Robin's Ruminations - The Urban Angler

Red River Rendezvous 2012

2012-01-22T10:21:00.001-06:00

Well, it was all it had been built up to be and more. Jerry Hamon and his crew out together a simply perfect event. Food? Tubba jambalaya

Flies? Tons

New tiers getting started? Check

Cowboy tiers from South Texas?

Going Deeper

2012-01-16T19:00:00.001-06:00

Seems like these fish hold deeper, especially on the sunny days. I love the
topwater strikes, I've always been tying up foam hoppers or chugging some
poppers.

But there are those days, the days that leave the thrill of the top take on the
shelf,deeper I must go.

I've got my sink lines, I've lost several attachable sink tips on the detritus
of the riverbed. If I'm not hanging up then I'm too shallow.

Counting down, waiting it out, getting the fly down in the zone. Now there's an
art that still tasks my patience. Being one with the river has a corny sound.
However, that may be the closest I can come to describing "feeling" where the
line is, the position of the fly in the column.

So it's back to the river and deeper I go.

Variants and the Clouser - Texas Fishing Forum

2012-01-11T08:11:00.001-06:00

Thought you all might enjoy this practical research into weedless Clousers at work.

Variants and the Clouser - Texas Fishing Forum:

'via Blog this'

Thread Leaders Thread

2012-01-07T09:09:00.001-06:00

Thread. Uni 3/0 thread to be more precise. I recently received an order for leaders specifying "thread please". It's been so long since I've worked with thread. But it's all coming back to me. Never actually left. I began my furling career with thread. But monofilament gradually percolated in as the default material.

Honestly, I haven't even fished any thread in quite a few years. I'm gonna have to soak some thread soon. I can tell you that it soaks and sinks pretty much instantaneously unless it's kept greased up with floatant, old school.

Holler at me and get a thread leader or three. rrhyne56@gmail.com

Blue River New Year's Special

2012-01-02T19:28:00.001-06:00

Three 4' furled leaders for a discounted price. Shoot me an email for the details. Send Email

Frenzy Holiday Giveaway | Fly Fishing Frenzy

2011-12-20T09:07:00.000-06:00

Frenzy Holiday Giveaway | Fly Fishing Frenzy:

'via Blog this'

2011-10-26T08:54:00.000-05:00

Tim's Foam Ant

Simple, durable, fish catcher. Nuff said

Kieran Frye KC's Woodchuck Nymph - 5:50

2011-10-11T12:47:00.001-05:00

The Weekly Fly is well worth a spot in your favorites. Check out this fly. I love the way he creates the gills/legs for this nymph.

Click below

Kieran Frye KC's Woodchuck Nymph - 5:50:

'via Blog this'

Colorado Fly Fishing Reports: How to Tie the Texas Ringworm Fly (Step by Step)

2011-10-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

Without further adieu.....Colorado Fly Fishing Reports: How to Tie the Texas Ringworm Fly (Step by Step):

'via Blog this'

Hise's Hot Spot Hetero-genius™

2011-09-20T09:37:00.002-05:00

Time for another video. This one ought to bring some Texas panfish to hand

Redfish Frenzy Offshore

2011-09-13T12:41:00.000-05:00

Feeding frenzy of redfish under an offshore oil rig. Taken by someone who probably was wishing they had a rod and reel!

What the Heck?

2011-05-12T15:08:00.000-05:00

My spinfishing buddy sent me this phone camera image of something he snagged out of th Gulf of Mexico near Corpus. He described it as "approximately eight inches long, had fins that looked like wings. It swam like a manta ray."

Any guesses as to ID?

Goober Bug - Variation on a Theme

2011-05-06T08:38:00.000-05:00

Buddy Price presents yet another high quality video - Bruce Sublett of Gulf & Ozark Flies demonstrates tying his Goober Bug Fly

Zapd: Flies and Tying

2011-05-04T12:06:00.001-05:00

Built with ZAPD on my iPhone. This could be addicting!
Zapd: Flies and Tying: "FLIES AND TYING"

The Eclectic Angler

2011-05-03T10:21:00.003-05:00

Build your own reel. Not something that I ever thought was doable, at least not in the realm of realistic possibility (no machine shop to work in etc.)

Then I ran across this site
The Eclectic Angler and the associated forum
http://www.reelsmithing.com

Fly Tying: Hidden Gems « SwittersB & Fly Fishing

2011-05-03T09:44:00.001-05:00

I just discovered this blog today, a wonderful little fly here, looks like any bream or carp might take it.
Fly Tying: Hidden Gems « SwittersB & Fly Fishing

Shellcracker Crack

2011-05-03T06:36:00.002-05:00

This ought to get deeper, where the shellcrackers live. Like it?

"Nice summer so far"...a thread section to review

2011-04-26T09:03:00.002-05:00

There's more earlier in the thread but these last few pages contain some great jig fly images and ideas. Thanks to horn_identity
Nice summer so far.... - Texas Fishing Forum

Blue Gill on the Fly: Beulah Land

2011-04-25T10:13:00.001-05:00

Jonathan went fishing!

Blue Gill on the Fly: Beulah Land

Free Range Dubbing: Unless you’re looking at it in direct sunlight, you’re not seeing what I made for you | Singlebarbed

2011-04-25T09:42:00.001-05:00

Mr. SingleBarb has gone past scissors and into some wild looking old time dubbing material. I like the scissors, it sounds like he's done his research so I will have to try the dubbing as well.

