Steve Hollensed Fly Fishing Report
2010 Summer Recap: This summer can be summed up with…excellent, but different. With low threadfin shad numbers, open water blitzing never materialized. However, new patterns evolved that produced many memorable trips. One pattern was fish in rocky shallows. If you found shad, you found shallow fish that would slam topwater presentations. Mostly smaller 12 to 16 in. fish with a few 18 to 21 in. fish mixed in; mostly thin fish. These fish were stressed due to energy deficits. Barbless hooks, quick landing and a quick hands-off release helped the fish. They were lots of fun though. The other pattern was bigger fish, 25 to 50 ft. deep accessed with 400 grain Depth Charge lines. These fish were in excellent condition and fought hard. Some days they were concentrated beyond belief and every cast produced a nice fish. Other days the fish were scattered and hard to find. The best concentrations occurred about 10am to noon. When I first located these fish I was the only one fishing the school. Without boat traffic, these fish were slamming topwater bugs and producing topwater explosions that you just can’t forget. All in all, it was a great summer for landing double digit stripers or catching lots of schoolie size stripers in the shallows.
Oh…should not forget that we landed lots of nice smallies as well. These aquatic brawlers are in great condition on Texoma…the smallmouth fishing seems to be getting better.
Current Fly Fishing Report: Lake level is normal @ 617. Visibility is good with minor and local staining around creeks. Water temperature is about 80 degrees. This is a full 8 to 9 degrees cooler that it was about a week or so ago. Shallow water fishing has been good lately. The smaller stripers have been extremely shallow…5 ft. of water or less and many have found in 6 to 12 inches of water! Wind and clouds are beginning to be more important…windy days are really helping the shallow bite. White/chartreuse poppers are working well, clousers and other streamers will work but schoolies are just more fun with poppers.
Fall Forecast: I am looking for a great fall in 2010. As water temperatures decrease one of the stressors that we have had lately will be removed…high water temps and low dissolved oxygen concentrations…which will serve to activate stripers of all sizes. Cooling surface temps will also destratify the lake which increases the volume of water in which the fish can find optimal water quality…all good things.
Fall is classic striper time…perfect water temps, active fish, fall color, fewer boats and lots of birds to help us find fish. This is a good time to catch stripers both deep and shallow. I believe we will have lots nice fish moving shallow this year to chase bait. I would recommend as the best time as being from about October first to mid November. Fall has a way of filling prime times fast. I already have a fairly busy fall booking so book early to get the best times.
TRIALS ON TEXOMA – A KT DIARIES EPISODE
The new season of “KT Diaries” is now showing on stations across TX & LA. Included in the new season is “Trials on Texoma”…with host Kevin Townsend (KT), his dog Grousie and yours truly. If you have never watched “KT Diaries” you should…it just may be the highest quality outdoor show I have ever seen…they have a huge following. KT and crew have a way of capturing the passion we all feel for fly fishing (and bird hunting).
FLY CASTING
The September 25, 2010 session of Loop Lab: Foundations in Fly Casting is sold out and has been for some time. Look for new dates for Loop Lab and Bass Lab soon.
Fall is a great time to improve your casting. I am a big believer in easy, efficient fly casting. If you can easily and efficiently cast a WF floating line 70, 80, or even 90 ft., you have a huge advantage in our style of warmwater/saltwater fishing. This also resolves many frustration issues anglers experience on windy days. Regardless of your level of fly casting, personal instruction almost always produces a much steeper learning curve. As a reminder, I offer a special 3-4 hour casting lesson that is at a fixed, low rate and is based on your individual assessment and objectives. This longer, individual session works well because there is time for guided practice with real-time guidance, which is so critical in learning new skills. If you schedule a morning or afternoon with me, you will find I think, as all others have found, that your casting will drastically improve, that your practice sessions will have focus and purpose, and that you will have a much better understanding of casting mechanics. Call for details, cost, and scheduling.
GEAR TALK
Fly fishing this summer on Texoma was different in many respects…one of the most noticeable was the wind. We had lots of wind this July & August, making it a little more challenging to present big topwater bugs efficiently.
My favorite rod (and lots of clients favorite rod) this summer was the 9 weight, tip-flex Hydros. Weighing in at just over 4 ounces, the powerful rod can produce the small pointy loops that carries the fly right through the wind; and yet the rod still feels light and lively in hand. Because it is so light, you can blind cast (we had do a lot of that this year) the rod all day and not get tired. This was the rod Kevin Townsend (KT) used when we filmed “Trials on Texoma”…with one of the trials being the high wind.
