Looking for advise

[RWB]

I will be traveling to Arroyo City,Texas, in the Harlingen area, to fish with my Father and Brother. We will be there the last week in March. I have flies I use at Montauk and North Carolina. I'm looking for sugestions on what flies to tie for that area of Texas. Thanks.

RWB

[ventura]

RWB -
I would recommend anything that looks like a shrimp or crab; tie with and without lead-eyes, as sometimes reds will be in shin deep water (no weight required). Weedless is also a plus. Your typical Montauk albie flies (clousers, deceivers, bay anchovies, and gummy minnows) will all work for trout and reds holding on grasslines, holes, and dropoffs. Try some topwater early am -creaseflies work well.
As for equipment, bring 7,8,9wt with WF Floating; it's pretty windy down here this time of year; 15-20kt is common, but prepare for 20-30kt (if it's 30, you'll want that 9wt). Where exactly are you fishing? Call Brandon Shuler at Getaway Adventures Lodge (956-944-4000); they have affordable charter trips in Port Mansfield (also have lodging and Kayak rentals).

[bones]

Ditto the above.

Clousers of 3inches length will do; in chartreuse/white and yellow/white. Make it easy and simply trim the length of some of your striper/albie clousers.

If you have a 6wt, bring it.

This time of year fish will be found in deeper water early in the day so fish the drop-offs; maybe a sinking line for that strategy. Later in the day, as the sun warms the water, they'll be found in the grass over soft, dark colored bottoms....the muddy dark bottoms warm faster than the white sandy hard bottoms.

The waters in theTexas bays are past the magical 70 degree mark.............very early for that. I think fishing will be great down there until ~ August when the water will be bathtub warm and fish will head for deeper water.

Good luck and let us know how you did!

[bones]

Hey, Ventura.

Welcome aboard!

I'm Bones, over in Fredericksburg.

You been fishin' yet?

[ventura]

Thanks Bones;
I've been in Texas 2 years now (unfortunately the first 18mo in Houston); just moved to Boerne in November. I've been fortunate to fish with a good friend in Port Mansfield quite a bit - inshore/offshore flyfishing. We get into some great offshore action (Bontio, Skipjack, Jack Crevalle, Sharks, Cobia, Kings) to compliment the great flats fishing. It seems like just when the bays get too warm to fish, offshore is on fire.

On a side note, I fished Port Aransas last weekend; East Flats, Redfish Bay, and Shamrock - nothing doing, though. Wind blew 30 on Saturday, and we just wadefished Sunday AM down near Bird Island. Where do you like to go? This warm weather really gives me the itch...

[bones]

I fish Port O'Connor (POC).

Water temps there are back down to 66-68 degrees after this weeks' cool front. Presently 68.4 degrees with a wind of 11knots gusting at 12. Perfect. I should be standing in thigh-deep water in the Big Pocket stalking the reds. .......good area there for this weather and time of year..........dark bottom, grassy, adjacent to deep water. They'll come up onto those flats as the sun warms the shallows.
The boat has been prepped for an emergency trip. I'll probably move wife's car into the barn and the boat into her spot in the portico.......makes for easier fine-tuning in the final prep for a trip.
If the weather improves over the next few days I foresee heading south.

You a member of CCA Boerne?

[ventura]

I was a member of CCA Houston, but haven't had a chance to renew/change over - do you guys meet?...I have fished POC only once; kayaked in Pringle. I've heard some of those lakes farther down (Power Lake) hold some big fish. Have any Jacks shown up near the pass yet?

How long does it take for you to get to POC from Fredericksburg? I can be in the Upper Laguna Madre in @3hrs from Boerne. Give me a call or email me -

jesse.allen@synergybrokerage.net
210-416-0708

[RWB]

Ventura and Bones,

Thank you for your help. I don't have yollow Clousers, shrimp, or crabs so I'll get some tied. Ventura, you asked about the area we will fish. My Father says it is twenty minutes from the airport in Harlingen. The house is along the shoreline and he talks about a channel that has been dredged out for ships. He is not a fly fisherman. He uses what he calls a "pitch pole" with live shrimp as bate and fishes at night off the dock at the house. We will have a boat and guide on a couple of days but the rest of the time I'll be looking for room for the back cast and wadeable water. Fishing from boats I know about, but what the shoreline is like there I haven't a clue.

Again, thanks for your advice.

RWB

[wittich]

You can get flies etc from the Kingfisher INN shop. If you can get access to any lighted areas on the canals in arroyo you will catch plenty of speckled trout. I would make the drive to South Padre at least once, as it offers some great wade fishing spots.