Good reads/vids to beat the cold

School's out tomorrow too(that makes 4 days in a row) so here's some good reading material to throw some heat on this freezing weather. Pretty much the whole US is an ice cube right now. 2 MORE inches of snow forecasted for North Texas tomorrow. Woot...



First of all, the tasty new issue of This Is Fly is out. Check it out
This is fly volume 3 issue 1

Here's a pretty cool article I found on the TFF on shad behavior in cold water. I have seen this before researching the shad kill on Texoma last year. Looks like there's gonna be another kill happening any day now, which sucks but maybe we won't have the same effects as last year's kill- shitty fishing and overall unhealthy stripers and hard to catch bass.
Shad- Weathering winter

Here's an awesome video on grass carp effects on fisheries. These things are bad if numbers of them per acre get too high. I don"t have much knowlege on this topic, but it's interesting for sure.
White Amur- Bass Killers

Here's a nice link for all of you fly tyers stuck inside tying like I am. This site has been one of my favorites for a while. Good flies and a BUNCH of patterns on here.
Warmwater Fly Tyer

and one last one. If you haven't seen MRFC's sweet deals and deep dscounts check it out! There's some awesome deals on here!
Madison River Fishing Company

I'll be cooped up in here all day tomorrow too, so expect a lot of site work being done. I'm going to add a bunch of stuff to the sidebars and a few other things. Check back soon!

Texoma Tie in

I had a great time at Texoma tie in! I got to meet a bunch of people, tie a bunch of flies, cast a bunch of different fly rods, and show off my kayak today. I got to see several guys I knew, including the TFO guys, Robin Rhyne, George Glazener, Rex and Taylor Walker, Jerry Butler, Jerry Hamon, Les Jackson, Scott Bridgess, David Cole,  Russell Husted along with several other DFF, FWFF and RRFF members. We all had a great time, I tied like 15 clousers and a bunch of  minnows and Carp flies before Taylor dragged me out and made me cast a few of the TFO rods. I played with a BVK 4wt for about 15 minutes before getting out my Loomis and casting it alongside it. A played with a Mini Mag next, which has nothing mini about it, besides the short length and small number of false casts you need to launch the line into the next universe! I whipped around a Deer Creek 14 foot spey rod for a while which made me realize i'm pretty rusty when it comes to spey casting.  then, I casted the rod I have decided is my next rod- the Axiom 7wt. I was able to shoot all of the line out of that rod with 2 false casts while double hauling. It was amazing. I want it!

One of the many clousers I tied 

Joel Hays' Coyote Carp fly(substituted badger hair for coyote)

My Board

Flickin the spey

Casting

More casting

 More casting

More Casting

More casting. I'm beginning to love this Axiom!

And more!

Showing off the 'yak.

More yak swag

Zeebs

More Zeebs

Cold front hits

It is currently 26 degrees in Coppell and dropping quickly. I hate cold! somehow the heater in the tying got turned off so I walked in to everything frozen in there. I had to fire up the heater and suck it up for a few hours and get ready for Texoma Tie In. Materials are packed, now all I need to do is get the vise and tools packed and i'm ready to roll!

I did get a few flies in before I packed up the shed, so here they are.

My favorite deer hair fly- the PB's Muddler

size 12(I think???) Mustad Kahle hook. Awesome fly!

Chrome Charlie's Plopsicle

Sparse version of Terry Wilson's Bass Bully

And also I had to do some sketches of random stuff for Art this week. What did you expect?

Now if I could only catch a carp...

Freeport before the freeze

I hit the 3rd freeport pond yesterday in search of a few bass before this next cold front moves in tomorrow. I wasn't denied but I didn't do that great.

Slowest day ever at Freeport. I have gotten 80 in one day there before. They are all small except for a few big bass(my biggest from there is 7lbs) and some giant bluegill that are fairly common. I caught on a Guadalupe Green tied on a jig hook with my new 4wt. Still pretty good considering my hands WEREN'T numb and my guides WEREN'T frozen.

Coming Events-

Texoma Tie in is this Saturday. If you live anywhere close you should come, it's a great event at a great place, Eisenhower State Park on Texoma. This is held by the Red River Fly Fishers, their site is www.rrff.org. I am ready for this event as I'll be tying as one of the tying demonstrators in the Rec hall. I'm getting there early to lead/follow a group of guys in kayaks and float tubes after Smallmouth bass along the bluffs, then I'll be either tying or fishing for the whole day up there. I'll have my Diablo up there so come get a look at it and paddle it for a little if you want. I'll have it close the whole time so if you've never been in one COME GET IN IT! it's amazing!

More info about the tie in is posted on the Red River Fly Fishers site listed above, so check that out. I plan on seeing a bunch of you guys there. I'll be tying really everything, mostly carp and bass flies with some bluegill and trout mixed in if I get tired of doing the same stuff. 

Weekend- SLOW fishing!

This weekend was really cold and the fish were really lethargic. I fished Eisenhower, my Grandparents pond, the Ray Roberts Dam, and Lantana flats. I'll start with my little single fish for the weekend, a nice 9 inch bluegill.

New 4wt action!

I went to the Ray Roberts dam with my friend Dean after the pickerel trip fell apart. The red river fly fishers were there and I got to talk to a few of the guys I knew. No one was really catching. After that we hit Lantana for carp. I saw 4 all day and made 1 cast, which was politely refused by a smaller 3lb carp.

Then to Eisenhower. They changed the fina sign! I saw a few but didn't catch at all. The water clarity is insane! I think I could see the bottom in 14 feet of water!

I plan on fishing later today sometime if it warms up a little.