# Where to go?



## Robert W (Nov 24, 2011)

Still learning to fly fish. Have a little time off as we approach Christmas. Looking for some place near Houston. Raven? Fayette ? Floating or sinking line? Preferred pattern?

ok, so I guess you can tell I want to move from practicing in a neighborhood pond to actually catching a fish and need a recipe 😀. Salt or fresh. I have a boat with a trolling motor but too large to pole.

thanks


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## Popperdave (Jul 9, 2016)

This time of year I would go saltwater, floating line, crab or shrimp patterns. The best suggestion woulld be to hire a guide for your first experience. Lots of good fly guides out of Galveston, POC, Rockport. 
If you want to go it alone then any shore line that you would normally wade for Redfish and has relatively clear water. Normally you will see the fish then cast to it. So you will typically wade in knee deep or less. The south shoreline of East Matagorda Bay has some great wading. 
Good luck stay safe


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

One idea is to go somewhere with some shallow oyster shell and reef and fish the margins. I’ve found I can generally dredge up something on the fly next to shallow shell and sometimes there are some good sight fishing opportunities in the same spot. 

Any of the saltwater estuaries with shell and mud will have fish. Shell is pretty easy to spot on the satellite images. Places like Bastrop bayou and bay, various drains off the intracoastal waterway, marshes that connect to bays. 

The whole of the Matagorda peninsula on the south shoreline of West Matagorda bay is a fishing paradise. East Matagorda bay has similar water. I suppose West Galveston bay does too. 

My advice is to get as skinny as you can and just stop, look and listen. People tend to move too fast and miss the signals. 

You can wade some places too. 

The value of fishing structure like reef margins is that it builds real live fishing, line handling, and casting skills. If you wait only for sighted fish to cast, you may not be actually ready or tuned up for the cast when it is critical you nail it. By on the water fishing margins, shorelines, dropoffs, bulkheads, etc. you get to pick a target, try to hit it, and you might actually catch a fish. WAY better than sterile pond practice or on the lawn tear up the fly line practice.

Somehow, many people in fly fishing have turned their nose up at anything that isn’t crystal clear water, sighted fish type of fly fishing for the salt, but if you wait for the very low wind, good light, and perfect water days around here, you aren’t going to be fishing all that much.


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## Ggodinich (May 20, 2015)

I would recommend chasing white bass in the creeks if you are looking to hook up on some first fish. Around now until march the bass are spawning and provide a relatively easy target. Some people like Houstonflyfishing.com provide guided trips in Houston/ dallas/ ft worth area if you'd want to book trip. I personally have not been with him but have seen him out there putting clients on them.


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