Lake Ray Roberts Bass Future So Bright I’ll Just Say It Again

shannon | September 30, 2015

lake ray roberts bass population fly fishing for bass #flyfishing sundowners

So let me say this at least one more time; Lake Ray Roberts is going to make one heck of a bass lake in a couple of years! I keep hearing more reports of those small green trout being caught there by the 20’s and 30’s, and no thanks to anything TPWD did for the lake, boom-time is only a couple of growth spurts away. (Folks are catching so many they just quit fishing after 20 or 30!) I think it’s entirely possible to catch a hundred in the yearling range right now.

As much time as I spend on the lake, studying it’s (literal this year) ebb-and-flows, it was pretty easy to see the floods came at exactly the right time for the Lake Ray Roberts bass population. It sure didn’t work for much else in our sights, but when you compare an un-trampled lake like Ray Roberts to one like Fork (triple the stocking of Roberts and also boasting new TPWD fish attractors) … well, not yet, but let’s just say I am ready to book half-day sundowners for bass next spring – with supreme confidence.

Fly Fisher on ‘Roids!

I am sorry for not writing sooner, but as you may have read, I took the advice of a medical professional who said, “just go about you life as before,” and for two days after my last chemo treatment I was flying due to a little steroids added to the chemo (I later found out). That high was followed by an extreme low. You can read more about it here — Caring Bridge — if you like.

Needless to say, today was a chemo day, and my fingers are furious at the keyboard as you can probably tell. Unfortunately, these highs are not lasting nearly as long though. For those keeping score, and for the haters out there, I’m only halfway done with (treatments) eliminating this forever.

FLY FISHING CLUB MEETINGS

As I really have no idea how often I can write, I want to leave this list of Texas Fly Fishing Club Meetings that may be near you no matter where you are in Texas. Seeing as Texas Fly Caster information comes from yours truly, and virtually nowhere else – and this horse is lame – I figure you can certainly learn from the rank-and-file at these meetings in the interim. Here’s what I have:

10/01 – Round Rock Fly Fishers Meeting
10/05 – Dallas Fly Fishers Meeting
10/06 – Red River Fly Fishers and Fort Worth Fly Fishers
10/08 – Brazos Valley Fly Fisher and Laguna Madre CC Fly Fishers
10/13 – Central Texas Fly Rodders (Waco) and Central Texas Fly Fishers (San Marcos)
10/19 – East Texas Fly Fishers (Longview)
10/20 – Alamo Fly Fishers (San Antonio)
10/29 – Rockport Fly Fishers (Rockport)

FLY TYING

I am about to get my mind wrapped around tying the “Game Changer” fly, but as yet have not been able to make the new version of the Chocklett’s Body Wrap by Hareline Dubbin, Inc. YouTube was my friend – at first – but something’s not right with what I’m doing. I may just retreat to good old Enrico Puglisi and give that a go. If you know a good YouTube lesson, please feel free to let everyone know. I am gearing all my efforts toward South Texas deep winter salt, and I have particular designs in mind.

END NOTE – Thanks for reading and checking back (to find nothing new for extended periods). I liken this (ride I’m on) to riding a bucking bull; sometimes I am flying high, but I am getting a lot more time face-down in the dirt. It’s only temporary. What comes out on the other side will be different, changed, but also charged with a new more vigorous set of marching orders!