Adventures in "trad" fishing.

[SwampRabbit]

Just dawned on me that it has been a year since I started fly fishing.

[Loreva13]

Cool catch! I'll be headed out next week to try my luck in the local water hole.

[SwampRabbit]

First trad fish of 2016. Caught a couple nice bull bluegills too after this guy. Our screened shelter was 15 yards from the shore where I caught him.

[SwampRabbit]

Haven't update this thread much.... but I have switched to the fly rod during the scorching summer season. Back in June, I took my daughter fishing every evening while my wife and son were out helping building housing for those effected by the severe weather out in Wimberly. I busted out with a new 4wt 7.5' rod and caught a bunch of gills, but was happier that my daughter outfished me with her mad fishing skills.

I helped my son earn his fly fishing merit badge (I became a merit badge counselor for fishing, fly fishing, archery, etc...) We took a trip down to the coast so he could try some saltwater fishing for the first time on his birthday. I brought an 6 wt rod, but it was too much for the wind and the line wasn't right for the warm water. So I bought a proper 8wt with a saltwater line... tied some bigger flies and gave it another go during my birthday weekend. I'll post up that story here in a few minutes.

[SwampRabbit]

So we drove down to Freeport for the weekend of fishing and crabbing. I only brought my new 8wt fly rod and some flies I had tied. We left mid-day and reached the hotel by 5. My wife told me I should go ahead and hit the beach and try some fishing by myself. The origional plan was to arrive later and get up early the next day. But the kiddos were tired from a full day at the water park and so while they settled in, I hit surfside beach around 6:30 pm.

The wind was stiff, the surf was high, but the water was "cool" and nice. I was trying surf fishing for the first time and I fumbled around with the shoulder pack, net, and stripping basket for a while.

I tied on a clouser and walked into the surf. It was high tide and I could only wade out into the wade gut between the beach and first bar. With the wind cing from right to left, I was forced to cast with my right arm across my chest. Its almost like casting backwards. But I had done this often on lakes and ponds, so it was no big deal. Managing the stripping basket and surf washing my net and flooding my basket was the new and hard stuff.

I spent the better part of 30 minutes looking utterly stupid out there I sure. I was happy though that I was able to do a shake down and get into a grove as the wind was supposed to get better in the morning.

I continued to fish the wade gut... but kept trying to cast beyond the breakers at the 1st bar. Eventually, as a couple came by on a cart and watched... I drifted my cast closer to shore.

And then it hit. I was stripping when all of a sudden I just had resistance and realized I had a fish one. Its hard to explain my excitement. A mix of disbelief and happiness. I didn't let it get back to the real and continued to play the fish and pull the line in by hand. When he got close I could see through the swells it was a speckled trout... my first salwater fish and trout!

What seemed like an eternity, I fumbled with my net and attempted to land this fish in my net. Finally after doing so, and as I turned around, I was greeted with some clapping and congrats from the onlooking couple.

I chatted with them as I taped it (18") and put it on a stringer. They too were down for some surf fishing and they imparted some more advice and congrats.

I fishes for a little bit longer before calling it quits. The next morning and the following morning after that I caught some more trout and even a redfish... but they were not legal size. I left amazed how much fun fly fishing from within a couple yards of the beach turned out to be.

Can't wait to try it again soon

[Phillip Fields]

Nice.

[SwampRabbit]

With my own hunting being all miss and no hit... and my shooting suffering, I decided to do a little fly fishing this morning. The bite was really slow but was blessed with my best bass on the fly. He put up one heck of a fight on the 4wt.



Some other catches.







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[Draco]

I should go back to fishing, no more deer than I have been seeing.

I did tie these poppers for my fly club to give away for door prizes this month.

[SwampRabbit]

Those are nice Bob.

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[SwampRabbit]

Had to swing by this thread to answer a question for somebody on how long I had been fly fishing. I couldn't remember, but did remember I had started a thread when I did

[SwampRabbit]

A couple of the same old pics... but 2018. Have hit the fly rod and ponds a few times since my bow arm is still struggling.









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[Draco]

You may need to try some bigger flies.

[hrdwrkncwby76]

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[hrdwrkncwby76]

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[hrdwrkncwby76]

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