Monday Morning Time Change Time For Change?
Good Monday Morning time change to you faithful readers of the Texas Fly Fishing Monday Morning Sidewalk. It was a bit of a drive, but a dandy fine weekend in San Angelo, Texas, over the past three days. I tried, for the fifth time, to catch fish all through the San Angleo waterways … and was once again – for the fifth time – defeated in a shutout. And when I say, “shutout,” I MEAN SHUT OUT. I have never had a single bite from the shores of any water – in and around San Angelo. I would say it is tempting to up the ante and bring out the boat, but really? It isn’t that tempting at all.
Much of the water found in San Angelo looks like the water here, and elsewhere, in Texas. Rain, two full months worth, has dramatically affected the water quality and water levels. The “Lake that Burns” has more water than it has had in the decade (but is still painful to look at). The Middle Concho is unrecognizable since my last time there. Just go down the list, and nothing is like we left it from (how-ever many) years ago.
It IS the first Monday in November, and it takes on a lot of meaning besides a time change and an election tomorrow. Me? Since you asked; I am voting for the environment and against fear. Let the chips fall where they may. And now, with the Blue River stocked, temperatures dropped and leaves aflutter? Oklahoma is OK to me.
FLY LINE TAMER MANAGEMENT THING
I’m still selling enough fly line management mats to pay for their production, but I am kicking up the promotion a huge notch as we head into winter redfish seasons in Texas and Louisiana. I have only sold one in Florida, and I think that must be due to this year’s red and green tides in Florida waters. I am also plowing some of the massive profits back into creating these fly line mats in colors. That’ll be a trial-and-error adventure, so you can bet there will be a few one-of-a-kind colors offered up for sale. My sight is set on a 3D printer here in town, so if I can get what’s IN my head OUT onto that 3D printer platen? There really isn’t a lot of competition between the mat I already make, and ones sold by Carbon Marine (CM). But there are some big differences. I am not caught up in a “newer,” or “better,” or the dreaded “upgrade” version cycle that so many trendy manufacturers employ to generate sales and fill landfills. At the rate CM is stretching out their spikes? … they’ll be twelve inches long in two years. Silly. And now the spikes are “configurable” which also means lose-able in my limited vocabulary. Oh right, that means “replaceable” too! If this encounter with the 3D printer turns out well, you will see a bunch of new “options” not upgrades for my fly line mats late next spring.
Thanks for reading. I will unleash a couple of drafts, I have held onto, in the next few days of this beautiful week. Have a great week, but check back for sure!
Category: Culture on the Skids, Equipment, Fishing Reports, Industry, Store Merchandise, Technical Poling Skiffs, West Texas
