's late in the fall.It's too hot! 

 Hat

 Sunscreen

 Mosquito Repellant

 Leader: I just tie on about 9 feet of 20 pound test, and tie the fly directly to that. Bass and panfish aren't leader shy!

 Flies :

Wooly Buggers, Black,Olive, or White 

Deceivers

Grasshopper and Cricket patterns 

Spider patterns

Bass bug poppers 

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Tight Lines!

Shawn