A WINDY Day!

Posted By on May 31, 2011

Wayne Scott fighting a Ray Roberts carp (and the wind!)

He never saw us coming!

I took Wayne Scott out for a trip to the Ray Roberts flats today.  Typical late May weather (windy with scattered am clouds) that didn’t behave quite as forecast.  The clouds didn’t burn off until noon and we spent the morning hours casting to tails and shallow backs and making the best of any shot of sunshine we got through a break in the clouds.  I’m always amazed at how the flat just lights up when sunlight hits it; an area that looked void of fish instantly has four possible targets.  We had to mark targets quickly and get out a get shot before the clouds “flicked the switch.”  We spooked more fish than we cast to until the clouds finally started to melt away.

Wayne quickly mastered a few tricks like the “wind cast.”  Basically where the angler sticks the rod straight in the air and lets the 30+ mph wind straighten the leader.  Then you just set the fly right in front of a tailing fish.  About the stealthy-est presentation you can make (the fish pictured above feel for one!).

Very few other species on the flats today – we saw a few buffalo and one drum (none of which were interested in what we were throwing).

Categories: Fishing Report
Tags: , , , , ,

About the author

Joel Hays has been a professional guide since 1990, and has guided professionally in Colorado and Texas.

Comments

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

«     »

  • Sidebar 3

    Go to Themes >> Widgets >> Sidebar 3 to add the widget of your choice or edit "main_sidebar".php.

North Texas Fly Fishing Adventures with Joel Hays

Imagine wading through ten inches of clear water,trying to be as quiet as possible. Fifty feet ahead is a pod of large fish "tailing" on the flat. You strip out fly line, make the cast, and pull your fly in front of the lead fish. After agonizing seconds the fish spots the fly, rushes forward for a quick grab, and feels the hook. The silence is broken as the fish accelerates across the flat, quickly exposing backing on your screaming reel. Sounds like a great day on the coast, or even an exotic bonefish flat, right? Actually it's a great description of the usual day my clients have fishing for Carp on the flats of Lake Ray Roberts where many clients are blown away by the water clarity and the actual ability to sight cast along miles of flats. Big spooky fish in shallow water. They fight and tail like Redfish and can sometimes rival Bonefish in nervousness. This is an EXCELLENT WAY to hone your flats fishing skills and test your "eyes" where it's more about stalking the fish than simply stumbling upon them. You will be a better flats angler!