Kayak 4 Redfish with Lefty Ray

So Long Texas Coast

My 2003 kayak guiding season has come to a close. Here is a picture of my last sunrise over the Lighthouse Lakes which was taken this past weekend. This was a very productive year where many clients achieved several "firsts" including 9 Texas Saltwater Slams. The first of December, I will switch to guiding for Rainbow Trout on the Shonto Ranch outside of Kerrville. Check that web page for details.

During the winter I will be add extensively to the "Kayak 4 Redfish" page. More maps, rigging tips, and fly patterns will be posted. 2004 will feature a new seminar called "Lefty Ray's Very Fishy Seminar" in addition to the "Kayak 4 Redfish" seminars. Stay tuned for details and dates. I will resume kayak guiding in April of 2004, until then happy paddling.

October Fishing Report & Pictures

Jim W. and party

Tough weather conditions did not stop this Houston group from catching some nice reds. The winds (17 mph) and constant moving clouds hampered spot casting to fish but nevertheless the Cypert Popper came through like a champ.

(1) Jim W. with a 26 inch red with 2 spots on its tail. (2) Mark B. with red. (3) Group picture.

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Scott B. and Doug S.

A couple of good Houston fly casters joined me for a fog heavy morning on the LHL trails. Scott caught the biggest spec I have seen all year using a Cypert popper around noon under a bright blue sky. A bunch of specs were on the menu on this very high water day.

(1) Pre-dawn launch (2) Doug and Scott

(3) Scott with the first catch of the day. (4) Biggest spec of the year. (5) Close-up of the bug spec.

FFF Southern Council Conclave at Mountain Home, Arkansas

Along with 3 other members of the Alamo Fly Fishers we made the annual trek to the only conclave in this part of the country. Steve F. and I had been invited to tie flies at the event and while there got to enjoy some seminars and a little bit of fishing. The southern council covers about 5 states so we met some new friends and renewed old acquaintances. Both Steve and I drew a crowd at times while demonstrating how to tie some of the local saltwater patterns.

(1) White River, early morning. (2) Steve casting.

(3) Andy & Steve at the White River. (4) Steve tying a fly.

September Fishing Report & Pictures

Kayak 4 Redfish Seminar

The all day session enjoyed great weather and great attendees. We covered how to hunt for redfish with a kayak in shallow water. Once we finished the sit-down session we jumped in and paddled around a bit. The highlight was Dale catching a nice redfish. The FREE fly rod was won by Bob B. Next year I will have two different sessions. One will be centered around spin/bait casting with two rods to be given away. The second will cover fly fishing only and one fly rod will be given away.

(1) Group picture. (2) Dale with redfish. (3) Bob wins the FREE G. Loomis fly rod.

B&R Slows down

We kept moving until we found some fish. They were not in schools, but instead were scattered all around us. David landed a few reds using a topwater chartreuse Top Pup. The theory about fish eating all night under a near full moon might have some basis for fact. The majority of the fish we saw did not hit any lures. They just sat there like they were asleep. We could have in fact kicked two of them. It made for good casting practice. Katie got closer to catching a red but still no banana for her. A couple of good blowups kept us on our toes.

The next day, the fish we found the day before were nowhere to be found. We paddled all over B&R, from one end to another. I believe I covered more water today that any other day this entire summer. We will blame this day on the weather. We were sandwiched between the first front of the early fall season and a storm which cut our day short. Phil did catch several flounder and a real nice spec.

(1) Dave with red. (2) Phil with nice trout.

Hot Rocks, Alamo Fly Fishers outing to Port Aransas

In anticipation of hopping the rocks of the South Jetty at Port Aransas, a few of us went out there the evening before to check things out. In the event we might run into some fish, ONLY 2 of us took fly rods. About 7/8's of the way out there we ran into some guys who were reeling a bull red caught on a topwater lure. Todd in no time caught a 22 inch Spanish mackerel which was magazine picture worthy. While waiting for that bull to be landed I noticed brown shapes cruising below the  water surface. When I saw a brown shape headed INTO the current I yelled at Todd and Doug to come running. Throughout the rest of the evening we saw bull reds cruising around in groups of 2's and 3's. We tried our best, but trying to dodge the floating grass and debris, plus dodging the spectators on a back cast made it very difficult to place a fly on target in a timely fashion. Todd got a few follows and one take but no hookups. I had one cast land in between 3 bull reds but in all the thrashing the fly got lost in the confusion. Casting 80 feet into the wind with big flies did not help the situation. These fish were in the 40 inch range and bigger. Very exciting walk. No tarpon were sighted.

