Time for Plan B

Posted By on September 25, 2010

This pattern of rain every weekend is REALLY starting to get on my nerves!  I just “rainchecked” the last guide trip I had on the calendar for the year (sorry again Scott, see you in May!).  With another band of showers/Tstorms about to come through, and a fairly strong cool front tonight (lows Mon a.m. will be in the low 50′s), early fall flats fishing might not make it to October.

Now that I have a Sat. morn/afternoon free, I think I’ll ring-in fall properly.  So here’s a plan:

1)  Put together some teal decoys for a little hunt tomorrow morning.  My “usual” duck spread has mallards, gadwalls, a few widgeon, and a dozen teal.  I hunt a 2 acre oxbow in the Trinity river bottoms just below the Ray Roberts dam – a classic “puddle duck” kind of place and that deke spread works well.  The teal are usually placed close to shore away from the other ducks with the opening right in front of us.  The teal are actually greenwings but the hens look s just like blue wing hens (which we’ll be hunting tomorrow – last day of the special teal season).  We’ll see.  Early season teal hunting is REALLY “hit or miss” with much more miss.

2.  Get my first bottle of bourbon for the season.  I love my whiskey but only when its cool (I switch to gin for the summer). Only one need apply – Woodford Reserve!

3.  Tie some Blue River flies.  It’ll be time to hit the Blue before we know it.  I usually fish a double nymph rig up there (a #14 BH Prince and a #18 LBF) but last year had some great fun fishing streamers.  Sounds like some #8 tungsten conehead olive and black buggers on are tap!

4.  Watch a good football game.  There are some EXCELLENT match-ups today; Alabama/Arkansas and Auburn/Carolina top my list.  My wife’s family is from S. Carolina and are all rabid Gamecock fans.  GO COCKS!

5.  Eat some German food.  I didn’t get the chance to celebrate Oktoberfest properly last weekend so I’ll have to make up for it.  We have a little convenience store/grill in Denton called Metzler’s.  Not only do they have one of the best beer selections in town, but the family is from Muenster and they crank out some serviceable German food.  My favorite is a Black Forest Ham sandwich – ham, kraut, German mustard and swiss on rye.  If you ask, they’ll grill a brat and stick it in there. HEAVEN (and an artery clogger – I only eat a couple a year)!  Match it with a Paulaner Original Municher Urtyp (did I mention they have a GOOD selection?) and you’ve got something special!

So, how about this for a rainy Sept. afternoon?  I’ll pull my vise and materials into the family room and sit down in front of a game with the aforementioned bourbon and crank out a dozen buggers.  After a halftime nap, I think I’ll peddle down to Metzlers for a “light snack.”  I’d rather be on the flats with Scott but not a bad “Plan B!”

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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!