It’s early spring and the creeks are bulging with, believe it or not, snow runoff.

The gates are open on many dams here to keep the flow running downstream and make room for spring rains that are as sure to come as the sunrise tomorrow morning. In typical feast-or-famine fashion, we find ourselves with too much of a good thing. The drought seems but an ancient memory now (officially over for Texas), and the gutters need repair before the spring deluge. I would beg for more barrels to collect rain, but when it’s wet to begin with, and the gutters aren’t holding … it’s hard to look ahead to August.

The calls are coming from all around, excitement and anticipation building as the creeks, the temperature, the calendar and moon threaten to align for the mother of all sand bass runs. As much as I want to put food on the table, my mind always wanders back to those crazy hybrids – fighters of a UFC caliber. As I look back at the photos of them, there’s really nothing visually redeeming about them. They are basically a sand bass on steroids … akin to Schwartzenegger in his prime, except they may have a few scars (stretch marks perhaps), cauliflower ears and never get stoned. They fight until you release them, and they will splash you in the face for good measure. Calling them “palmettos” is just way too sophisticated for this heathen fish.

This is also the time when the rumors fly with the wind, south to north. The runs are starting in X or Y location because the hill country is “always a couple of weeks” ahead of us. The last of the trout are being taken mercifully from their holding places in time to be cooked, as opposed to having their brains slowly boil in 75-degree water. Heck, there’s even a new record rainbow trout for Texas this year. The folks who stock, fish and work the Guadalupe have something to talk about for a long time – even by Texas standards.

And we lament the passing of fish never sought. So close, and so far away were those magical bull red runs of Louisiana. The stripers at Texoma will wait for someone else to put them on the books. Fairfield. In this economy everything waits for the rubber band of practicality to snap us into action. There really is no upside to winter fly fishing in North Texas no matter how it looks on the message boards, and guide sites. That’s why guys hunt I guess … because that fishing dog doesn’t.

Join me in closing another winter chapter, and raise a glass of your favorite to the end of all the holiday “cheer”. It’s time to put on our game faces, clean our lines, tie flies, tie leaders, and start getting ready for prime time. If you are looking at any hotspots, and like me, like company, feel free to post an invite on the boards.

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Coming up later this week – a shallow, and callow examination of for-profit web site ventures. Is there such a thing?

• #flyfishing One day of good weather and another week of bad. Guess we gotta' take it. Spring still lining up great for palmettos. #
• #flyfishing Watched Jeff Tweedy "Sunken Treasure" and tied flies. Now "Ashes of American Flags" — going for the full burn. Come on Spring! #

Clifford Hilbert is one of those guys you just gotta’ meet. He’s more interesting than this interview lets on, and he has spent a considerable amount of time filling in the blanks on the TPWD record books for a slew of north and east Texas lakes and tributaries.

My interview with Clifford was in January in Denison at Loy Lake, and the setting was quite appropriate, as it is the scene of his last record registration – a .69 pound warmouth.

Make no mistake, Clifford does have an ulterior motive, and you’ll have to listen to the interview to hear what it is. When it comes to fishing records of any type, we all know there’s a fine line between Zen and capitalism. Based on my interview, I think his motives are Zen and his aim is true.

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If you want to get a look at those records for 2009, the TPWD State of Texas Fly Fishing records, be sure to have a look back at that post.