The next morning found 7 of us casting flies at the south jetty. Spanish mackerel were on the menu as many were landed. Many flies were shredded and a few lost as their sharp teeth cut through leaders like butter. A couple of guys even got bit and left with bleeding fingers as a souvenir. A very good day. No tarpon were sighted.

(1) Mike with Spanish Mac. (2) Hank with hookup. (3) The "after"

August Fishing Report & Pictures

Holiday Happiness, Shay & Jason from San Antonio

A mixed bag matched the mixed weather we encountered this weekend. Rain, thunder, sun, and overcast did not stop Jason as he racked up a SLAM (red, spec, and BLACK DRUM!) on flies in the LHL area. This the 9th customer slam of the year. Shay also got a black drum on a Dupree SPOON FLY but it broke off at our feet. Jason topped off the day with a A.P. GRAND SLAM (perch, skipjack, croaker, & hardhead). A late start and intermittent rain hampered the day.

The next day a north wind changed our plans and we headed to the south jetty looking for tarpon. Slow fishing conditions prevailed for everyone including the live/dead bait crowd. We bailed out of there and headed to Brown & Root albeit a bit late for the morning bite. Once on the flats we encounter 2 schools of tailing fish. Even though it was mid day, the wind died and a heavy overcast blocked the sun creating a glassy surface all around us enabling tales to pop up everywhere. The Dupree SPOON Fly proved to be the ticket, however my over anxious customers broke off several reds depleting my spoon fly supply. We switched to topwater flies and Jason racked up another red.

(1) Jason & Shay. (2) Jason & black drum.

(3) Shay with red. (5) Jason with red.

Redfish Rodeo, Port O'Connor

I had posted in a couple of places a request for someone with a boat. The details were that I wanted to guide 2 fly fishermen to try to win the biggest trout category in the Redfish Rodeo. This event is hosted by the Houston guys, the Texas Fly Fishers. They put on a good show and raise money for CCA. The format is two-man teams who battle for prizes, glory, and bragging rights for a year. The top prizes this year were two 8 weight rod/reel combos and a guided trip, plus a chance for good camaraderie with other fly flinging folks.

Since POC is not a great kayaking place without paddling a great distance and since I was doing this at the last minute without a room reservation, a boat and accommodations were needed. Lloyd from San Antonio came up with a room. Seems he had a line on a house in POC. Since no boat materialized a couple of days before the event I was ready to call off the attempt. Lloyd said he might have a line on a boat also but the deal might not solidify until the last minute.

We took off Friday pretty late with great expectations. Halfway to POC Lloyd casually mentions that the house is being renovated and it might not have any running water. I think gee, it's gonna be like camping except with air conditioning. Once we arrive Lloyd calls his contact and we find out he cannot join us tomorrow but he is sending his kid with the boat in the morning. Rendezvous is 7:00am, a little late for me but a free boat is a free boat.

The next morning while waiting for the kid and the boat, Lloyd gets a call from his contact who says look for a blue Ford duelie. By 7:30 no one has shown up. By 7:45 still no show. At 8:00 a blue Ford duelie shows up sans boat. Lloyd asks the kid "Where's the boat?" The kid says he has had a trailer tire blowup about 4 miles out of town so he unhitched the truck and came to find us. He could not call since his cel phone battery went dead.

At the Shell station we get their service truck lined up and send it to replace the tire. We get to the boat first and find out it is a Chaparral recreation/ski boat with a inboard/outboard. This is the type with the walkthrough windshield. It has seen better days and since my strategy did not include skimming over a shallow water flat its deep water capacity was not a concern. The service truck arrives but the tire he brought was too big so he had to make a round trip to get the next smaller size. It was not our trailer so we did not know it was 13 inches rather than the other more common sizes. Once the new tire is installed we head back to the Shell station to settle up. While at the Shell station the kid says the battery is missing so Lloyd shells some more cash for a new battery. Once the battery is installed the fuel gage says we have half a tank.

