bluegill

Five Weight Road Trip, Part One: Getting to Texas and the Guadalupe River

February 21, 2024 by Leigh Leave a Comment

I was listening to this tune by Willie Nelson as I wrote this post. Give it a listen.

The day before Valentine’s, as a reminder of who is really in charge, Mother Nature dropped a foot of snow on southern CT in just a few hours. It took two hours of snowblowing to find my driveway. As I plowed and shoveled, the thought of this trip kept me going.

For the past few years I’ve been wanting to attend Guadalupe River TU’s Troutfest. While Texas is not top of mind for trout fishing, the event is hailed as one of the nation’s largest, drawing anglers from all over the country. Check these links to find speakers and tyers.

The planets aligned, and in addition to Troutfest, the Ameripolitan Music Awards at Austin City Limits was the same weekend. This was too good to pass up, so I made reservations.

Upon arriving in San Antonio, took a quick drive to the hotel in New Braunfels. My 3-day plan in Texas was pretty simple: Fish the Guadalupe, visit GRTU’s Troutfest, and attend the Ameripolitan Awards.

On Friday, I drove to Guadalupe River State Park. Passing through the Texas foothills, covered with small oaks and brush, the landscape rolled by, seemingly unaffected by the coming change. Comal County is growing, and the rugged charm of the Texas foothills is succumbing to the traffic, construction and commerce that accompanies increasing population.

Arriving at the park, I asked the ranger about the fishing. He said that hungry trout, bass & crappie were out there, taking almost anything thrown at them. His instructions were simple: drive to where the parking lot ends in front of the river. Go upstream or downstream. Both have plenty of fish.

I parked, did a quick walk along the shore, threw on my gear, and headed upstream. The path was narrow and lined with brush but otherwise relatively easy to hike. I stopped upstream where the water was slow and cloudy. There were large pools, but no rising fish and ultimately no takers for my streamer.

Then I waded down to the main section of the park where I caught a small sunfish. Not exactly a trophy, but a Texas native that took off the skunk.

By now there were many families along the bank enjoying this beautiful 70-degree day, so I left the water and walked downstream until I saw no other faces. Unlike upstream, with large pools and slow-moving cloudy water, this was narrow and fast, with plenty of rocks, runs and riffles. It resembled more of what I would describe as a trout stream.

I tied on a flashy orange streamer that I mostly use in the fall for trout in Connecticut. Within a few casts, my first Guadalupe bass was on the line. As advertised, it put up a good fight right to the net. I found others in the same pool of similar size and fight.

I continued catching until the early afternoon, when hunger took over and I returned to the car. After a lunch break, I walked a few of the trails and then packed up to leave.

Not a bad experience for my first time fishing the Texas hill country. I would recommend Guadalupe River State Park to anyone wanting to spend a day fishing, hiking, picnicking or paddling. The wading is easy and once I found fish, they were eager. Escaping the New England winter was also a bonus.

Hope you’re planning similar adventures. Enjoy!

Just Down The Road

June 8, 2020 by Leigh 4 Comments

When it comes to local fishing, most of the time I travel almost an hour to the Farmington or Housatonic. Both of these rivers are regional favorites and hold a lot of large fish, courtesy of Connecticut hatcheries. On occasion I’ll visit the Naugatuck, a smaller river that can be rewarding certain times of year. It also gets stocked with trout in the spring, then salmon in the fall.

Today I decided to save the driving time and waded a local stream just 3 miles from my home. Although it runs along a well-traveled road, it’s rather small, not easily accessible, and disguised in the colors of summer foliage.

It turned out to be exactly what you’d hope for in a small stream – a series of runs, riffles and pools, most found under canopied tree cover.

While one or two areas may be waist-deep, most barely reach your knee. I wore half-waders, but they hardly saw any action. In fact, my feet were rarely wet. Most casting was done from the shore in order not to spook the pool.

The river runs for miles, but I fished a section of less than 100 yards for about 90 minutes. The lush green surroundings added to the appeal and kept water temps cold.

Rock bass like this one were the most common catch. They eagerly attacked the streamer and fought like a larger fish.

There were also a couple of panfish like this one. They hit quickly and gave up easily. River panfish always seem to be lighter in color than the ones found in local ponds and lakes.

This rainbow was the jewel of the day. I ran the streamer through a long narrow run, but missed the take. A few minutes later I tried again and brought this 12″ beauty to hand.

This was one of the smallmouth that I hooked, but special mention is given to the sizeable one that I found hidden in ankle-deep water. It got off before I could snap a pic.

This was probably the most unusual catch of the day. A green sunfish. Not native to CT, but travels thru drainage.

All of the fish caught today were on this streamer, The Guinness Trout, by Ralph Long of Ralph’s Fly Box. I started tying this pattern in a size 10 because I like the name, but soon found it brings brookies, bass, panfish and rainbows to hand.

If you’re curious to find out more about other Connecticut small streams, give the Connecticut Angler Youtube channel a try. You might find one that you like.

Hope you get outside out during this unique time in our history and find a few minutes to spend in nature.

Enjoy!

Enjoying The Distance

May 15, 2020 by Leigh 2 Comments

While there have been very few things to celebrate these past few months, today was an exception. We broke from a string of days with your choice of cool temps and/or rain, and found 80-degrees on the thermometer, complete with sunshine and calm wind.

The state has been regularly stocking the streams with trout, and many anglers are hitting the water. Some obey social distancing guidelines, some don’t. Crowds on the water are not my thing during normal times. Much less during a pandemic.

