# Friday 12/3



## shallowist (May 28, 2009)

Fished Friday with my boss, Mike Stall and one of our clients, Bruce Jefferis. This time I didn't waste the time to stop and look at birds... just drove the boat straight to the fish. They were right were I left them the day before, tailing away. Today we were blessed with great conditions, very light breeze and abundant sunshine. The fish, were every bit as spooky as the previous day, if not more, and didn't stay tailing nearly as long. We did get plenty of good shots at them as well as the sheepies. We tried a few flies, and hooked reds all morning. We had 3 consecutive fish pull off, while Bruce was fishing before checking the hook and realizing that the point was bent over.

Fishing was similar to Thursday with the fish draining from the back marshes onto the open shorelines. We could work up to the small cuts and cast at numerous fish. Once we pushed most of the fish out, we could pole down the shoreline and chase them as they grouped back up. We sat in one drain and caught one red and watched well over 50 more come out of the small lake behind the shoreline. Unfortunately, most were way to spooked as they got near, so they were on full alert and running. With the clear water, we could see all of them as they had to cross over an area that was only about 12 inches deep.

We decided to do some looking for less spooky and more tailing happy fish. They never really seemed to bunch back up, but we saw some great single fish cruidsing with the good overhead light. We hooked another really nice fish that pulled off, and Mike had one boil on a rattle shrimp right as he was lifting it off the water to make a cast. The fish swam right behind the boat and was every bit of 28 inches from my view. We poled through a couple of areas that I normally find big reds and a scattering of big trout. They weren't thick but we did see a few. 3 trout, 2 of which were well up into the high 20's if not 30 plus inches. One was bigger than any of the reds we saw all day!!! The smallest was maybe a 25. We also landed the bonus Texas bonefish (sheephead) that was probably about 6 or 7 pounds. I didn't take very many pictures, too many fish that came unhooked. Great day for seeing fish, just not quite as many that made it to the boat today.

Cleaned one red for Mike, and the gut check yielded several small (under 2 inch shrimp) and a sand eel about 7 or 8 inches. They certainly aren't starving!​


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## Flycaster (Nov 7, 2010)

Nice pics and report.


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## let's go (Nov 14, 2005)

Stop it! I'm missing my Mitzi.


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## shallowist (May 28, 2009)

let's go said:


> Stop it! I'm missing my Mitzi.


Scott, just give me a shout when you want to get back on board the little Mitzi. It has certainly seen it's share of tailing fish this fall. You are always welcome.


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## gjake999 (Sep 15, 2010)

*flies*

I will be tying this winter---any suggestion as to what was working---thanks jake


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## Bruce J (Jun 27, 2004)

Our fish were pretty picky, or just indifferent. I hooked one on a VIP popper, one on a brown/silver rattle fly, and two (plus a sheepie) on a fly a friend tied for me that had brown cactus chenille type head with bead chain eyes and a chartreuse craft fur tail. Although that one got the most action, the fish didn't move 6 inches to eat it. If it wasn't right in their mouths, they weren't going after it.


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## shallowist (May 28, 2009)

They have been in a strange mood the last two weeks. Caught one today on a rabit strip worm/eel fly. Most of the year, shrimp patterns, Clouser's, and bendbacks will work well. 

Watch for posts about the Texas Fly Fishers tying festival. There will be all sorts of flies to learn there with some advice from a few pros I bet.


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