Kayak 4 Redfish with Lefty Ray

2004 Product Reviews

So Long Texas Coast

"Red Eye for the Fly Guy"

My 2004 "Kayak 4 Redfish" guiding season has come to a close and it closed with a bang. This year we were able to extend into November due to the very unusual pleasant weather. Our last few days had tails up in the air everywhere you could see. Because I do not fish alongside with my clients it was tough watching others reel them in like there was no tomorrow.  During that great stretch I was able to squeeze in some personal fishing and in one day caught a huge number of redfish using a variety of flies. The reds ranged from 20 inches up to 26 inches. All were released with the hope that we will catch them again next spring. These numbers attest to the fact that the red drum fishery is in great shape rather than the state of my fly casting abilities.

This was a very productive year where many clients achieved several "firsts" including many Texas Saltwater Slams.

I thank you for visiting my website. The hits increase day by day as the word about the Texas kayaking potential gets out. In early 2005 expect at the minimum, 3 magazines to have an article about kayaking the Texas coast. My Fishing Report email list grows day by day. We try to supply the best information we can but time constraints slows us down in getting it out. If you haven't joined the "High Resolution Map" list, you are missing out on better maps, GPS waypoints of fish caught from every trip, and much more. Contact me for more details.

More maps will be added and the rigging page will also have more added during the winter. If you have a rigging idea, please let me know and I will post it on that page.

In April 2005, We will host a weekend for those of you that either attended a past seminar of mine or joined me for a guided trip. We will have a fishing contest and a cookout. This will be a family orientated gathering. Details will be firmed up by February 1st.

Phil Finds Final Fish

Phil from Austin was able to catch up with me for the last trip of my season. There is nothing like one good last hookup to last you through the winter months. A tailing school was headed towards us when Phil plopped a fly in front of them. You could see them rush for it and the winner is pictured above. The redfish was released and we hope to catch it again next spring.

Blanco Bass Birthday Bash

It was Perry's birthday so Bill joined him for a Blanco River bash.

A Slam a Day Keeps Dave in Play

Dave from Taos, New Mexico scores his first slam of this year (all with flies.) Who says November is too cold to score big when South Bay is still hot hot hot?

A Tale of 2 Tails

Taylor & Floyd of San Antonio get a double hookup in South Bay with fly rods. Both scored their first red on a fly. Fantastic day on the water as Taylor cleaned up as you can see below. All day we had flat water, no wind, and tails everywhere. This kept up all day. 

Fly or Light Tackle, It Did Not Matter

Another fantastic days as tails were to the left of us and to the right. The winds and temperatures are behaving and the reds are cooperating. Above, Matthew with a nice red.

(1) Bill with his first red of the day that gave him a sleigh ride. (2) Matthew with another red that hit a topwater. (3) Bill with another red.

Floundering Around

Bob with the first of several flounder out of Brown & Root. A little wind kept us on our toes.

(1) Terri & Bob. (2) Bob with another flounder. (3) Peter with flounder

Irving O'Neal named Honorary Life Member

My very good friend Irving O'Neal was named by GRTU as an Honorary Life Member. Irving has been a long time member and past office holder. He was also one of the first members of the Alamo Fly Fishers. This high honor deserved a trip to the coast where 2 SLAMS were scored.

(1) Irving & Lefty Ray. (2) Irving casting to redfish. (3) GRTU meeting.

The first annual TKE has come and gone in Aransas Pass, Tx. The objectives were met. Kayaks were tried out, bought, touring of the local waters occurred, and money was raised for a good cause.

(1) T-shirt of the event. (2) Captain Tommy Moore and his birding excursion boat. (3) Trying out a new kayak.

Touring the Lighthouse Lakes

BJ, the winner of the fishing contest received a Shimano reel for his efforts.

TKE Weekend Fishing Fun

This is how calm the winds were in the morning. We ran out there very early in the morning and started catching specs under the cover of falling stars. Once the sun came up the reds turned on. You shoulda been there.

(1) Fishing & catching before the crack of dawn. Dave from Corpus with one of very many specs. (2) Doug from Houston with a nice spec. (3) Dave with a spec caught on a fly popper.