Free Range Dubbing: Unless you’re looking at it in direct sunlight, you’re not seeing what I made for you | Singlebarbed

The Hum Bug - by Ward Bean

2011-04-15T11:53:00.001-05:00

One of the biggest bass I have ever caught was on one of Ward's Hum Bugs that I tied up. Have a look at this and his other patterns. Good mojo!

Wet Flies - Warmwater Fly Tyer - by Ward Bean

Finally! Some Rain! And the Sand Bass Are Running!

2011-04-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

Plano angler redraiderfisher got out to his "secret" creek and got into the sandies.

http://www.landscapes-designer.com/

Don't Tell Me What To Do!

2011-04-03T21:31:00.001-05:00

Stan Bogdan: Remembering a Fly Fishing Giant - Monte Burke - The Owner’s Box - Forbes

2011-03-30T11:28:00.001-05:00

The passing of a great artist, on to other things in future times. Thank you sir!
Stan Bogdan: Remembering a Fly Fishing Giant - Monte Burke - The Owner’s Box - Forbes

Tying the Hopper Juan

2011-03-24T12:48:00.001-05:00

Another danged hopper pattern!

Tying the Hopper Juan from Juan Ramirez on Vimeo.

Drifting The Prairie Ocean Outdoor Journal: Carp Redux 2011

2011-03-22T15:55:00.000-05:00

A carping he did go...
Drifting The Prairie Ocean Outdoor Journal: Carp Redux 2011

Lake Texoma Fishing Guide – Scott Bridgess

2011-03-21T21:21:00.001-05:00

Lake Texoma Fishing Guide – Scott Bridgess Scott is one of the premier guides on Texoma and the Red River below the dam. I can personally attest to, on days when no one else was catching anything, that Scott got us on some fish.

Great guide, fine fellow to hang with and enjoy an afternoon of fishing and learning. Learn more at http://www.guidetexoma.com/

Fly Patch

2011-03-19T11:37:00.001-05:00

On a whim I took some iPhone pix of my fly patch.

Non Fly Fishing Related

2011-03-18T15:06:00.000-05:00

sometimes I get the car jones and have to post some videos since I can't go driving like this

Shell Ferrari F1 1280x720 from sp on Vimeo.

Climb - Pikes Peak Hill Climb with a Monster

YouTube - Tying a Polish Pheasant Tail Nymph with Davie McPhail.

2011-03-18T10:26:00.001-05:00

Davy is one of my favorites to watch as well as listen to.

YouTube - Tying a Polish Pheasant Tail Nymph with Davie McPhail.

TXFishes Annual Multi-Species Contest

2011-03-17T09:46:00.002-05:00

Bret has been running this regularly for several years now. It's a fun contest that embodies all that's good about contests.

THE CONTEST

Mixing Motifs

2011-03-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

The Blue River in southeast Oklahoma. A place where one can get away from it all and enjoy...O alright, I'll stop with the boilerplate and get to the point.

my wife took me up there years ago when we first met. She spent mucho childhood time on the Blue tromping through in her "creek shoes". Well, I saw it and was bowled over and it's been non-stop love affair ever since.

I started the Blue River Fly Fishers Yahoo Group which has taken on a life of its own.

Haven't been up there as much as I'd like but that can always change.

So Gray is up there right now, doing his best to befuddle the bass and trick the trout. We await his report.

Attaching Loops to Flylines

2011-03-16T08:18:00.003-05:00

Loops have been good to me. Better minds than mine came up with this simple and cunning method that I have employed successfully. making them is fairly straightforward, even a cave man can do it! To date I have had no loop fail, from green sunfish to Texoma stripers. Dan reports using them for his billfish tackle.

Thanks to George Glazener for cluing me in and showing me the how-to.

Here's Dan Blanton's full write-up on the subject
There are several methods of making and attaching loops to fly lines

http://www.robinsleaders.com

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today, Sergeant Pepper Taught the Band to Play

2011-03-11T07:10:00.001-06:00

Or something like that. Pete Frailey celebrates ten years of blogging on fly fishing. One of the best little blogs on the interpipes, I say check it out.

Fishing With Flies :: Update Blog

Fly Slideshow

2011-03-09T11:55:00.000-06:00

I put together a little slideshow for you

Compleat Thought Youth Contest

2011-03-09T09:28:00.002-06:00

Here's a contest for the young 'uns.

Compleat Thought Youth Contest

Tight Spot Special

The Fiberglass Manifesto: Robin's "Tight Spot Special"

2011-03-07T10:12:00.000-06:00

The Fiberglass Manifesto: Robin's "Tight Spot Special": "Robin Rhyne, of Robin's Custom Leaders and Flies, sent me an email last week saying that he was offering an unlimited two for one special on..."

Tight Spot Special

2011-03-05T11:27:00.001-06:00

Bluntly, we've hit a tough spot here at casa del Rhynes. So I'm running a two-for-one through April in hopes that you'll buy some leaders or order flies.
Buy one, I'll send you two, etc. etc.

Email me about flies, they are a job by job negotiation. Usually $20/dozen.
http://www.robinsleaders.com
Thank you in advance! And Tight Lines in advance as well!

