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.

Working hard this week on a welding project, and the fishing is still in the winter doldrums. However, I did find the time to do an interview with Clifford Hilbert yesterday at Loy Lake in Denison. The little lake in Denison is the site of Hilbert’s last registered state record for a warmouth. Hilbert lost numerical count of his TPWD fishing records long ago, but places it at somewhere between 100 and 150. Hilbert’s name kept popping up on different water body records, so I just had to meet the fly fisher, and see what his motivations are for slamming so many records. Look for that podcast next week – in a new reportage format that starts at the Fly Bar.

On the way back I managed a stop at Lake Kiowa, which is a charming little lake behind closed doors north of Lake Ray Roberts. Unfortunately for the general public, this lake is part of the Lake Kiowa development and is behind closed gates. We tooled around on a friend’s small jon boat looking for some spring spots to hit once the fish are awake and feeding shallow again. I think there will be a few fish catch-photo-and-releases from that green aluminum deck. Kiowa has a reputation for producing large Florida Strain largemouth and a rainbow of different perch varietals … and oh yes, grass carp in the 50 pound range as well.

If you are anywhere near Athens, Texas, be sure to check out the TPWD series of lectures about Texas fisheries. It starts today, and runs a half day tomorrow. I would make it down to cover it, but am bound to my welder, chop saw and torch until this commision is done.

RAISE YOUR STOCKER HOPES

Expectations should be higher for those of you venturing to LLELA or any of the other neighborhood ponds. I think TPWD fell a little behind due to frozen ponds and bad weather of a couple of weeks ago, and will possibly be making up for lost times by stocking larger numbers to even out the count at the end. If you imagine fishing for these fish like they were still in tanks at the stocking farm, you won’t be disappointed. They get dumped in ponds, that amount to larger tanks, and remain in tight schools swirling around these ponds – if your line happens to be in their path, you can expect some brief quick action before they continue their swirl. Clockwise? Counter clockwise? Let me know.

• La Fin du Monde. The French got that beer right, and it's fitting for senate takeback tonight? #