Laredo + Lakes = Loads of Fun

Louis and Carroll from Laredo decided to try this kayak business out after hearing and reading so much about it. High winds, low temps, and high water did not deter these world traveling anglers. Above Louis holds a 25 inch red from the Lighthouse Lakes Trail.

(1) Carroll with his first red of the day. (2) Carroll with another red that took him for a sleigh ride.

FFF Southern Council Conclave, Mountain Home, Ark

The Reel Divas from the Mid-South Fly Fishers, Memphis, TN show off their latest fly fishing attire.

Steve Flanagan and yours truly were invited to tie flies at this years conclave. We were also nominated for "Fly Tyer of the Year" and "Teacher of the Year, " respectively. While there we were able to visit with old friends and make new ones.

(1) Steve tying flies. (2) The G. Loomis booth with John Wilson from Fly Fishing Team USA. (3) Guest Speaker and old friend Dave Whitlock.

(4) Steve casting on the White River. (5) Close-up of Rainbow with dry fly. (6) Nice rainbow trout. (7) Another rainbow trout.

Burt Bags a Big One

Burt from Amarillo with a 26 inch redfish caught using a topwater lure. We spotted a large school full of bruisers busting bait and boated this beauty on light tackle.

(1) Burt with spec. The first of a couple from the morning.

High Water is for the Birds

One of the overlooked aspects of the Texas coast is the huge number of different species of birds. Viewing birds while kayaking is a new avenue for birders. This particular day we spotted well over 12 different species with the highlight being an Osprey in action high in the sky and a Reddish Egret along the shoreline.

(1) Tina & Larry from Houston. (2) Viewing the Osprey.

Bird pics courtesy of Larry. (1) Roseate Spoonbill. (2) Egret. (3) Brown Pelican

Father Knows Best

When you have kids, they grow so fast that sometimes you have to stop and do those things you always promised to yourself you would do, like go fishing. Frank from San Antonio did just that. He brought sons Barry & Jake for their first fishing trip ever and had a blast casting, paddling, and catching. All three caught their first redfish of their life.

(1) Barry with his first ever flounder. (2) Jake with a championship size perch.

Nueces River Project, Take II

Aaron with largemouth bass on the Nueces River. A return to the Camp Wood, Tx area for an upcoming magazine project found us surrounded by great weather and the clearest water found anywhere in the state. The fish were willing and we were more than able.

(1) Guadalupe Bass. (2) Perch

(3) Close-up of perch. (4) Another bass

 Joe uses a Saltyfly for Success

Joe D from Houston faced high winds, low water, thunderstorms, and lightening, but still managed some nice catches with a fly rod. Red tails were a plenty but not very willing. At one spot half a dozen waved in the air but our flies could not find purchase.

(1) Joe with one of several flounder caught that day.

Daniel Does Dandy

Daniel "Mr. Squish," from the Houston area, landed a 29 inch redfish on a topwater lure while in town to attend my "Kayak 4 Redfish" seminar. My camera had not yet acclimated to the humid conditions, hence the "high fashion" soft focus pic look.

Kayak 4 Seminars

Conventional Gear Session

Great weather heralded a great day on the water. Details on the last seminars for the year will be posted soon. Below is Chip who won the G. Loomis popping rod.

Fly Gear Session

The fly gear session brought everyone up to speed on how to chase redfish with a kayak. Below is Lavene who won the G. Loomis 8 weight fly rod.

Cody Tries to Tame Tarpon

The two-handed fly rod craze is gaining momentum. Cody brought his down from Dallas to try his hand at tarpon at the North Jetty at Port Aransas. Although several tarpon rolled in front of us, none were hooked. He did hook a monster that rapidly got into his backing and promptly headed to Cuba. Unfortunately the hook pulled out, but not until after some exhilarating moments. Again we battled some high winds and unfavorable conditions but the show must go on.

(1) Cody with large skipjack. (2) Two-handed fly rod in action.