Great Post Title

2011-03-05T11:03:00.001-06:00

I love the title as well as content. Check it out :)

Thanks to Cordell for the image and thread.

The Fiberglass Manifesto

2011-03-03T07:02:00.001-06:00

Cameron shares out a couple of nice web mags

The Fiberglass Manifesto

Tight Spot Special

2011-03-02T17:13:00.000-06:00

I'll be blunt. I'm in a tight spot and need to sell some leaders and flies. Two for one, unlimited. Whatever you order, I'll double it. Leaders as well as warmwater flies.

Hit me up with offers on flies you'd lie tied; Moreau sandbass flies, Briminators, you name it.

Just enter "tight spot special" in the notes of the PayPal order form.

Use rrhyne56@gmail.com to order at https://www.paypal.com

Trash on the Fly » Sucker Punch

2011-03-02T10:25:00.000-06:00

Dave Speers' Sucker Punch. A famous North Texas carp fly.

Trash on the Fly » Sucker Punch

Yellow Marabou Special - A Classic Pattern with a Tying Trick - Global FlyFisher

2011-02-26T08:34:00.000-06:00

An idea to build on. One doesn't see that much of these clssic streamers lately; too bad.

Yellow Marabou Special - A Classic Pattern with a Tying Trick - Global FlyFisher

Fire Fly Fisherman: Spring Tease, Active Bass

2011-02-23T07:24:00.001-06:00

Fire Fly Fisherman: Spring Tease, Active Bass

Nice "after the freeze" angling report form Fire Fly Fisherman

Jerry Hamon - Fishing Guide

2011-02-21T19:46:00.000-06:00

He left off the part about what a fine fellow he is. But then, fine fellows don't usually get involved in self-aggrandizement.

My suggestion, go fishing with Jerry.

http://smallwaterflyfishing.vpweb.com/default.html

Jay Zimmerman's Geezus Lizard

2011-02-16T10:22:00.000-06:00

Warm water fly fishing; not how fly fishing evolved in the Old World but nonetheless a close cousin with similarities and profound differences. The phrase "have fun with this stuff" can be attributed to Dale Wilkinson. Dale embodies that phrase. He's pursued both cold as well as warm water fly fishing with a powerful passion.

So when I saw this video I thought of Dale. I'm gonna tie a few of these decidedly bassy flies and have some fun!

2011-02-14T09:30:00.001-06:00

Blog request

The Compleat Fly Fishing The Guadalupe – Part 4 – Conclusion

2010-12-29T11:55:00.000-06:00

Shannon's take on the Guadlaupe,

The Compleat Fly Fishing The Guadalupe – Part 4 – Conclusion

Shannon Went Fishing - "Buy on the Rumor; Sell on the News"

2010-12-23T10:06:00.000-06:00

Shannon does some fine photography. But I know him best as a fly angler with a passion. That he does an artist's job of documenting his trips only makes it all the better. Enjoy...

Buy on the Rumor – Sell on the News

Diamondback Fiberglass Returns

2010-12-17T09:04:00.000-06:00

Cameron runs a wonderfully readable blog, The Fiberglass Manifesto. He helps keep the flame burning for fiberglass in this age of graphite. I have zero problem with graphite. But I also loves the glass as well as the grass (bamboo that is!)

Cortland Diamondblack Glass is Back

Cowboy Caviar

2010-12-02T08:22:00.004-06:00

Yummy for the tummy, for holiday party or any old time I suppose:
(hat tip to Charlie Williams, languishing in Lagos Nigeria, changing sparkplugs on jets)

1 can black beans
1 can black eyed peas
1 can yellow corn or 1 bag 16 oz frozen corn
1 can shoe peg corn (Robin is not sure what this is)
1 can pinto beans
1 can chick peas
1 can hominy
1 small jar of chopped jalapeno (I use approx 15 slices of jar jalapeno adjust to your taste)
1/2 red bell pepper & 1/2 yellow bell pepper (chopped fine)
1 bag 5.5 oz green onions (chopped fine)
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
3 small cans of rotel or 1 large can(drained)
Rinse and drain all veg./beans
Add or subtract whatever you want

Dressing:
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T water (not at all sure on the water quantity, pretty sure its not one tablespoon! maybe one quart? Trial and error I suppose)
1 cup sugar
Bring dressing ingredients to a boil and cool before
pouring over veggies. Stir and marinate overnight.

Will keep up to two weeks in refrigerator. - the longer it sits the better it gets.

Reel Recovery Online Store

2010-11-29T08:59:00.000-06:00

Reel Recovery is a powerful group doing powerfully good work to assist those who are afflicted with cancer.

They now have an online store where one can support them by purchasing fly fishing gear and accessories.

Please visit their store and support Reel Recovery.

South Fork Rod Co. G7453

2010-11-23T11:45:00.000-06:00

Not too long ago I found a blog on fiberglass, The Fiberglass Manifesto. Cameron has taken his love of fly fishing and of fiberglass and turned into a living, evolving piece of art, a window into his affair with flinging feathers on fiberglass.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that not only was I reaping the benefits of reading about it but that I'd actually won a fly rod! A South Fork Rod Co. G7453 to put it to a point. After a grueling period of being housebound due to on call duties I finally found a window of time to hit the water. I have become reacquainted with fiberglass.

