Lefty Ray's Kayak 4 Redfish Fishing Report



Home	Contact Info	210-260-6154

We would like to thank everyone that has responded to our call for prayer in regard to our daughter. The response from the fishing & kayaking community has been outstanding. I have created a webpage for Jennifer, which will keep you updated on her progress as she goes through this terrible ordeal. We again thank you for your support and prayers. Currently Jennifer is back in school, back at work and is planning on marriage in mid 2007.

Bill from Dallas and his son Ron & grandson Clay from Atlanta enjoyed a very nice day on the water. It took a while to find them, but tails and schools were spotted.

Calm winds and glassy water greeted the newest class of kayak fishermen. Over half of the class caught their first red on a fly and Daryl (below) achieved a SLAM! Sandy won the G. Loomis fly rod, a $200 value.

The latest class has graduated and have joined the ranks of kayak fishermen. Although Mother Nature cut the day short, fish were caught, lessons were learned, and fun was had by all. Below: (2) Dave won the G. Loomis spinning rod, a $200 value. (3) Spec via the underwater camera.

Above:(4) Ian with a topwater caught redfish. Below: (5) Lefty Ray viewed from the cockpit of the Floating Tiger. (6) Paddling on the flat

We would like to thank everyone that has inquired about Jennifer's health over the years. Since 2000 the constant threat of her brain tumor re-growing has been an issue and weighing heavily on our minds (literally). The constant blood work, MRI's, and then waiting for the results takes a heavy toll especially on a 23 year old who is just starting to experience life.

Today we received great news. The growth that has to be monitored has shrunk in size! It is now half of its previous size and is expected to shrink even more and possibly go away over time. The Gamma Knife procedure was a success. The doctor says that a yearly MRI is all that is required now.

The Chapa, Saenz, and Cortinas families would like to thank everyone that has supported us over the last 3 operations. The support from the fishing community and the Tejano music community has been outstanding. A day does not go by without someone asking or emailing about her condition. We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and best wishes. Prayer does work.

Bass Pro in San Antonio is planning to have a grand opening on October 19, 2006. Construction continues on schedule. This location is in the NW part of San Antonio on I-10 and Loop 1604 across from Fiesta Texas.

Fence Lake via Tommy Moore's Skimmer was the destination for a pending magazine article. Here are a few shots. Above: The Floating Tiger on an almost mirror-like surface. Below: (2) Chris with the proverbial Grey Poupon. (3) Mike poling his kayak in very very skinny water.

Below: (2) Jimmie with another red. (3) John & Jimmie. (4) Jimmie with a rat red

Eric of San Antonio won the donated guided trip at the Alamo Fly Fishers Christmas party.

Above: Chuck from San Antonio checks in with a fine red. Below (2) Jim goes for a sleigh ride with a fly rod. (3) Topwater red. (4) Angela with a championship Skipjack

Going to Alaska, Yellowstone, or Port Aransas? Contact us before that big summer trip you have planned. We will tailor your fly casting lesson to match your destination. Individual or group lessons, gear provided. A group class is pending for Laredo, Austin, and Corpus. Call us if you are interested in attending.

As much as we would like to go fishing, sometimes Mother Nature decides what is going to be on the agenda. Rain, high winds, high water, and/or lightening sometime pose a threat to the safety of kayakers. Be safe and make smart decisions. There is always tomorrow.

Above: The latest class of graduates. Storms chased us off of the water, but not before we got to put some of Saturday's instruction into practice. Below: (2) David stalking a redfish. (3) Charlotte taking a break.

Above: (4) Mark and Tammy check out the flats. Below: (5) Kevin won the G. Loomis fly rod, a $200 value. (6) De-rigging before the storm hit. (7) The group in the Saturday classroom session.

Above: Helena from San Antonio with a better than average spec. Below (2) Tails, tails! (3) Skipjack on a fly.

Adriel from Leander, TX scores his first slam on artificials on his very first kayak fishing trip ever.

Above: Sharon with her first artificial lure caught redfish. Below: (2) Peter & Sharon. (3) Peter with a nice red. (4) Sharon with another red.