At the boat dock the kid launches the boat and proceeds to show us where to tie it up afterwards. He is not going to join us for this already adventurous day. The kids motors at no wake speed to the right of the marina looking for the boat slip. Half way to Rockport he says it must be the other way. He turns around and once we reach the marina he says "There it is." The slip his dad mentioned was right next door to the marina but on the left side.

The kid jumps out and wishes us luck. With Lloyd manning the ropes I back the boat out and give it the gas. I hear a roar but no speed. I have the throttle all the way forward but it gives me a top speed of 11 mph according to my GPS. Most garden lawn tractors can go faster than this. Lloyd gives me the "let's keep going" look so we do. The trin also does work very well so Lloyd has to sit in the front to keep the nose down.

Thirty minutes later we hit the cut off of the ICW and turn. Past the turn the boat motor sputters to a stop. I look at Lloyd and he looks at me. After 12 attempts the motor restarts and off we go again. Since the spot I want to reach is still 4 miles away I go to plan B which is closer and head in that direction. Half way across the Matagorda Bay the motor cuts out again. By now I notice that the needle in the gas gauge is bouncing between 1/4 and EMPTY, definitely not a good sign. To start it Lloyd had to remove the engine cover and manually choke it while I give it the gas. We finally reach the plan B destination, jump out, and finally start casting at 11:25am, about 4 hours behind schedule.

While casting we se that we are surrounded my stingrays. We stick it out a bit but finally give up after Lloyd has to fend one off intent on running between his legs. With the two man startup routine down pat we are off to plan C. Now the gas needle is no longer bouncing but pointing to EMPTY. We decide to head back but to stop off at the gas wells and try our luck there. This time I set the drift towards a well and Lloyd lowers the anchor and we start to fish from the boat. We had a few bumps but no hookups. We decide to call it a day and decide not to tempt fate anymore, plus I really did not want to spend the night in Matagorda Bay.

When setting up the drift I had cut off the motor rather that it dying like it had all day. Well, when trying to restart it the key would not turn. Lloyd continues to fish while I fiddle with the key and ignition. After a half hour I give up. Lloyd says let me try and it starts right up. I jump back in the drivers seat while Lloyd heaves up the anchor, but the anchor is stuck, really stuck. After going around in circles in reverse the anchor finally lets go and we are free.

We head back to the ICW and the gas needle is still pointing to EMPTY. An hour later we reach the ICW but Lloyd said to hug the left side so if we do run out of gas we would be able to walk back. As I hugged that side the lower unit hits a sandbar and stops us dead in our tracks. The motor stops and we cannot start it. Boats are passing by like crazy so the fear of not getting a tow is not a reality. An hour later we finally get the boat going. My back hurts from the cramped cockpit location, Lloyd's finger is burned from working the choke so much, and we are still putt putting at 11 mph. Eventually we reach the place where he wants us to leave it. Lloyd mans the ropes, we tie her up, and say good riddance.

Lloyd defined this as a "FNL" event. As in "first and last" time we will do this. The good news is that the Redfish Rodeo will be held next year in Rockport.

The moral of the story: If anyone ever says "I have a line on a boat," I recommend you run in the other direction. At the least request a picture via email.

(1) Flat on the road. (2) "It works". (3) Lloyd as ballast.

North Jetty @ South Padre Island and Tropical Storm Erika

As I mentioned previously I am still in need of some fish pics from the jetties for a pending magazine story, so we headed to South Padre Island and hoped to find some tarpon. Little did we know that a tropical storm was ripping across the gulf and headed our way. Friday morning was raining at daybreak and it later stopped but the winds picked up as Erica approached. Surfers were out in force as the waves grew bigger throughout the day. I ran into "Aggie" who had jumped 5 tarpon at the south jetty at Port Aransas the previous weekend so I guess if you can't fish for them the next best thing is to talk about them.

That night we had an early dinner as most of the restaurants were closing early after they boarded up their windows. We ate at Amberjacks and had a lovely view of some plywood panels which covered their huge windows. I think they were of the Temple-Inland variety and looked hurricane worthy.