Hank Hooks a Honey of a Fish

Hank from SA achieves the impossible. After catching several skipjacks very early in the morning, he had a blow up and hooked up with something I had never seen before. Unbelievably he caught a mullet on a popper. The high winds shorten our day but not before we got some good shots at some cruising reds, but no takers. Waders beware, there are a lot of stingrays out there.

(1) Hank with popper fly caught mullet.

Hang on Irene !

Irene hangs on as a huge fish takes her into her backing while using a 6 weight G Loomis fly rod. With the drag set on maximum and almost no backing left on the reel, Irene managed to turn it and win.

(1) Graham & Irene from Scotland both got their first redfish, flounder, and skipjack on a fly. (2) A huge cow nose ray that Irene battled with her 6 weight and landed it! (3) Congratulations from Lefty Ray on a well fought battle (check the reflection).

Anna & Rob

Rob with a new personal best red on a fly. Rob also got a SLAM.

(1) Rob & Anna from San Antonio. (2) Anna with a HUGE hookup. It took her into her backing and created some tense moments. It turned out to be a huge cow nosed ray.

3 Slams in 3 Days ! (& the Redfish Rodeo)

My partner Amancio (above) and I scored a SLAM (red, spec, flounder) each day for 3 days. While our slam did not win 1st in the Redfish Rodeo, we did have fun and enjoyed the very pleasant weather.

(1) Lefty Ray with spec. (2) Flounder, one of many from the weekend. (3) Sunrise over the "Floating Tiger."

The Redfish Rodeo is put on the Houston Texas Fly Fishers group. The location alternates between Rockport and Port O'Connor. This more of a social competition rather than a dog-eat-dog event. No cameras are used and each contestant is on the honor system. The proceeds go to CCA.

(4) The crowd at the Redfish Rodeo dinner. (5) Fellow Alamo Fly Fisher, Lloyd receiving 1st place prize for biggest trout. (6) Master of Ceremonies Jerry and artist Sam Caldwell.

(7) Jerry with catch of the day.

Sun & Ski Sports August Kayak Special

Buy a kayak between July 15 & August 27, 2004 from any Sun & Ski Sports, Texas location and get a $30 discount on the next "Kayak 4 Redfish" Seminar in Aransas Pass. Click on the links above for more seminar info.

 Tarpon, Tarpon, Tarpon!

A handful of members of the Alamo Fly Fishers (AFF) from San Antonio journeyed out and camped out on the North Jetty at Port Aransas in search of midnight tarpon under a full moon. Approximately 9 tarpon were jumped by the various members. Congratulations to Mike Lee for landing the only tarpon of the trip. Redfish and Spanish mackerel were also caught. Beautiful blue clean water and a breezy night made the trip very enjoyable. For more pictures and details attend the AFF monthly meeting on August 17 where I will be the guest speaker and the topic will be "Fly Fishing the Texas Jetties."

(1) Steve F. rigging up for tarpon. (2) Chris with midnight redfish.

No Water is Too Shallow, Too Hot, or Too Far

Talk about living up to your motto. Low water hampered our paddling efforts but not the sprits of our two anglers from Houston. Both Richard and Ben scored their first red and spec on a fly.

(1) Ben with first red. (2) Ben with second red.

 Nueces River Project

We had a great day on the Nueces River working on another magazine project. More details early next year.

(1) Detail of hair-bug fly on tombstone. (2) Tombstone of "Bud" Priddy, Dean of Texas Hill Country fly fishing. (3) Anna & Rob from San Antonio. (4 Aaron Riggins, Nueces River guide.

"I do what the little voices in my fly box tell me to do"

Rick from Houston ponders what fly to tie on next.

Bryan & Cindy

(1) Cindy & Bryan tour the Lighthouse Lakes. (2) Cindy catches a 23 inch red. (3) Cindy with a nice spec.

Spooning it at the Coast with Kayaks

David Sikes, outdoor writer for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times joined us for a day on the water to try out a variety of spoon lures/flies. For the full story click on the link. Spoons

Casting Classes

Fly casting classes continue year-round. Call or email for a private or group session. These can be done anywhere in central or south Texas. We will tailor a session to match your destination. Past clients have traveled to British Columbia, Alaska, New Mexico, Bahamas, South America, etc. Click Here for details. Beginning and advanced classes are also held at Captain Sally's Rockport Kayak Outfitters. The next one is August 15. Call 866-729-1505 for reservations.