My Re-acquaintance Described

Monday 22 November - The glass is so slow and requires so little power to make a beautiful cast. I still love that about fiberglass. Remembering how to cast it was so much fun. I have a 6WFF line on it that performed quite well for the creek and pond fishing I did with it. If I were booming casts out to 50 feet or more then a 5WFF or 4DT might be better.

I started on Duck Creek where the breamkiller got lots of kill smashes but no hookups. This was where I got my "sea legs" back as regards fiberglass. I then chose to head on over to Serenity Pond. As is typical, the wind chose to start up when I got there. Howling and huffing in my face from due south, I was still able to get out remarkably pleasing casts with remarkably little power, still the soft slow presentation. That was an attention getter.

Tuesday 23 November - Got back out on Serenity this morning; time for round two. There was a heavy fog over the city of McKinney this morning. Not bad enough to limit driving or casting but enough to keep the sun off of the water.

I tied on a #6 foam spider with 8 lb. tippet. This cast well, quite well actually. There were numerous bream attacks, attempting to drag the fly under, drown it and consume at leisure. Those bream are cute little fish to behold. But they are persistently, doggedly, voracious insectivores. "Kill it if it ain't quite dead" yet seems to be their motto.

Then I got what I came for; bang, crash and off we go. The rod bent almost double, multiple flashes of silver darted through the pondweed...and then it was gone.

After that I worked the edges, tried a #12 parachute with no real success and wrapped up with one bluegill on aBreamkiller

Fiberglass continues to intrigue and delight me. Slow is so often underrated, so often neglected. There's something to be said for taking it slow.

Carpet Muncher Mud Minnow

2010-11-21T10:01:00.002-06:00

Carpet Muncher Mud Minnow, originally uploaded by rrhyne56.

Jeff Evans has been a regular contributor to the Texas Fishing Forum for some while. He fishes a slightly different venue than most, ranging up into the Tulsa area and other parts of Oklahoma.

Recently he shared this simple but effective pattern with the rest of TFF. Read the entire thread here.

Thank you Jeff!

#16 Parachutes

2010-11-19T08:33:00.001-06:00

#16 Parachutes, originally uploaded by rrhyne56.

I have no good excuse for why I am tying #16 parachutes. There are no trout within 100 miles, 250 miles in the summertime. But I find it a refreshing task and plan on knocking out quite a few more over the next few days.

Laguna Madre Scenery

2010-11-12T15:02:00.001-06:00

Laguna Madre Scenery, originally uploaded by rrhyne56.

David Cole, gunning for reds on the LM. What an image!

The Fiberglass Manifesto: South Fork Rod Company Discount

2010-11-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Good news from Cameron at the Fiberglass Manifesto blog:

The Fiberglass Manifesto: South Fork Rod Company Discount: "Just in time for the holidays (can you believe that Christmas is just over 50 days away?) South Fork Rod Company is offering 25% OFF all fly..."

Diamondback Fiberglass Returns

2010-11-04T07:35:00.000-05:00

Cortland is re-releasing the Diamondback fiberglass rods in 2011

Get the details here

Small Water Fly Fishing Experience: Latest STUFF

2010-11-02T10:50:00.000-05:00

Local guide and fly angler Jerry Hamon blogging:

Small Water Fly Fishing Experience: Latest STUFF: "I know I haven't posted vacation stuff yet but things have been crazy since we got back. We are in the middle of setting up the Reel Recover..."

Springs of the Blue River

2010-10-24T18:23:00.001-05:00

One of the most beautiful places I've ever been and it's one hundred miles from my front door. The Blue River in Southeast Oklahoma.

A fabulous camping, fishing and hunting area that is sadly under threat of vanishing
http://www.cpasa.net/

Musky Fly

2010-10-21T09:38:00.001-05:00

Musky Fly, originally uploaded by rrhyne56.

I tied this tandem hook monster up for a fellow up in Mass. who wants the world's record. We are staging up to 7/0 hooks! 5/0 are just too puny.

Musky Fly

2010-10-06T07:28:00.001-05:00

Musky Fly, originally uploaded by rrhyne56.

I've moved into the world of model airplane building again via tying musky flies.

A gentleman up in Massachusetts has commissioned Robin's Leaders to tie some big, bulky, water-pushing fat profile monster musky flies in order to capture a 60" plus toothy critter.

This is the start, we hope for excellent results.

The Fiberglass Manifesto: Scandalous Sticks "Pygmy Glass"

2010-10-04T20:10:00.001-05:00

The Fiberglass Manifesto: Scandalous Sticks "Pygmy Glass": "A few months ago Stephen Vance of Scandalous Sticks contacted me about a batch of glass blanks that he had uncovered through another rod bui..."

Reversed Parachutes: Reversed Parachute emerger

2010-10-04T20:05:00.001-05:00

Roy has been tying some fine flies for some bit of time now.

That he's blogging it now makes it possible for more people than ever to enjoy reverse parachutes.
Reversed Parachutes: Reversed Parachute emerger: "Welcome to Reversed Parachutes, the home of Roy Christie's fly designs. This is my signature fly, the Reversed Parachute emerger.Designed o..."

