Sun Sets on Winter Weather Wednesday

Weather Keeps Fly Fishing Talk Short and Sweet

Whoa. Now this is what we’ve been missing here in North Texas. We have some real, cold, wet and miserable weather upon us, and boy do we need it! This is the kind of weather that makes a fish believe things are nothing other than normal in their world, and it triggers the kinds of instincts that puts them in their proper seasons, thank God.

The idea of catching a temperate January day of fly fishing in Daingerfield, Texas, for chain pickerel, is now completely viable! We are all systems go for January – and watching closely – for a day, I hope two, to head over to Daingerfield and camp, and putz around the lake chasing chains.

WRAPPING UP 2017

Of course, life without some kind of pressure, is something I know almost nothing about. Those days are an ancient memory now, but with some help, I may relearn relaxation in 2018. After all, 2017 was only the second worst year of my adult life … but who’s counting?

The 2017 FLY FISHING certainly wasn’t the worst. It was actually the second best year since[ppw id=”183910405″ description=”Wrapping it up for 2017″ price=”.25″]

I started sliding down this slippery slope. It’s funny how that works; some things can be so bad while at the same time, other things for a person can be so darn good. It is impossible to discount the addition of the skiff to the mix of the last two years being the best, but with these fluctuations in rainfall since October – 2018, I think, will be the truest test yet – for the superiority of fly fishing for carp from skiff. I would actually say 2018 IS THE YEAR that decides this debate (but I know it’s hardly debatable).

Take, for example the newest issue of Drake Magazine. By the grace of God, and with a little bit of biblical knowledge (so little I’m ashamed), I was able to get decent play for the article on Clyde going to the epicenter of landfall for Hurricane Harvey. It is reassuring to note that the vast majority of Texas news outlets (like the Texas Standard radio show) are still focused on Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath, even if the numbers still favor Houston’s lead coverage. I can say, with no hesitation, that this story is the best professional thing to happen for me in 2017. Will it lead to anything? Let us all hope so – because it (that story) really NEEDS TO lead to something more. 

On the flip-side of the fly, two new fly fishing records came my way this year. One is from Lake Bridgeport, and I managed a decent gaspergou to put on the books for Ray Roberts as well. Those drum were certainly something in 2017! They were everywhere, and they chased and ate like a gamefish should. I am happy with both of those records, and will be happier when someone makes the effort to break them! That’s why I do it in the first place!

I always shotgun new ideas and make bold efforts to bring new information (and old information) in new ways — to those of you who are still interested in the relentless pursuit of fish on fly. As they say, I sometimes “get out in front of my skis” with these announced efforts. I am realizing with the deduction of about 40 waking hours a week from my life … it can be hard to cash the checks I am writing to you, the loyal readers and new readers with expectations. What I don’t get done for you, in the way of providing information in creative ways, wakes me up in the middle of the night.

For example, the assembly of “podcast style” audio interviews is proving to be a bigger time burner than the videos you find me doing for the Texas Fly Caster YouTube Channel – much bigger. I have a lot more faith in the popularity of the YouTube content, but I also realize a challenge when it comes to painting pictures with only voices and words. The intensity level of writing for that format is incredible. Anyone can create a Podcast, but hardly anyone can do a good job of it. I am not willing to lower my standards just to be in the format.

WHEN IT COMES TO FORMATS

When it comes to formats sweeping through fly fishing, have you seen the corruption of Instagram? Mark 2017 as the year fly folks finally flocked to Instagram, and then essentially destroyed it as an honest purveyor of information. As a professional photographer and someone who has been on that social media since its beginning, it is sad to see. I feel confident in saying YouTube will NEVER suffer the same fate from the fly fishing community.

So where do we go from here in 2018. After ten years, I wonder the same thing. The interest in written word seems to be at the lowest point ever, and my desire to deliver in writing is at its apex. This is a year to take the measure, and see if words are for profit, and videos and podcasts are for fun. Or, is there another combination? That’s what we’re about to find out going into 2018. I think we can safely call it a “make-or-break” year for the Texas Fly Caster website. No matter what, the archives are pretty fantastic, aren’t they???

ENDING WITH A BANG NOT A WIMPER

I had thought I would throw out a Top 10 Fly Fishing Music Countdown for 2017 via podcast, but I realized later that a lot of my music I am rating is music I have downloaded via my Itunes account, and is not playable for podcast purposes. You will also see that I no longer have any ads for Amazon purchases on the site – they discontinued the commission program (so what’s the point?). I still accept ads though! So I will be contacting you, if you have fly related products, about my ad rates, and why you’d be smart to get on board (if you’re interested in hitting your target market between the eyes!).

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When it comes to posting for profit, aka Pay-Per-View reading, this site will make a dramatic, inelegant shift to all Pay-Per-View reading in January — assuming I can get this terrible software to work properly. It will retroact all the way back to 2008. The rest of the good news? You can still watch YouTube videos for free, and all the social media is still free as well. This may sound strange, “free,” but with the net neutrality laws overturned / unenforced? You want to get ready to pay for a lot of things you though should / would always be free.