We decided to stay put and ride out the storm which was supposed to hit overnight. About midnight the rain started again and the sh_t hit the fan a little after 3:00 am. Wind, rain, and more rain battered the hotel. We lost power a little after that and did not regain it until 9:30 am. We were in no danger since we were up on the 11th floor and had stocked up on red wine (Robert Mondavi, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000) and twinkies (Hostess, 2003).

The next morning the local businesses were trying to return things back to normal. I think only 1 bar lost its outdoors roof and they shut the Queen Isabella bridge for a bit. Weather wise it was too windy for flies and the water was off color. As evening approached the wind shifted back to the SE and preceded to lay down.

Sunday the morning at daybreak the wind was calm and an incoming pre-morning tided promised somewhat better water. Once out at the jetty I wished I had reserved a parking spot. The surfers were out in full force taking advantage of the pounding waves. Half way out I was joined by Lance J. from College Station with his 10 weight fly rod. Lance was working down down in the valley and had jumped a tarpon 4 days ago. He had also just bought a kayak from Larry at the THE FLY SHOP and had been chasing reds up until the storm blew through. I told Lance he had 2 hours to catch a tarpon since I was headed back to SA and did not have a whole lot of time to spare. He proceeded to hook one pretty quick but I was casting my fly rod at the time and by the time I had retrieved my line and grabbed the camera it was gone. We estimated it was about 6 feet long.

I then put my rod away and held vigil with my 35mm camera around my neck. Within 15 minutes he hooked another tarpon and the battle was on. Luckily the tarpon jumped several times but the fly never came out nor did the leader break. While Lance was not new to fly fishing he was new to fly fishing for tarpon. I was glad to coach him through it and helped him avoid some mistakes. The pictures below are from my digital camera so none of the jumping shots are posted that I took with the 35mm. The tarpon took some long runs including one where a boat passing through almost passed between Lance and the fish. We were able to wave the boat away in time.

The battle lasted 45 minutes before Lance was able to gaff the fish. Looking at pic 3 we estimated it was about 5 feet long. We did not get a girth measurement as Lance was pretty much whipped by the battle and we wanted to get the fish revived and back into the water. Afterwards Lance crumpled to the ground and said "Jesus, take me, I'm ready!"

This was a fish of a lifetime and I am sure Lance will remember it for the rest of his life. While I did not hook, jump, or land a tarpon on this trip, I did the next best thing, I took pictures of someone who did.

(1) We're having fun now! (2) Almost got him. (3) 5 foot tarpon. (4) Souvenir scale

North Jetty @ Port Aransas

With another jetty magazine story pending, I headed out to the North Jetty with a couple of friends (Cesar M. & Carlos G.) to hopefully see them catch some fish and take some decent magazine worthy pictures. I beat both friends out on the rocks by taking the first jetty boat over at 6:30am with a boat full of other conventional fisherman. I found almost no surf on the beach side, very clear water, and decent winds from the south. Within the first couple of casts I had a keeper spec on while everyone else was still stringing up their conventional gear. The action continued for a couple of hours with my Spanish Macarena fly doing great. Once Cesar arrived he also got into some decent sized specs using the same fly and others of his own design. The circle hook on the Spanish Macarena worked great and not a single fish was lost. By the time Carlos had arrived the action had subsided, by then both Cesar and I had caught close to a dozen specs each. All of the specs were nice and fat. Although we were hunting for Spanish Mackerel and tarpon, we did not catch any Spanish although a few caught by others. Tarpon were not spotted nor were reds seen either.

Sometime during the morning Cesar had spotted an oversize red literally at his feet. Turns out the red was caught in a pocket composed of the granite boulders and could not get out. At first it appeared hurt but it was only beat up from being banged into the jetty rocks from wave action. Cesar netted it and released into the open gulf.

These are few digital pics. The majority of the shots are on 35mm slide film and will posted pending the submission of the magazine story at a later date.