Common Cents Rod Information

2010-09-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

The Common Cents Tables are a must for anyone interested in knowing exactly what they have their hands on as far as rod and line weights.
Common Cents Rod Information

Belly Ache Minnow Fly Tying Demo

2010-09-29T07:51:00.000-05:00

What a great looking fly! javascript:void(0)

Jerry Hamon, Smallwater Fly Fishing Guide

2010-09-27T19:17:00.001-05:00

Imagine my pleasant surprise to see this website!
http://smallwaterflyfishing.vpweb.com/default.html

Jerry has been a standout figure in the north Texas angling scene for some while now. He's been a tireless contributor to several fishing forums and clubs. All this in addition to his considerable work and effort to assist people afflicted with cancer, which has been in the form of volunteering as a mentor at Reel Recovery, raising funds for Reel Recovery.

So when I saw that he'd thrown his hat into the ring as a guide I knew right away that there'd be some satisfied clients coming off the line soon enough.

Take a look at Reel Recovery's website. Take a look at Jerry's site. Fine fishing and selfless help of others. Two things that in my opinion can't be beat.

Dragonflies A Go Go

2010-09-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

Robin Rhyne wrote:
Serenity Pond looked really good this morning. I got there just before 7:00. The sun was trying to rise and still had the trees to climb over. The rains day before yesterday had filled it to the brim so the water was cooled down.

The little breamkiller that I posted here earlier was my starter. I'll link to it when I get on something besides this iPhone. It was poppin' folks. I lost count of fish. Mostly smaller but a few nice-sized ones as well. I noticed something interesting; some of the fish were noticeably warmer. I wonder if they were spawning? I could see no other commonality. Interesting anecdote. Maybe someone here knows more about this.

After a while it got to a point where I could decide to move on a few steps if a spot was too "dinkish". I don't get too many days like this. This was fun!

OK - dragonflies in the title; what's up with that? Well, as the sun started climbing over the treetops, dragonflies began laying eggs. They were big, beautiful, iridescent emerald ones. Buzzing about the pond, they'd dip down to oviposit. And the bass started going wild! Dropping grapefruit into the pond best describes the sight. A few even got airborne. That was a sight to see.

I didn't have anything at all to match this hatch which left me busting bream. Still, the sight alone was worth the trip. I don't think that any of the people walking their dogs or strolling were even aware of what was happening. By. This time I was all the way around the pond, the sun was 9:00 and I was ready to go.

OK. Discussion. I have decided that a proper dragonfly pattern doesn't need to mimic what we see as "dragonfly" but rather needs to mimic the dapping, dipping effect that the fish perceive from their point of view. This pattern wouldn't have to "look like a dragonfly" at all perhaps. Not the dragonfly we see.

Research is required. But I think this might be a path to pursue.

So that's my report for Saturday morning.

A Morning Trip

2010-09-18T10:05:00.001-05:00

Morning can be rough. Bodies don’t necessarily want to get up and about when we want them to. The beep-beep-beep cut through my sleep, bursting in upon my comfortable fog, bringing the burn of insufficient sleep painfully to the forefront. I’d been up way too late. Tying up the last few flies, cleaning the fly line as well as attending to a flock of other details best not left until the Great Morning itself.

The gear is where I piled it last night. All is in order and ready to dump in the truck and GO. Still feeling foggy but the draw of the water begins to exert it’s force. Gear bag, rod tubes (with rods - check!) reels, float tube, PFD, flippers, air pump, water bottle, lunch sack etc. etc. Alright, its all loaded. I’m dressed. Truck starts. Back out of the drive, headlights on and DRIVE.

The drive there can be summated as a time to ponder my tactics and dream the impractical dreams of what could be, what may be. Building and fishing the trip in my mind’s eye beforehand is an excellent way to...whoops! Better keep an eye on the road there hoss!

Pull up and park. Drag out my tackle and get busy assembling my day. Run through and re-run through in the mind’s eye. It’s all there, its all put together right. Hope I won’t have an “oh no! I forgot...” moment out there.

Stepping into the water transitions from “getting there” to “I’m fishing!” The water move up my feet, my legs, the temperature change is a bit shocking. Not time for waders yet, but soon, very soon. Old float tube bites the surface and starts doing it’s job of keeping me afloat. That looks like a good spot - right over there. Turn and start kicking, I didn’t lose any fins at launch this time, Hallelujah! Fin tethers are something to have and hope you won’t need. I sure did once not too long ago.

OK dear reader, are you there? Are you in the water and kicking your way out to fish? If not then close your eyes real tight and get there!

Alright, we’re in position. That looks fishy. Casting mode ON! Load, stop, load, stop, let the line settle, take up the slack. Strip-stop-strip-stop-strip-stop all the way back. OK, let’s get it out there again.. Dang it! The line’s around our reel and several straps on the tube. Grrrr. Start untangling the mess and.... POWAP! The fly’s gone! Line’s shooting off into the deep! Get it untangled! Get it untangled now!! We can’t get it unstuck from that one loop on the tube. Gonna have to do this the hard way! (I hate it when that happens, except I love it)

Don’t you just love that throb? There’s a beat and surge, a pulsation, as the life on the other end EXERTS! The rod tip submerges, the line is straining. Thank goodness for twenty pound test tippet! Keep that head away from the weeds, that would be the end of game. Back and forth, back and forth rod tip up, rod tip back in the water. Don’t give up too much but don’t force the issue beyond breaking. It’s twenty pound test but still.....

