Season's End

Fall seems to be coming early to north Texas this year; we've had over six inches of rain in mid-September (and it's currently raining again as I write this - thunderstorms pushed ahead of another early "cold" front), cedar elms are already changing colors, and there are migratory species of birds showing up that usually aren't around until after UT/OU weekend.

The fishing is taking its cue from all this and beginning the slow slide into the winter doldrums. Sand bass action that is usually fantastic in September (especially the evening surface bite) has become spotty at best as the random weather scatters shad all over the lake. I hear reports of "we caught an ice chest full on top-waters yesterday" followed by "they're all deep on structure" the next day.

Carp are still carp -cruising along, feeding on the slim opportunities offered at this time of year. All the bugs that we can easily imitate with flies (think damsels, Hexes, and dragonfly nymphs)have long since hatched, crawled away, or otherwise thinned out. Now they're left with the odd snail, mussel, grasshopper, and lots of grass. They'll be around for the next month or so and willing to take a fly ("the Dude abides") if you wade CAREFULLY, spot well in the lower light, and feed them right. I caught the fish pictured - and a few of his amigos - with a SnapDragon in knee-deep water yesterday.

(Please excuse the previous drought of posts - this last month was a whirlwind of activity with the beginning of semester at both the high school and university. Upcoming posts include an update on the hog population/damage at Ray Roberts and a review of the new TFO Clouser rod.)