The 9 wt. Hydros will cast bass & stripers size bugs a country mile and handle 350 to 400 grain Depth Charge lines with ease. It will always be in my boat.
FACEBOOK
I use my facebook guide page for quick updates, fishing reports with pics, and opportunities in warmwater fly fishing. I usually post results from a few trips from each week. Follow Texoma fly fishing at:
Flywater Angling Adventures
to view and become a fan.
ORVIS DALLAS CONSERVATION NIGHT
Orvis Dallas announces another very special event to be held on Thursday, October 7th, 2010. This exciting event, Conservation Night, is being hosted by Orvis Dallas to raise money and awareness for the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska and the Lower Mountain Fork River Foundation. The SAA is working hard to save Bristol Bay from the proposed Pebble Mine, which threatens to destroy the largest spawning grounds for salmon in the Pacific Ocean. The LMFRF helps to protect and develop the trout fishing on the Lower Mountain Fork River in southeastern Oklahoma. The event will run from 7 PM to 9 PM and will include silent auction, rod & reel raffle, presentations, food, and drinks. Orvis Dallas is located at 8300 Preston Road, Suite 300. 214.265.1600.
ENTOMOLOGY FOR FLY FISHERS
Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide Rob Woodruff conducts excellent entomology classes that combines the perfect blend of scientific knowledge and practical fly fishing knowledge. Rob will show you how to approach trout streams using scientific methodologies, as opposed to random trial and error. A very affordable class, I recommend taking this class at least once, if not twice as a refresher…it is that good. It will be May 2011 before another class is offered. Contact Rob for more details. 903.967.2665 www.FlyFishingFork.com Schedule below:
Mountain Fork River, OK, in conjunction with Three Rivers Fly Shop.
November 13/14
Tuition- $65.00
Guadalupe River, TX, in conjunction with GRTU.
December 4/5
Tuition- $65.00
ORVIS DAYS – DALLAS
Orvis Dallas is again hosting their fall fly fishing classic on October 9, 10, 16 & 17. Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide Rob Woodruff and I will be presenting programs that display world class fly fishing near Dallas. Schedule and titles below. Stop by and let’s talk fly fishing. Hope to see you there. Orvis Dallas is located at 8300 Preston Road, Suite 300. 214.265.1600.
Saturday, October 9
10:30am: Fall on the Forks: Orvis Endorsed Guide Rob Woodruff will be discussing fall fishing for bass on Lake Fork and how to catch trout on the Lower Mountain Fork River.
Noon: Texoma on the Fly: Orvis Endorsed Guide Steve Hollensed will show you what it takes to catch stripers and small mouth on Lake Texoma. Learn the flies and tactics for this exciting fishery.
2pm: Making Bass Poppers with deer hair and Foam: Everyone loves catching bass on top waters. We’ll show how to spin deer hair and use foam to make your own bass poppers.
3:30: Fly Fishing near Dallas: Jef Fair and Sean Polk, managers for Orvis Dallas, have spent many years fishing North Texas. They’ll give you ideas of where to go and what to use for your own fly-fishing adventures.
Sunday, October 10
1-3pm: Fly Fishing 101 for Freshwater: Learn the basics of fly fishing in this short course designed to get you on the water and catching fish. All equipment is provided and space is limited. Please call the store to register.
Saturday, October 16
10:30am: Fishing the Nueces River: The Nueces is one of the clearest rivers in the state and is filled with Guadalupe bass. Find out more as Sean and Jef talk about their adventures on this great river.
Noon: Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited : Roger Turner, from GRTU, will be on hand to discuss the work GRTU has done for the only year-round trout fishery in Texas and to talk about their lease access program.
2pm: Fishing Dinosaur Valley: Dinosaur Valley State Park near Glen Rose is a great place for a day of fishing on the Paluxy River. We’ll discuss flies, tactics, and where to fish.
3:30pm: Tying Saltwater Flies: Learn how to tie Clousers, Charlies, and spoons. This is a great way to get ready for your next coastal adventure.
Sunday, October 17
1-3pm: Fly Fishing 101 for Saltwater: Learn the basics of fly fishing in the salt with this short course designed to get you ready for your next trip. This is an advanced course—students will be taught the double haul, rigging, and dealing with the wind. Please call the store to register.
FLYWATER ANGLING ADVENTURES
Captain Steve Hollensed
Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide
FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor
903.546.6237
flywaterangling.com
Category: Events, Fishing Reports, North Texas, TECHNICAL, Technique, TIPS