Swish and swirl, and some colors start to come to view. Catfish! Alright! They are low gear, Positrac, head to the bottom fighters. Why no school has the catfish for their team mascot only means that not nearly enough people fish ultralight.

Lipping a catfish demands some thought. One doesn’t simply “grab aholt” in the same way one might with Mr. Micropterus. Glad the barb was mashed down, getting the hook out is no big job, even with the fly deep in his gullet. “Back you go, thank you for playing with me this morning!” Cleaning catfish is not high on my list of fun things to do. Leave that to the folks who sell fillets to the grocery store heh?

Now whooda thunk we’d get a channel cat on a bright yellow popper at 5:45 AM? They prowl the shallows looking for the opportune offering. This suits me just fine.

Let’s kick on over to those weeping willows. That looks promising. Sure enough, the brat pack is soon tugging on the popper legs, trying to drown their unfortunate prey. Decision time; smaller fly or wait it out for a big boy.....POP!!!!..never mind, question answered by what soon turns out to be a fine bream too big to grip. There’s a whole different beat and thrum to a bream. Their displeasure manifests on an entirely different wavelength that makes ultralight tackle as popular as it is. Big Fury in a small package that chatters and jerks in anglular surges - 30º 49º - 212º down and around. Visualizing the beastie’s motions, feeling connected through graphite, plastic and steel. This is part of why we fish.

To be continued

Foam Bream Killer Recipe - An iPhone Experiment

2010-09-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

I built this tutorial entirely with my iPhone. An experiment in impromptu creation as well as a share of some work I've been doing.

Please let me know what you learn when you fish this fly as well as any foam management techniques you learn or know of.

Creek Crawling with Evan

2010-08-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

There are no photos to publish, there are no videos available. What I have is a memory of a fine, fine; fun, fun time. My son is closing on twelve years old, I've dreamed of him loving to go fishing. I have been through the trials and tribulations of various attempts to bring this to fruition. On several occasions I've feared that I'd messed things up beyond all repair. But today it looks like we've hit the sweet spot, epiphany has occurred.

My good friend keebranch pointed me to a creek in Arlington - of all things the Kee Branch. I was going to take my brother the budding fly angler but today was not in the cards. We'll hit the water soon enough. But Evan was game, we were going to saddle up!

So, Sunday AM, bright and early, Evan and I head over to do some creek crawling. We put in at the Cliff Nelson Rec Center and had to go exactly no where at all but down next to the bridge. I rigged up my overlined Stowaway three weight for him, I carried my 2 wt. pearow special.

We got down there, made our way through the brambles and branches to a relatively large pool just upstream from the underpass. After the usual trial and error we determined that the fly of the day was a gold 1/128th oz. jig with olive/brown marabou wing and tail, dragged under a foam popper. There was no real casting going on, way too many trees and undergrowth. simply pick it up and swing it over. He caught a good number of beautiful little orange-bellied bream and some greenies. We watched a handsome turquoise emblazoned bream guarding a nest. He was not interested at in flies other than to give them the bum's rush off the bed! That was a hoot just to watch him bully the fly.

There was much joy, there was fish spotting and minnow noticing. When he wanted to sharpen a stick and get that daddy bream I pointed out that this was where the babies were coming from to keep the creek populated and there was no need to pursue the point any further at all, loginc reigned. That was probably as satisfying as any other aspect of the morning.

After about an hour or so he decided that the fish were "off" and that we could leave. The smart daddy agreed and off we went, to return for more fishing another day.

We are now afire to go fishing. I could ask no more.

Primitive

2010-08-19T09:45:00.001-05:00

Let me clean this up a bit, slide show of some fun old deer hair designs and some takes off thereof

My Political Comment

2010-07-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

I don't usually make such comments here but this seems apropo to our current scene. No Democratic or Republican bash, they are fairly well the same cut in my opinion. Here goes, a quote from someone else:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3.The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.

Tying the Riendeau Hairy Fodder Lite

2010-07-25T08:07:00.000-05:00

Buddy Price has continued to document so many tiers and their practical and possible-to-tie flies. I am continually amazed at Buddy's persistence and high quality video work.

This latest offering is no different. I'd never heard of Craig Riendeau until Buddy spotlighted him with this video. Craig's technique of interchangeable weighted eyes is a first. And while I don't expect I'll be tying them as such, nonetheless it is such out of the box thinking that inspires other tiers to try new ideas, to forge ahead into new territory. Also, it challenges us to try new things and that can be a good thing indeed.

I leave it to Buddy and Craig:

Fly Tying at Starbucks

2010-07-10T17:02:00.002-05:00

Met Brimbum and Gray at Starbucks. We got busy tying and lying. I did OK I guess...

My output of Skip Morris Panfish flies, or my take on them at any rate.

Brimbum, Gray, looking forward to more of the same, only better

Quote on Life and Seriousness

2010-07-07T09:59:00.002-05:00

"You want to know what sensation about living you ought to have: It's the same sensation with which you used to play cowboy and Indian. You also know that it isn't real when you're playing cowboys and Indians.

"That, by the way, is on the upper strata of ecstasy. It really becomes ecstasy when you know you have to pretend that it's real so that it can be real. You're really in command of the situation then, and you can have a good time! It's fun. One of the biggest control mechanisms there are is: 'You've got to take this seriously. You've really got to be serious about this. If you're serious enough about this—hm-hm-hm!—you'll get somewhere in life.'

