Fall Distractions

Posted By on November 1, 2009

Not much to report over the last month except precipitation – LOTS of precipitation. Many locales in north Texas received 10 – 15″ of rain in the past month, with most of the Ray Roberts drainage coming in at 12-13″. The last round of rain early last week put the lake up to 3 feet over conservation pool (632.5 ft. above sea-level) and, as of today, it has dropped a few inches down to 635.26“.
The season on the flats was wrapped up anyway but this has pretty much killed all fishing on the lake unless you want to jig deep structure for sand bass. If you draw a line from the Quail Run camping area at Isle duBois north to Wolf Island, it will cross 3 or 4 good holding spots for sand bass. These could be anywhere from 25 to 40 feet deep. It takes good electronics, patience, and a sensitive rod but it’s one of the few ways to catch consistent fish in the cool months.
Water levels will be great for the upcoming waterfowl season. I’m looking forward to touching up the decoys and breaking out the camo. A friend has a new chocolate lab that is ready for her first season and we’re going to start her easy on some ponds and sloughs just off the lake. It’s my favorite kind of duck hunting; small water, maybe a dozen “dekes”, two guns and a dog. Simple. No public boat ramps, trailers/outboards (I’ve had a bad run of luck with outboards lately), bags of tangled decoys, “sky-busters” ruining you good planning – nothing. A good day is three or four birds, we don’t have to get up at 3am and the clean-up’s easy.
Finally, if you have not had a chance to check out the new TFO website, give it test drive. Great graphics and two new lines of fly rods to check out. Expect a review of the Fly Rod Chronicle series of trout rods shortly!

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About the author

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

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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!