This is what a size 14 Royal Wulff looks like after 30 brook trout.

Beautiful fish Chemist!

Are you throwing those cicadas yet?

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Are you throwing those cicadas yet?

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It got cold here this weekend... we actually got snow. It is starting to warm back up and they started popping again last night. By next week it should be ON.

I asked around yesterday. I understand there are some internet trolls that are going to have to wait 17 more years to see it.

Hybrid sunfish caught in the Frio Rover near Uvalde

Beautiful small-jaw.

Meanwhile, I'm considering trying to go carp fishing in my swamp of a backyard. I expect they'll be swimming through shortly.

Nice! Love the colors on that one.

On 700 springs ranch close to Telegraph last weekend

That's a TOAD of a Rio!

We had an absolutely stellar day yesterday at Texoma. Here is a little preview with more to come.

https://instagr.am/p/BF_gDgFrYr9

Great updates! The noggin on that rio is bad azz. I wish I could share a fish pic, but they've all fallen off this weekend.

I went down to the Everglades on Friday and found a gap in the brush. Jumped 10+ tarpon, but they all escaped. Mainly bc I couldn't retrieve the fly with the rod tip down due to heavy vegetation. I had slack in my line all evening which made getting tight and hook sets almost impossible. The tarpon would blow up a gurgler or Everglades Special and fall off seconds later. A couple fish hooked themselves, but would eventually get away because I swept my rod into bushes during the fight. I only got one to my feet, and even he fell off before I could grab a jaw. I got the leader in twice, but I don't count those as catches.

This spot is miles and miles from the coast, and totally landlocked as far as I can tell. There's tarpon, snook, needle fish, cichlids, tilapia and largemouth bass. I've fished this freshwater hole several times without jumping a tarpon or even seeing one roll. I'm not sure why they were stacked up on Friday, but it was awesome while it lasted. I went back last night and didn't get a single bite or see any signs of life.

Edits to add the right pic:

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Jumped 10+ tarpon,

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Dude.

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I got the leader in twice, but I don't count those as catches.

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Yes. Yes you do. This is not debatable.

I was thinking about this the other day (the small tarpon falling off) and I was wondering if you've tried or anyone tying for for juvis uses the Umpqua Triple Threat Hook. The smaller micro-barbs might be easier to wedge in - they pimp them as a tarpon hook, but I'm not sure what sizes you're using.

Had a decent day... Caught about 12. No size really, but I was fishing the worst part of the day too

I haven't tried that hook, but I'll definitely see if I can find some flies that use it. I talked to a guide about the little tarpon falling off, and he concluded it's because I'm not patient enough. I apply extra heat on the fish and pull the hook. Letting 'em run into a drainage pipe or tree doesn't seem like a better alternative, but I'm gonna try to let the drag do more work.

The guide also said small tarpon don't have the same vacuum that the larger poon do, and they aren't getting a full inhale of the buoyant fly. Makes sense bc I get better hook sets on the sinking flies and much better hook sets on bigger fish. Also, I noticed that bigger tarpon hit the fly and bank left or right. They tend to get hooked on the roof of their mouth or buttoned right on the mustache. Smaller tarpon make a sharp u-turn and get hooked on the outside of their face.

There's a noticeable difference in the hook gap of the gurglers and the Everglades Special, which I have more connections with. None of my usual flies have a nice wide gap, except for the damaged gurg:

Just spent four days at my family's land in Clark County, Alabama and fished the ponds with my son. Caught loads of bass including my son's first fish on the fly. TFO bug launcher is a great rod for you guys with little kiddos interested in fly fishing! If you have my instagram there is a video of a lunker my son caught on conventional gear... He killed it.

Nice fish! Where do you think he would have tipped the scales?

he was at 4.3 on the crappy little scale that lives in my bag. So a solid internet 5 pounder.

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he was at 4.3 on the crappy little scale that lives in my bag. So a solid internet 5 pounder.

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Damn, my bass-guessin' skills are rusty. I'd have figured that pig would have been in the 6-7# range easily. Regardless, that's a nice bucketmouth.

knarlykidsdoingknarlythings

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knarlykidsdoingknarlythings

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I've got two gnarly kids that are always doing some pretty gnarly things! What a life... My 5 year old son surfs, has a solid 6# bass as his first bass ever, has caught multiple fish on a fly rod etc...

Soon enough him and his sister will be the bow hogs on the BeaverTail.

Maybe someone else who is better at eyeballing bass suze can help me out with actual weight on this toad... I guessed 6-7 pounds.

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Soon enough him and his sister will be the bow hogs on the BeaverTail.

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This is a really really good thing.

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knarlykidsdoingknarlythings

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I've got two gnarly kids that are always doing some pretty gnarly things! What a life... My 5 year old son surfs, has a solid 6# bass as his first bass ever, has caught multiple fish on a fly rod etc...

Soon enough him and his sister will be the bow hogs on the BeaverTail.

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When does your boy turn 6?

My older boy is 6 in July. He doesn't surf (mainly because my fat ass hasn't done it since I was about 15) but he does fly fish. It's a grand thing when your little boy comes up and says "Daddy, can you take me fly fishing?" And he's ate up with trying to catch frogs and lizards and snakes though he's not allowed to grab snakes when I'm not around.

I smell an OB offspring fishing trip is in the offing.

He actually turns 5 end of Jun so about a year younger than Small Finn.

So we had an absolutely (to employ a much overused word) EPIC day on Saturday.

The species list included:
Spotted Gar
Freshwater Drum
Striped Bass
Skipjack Herring
Common Carp
Smallmouth Bass

All were taken on fly gear. Every species of fish, minus Striper and gar, were up top sipping ants off of the surface. I can only pray to have more days like this.
https://instagr.am/p/BGF315HrYs0
https://instagr.am/p/BGDYtB5LYgK
https://instagr.am/p/BGCP2DkrYj3

Nice! Texoma?

Mayyyyyybeeeeee.......


Yeah, behind the dam.

For those of us in Texas, post more pics of the type of flies used for fresh water.