Tag Archives: fly

Running of the bulls

Bull, redfish, fly fishing, texas, gulf, coast

Bull redfish caught in 8inches of water.

Port Aransas has a good bull redfish run but most notably in the deep channels, inlets and passes. Nonetheless, they do come up onto the flats at certain times (like NOW)! Sight casting opportunities have really kicked up lately thanks to a lack of clouds and the winds are more favorable in the morning making it possible to hunt for these bigger redfish.

redfish, fly fishing, port aransas, rockport, flats, saltwater, guide

Redfish HOG

 

If you want to get on board and take your shots a these big redfish give me a call! I’ve got a feeling August is going to be great!

black drum, gasper goo, texas, fly fishing, guide, port aransas

Peek-a-boo Black Drum

September has some dates open also and October is mostly booked but I do still have a few dates open at that time too. Remember if you come down, plan your lodging far in advance as vacancy in town can be difficult.

Super stealth is key and having a boat that can take you way way back in the back is a must! It takes a bit of work polling into places like this but it is worth every ounce of the energy and time it takes to get in and out. Beulah’s new Opal Fly Rod (newest saltwater line up) delivers the fly well to these fish even in tight quarters. And if you need to take a long shot at a trailer or put some extra pressure on a bruiser, this rod has the backbone and finesse to get the job done. With a bit of care one can even manage to take multiple shots at fish and with proper presentation these fish are eating! Along with those hefty redfish in the super skinny water are also good numbers of schooled up black drum. They aren’t puppies and put up a good fight too.

Give me a call and lets go fishing! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

slough, creek, redfish, texas, port aransas

Big fish like to run these gauntlets right after the hookup

 

Spring Rains & The Big 3 That Got Away

charlie_redfish_copyright

Bright and sunny this fish was right where we thought she would be!

Mike-redfish-running-copyright

Hooked up to a redfish on fly and West Coast Mike hangin on!

Summer Availability:  Last summer the winds died out July 1st and the bay went flat as glass and you could see tails to the horizon. And so it begins, we switch to super small patterns with short stealthy casts to target tailing redfish. Multiple fish days exist in July and August and the tailing redfish action is red hot just like the sunshine! Give me a call now to reserve your spot on the bow of the boat! Capt Ken 361-500-2552

 

Spring Report:  This year has been incredible including last winter. Many fish on the flats and then up super shallow early. There were some very nice sized ones to boot. All the rains we have been getting this year (seems they really started way back in January) are producing some great fly fishing action. In between the cloudy and windy days are bursts of sunshine, usually with a T-head looming somewhere on the horizon. The fishing under overcast skies and stiff breezes is also decent and 2 recent clients, both named Mike, hooked fish that got the best of them. West Coast Mike stuck out 3 days of grueling winds and while we had trouble finding good numbers of fish the first day he just wouldn’t quit. On the first day we got well adjusted and felt a tight team had been formed between angler and guide. Calling the shots from the platform is no easy task, especially for the angler when truckloads of mullets to 3 lbs are rampaging the flats scarfing up the freshly grown green algae and grasses. Day two with W Coaster Mike was a bit more mellow and the twitches began to subside, partially from casting fatigue, and also from getting a good grade on Day 1. One shot is all we got on each school of reds that we found. If they spooked the school would split and then scatter. Then we found a huge tailer along a reef with its broad fat tail flopping size to side as the fish was cruising up onto the top of the reef with the extremely high tides.

WC Mike redfish

Sweet Serenity in rough conditions!

Mike made the perfect cast and when the fish ate I felt the boat jump as West Coast Mike drove the permeable Tiemco hook deep into the fish’s tough maw. But that fish was smart, and got down in dirty and cut-off Mike on the oysters. A quick retie of the trusted chartreuse mullet fly and wouldn’t you know on the other side of the reef was another big fish with its tail up and getting busy! Mike hooked up to this fish too but with the powerful hookset the fish shook its massive head violently and parted the 15-lb tippet. Back to back, and all in two casts.

Mike Flounder

Bonus Species, mark that one off the bucket list!

Dean with a redfish

“Sight casting” can be done in cloudy weather too! Its just a little harder!

Not long after Mike nails a respectable southern flounder out of a pothole then later took a shot at a bull-rushing redfish and intercepted the fish with a well placed 70′ cast at which point it nailed the fly and ran upwind!