(1) First spec of the day. (2) Very nice size spec on a Spanish Macarena fly. (3) Spanish Macarena

(4) Cesar casting as sunup. (5) Cesar back casting. (6) Amberjack

Ron & Ron

LHL still suffering from low water conditions. The tide is coming in overnight but not enough to fully fill the flats. It then rushes out mid-morning leaving the flats high and dry. As you can see in picture 2 below the background shows no water but only flat bottom. Nonetheless we paddled as far as we dared at first light and ran into some scattered reds taling. The younger Ron had a red on a Cypert Popper early on but got broke off. Several casts later he got another red which was his FIRST red on a fly. He followed up with his FIRST spec AND flounder on a fly later in the day for his first SLAM (8th customer slam of the year). The senior Ron also got his FIRST red AND spec on a fly. Ended up with one handful of reds and a few specs overall. Very tough fishing but as slowride said "it will only make you a better fisherman" in the long run.

(1) Younger Ron with his first redfish on a fly. (2) Ron & Ron, son & father. (3). Close-up of Cypert Popper in redfish.

Amancio C. from Fair Oaks

We thought we had a jump on the incoming tide and paddled into the LHL from Crabman's. The water is still low on the flats but it worked to our advantage. We got as far as we could before the bent grass provided too much drag on the kayaks and we had to jump out. As we prepared to drag the boats around we discovered we were surrounded by reds in very shallow water. They were running around with their backs out of the water busting mullet. You could see their dark backs silhouetted against the rising sun. The amazing thing is that this happened within site of the Marina. Amancio caught 2 reds right off the bat. The first one came to hand before my camera could acclimatize (defog), hence the foggy picture. Although it took some long distance casting he was up to the task using a Cypert Popper (med size, gold foil color).  Later as the morning progressed, copper colored Dupree Spoons work as well. This low tide really created problems with the flies catching grass even though they were weedless. I even got into some action with a red/white Clouser. The tally ended up around way over a dozen reds and two handfuls of specs (and even some Ladyfish to boot). By noon the water really emptied out and we were sure glad we got out while the getting was good, otherwise we would have had to drag out butts out over dry ground for a long way.

(1) 1st morning red. (2) Cypert Popper. (2) 2nd morning red.

(3) Cruising red. (4) Copper spoon

July Fishing Reports & Pictures

July "Kayak 4 Redfish" Seminar

Great weather and low winds greeted us as we met for the July kayak seminar. Although we had one last minute cancellation and one no-show, the smaller class actually worked out better for more one-on-one attention. The next (and last) "Kayak 4 Redfish" seminar will be Sept 27. The next day a few of us met informally and fished till noon. "slowride" dropped off a rental for one of the participants and ended up paddling out with us for a while.

The water is still too low to get into the LHL area. The tide is coming in overnight but not enough to adequately flood the flats. When the tide drops, it really moves out of there leaving not enough water to paddle in. We ended up fishing Marker 6 and did really well, except for Chris. After catching a dozen redfish from one spot I moved out and let Chris have it including the fly I was using. He ended up catching 1 perch. Steve, a self taught fly caster, raked it in. First catching small reds and then increasingly bigger fish as he walked along the drop-off. Vicki, the lone spin caster of the group, caught a 3lb mullet (in the lips) on a topwater bone-colored Top Pup. Once I put her on my fly rod she started yanking in redfish left and right.

(1) July 2003 Group picture. (2) Vicki with red. (3) Vicki and Steve in "no name" cut.

(4) Vicki with trophy size 3lb mullet caught with a topwater lure. (5) Happy customer. (6) Steve with red.

Bud & Jan from Austin

Sunup has us paddling into and beyond Marker 6 in the LHL area on windy day. Jan was trying out her new boat and Bud was giving saltwater a first try. We roamed around a bit and found some very clear water and some schools of tailing reds. They kept pushing off so we could not get a decent fly in their face. Late morning the water really dropped so we high tailed it out of their but it dropped so much I had to tie the three kayaks together and drag ourselves out. Paddling was useless due to the very low water. On the way out we hit Marker 6 but I suspect we got their too late for the big bite. Nevertheless Bud got a SLAM (7th customer slam of the year) along with firsts on a fly for all 3 species. Jan also got her first spec  and red on a fly.

No sizable fish we caught but after talking to slowride, our theory is the big ones ate pretty well before the Hurricane and should start eating once again, plus the no water on the flats means no fish on the flats.

(1) Sunrise over LHL. (2) Small red. (3) Jan with red.