Above: Jim with a 15 1/2 inch Guadalupe Bass. Below: Angela with a Guadalupe Bass. Ed with a 16 inch Largemouth Bass. Jim with another bass

Above: Texas Lady Flyfishers and friends. Below: Contest winners. Last: Chris & Amancio Cantu

Great plan, bad timing. To escape the high winds, the Alamo Fly Fishers mounted an expedition to Fence Lake aboard Tommy's Skimmer. Once there we found the entire shoreline sheltered from the unusual high SE winds that have been hammering the middle Texas coast for the past month. Tails were spotted right off the bat and fish were caught with a variety of flies. Everything looked rosy until 9:02am when the &%$# hit the fan and the winds shifted to the North and the cold front hit. The wind speed increased to over 20mph and the temperature dropped into the chilly side of normal. The only saving grace was that it did not rain on us, although rain was a severe threat throughout the day. Above: (1) Steve with an early morning red.

Above (2) Predawn loading of kayaks. (3) Towing the kayaks to shore after unloading. (4) Group shot of one of the 2 groups. Below: (5) Steve with a red hooked before the front hit and landed after the front hit.

Above: Gene from San Antonio shows off a nice one caught from a group of tailing redfish out on the flats. Below: (2) Cousin Mike is now a believer of "No Water is Too Shallow." (3) Mike hangs a good one and it is not an Easter basket. (4) Gene does the pump and grind.

Above: (5) Nothing like capping off a great day on the water with a double hookup on the way back to the trucks. For the full fishing report details, sign up above for my "Fishing Report List" above. this will give you the who, what, when, and where in full detail.

Another sold out class of fly anglers are now prepared to stalk redfish with a kayak. Beware as this group is considered armed and dangerous. John won the G. Loomis fly rod. For details on the next round of seminars, click on the link at the top of this page.

A sold out class started the new fishing season with a bang, but Mother Nature cut short the weekend. The first day indoor session went well, but the next morning for the on-the-water session, we were greeted with sustained 20 mph winds. It has been this windy for the past week virtually around the clock. Even though we stocked up on religious candles from HEB and prayed for the best, the winds cut us no slack that morning. As a whole we decided to postpone the on-the-water session until a later date. Below: (1) Susan won the G. Loomis popping rod. (2) Helena's Yak-Bug.

The Frisk's and Brand's conclude the winter trout season at the Shonto Ranch with some winning rainbow trout. Join us next November when the trout season gets going again.

Above: Lefty Ray receives four 2nd Place awards at the Texas Outdoor Writers Association (TOWA) annual meeting. Below: (1) Doug Pike receives the prestigious Wilke award from Joe Doggett, (2) David Sikes & Greg Burlocher, (3) Steve Lightfoot receives an award from Uvalde Country.

Above: The future of Texas fly fishers. Below: (1) Steve Flanagan, San Antonio. (2) Ron Mayfield, Houston. (3) Chuck Scates, Rockport.

Below: (4) Jerry Loring, Houston. (5) Fred DuPree, Dallas. (6) Doc Rizzilo on the left.

Above: Mick, the President of GRTU presenting Lefty Ray with a print of "River Dance" after Lefty Ray presented a slideshow on the early history of the Guadalupe River. Below: Four hours later Lefty Ray presented another slideshow at the "Flat Out" event in Corpus Christi.

Larry from Minnesota enjoys the mild winter of the Shonto Ranch with a few rainbows.

Jim & Angela from San Antonio return for a second trip, but this time to the fabled Shonto Ranch outside of Kerrville, TX. The top prize was the first fish of the day as Jim hauled in a 5 pound rainbow on a black bead-head Wooly Bugger.

The first load of rainbow trout have arrived at the Shonto Ranch in Kerrville. Trips are being booked and you could end up with a monster like Tom Whitehouse above. He caught this beast last season and has been talking about it ever since. Call us, 210-260-6154, or email us, k4r@leftyray.com for trip information. We furnish fly gear or light spinning gear and fish from the bank so waders are not required.