"The surest way to get nowhere in life is to be serious about it!"

— L. Ron Hubbard

Tying the Yellow Butt Bream Fly - FlyFishVideo

2010-06-26T00:35:00.000-05:00

Buddy just keeps on cranking out the wonderful tying videos and I keep on trying to keep up and share them out with y'all.

Braided Loop Connectors for Fly Line - New Button

2010-06-25T09:19:00.001-05:00

I ought to have realized that most would want more than one, hence this new button

And now For Something Completely Different...

2010-06-24T07:01:00.000-05:00

Braided Loop Connectors for Fly Line

2010-06-23T08:03:00.000-05:00

I'm making braided mono loop connectors now. Google them, they are smart stuff in my book.

Big Bass on a Three Weight

2010-06-16T18:24:00.000-05:00

I had the Cabelas three weight Stowaway rod, was fishing a Hum Bug and BAM! this one came out of the bushes and popped the fly, gave me a grand fight! (apologies for iPhone quality image)

Thoughts on Fly Rods, Lines and Casting

2010-06-03T19:56:00.001-05:00

Let me start off by saying that this is not well thought out at all but rather, holding to the blog title, is a series of ruminations that culminated this afternoon as I was fishing after work.

New fly line, won in a drawing on http://www.flyanglersonline.com So need a new reel because it's going on an old bamboo rod and just can't put a high tech, CNC-milled reel on a piece of bamboo; at least I don't like to. Wanted to see how the stick flings with 5WFF on it instead of the 4WFF I'd been fishing it with.

Out to the pond, rig up, tie on a Bloody Muddler, the Bloody Muddler that did oh so very well last time there. First cast out, I saw a fish rise and take the Muddler. Didn't even know I'd hooked it until I started trying to retrieve the fly and then here it came. Worked my way on down, a couple of small bass hooked, landed or LDRed*. Then down in the west corner I hit into this chunky bream:

After disgorging the hook and tossing the fish back in I began to put myself closer in touch with what I was doing with the fly rod. I felt it load up, felt the line course through the guides. Heard the slight, gentle hiss as line was shooting.

The loops are not at all what could be called tight; there's no wedge at the front of this loop. But it is lovely nonetheless. It is classic in my view. Gentle and smooth and inexorable as it wafts out across the water and settles down. There is no leeway, we are right on the edge with this line and this large deer hair fly. As it is the fly has a goodly plunk as the loop finally lays out and powers down.

A while back, last year, I was standing on this same shore with a friend's new Sage cannon. A 7 weight that could shoot seventy or eighty feet of line no problem. I recall be satisfied with how I could drive a wedge of line out almost across the pond with it. The polarized opposite of this little cane stick.

I guess I like it all. As my friend George Glazener puts it "load to shoot" is a fine and gusto-filled way to fish. Tight in with a zero weight, lying out two digit flies for bream. And this bamboo.

To be so in touch with the equipment that it becomes an extension of the person, the person occupying the same space as the equipment and making it a part of his space and time, wow, I love it!

Thoughts on Fly Rods, Lines and Casting

2010-06-03T19:35:00.000-05:00

Serenity Park This Morning

2010-05-31T16:33:00.002-05:00

Everyone else stayed up crazy late, either watching chick flicks (wife) or playing games (everyone else) I went to bed early, got up at 3:30 AM and again at 6:00 AM with pages from folks with computer issues - it pays well though.

So when I left early to hand off on call I decided to stop by my go-to and do some fishing.

There were quite a few active, small one pound and under bass in the pond. Some bream hassled the fly for a bit as I worked my way down the shoreline.

Then, down on the western end I saw something I've never seen before. Hassling the fly, aggressively pursuing the fly were B.O.B.s (big old bream) They were in the same formations, same characteristic charge and drop back. But they were so much bigger that it sorta took my breath away. I got two before the rest wised up and boogied.

This one

and this one

My notable fish of the day.

I am gonna do some research on Community Pond limits because I think that pond might need culling. But I will defer to TPWD on the matter. There are beaucoup bitty basses.

This was a fine sight to see, a group of boys chunking hot dogs and fried chicken and hauling in honking big channel cats for a small pond. One weighed eight and the other one, shown below, weighed in at five. These guys came loaded for bear; sombreros, scales, hot dogs and chicken parts! :)

I kept hearing all this gawd-awful splashing down at the pier. They were catching bream and leaving them on the hook and splatting them on the surface to jig up the bass. Quite the innovators!

Oh, my productive fly was a Bloody Muddler, silver tinsel tail and body and a bright red wing of some sort

Fly Fishing in Texas and the Weather

2010-05-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

Credit to JackMack65 at Texas Fishing Forum:

Weather as it Relates to Fly Fishing

January - too cold. Go to East Texas for Pickerel.

February - see January.

March - too windy, but the warmwater fish are waking up; fish through it.

April - too windy, tighten up your hat and fish through it.

May - still windy, fish through it.

June - still windy, great fishing anyway.

July - too hot, fish on.

August - too hot, fish on. Go to the mountains if you can.

September - three perfect fly fishing days; these will all be Tuesdays when you have conference calls stacked back-to-back. Take the blackberry fishing and make judicious use of the mute function.