Joe Jr., Joe III, and Steve from San Antonio

Claudette is gone and so are most of the fish. We ventured all over Brown & Root and the LHL. Rack up about 12 reds but mostly small ones and a few specs. Joe Jr. got his SLAM (6th customer slam of the year). The Dupree spoon worked great. The water was about average and the winds cooperated albeit from the south. Ran into some Magnificent Frigate birds displaced by Hurricane Claudette.

(1) Steve with his first bird's nest and red of the season. (2) Steve with another red. (3) Spoon fed red.

(4) Joe with a 21 inch red. (5) Magnificent Frigate bird, displaced by Hurricane Claudette (Lighthouse in the background). (6) Father & Son (7) Joe III taking a break

Outdoor writers kayak tour of LHL

Claudette is now in our back pocket on Monday. The winds have picked up a bit and are coming from the NE. We found the flats not as clear as yesterday and grass floating up on top where so far it has been a problem. With slowride's help we disperse to find some reds before the shit hits the fan. The shrimp boat channel had been clear and green colored all weekend. Now it is murky as the hurricane has pushed this off colored water down the entire length of the channel. We encountered a few tails and decided to get off the water at noon. The last pictures are of the clouds overhead. You can see the band signaling the outer rim of the hurricane. When you see these it means it is time to board up and get out of Dodge.

(1) Tim & slowride. (2) Sam from Houston. (3) Ralph from San Antonio

(4) Kayak-casting class. (5) Fish on for Robert S from Beaumont. (6) Claudette hitting Port O'Connor

(7) Outer band of hurricane clouds, looking left. (8) Outer band of hurricane clouds, looking right.

Doug P from Houston and Terry K

Claudette is getting closer but we gamble that we can get some decent fishing on Sunday before she arrives. We founds reds zooming by us left and right. I think the were heading for deep water since the barometer was nose diving. Wakes were everywhere but the reds were sporadically hitting topwaters lures/flies. The B&R Diver worked very well (even though we were in the LHL). The water was its clearest I have seen it this year. Terry encounter a small school of tailing SPECS! Unfortunately he was some distance away so i did not get a chance to shoot any photos. He pulled several out before they dispersed. A small gold popper was the ticket to success. The wind did not pick up at all. The water was flat and glassy as can be all day in the LHL area.

(1) B&R Diver. (2) Doug with a red caught using a red/white topwater lure. (3) Doug with red caught using a B&R Diver

(4) Doug hanging on. (5) Doug paddling the Floating Tiger.

Mike L from San Antonio

With Claudette breathing down our necks we did not know how many days we would get before we would have to head to the hills for safety. Saturday started with no wind and flat glassy water. It stayed that way most of the day. Mike's first trip to the Texas produced his first spec and many more and his first red plus a couple of other ones. The flounder eluded him for the slam. The red/white Clouser came through as usual. The water was clear in the LHL area and the depth was starting to rise.

(1) Great sunrise in the morning. (2) Mike on his first kayak trip. (3) Red in water

(4)Mike with his first spec. (5) Claudette looming in the distance

June Fishing Reports & Pictures

Lloyd M. from San Antonio & David S. from Padre Island

Instability from the weather has really made it challenging with a fly rod these last few days. Dodging rain, accommodating a north wind, and then high water from the hurricane/tropical storm made it real interesting. One good thing was that the green water was pushed in all the way down both sides of Hwy 361 (Kayak Highway). When the sun would pop out the color changes (water depth) were very easy to see. Although the reds were smaller this time, the specs got bigger, and the flounder were real big. Another Grand Slam was recorded (spec, red, flounder) as well as an Aransas Slam (perch, croaker, HARDHEAD!). Both on flies. The flats in the LHL were murky, about the worst I have seen them all year, but that is what a NW wind will do. B&R was a little better but not a whole lot. You really had to get way back there to find clear water. South Bay was beautifully clear and areas that are typically too shallow had the right amount of water (mid-calf) due to the disturbance in the gulf.

Red/white Clousers (again) was the top producer as well as Top Pups (on conventional gear). One fly that is gaining a good reputation is the "Kwan" fly. I have just added it to my fly page ( Saltwater Patterns ). I predict you will be hearing more about throughout the summer.