Kayak 4 Redfish Seminar, Fly Fishing Gear

Another sold out class gets everyone up to speed in the art of chasing redfish with a kayak. Monstrous rains, thunder, and lightening the night before had everyone wondering if we would be able to pull it off. We ended up with a nice calm day with no rain and moderate temperatures. This is the original kayak class on the Texas coast now in it a 3rd year. The next class dates have been posted, Click Here

(1) Rob won the G. Loomis GL3, 8 weight fly rod.

Happy Father's Day

(1) Amancio & Chris joined the Chapa's at Medina Lake for some fun on Father's Day.

(2) Brother-in-law Marc paddles son Eric around. (3) Milli paddles the 2 seater.

(4) Father's day painting and gift from Milli

Kayak 4 Redfish Seminar, Conventional Gear

A full class and participants full of enthusiasm made for a great session on the water. If you want to learn how to "Kayak 4 Redfish," this class is for you. Learn the shortcuts of what to do and most importantly what not to do while on the water. This is the original kayak class on the Texas coast now in it a 3rd year. More dates are being established so stay tuned.

(1) Mark with the catch of the day. (2) Troy & Daniel won the G. Loomis rods that were given away.

This just in from Dave: "I went out this morning at fish pass to put my newly acquired knowledge into practice.  I found several pods of reds and one huge school that must have had 100+ fish.  It only took 12 casts to land my limit.  Its a beautiful thing... Thanks,"  -Dave
 

Grandpa & Grandson

J.D. treated his Grandson Paeton to a "Kayaking 4 Redfish trip. Paeton surprised everyone by paddling the Floating Tiger most of the day by himself. Great for an 11 year old.

(1) J.D. with a 22 inch red caught on a topwater lure. (2) Paeton with baby red. (3) Grandpa & Grandson.

Oh What a Day !

Tim F. from Austin scores a 26 inch trout & a slam. The water level is back to normal, the winds are behaving, and the schools of reds are roaming around.

Fly Fishing in Saltwater Magazine Pays a Visit

Jessica & Ruth sampled the kayak fishing in Aransas Pass. Even though we got hit by a mid morning storm reds & specs were caught.

(1) Ruth with LHL redfish. (2) Jessica, moments after releasing her red.

(3) Ruth paddling the Floating Tiger. (4) Waiting out the storm.

High Wind & High Water, Go Away !

We are still hampered by high water resulting from all of the rains from the past 4 weekends plus the runoff from upriver. The level has dropped from crotch level to right above the knees (The normal is mid-calf). The double digit winds from the SE have not layed down to allow the water to escape. Winds speeds have been 10mph or higher at daybreak. Nevertheless fish were caught and a good time had by all.

(1) John with a hard earned redfish.

(2) Sarah with championship size croaker. (3) John, Bryan, & Sarah.

(4) Cesar G.: "So many flies, so high wind." (5) Mark & Uncle.

FAA Visits the Texas Coast

Dave Maynard and the crew from the "Fishing Across America" TV Show visited Aransas Pass for a few days. They sampled everything from fishing under the lights, fishing from a flats boat, to fishing from kayaks.

(1) Dave Maynard. (2) The catch of the day. (3) "Smile you're on camera!"

The Paddling Prism Pirates Score Big!

Pirate Amancio Cantu took top honors at the Extreme Edge Kayak National Tournament with a 1st Place Slam winning a kayak and other good stuff.

The Paddling Prism Pirates took 2nd Place in the Team Division.

Click here for all the details of the (Very) Extreme Edge Kayak Tournament in Rockport.

Website Update:

1. Click here or on Kayaking Maps on my home page and see some of the new launching point maps with GPS points on them. If you want a set of high resolution, interior fishing spot maps with GPS points, send me an email, k4r@leftyray.com , and I will give you the details.