October - see September

November - let's all complain about how fishing season is over, and then go fishing anyway. In 30-knot winds.

December - see November.

Foaming at the Vise

2010-05-24T19:18:00.002-05:00

I will dispense with any further corny vise jokes and present some foam flies I tied today at lunch

Muddling About

2010-05-13T11:06:00.001-05:00

I've been out of pocket a bit, quite a bit. Recently began another round of tying and have returned to the scene of much travail and nail biting - the Muddler. They are actually much less scary nowadays, I did find an excellent article on the history of the muddler at Midcurrent and thought it might be of interest to others

Midcurrent article by John Likakis

Carping with Robin's Leaders

2010-04-09T10:01:00.001-05:00

Barry Shrader over at "Drifting the Prairie Ocean" went a carping the other day and, aside from dunking his gal's camera, did pretty OK with furled leaders

Read about it here

The Carp Crusades - Crawdads, Clousers, and Fatality

He gives Cyprinids the Fat Lip

2010-03-06T13:21:00.001-06:00

He gives Cyprinids the Fat Lip

Posted using ShareThis

Got My Scizz!

2010-03-05T19:19:00.001-06:00

An atrocious iPhone image of my new pair of Sixth Finger tying scissors that came in the mail today. Not much to say other than the heft feels right and I can hardly wait to start tying with them.

Gonna start off with a couple of messes of Guadalupanas.

Sixth Finger Scissors

2010-03-03T07:47:00.001-06:00

In my wanderings on the web I ran across these and thought I'd best share.

Sixth Finger Scissors

Hey, Fly Tying Time

2010-02-27T10:02:00.000-06:00

Between the demands of life and the blog spamming that I finally (seem to) have sorted out, I've not posted too awful much lately. So here are a few flies and perhaps some thoughts on angling.

Predator foam fly (Skip Morris fly)

simple peacock herl with Flash tail on a 1/100th jig hook

Chartreuse Soft Hackle (tier - Jenna Ainsworth)

Gotcha bonefish fly (Jenna Ainsworth)

My buddies Gray and Jenna

We get together on random Sundays at Starbucks and tie for a couple of hours or so. A fine way to relax and get the edge off before starting up a Monday.

I've not fished much these past few months, melding into a year or more. Been a few tiny times but I miss it and plan on getting out more and more.

There is a certain oneness with the world that, to me, makes all the difference. Being a part of your surroundings, feeling and smelling, permeating the world, is a healthy activity. Tying gives vent to the creativity within, it lets one plan out a future ("I bet this will catch fish" and the replies "oh yes, most definitely")

I have some flies to tie up today. I may even wet a line later on!

All the best to you my readers.

Robin

Al Crise Memories

2010-02-19T12:04:00.001-06:00

Memories of Al:

I lost a friend when Al Crise passed on over a few days ago. I suppose that I ought to have been better prepared, knowing it was coming and all. But when I got a text message to the effect that Al was gone it hit me, smack!

After getting over the initial shock and chiding myself for selfish grief I started looking at the goodness Al had imparted. The favorite memory I have of Al is one year, after FlyFish Texas had finished up and we were all hanging around inside the TFFC after it had shut down and the public attendees had been shooed out. We were fishing in Zebco Pond which was full of little stocker rainbows. Al had a dry fly on and was playing a game of "keep away" with them. The wind was blowing, he was dapping the fly over the surface, not letting it touch down. The rainbows were going nuts! Leaping out of the water, doing their darndest to get to that fly! Al would adroitly pop the fly away most of the time. On occasion the trout would win, he's chuckle a "dang it!" and land and release the fish and back at it again.

I stopped fishing and simply took in the masterful game play of a man who was so good, so skilled that his game could be to not catch fish!

Tight Lines Al, I know you are cruising on to an even better game.

Some Fly pr0n

2010-02-19T09:09:00.000-06:00

Won't be long until its hardcore fishing time!

I got spammed!

2010-02-12T22:45:00.001-06:00

Don't know how they did it but there were two pages of spam posts here on the blog.

Fishing

2010-01-12T19:29:00.000-06:00

I'm Back with Chernobyl Ants

2010-01-06T07:17:00.005-06:00

Boy oh boy oh boy can one get off in the weeds! Anyway, I got back up out of the ditch for who knows how long and here is some tying that I've been up to, Chernobyl Ants.

The Slide Show

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:52:00.003-06:00

It has been entirely too long since I posted here at all, fortunes of war, life on the waves, etc. etc.

So I am taking this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy new year. May you enjoy all the positive and wondrous things you have dreamed of in this coming 2010 - success, plenty, moving closer to or arriving at your goals.

I want to do all I can to assist my friends in bettering their lives. After all, helping, that's what life's all about it seems. Helping to bring about positives, greater greatness.

Love

Robin

Spey Casting

2009-10-18T15:42:00.002-05:00

Evan tried out spey casting and, after a few pointers from Taylor Walker boomed out a big cast and was, well, see the image... heh. Needless to say he really needs a spey rod now.

Furled Leaders

2009-10-12T21:55:00.003-05:00

Folks it is time to get the lead out and get ready to fish! It is no longer hot!
I have my boards and jigs out, I have been whirling and furling, sending them out the door.

Get some leaders today, the fish will love you for it :-)

Robin

http://www.robinscustomleadersandflies.com