This one we landed and the sense of accomplishment and pride was almost overwhelming us both!

And so on for several more days we find a few fish that eat, but any mistakes are taken advantage of by the fish. East Coast Mike will attest to that, his only goal was to catch 1 fish but that make for a tough order sometimes!

All in all it was a thrill fishing with both of these fellas and while the sunshine is unpredictable and is good for sight fishing, fly fishing under less than gorgeous conditions can also be fun and rewarding!

 

 

Red Hot Winters

redfish, on the fly, fishing., port aransasOn the island town of Port Aransas in South Texas, winter-time is frowned upon by the locals except for a few reasons. We prefer board shorts and flip flops but hey, who doesn’t?

Despite the blistering cold north winds that prevail this time of year there are a several things that continue to give me the warm and fuzzies… If you suffer from chronic cabin fever like me, now is a great time to call up your favorite guide and go nail some blue-tailed redfish!

For one, the redfish this time of year are schooled up thick and I can assure you they have put on their feed bags! Recent examination of the stomach contents of a few redfish have revealed hefty amounts of thumbnail size crabs of various types as well as lady-finger shrimp… While the cast and retrieve are typically run at a much slower pace, the bites from these redfish are very consistent and extremely predictable. Finding these schooled up fish can be tricky and that’s why hiring your favorite fly guide can mean the difference between searching miles and miles of empty flats versus working the same mini flat all day putting numerous redfish in the boat.

redfish, blue tailed, fly fishing, port aransasSecondly, the “summer tourista” boat traffic is long gone, and only a fraction of the boaters remain. While most guys have stowed their fishin gear in exchange for camo underwear and shotguns, that (duck) season closes Jan25 and then, only the brave will thrive. This translates into large groups of redfish that are no longer spooked by the sound of some yahoo running his shallow water skiff across the flat only 50yds from you as if you weren’t there. And overcast skies and moderate winds provide camouflage for us. It makes it harder for us to see the fish but the better point is that it makes it harder for the fish to see us!

Port aransas, Texas, Coast, Fly fishing, redfishSight casting opportunities can feel non-existent in the winter due to heavily overcast skies, and trying to coordinate your schedule to nail a clear blue bird day will make everyone loose their hair. Nonetheless, we do get those days and if that is what you want, put down a deposit to get on the books and your guide will certainly call you the day before all goes bluebird! Being ready to strike on short notice can make for a glorious day of sight casting in skinny water during the winter as the sunshine will draw the fish into the shallows to warm up and get some fresh grub in their guts.

Even in cloudy weather though, these redfish are hungry and provide exciting action on the water with no-one in sight. Fortunately there are so many different places to launch that it is easy to avoid the worst of the strong winds and rough seas. This means we can get to these hotspots without having to cross the open bays where things are much more dicey. redfish, on the fly, fishing, port aransas, texas, coast

Staying dry is the secret to staying warm. By putting some thought and maybe a little cash into the clothes you wear a cold day on the water will be far from miserable. STAY AWAY from cotton fabrics!!! Synthetic materials are the way to go this time of year… not only are they lightweight but it will help keep you dry and comfortable. Cotton will absorb moisture and will have you chilled like a peel-n-eat shrimp within an hour. Personally I wear a double layer of under armor leggings and tops, and then at least one layer of fleece (top and bottom)… Next to go on is an essential wind jacket followed by my favorite Patagonia outer shell (jacket and pants). This shell will keep the wind and rain from reaching the core layers… The synthetic materials will help evaporate any sweat away from your body too. Multiple layers of wool socks, each layer being thicker than the one before is critical. Your hands and feet will get the brunt of the cold no doubt and to combat the stinging pain in the hands I wear Alpaca fingerless gloves. I chose alpaca wool because it is well known for being warmer than regular wool especially when wet. I’ve used sheep’s wool for years but once I experienced the true benefits of alpaca it has become a necessity that is worth every penny.

