Carp!

Lately I've been chasing carp out on the flats at Ray Roberts and having a great time. We arrived at dawn and were greeted by several fish milling about in ankle deep water. It Took a couple of casts before I put the fly where I wanted it and the line came tight after a long slow strip. I repeated this with several more fish and blew a number of opportunities. Sometimes the line just comes tight and other times the carp covered some ground in reckless fashion to inhale the fly (when this happens you almost forget they are carp and not redfish). They hit anything buggy, wooly boogers, puffs, and other goofy easily tied "carp flies." The location is great. It is close enough to not waste an entire day yet far enough away to feel like you are out of the city (saw many deer too).

Lake Emma and Her Surrounding Ponds

What else is there to do when it is 100 degrees in the shade? Roll up the pants legs and jump in after some bass. Tater and I were invited to chase bass and the fishing was amazing as always. I'm starting to think that Tater gets more excited when I catch a fish than I do. He doubles as an amazing net but his catch an release needs some work. The bass were killing anything that resembled a shad and most of the fish hit a sub surface deerhair shad fly (which shortly after landing a 5 lber I lost to some weeds on my back cast).

Sometimes Life Slows Down

Sailfish Flies

Getting that itch again and since it is the off season for sails and I don't have endless funds to chase them, I am stuck tying flies that remind me how bad ass fly fishing for sailfish is.

Full Moon Bass

Full moon means late night top-water action. Grabbed the five weight and head lamp and hit the local pond. Fished Dahlberg Diving Frog. The fish were hanging right on the edge of the weeds. Saw a shooting star and caught two bass in a little over an hour. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

No Generation on Denison Dam means fly tying time.

Even with all that rain, Denison Dam is still not generating. When the Generation begins the spey rod will be ready to go. Bring it on Stripers!

Jason Hartwick has been chasing the striper in Northern California since the steelhead aren't around. He has the right idea. Click on the link for his video.

Lake Emma and Her Surrounding Ponds

Fishing lakes and ponds that are named after great dogs and stocked full of chunky bass and bluegill on a nice spring day is the perfect a way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Throw in some sight casting and top-water action and you have the recipe on "how to ruin a man." The bass and bluegill were cooperating and hit anything that resembled a shad. It was a good day and somehow we avoided all the rain and thunderstorms (until the drive home). Pictured above is Don Hart's nice bass being released by Mr. Ron Gard. Don put on a lesson and fished for 10 minutes and caught about 6 nice bass and then went back to the truck to nap.