2. Click here or Kayak Rigging on my home page to see some new additions concerning adding a light to your kayak or painting your kayak.

GRTU

Bad weather canceled the trips but the weekend was salvaged by attending the GRTU April meeting. As the immediate past president, I now hold the board position of Ex-Officio and was able to offer my 2 cents. There was also a swap meet held at the meeting with many garages cleared out and many fine fly gear items sold. I still have some remaining items so check the For Sale page for details. Check www.grtu.org for details of that fine organization.

Oh What Rig

Phil D. wanted to try out his pontoon boat at the coast and who am I to argue. We faced very low tides and the winds picked up as the day progressed but Phil managed to catch his first red on a fly. The trusty Red/White Clouser came through again.

Scouting Trip

I had an opportunity to do some scouting and create some more map drawing. This one and others have been added to the Kayak Map page. More to come

"Very Fishy" Seminar

We had a great turn out for my first ever "Very Fishy" Seminar in Port Aransas. We started with an indoor session which highlighted tactics on how to "out-fish," "out-paddle," and "out-cast" your fishing companions. In the afternoon we headed to the fly casting range to put some of these tactics into practice.

The next day a few of us gambled that the rain would not put a damper on our weekend so we headed out bright and early. Everyone caught trout including 2 big ones. Most everyone caught a red. I lost a 27 incher, so maybe I need to review my own notes. The big winner was Anna who got a Grand Slam on her first fly fishing/kayak outing ever.

(1) Launch Crew. (2) Seminar logo

(3) Larry with nice spec. (4) Jon with nice spec. (5) Hank with first spec of the season.

(6) Close-up of big spec. (7) Anna with first red of the season.

(8) Rob with first spec of the year. (9) Anna with spec.

Jurassic Mark

While working on a magazine project for the Blanco River, we revisited some old dinosaur tracks. This is a sauropod that crossed and left its imprint on the shoreline many moons ago. There are 3 areas on the Blanco where you can view the "one that got away." For a discounted bass/perch guided trip to these areas, Click Here.

Fly Casting Class @ Captain Sally's

The new fly casting classes at Captain Sally's Rockport Kayak Outfitters was kicked off with a bang. With a group of eager participants we were able to get them to fling a fly after one afternoon session. These classes will occur once a month at Sally's shop all summer. The morning session will be for advanced casters and the afternoon session will be for beginners. Click here for the schedule and rates.

South Padre Island

Cabin fever reached an all time high so I headed down to South Padre Island to get tuned up for this coming fishing season. I met a few of the locals in South Bay which has its own paddling trail. After passing out some Motorola radios to stay in contact, a couple of the guys spotted some tails. Once I caught up with them the tails were not red but gray instead. I managed to hook one of them and landed a large sheephead.

(1) Toyaker paddling at sunrise. (2) Lance holding the sheephead.

(3) Flavio. (4) Fish MD.

TOWA Awards

The results are in from the Texas Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Awards. This my first year to submit some entries and I was surprised at the results. Texas has some of the best outdoor writers and photographers in the nation and to win anything is a true honor.

(1) Second Place, Color Photography/Scenic Category, "Sunrise over Lighthouse Lakes"

(2) Honorable Mention, Color Photography/People category, "Bird Nest Red"

Houston Fly Tying Festival

One of the winter treats is participating at the Texas Flyfishers fly tying event during the winter. Approximately 50 fly tiers are invited to come down and tie. Attendees are encouraged to wander around and view the different flies and see how they are made.

(1) Colorado fly tyer and author A.K. Best. (2) Very good friend Steve Flanagan tying in the "Big" room.

(1) Steve with a full crowd. (2) Lefty Ray

Texas Trout

Now that the holidays are over it is time to get serious and do some fishing. John C from San Antonio got into some serious rainbow trout at the Shonto Ranch. The cold front had just hit when we arrived so flinging flies was ruled out so we used ultra-light spinning gear. We initially did some searching for them but soon got into a pocket of trout willing to bend our rods. The catch of the day was a 22 incher. Nothing like a soothing day on the water after all that Xmas rushing.

2003 Fish Reports