Outings Outlook – July 2009
by Todd Fleming, AFF Outings Director – 2009
The dog days of summer are upon us. Most of the state is sweltering in triple digit heat – a stifling, humid, exhausting kind of heat that we have not seen in a few years. The lakes and rivers, ponds and streams are low and drying up fast. Local watering restrictions are headed to the next limiting stage, and the future forecast for rain is not good. We are suffering through severe drought conditions that will probably get worse before it gets better. Hurricane season has begun, but a named storm would be a catastrophic way to see some relief. Many areas devastated by storms that hit the Texas coast last year are still trying to recover. We need rain, but we are praying for generous widespread rainfall without the flooding or destruction of a violent storm.
Before I tell you about the outing fireworks planned for July, let me share a couple of fishing stories from our June outings. On my outdoor calendar, June translates to the Grand Opening of salt water fishing season in Texas – a season that conservatively runs from June through October. I plan my schedule and start circling dates in June the way hunters live for opening day of deer season. Planning and preparation for these big days often lead to uncontrollable excitement – like a young kid at Christmas! The weather in June was clear and sunny, and we had two excellent outings to fish the coast last month.
The first weekend in June happened to coincide with a full moon. There are many unusual behavioral events that are often linked to lunar position, but our interest was in the increased tidal flow that is magnified at jetty passes during a full moon. The increased flow moves more bait than usual and the jetties funnel that bait to waiting fish on a predictable schedule. Fishing is simple when you follow two basic rules, 1. Fish where the fish are, and 2. Fish when the fish are feeding. An outing to fish the jetty on a full moon is a set up for these successful fishing conditions. It’s a no-brainer decision of when and where to go, if you are interested in catching fish – sometimes very large fish!
There were nine brave souls on our June jetty outing. It’s an all night commitment with no easy return to Port A until the Jetty Boat returns the next morning. These meetings of the “Jetty Club” are a kind of self-imposed overnight detention, and fishing party under the stars. We come together, share a bonding experience, learn something from each other, and then get picked up the next morning. Our party animals on this outing included Chris and John Eldredge, a father-son duo exploring the jetty for the first time, and some jetty regulars like Cliff Yandell, Joe Mitchell, Steve Flanagan, and Rob and Anna Burlingame. Rob and Anna, believe it or not, were “celebrating” their wedding anniversary that weekend. I don’t know whose idea it was to mark their special day rock hopping and casting for tarpon with some “Jetty Club” misfits, but I’d say theirs is a union made in fishing heaven!
The fishing action that evening started before sunset with bait erupting violently on the surface and flocks of birds following overhead in continuous waves within casting distance of the jetty rocks. Steve said it was huge Spanish mackerel harassing the bait on high-speed marauding runs. He was hooked up fast, and cut off in an instant. As soon as it started, it seemed to end. Then, just after dark, when most of the boat traffic had subsided, the tarpon showed up to play. As a group, we collectively had seven solid hook-ups with tarpon during the night, and most lasting much longer than a jump or two. One especially interesting battle started around 11:00pm when Rob shouted out, “Tarpon On!” Word spread quickly, and within minutes everyone was gathered near the end of the jetty to watch Rob put a deep bend in a ten weight fly rod. The fish on the other end made several aerial displays, and in the moonlight I could see it was probably four to five feet long. Rob handled the jumps well, and then the fish made several seemingly effortless runs, peeling off line in big chunks. Rob laboriously worked to retrieve a small amount of line back, only to see that line and more be removed in an instant on the next run. At one point, Rob seemed to have turned the fish, and was able to reel in all of the backing and even some of the fly line onto the reel. But before I could say, “That fish is still too fresh to be coming in this fast.” it took off on another reel smoking run even further than before. Rob and that fish battled back and forth for 15 plus minutes before the line suddenly went limp, and the previously fixed bend straightened from his rod. That is an awkward moment. It’s like waking up from an unfinished dream that you wish you could go back to sleep and see the ending. It’s a crushing defeat after the adrenalin high. This may have been the biggest fish Rob has ever hooked on a fly rod. We offered support and then continued trying to catch our own dream fish.
We have been making these summertime jetty trips for several years, and our experience is starting to show. We are finding, hooking, and fighting tarpon with more consistency on every trip, and even landing a modest percentage considering the stationary platform and tackle we are using. Bill Slough has been our tarpon mentor, but many of the jetty regulars are gaining experience and finding our own confidence. We are developing our own preferences for favorite rocks, and favorite flies, and even preferred ways of rigging based on previous success and failure. It is a learning experience that is having some rewards. Later that night I hooked and battled a 44” tarpon – my personal best! Help arrived in time to land that fish from the slippery rocks and surging water. It was a group effort, and an accomplishment this meeting of the “Jetty Club” will remember till next time.
Two weeks later Lloyd Mathews hosted an outing to Fence Lake via the Skimmer. This is premier shallow water flats fishing – destination quality water ideal for kayaking, wading, and fly fishing. The water is clear, the bottom is mostly firm, it’s protected from wind, and there are endless acres of 12 to 15 inch deep water – the party never ends! The area is huge, holds amazing numbers of fish, and is ideal for beginners to get their shallow water feet wet. We had a gorgeous sunny day, and as expected, the fish were there. Even with wind and water levels that were a little higher than normal, and increased boat activity on the flats due to these same abnormal conditions, we saw lots of fish. There was some tailing fish throughout the day – singles, pairs, and even pods of fish. I saw mostly smaller fish, but also a few upper slot fish. There were slow cruising fish, waking fish, and schools of fish on a mission. I think the increased boat traffic made them nervous and easily spooked. I believe our fly fishing sanctuary has been discovered, and I long for the day I can fish here at mid-week!
July starts off with a holiday weekend bang. The full moon is back, and we are having another “Jetty Club” meeting on Saturday July 4th. Join us for a night of fishing and fireworks! The show will be spectacular above and below the water.
We are also featuring the first annual Lydia Ann Fly Masters fly fishing tournament on Saturday July 18th at the Crabman Marina in Aransas Pass. The Alamo Fly Fishers and Lighthouse Fly Fishing Company together are sponsoring a friendly competition to benefit Casting for Recovery. It is a catch, photo, and release redfish tournament for fly fishermen with separate boat and kayak categories, and lots of prizes for both. Sign up at www.lydiaannflymasters.com. Cost is $40 per person, and includes a tournament t-shirt. An additional five dollars will get you a BBQ plate dinner. I hope you will join me in making this tournament a success and a tradition. We are guaranteed to have some fun, and raise some money for a worthy cause.
Don’t forget to participate in our summer long Redfish Spot Contest for current Alamo Fly Fishers members. Details are on the website at www.alamoflyfishers.org. Lloyd Mathews is the early leader with a redfish that had seven spots on one side. Keep fishing, and you could be the lucky winner!
I’ve told you how much fun we have fishing the jetty at night in the summer on a full moon. Now I want you to think about flats fishing by moon light on a clear and calm summer night. Imagine seeing tails waving carefree in the moon light, or casting a popper and hearing the toilet flush strike on your fly before you feel the shock of line being pulled from your hand. If that gets you excited, circle August 1st on you calendar and contact me for more details.
Be safe and pray for rain. Good luck fishing! I hope to see you on the water.