(1) Lloyd at sunrise in Brown & Root. (2) Lloyd with very nice flounder. (3) Spec

(4) David rides in the front seat. (5) Dave with another red. (6) Dave hanging on.

(7) Lloyd fishing secret spot #99 (8) Dave with another spec. (9) Another sunrise in paradise.

Todd, Mike, & Bruce from San Antonio

When you get a day off from guiding, what do you do? You go fishing of course. These days are best spent exploring new waters hoping to find new sweat spots for future reference. Along with some friends from the Alamo Fly Fishers we camped at Bird Island Basin at the Padre Island National Seashore to get a jump on the day. We spent the morning fishing around the various bird islands north of the boat ramp. After 3 days of no or low winds the winds picked up this morning and stirred up the bottom. This made site casting difficult along with the numerous clouds passing through. We found several good spots worth revisiting. The highlight was Todd's 30 inch redfish.

(1) Camp site. (2) Pre-dawn prep. (3) Dawn patrol.

(4) Mike.

(5) Todd with 30 inch redfish.

 "Former Kayak 4 Redfish Student applies knowledge."  - Todd F.

Prior to fishing in the morning, we hit Clem's Marina at midnight for some specks under the lights. Clem's location on the JFK bridge is perfect for casting a fly since the SE wind come from behind you. Most of the specs were dinks, but it is the near constant hookups that is the draw. Also seeing a fish "refuse" your fly practically right under your feet, all night long, can cause some strong curse words. An all white small fly (size 8) seemed to be the ticket. The price is also right, $1/person and $1/rod.

(1) Map to Clem's Marina. (2) The "after"

Rob & Sonny from New Mexico

Wind, wind, wind. After stopping at HEB and buying some religious candles with pictures of a calm day on it, we lit them and hoped the 20 mph wind would go away. Needless to say it did not work. It was somewhat decent (10mph) at daybreak but jumped up to 20mph at 10am and stayed that way all day. This made it very challenging to fish with a fly rod. We paddled all day all over LHL and B&R with a lot of it into that stiff wind. Also the predicted strong out-going tide never materialized. If you thought last weekend had low water, this trip was even lower. As I have mentioned before "No water, no fish." We finally found some decent water with depth and moving current. The venerable red/white Clouser came through again.

The second day we were gonna hit the north jetty to chase some tarpon but a severe storm ripped through early in the morning shifting the winds to the NE which ruins fly fishing at the rocks. We ended up canceling the day.

(1) Rob & Sonny, Happy Father's day trip. (2) Rob with nice spec. (3) Sonny with one of several flounder. (4) Another flounder.

Mike from San Antonio

Very low water on the flats had us scrambling to find fish. Since they were not on the flats we had to seek deeper water on the edges. We found one spot on the edge of Brown & Root where the incoming tide had mullet moving past us all morning. We tried topwater flies but found no takers and ended up dredging the bottom with red/white Clousers. The key was letting the fly sink to a 10 or 20 count and letting it swing in the incoming current. Most strikes were pretty hard and the reds were fat and tiring to bring in. The best part was that on both days we stayed in just one spot and let the fish come to us. Many thanks to Jennifer & "slowride" for lending me the piece of red dog-hide so I could tie some more flies after running out of flies on Saturday

.

Misc: The 25 inchers ranged from 6 lbs to 4.75 lbs. Also caught numerous under sized reds and specs all on the same fly pattern.

(1) Here's the first fish of the day a 25 inch redfish. (2) Mike ended up landing 4 of these and lost an additional fish just as big. (3) The other highlight was getting a Grand Slam (red, spec, flounder). (4) Another good red.

Mike with Jerry and Steve from Houston

I lost track of who caught what but it ranged from near a dozen to half a dozen for each angler.

(1) The "before" picture at sunrise. (2) Steve with a 24 inch red. (3) Jerry with a 24 inch red. (4) Mike "kissing & releasing." (

5) The "after" picture of a triple hookup. (6) Jerry with another red. (7) Mike paddling. (8) Jerry hanging on. (9) Jerry paddling.

New sign at Marker 6

Two signs pointing to the Lighthouse Lakes Trail parking spot have been erected.