Monday Morning – One Leg at a Time
Your New Favorite Fly Fishing Pants and Another Pond Bass Video in the Works
Good Monday Morning fly fishers! Wherever you are, I hope it is cooler temps than what we have here in North Texas. The humidity gives a sweat lick of promise in the evenings, but nothing has come of it here at Fish Camp North … so far. Meanwhile, even a small escape explains a lot about the weather that seems to skirt DFW: This “heat Island” as they call it, drops off only a few miles, maybe a dozen or so, northward from the Denton, Texas, city limits.
Is Montague County the new Promised Land?
Montague County is weaving a web of charm all over my eyes these days. What’s not to like? This region is being called “North Texas Hill Country,” and it puts the real “Hill Country” west of Austin-ish to shame. Calling the real Texas Hill Country “better” is like calling Austin “strange” these days – COMPLETELY FALSE. Green rolling hills, trees, water, Texas quality valleys, clean air and cooler temperatures abound. And woven into the web are these fantastic ponds, the work of prior good government programs originating with the W.S.C. of the Roosevelt administration’s honest work to tamp down the 1930’s American dust bowl. The dust bowl is gone, but the ponds that were created to head off erosion? they are still alive and two of them I have been invited to (so far) were vibrant with life – fish life. Gimme MORE!
WSC Pond Number Two
The ponds are actually numbered, in the WSC system, but last week’s pond was not actually number two. And I am not here to “rank it” number one either, but wow, this pond will be stuck in my mind for some time to come. And I hope the video I am working on will do it justice, as well as provide the viewers with some information and historical facts about these ponds. It’s no secret where this pond is located. It’s right across the road from the LBJ Grasslands, and as I was weaving through the grasslands before sunup, I couldn’t help but think about how “out there” I was, and how fun it would be to ride these roads on my gravel bike. Such are the good distractions after leaving the bad ones here on this computer screen.
I will be working feverishly on this new pond video today, and have it out about 24-hours after it is complete. But there is so much more to the story of this pond. And a lot of it revolves around my “Micro Guide,” the young man who invited me to get a taste of the bass on fly action this pond offers. Let’s start with one piece of the story that will pique your interest. There is going to be a “Beginner Fly Fishing” event on this property in November of this year. It is being supported by NCTC (North Central Texas College) through their Adult Education program. And my “Micro Guide” who invited me to get a sample of that pond – is the person putting on this November event. Of course, I was quick to volunteer support, and will also be there helping him teach attendees … how could I not stick my bony foot in that door!! It was either that, or row around this pond acting like a beginner so that I could worm my way into a beginner fly fishing class, and he already knows me better than that.
Lyle Bellows is the person who is presenting this NEW class in November and as soon as there are more details, I will share them broadly – here, and on the YouTube Channel as well. But honestly, this class is only the tip of the iceberg of the fantastic work going on with Lyle. And I must say, it is refreshing to see a young sportsman who is so dynamic and appears to have his heart aligned in the right place with his passion and his work. Perhaps you can already tell, there are more stories to be told …
AND THE PANTS!
What is a fly fishing guy to do about the high price of low priority fly fishing pants? For me, give me an inch in the waist, and I will take a mile of a story about new fly fishing pants. And that is exactly what happened recently, as I browsed the local refurbished, drone flying, wide aisled Walmart. Now unfortunately, Walmart is dragging their feet about making me one of their partner affiliates, so you can happily hit their links with the assurance I won’t get a tin dime for your pleasure. Here is the link to Walmart Fly Fishing Pants – and what inventory they have remaining! I will keep fingers crossed for a lined version this fall!