Today I took the path less chosen. After work I quickly loaded the kayak and headed to the local bass pond. It turned out to be a good decision. In addition to little company, the fishing was good.

One of the things that I enjoy most about pond fishing is the simplicity. I used the same white balsa popper the entire time. Not losing a popper is an accomplishment on its own. The 6′ one-piece fiberglass rod that I built a few years ago proved itself again. Not exactly a travel rod, but it delivers the popper softly and has enough bend to bring a fish close to the kayak for release.

My first fish on the line was this bass. A good start to prepare for many more.

Next came a series of sunfish. While they are not known for fighting abilities, the larger ones are a lot of fun to play as they race under the kayak.

I’m always amazed at the colors and patterns on a pumpkinseed.

I finished on a high note with the personal best of the day – a bass that fought and jumped right until it was beside the kayak. It shot straight out of the water just as the sun was reaching the trees. It briefly reminded me of a tarpon.

I packed the car and looked back, realizing how lucky we are to have this pond close by. While it may seem that there aren’t many things to be thankful for, this will be one place that I visit to enjoy the distancing, and remember how wonderful a day on the water can be.

As I finish writing it has started pouring – again. The rain is beating on my canoe like a snare drum. It’s strangely comforting, reminding me of the outdoor adventures to come.

Hope you are making the best of social distancing and finding some time on the water for yourself.

Enjoy!

Something Different For Fall

October 3, 2019 by Leigh Leave a Comment

It seems like the Connecticut DEEP has stocked more trout in the Farmington River than the human population of some western states. The Housatonic smallmouth action has been nothing less than exceptional. So why am I sitting here in a kayak throwing poppers to hungry bream and rock bass? Simple. I wanted something different.

Instead of standing shoulder to shoulder with other anglers, driving an hour to get to good water, worrying about water temps or reading flow levels, I threw the kayak on the car and was floating within 15 minutes.

This end of the Housatonic is known more for pleasure boats and water skis, yet the inlet leading to the public launch is relatively quiet. Only an occasional boater, returning from a day on the water, asks me how I’m doing.

And I am doing great. Bream and rock bass are hitting the balsa poppers so hard that two of them were reduced to hook and rubber legs. The water is calm, relatively clear, and the takes are easy to spot. I paddle almost effortlessly into small coves, cast, and wait for strikes.

Just like upstream, where the trout are waiting, the fall scenery is part of the experience.

Regardless of where you are and what you’re fishing for, hope you can get out and enjoy some fall fishing.

Enjoy!

Redington Butter Stick Redux

December 23, 2018 by Leigh 3 Comments

Back in 2013 I reviewed the Redington Butter Stick. To see that review, click here. In the 5 years that have passed, they’ve made some nice improvements that I’ll mention during this review.

I’ve always been a fan of fiberglass rods, especially for kayak fishing and small streams, so I was very interested to see what updates they would make to a pretty solid offering.

Last time I worked with a 3wt. This time I went with a 4wt for better distance casting and a little more backbone. The 4wt kept the flexibility that I expect from a Butter Stick.

One of the first things I noticed is that the rod has a new look. I would call it retro, since it reminds me of some of my barn finds. That said, the quality of the blank, guide wraps, grip and reel seat reflect the benefits of modern technology and quality control. It’s a good looking, well made stick.

For this test, we paired the rod with a Redington ZERO Reel and RIO Gold fly line.

If you’ve read my other reviews, you know I am a big fan of RIO lines. The Gold line is no exception.

The RIO Gold product sheet says that it has incredible loop stability, a unique taper that easily loads fly line at close range and perfect presentation of flies between sizes #22 and #2. I would agree with these statements, and add that the overall quality is in line with other RIO products.

The ZERO reel is light for a large arbor reel, and the click system is smooth and easy to use. The Dreamcicle Orange color is an added benefit and compliments the colors of the Butter Stick.

I started by taking the Butter Stick to the local paddling lake, my go-to for rod testing. It allows me to cast from different perspectives. The wind kept me from staying long, but using a thin mint woolly bugger, I caught this perch.

Next stop was a nearby farm pond. The winds subsided, and I proceeded to pick up a string of these. The Butter Stick’s sensitivity allowed me to detect the subtle takes.

What I noticed about the new Butter Stick is that it has the backbone to bring a fish to the net quickly, while delivering the soft presentation you’ve come to expect, even when chucking streamers. Distance casting is solid and straight for a fiberglass rod, yet it still has that familiar waggle.

The ZERO reel complements the Butter Stick, both functionally and aesthetically. It’s light and effortless to retrieve. I did give it a chance to play a fish and it was happy to see how smoothly it performed.

I attribute some of the softness of delivery directly to the RIO Gold line. The quality and performance of these lines is undeniable.

What I like about this combo:

The Butter Stick did well even in windy conditions. I used it to cast dry flies, nymphs and streamers. It delivers a smooth presentation, solid distance casting, but never lets me forget the forgiving nature of fiberglass
The ZERO reel feels like it was made for this combo. The simplicity of the click system adds to its appeal
RIO Gold line loads well for short range but also shoots effortlessly for distance and target casts

The bottom line: If you’re a fiberglass rod enthusiast, or are looking to add glass to your collection, the Butter Stick is a great choice. I thought it would be hard to improve on the original Butter Stick, but Redington has done it.

I’m not the only fan of the Butter Stick. Check out the reviews below.