So, if you haven’t already called your fly guide and booked your next winter rendezvous with a redfish you might also want to know that winter time also means excellent chances at Gator Trout! The speckled trout are harder to locate and getting them to eat can be tough but don’t be surprised when you hook into another lousy redfish only to find out it is a Big ‘Ole TROUT!!! For all these reasons… this is why I love winter-time fly fishing! Keep your hooks sharp and your retrieves slow. Call Captain Kenjo! It’s a great bite this time of year!

trout, sea, gator, speck, fly, fishing, winter, texas, port aransas

Texas Tarpon Rodeo

TARPON!

tarpon, gulf, mexico, port aransas, texas, coast, fly, fishing, guide, charters

Perma-Grins after 3 days of Fly Fishing for Tarpon

…the word alone sends chills down most people’s spine and makes the hair on their neck stand at attention. For me, a wide range of emotions flood me like an Autumn tide at just the thought of tarpon all the way from excitement to anxiety.

This is one fish that can make people weak in the knees, jump for joy and cringe in fear all in the same day. Knowing the odds are not in your favor when fly fishing for these beasts is textbook and is certainly the wide range of emotions you experience that keeps one coming back for more and more.

Most humans strive daily to find a sense of accomplishment, but the mighty tarpon always feels accomplished. Standard units of measure seem not apply to this fish, as it is constantly exceeding expectations and absolutely fascinating its audience simply upon appearance.

Lady luck doesn’t discriminate either, and oftentimes her attraction is not always towards the experienced but she is certainly attracted to skill. And this is where last week’s client, Adrian, enters the scene stage left on a referral from a trusted fly fishing contact in Dallas. Adrian and I talk extensively for months leading up to the trip and I tell Adrian how to prepare himself physically and mentally and he booked without hesitation a multi-day trip tarpon trip with me hoping to scratch this species off his bucket-list.

bull redfish on fly

Hooked Up

One day just isn’t enough when fishing for tarpon and even with Lady Luck in your shirt pocket you might only need one day, but come on, this is Monsieur Tarpon we are talking about here! Multiple days is not only what it takes, but it is what you need even if you succeed to land your first tarpon the first day, there is no doubt you are going to twitch uncontrollably until you get another. And, Adrian did just that. Coming from the West Coast and being used to casting heavily forward weighted shooting heads Adrian was comfortable with my 11wt Beulah Fly Rod in hand and I instantly knew after his first cast that he had good chances of hooking his first tarpon with acceptable odds of landing it.

We spent the morning warming up the brain and getting into position we stop in a few likely spots, nail some fun lady fish and by the afternoon we were strapped into our Korker’s CastTrax. Sure-footed we ventured out on the rocks really warmed up and ready to put a hurtin’ on some fish. At one point standing on the highest rock I can find to get a good view far out into the water I notice a large sandy brown spot the size of a pickup truck and it appears to be moving left to right.

redfish, fly fishing, texas, coast

First redfish on fly for Adrian and its a beauty!

I holler down to Adrian who is lower to the water that there is a big school of redfish out there and have him cast straight out as far as he can. His fly lands 5-feet short and just behind the leading fish when suddenly one peels off from the school and snatches his fly. “SET SET SET” I shout and instinctively Adrian does, coming tight to a nice 29-30 inch redfish.

Having knocked this one off his list we move farther out into the macro-chasm of granite and begin scouting intently straining our eyes to see rolling tarpon that might not even be there.

Then it happened. That magic witching hour fell upon us and tarpon began to appear in a place where the moderately stiff wind direction was not exactly in our favor but the tide had just turned and the presence of bait was right. So, this is where skill came into play, and Adrian adapted to the wind angles nicely, adjusting his stance and casting stroke to make it safe to cast a 3/0 tarpon fly. Before long he had his first strike, just below the water’s surface but shallow enough to see 3 feet of flashy silver flanks. “Oooohhh! What was that?” Adrian asks… “Tarpon!!!” I exclaim. Another cast goes out, and in just a few strips of the fly Adrian grunts and instantly a 10 pound tarpon leaps into the air cartwheeling and back flipping multiple times.

silver, king, tarpon, texas, gulf, coast, fly, fishing

20-25lb Silver King

He hoots and holler’s aloud and I have Adrian move into a good landing position so I can avoid the 2ft surf washing against the rocks so the fish doesnt get injured so much and where I can leader and unhook the fish returning its freedom without hesitation.

Night falls quickly when you’re having fun jumping tarpon and we continue to fish. Tensions build as our eyes adjust to the last of sunlight and then Adrian hooks another fish. This time it is a 4 foot tarpon close to 60-pounds and only 20 feet from the rod tip. Instantly it leaps directly away from us with lightning fast reflexes on the hook-set. Unfortunately this fish comes unbuttoned and back to casting we go still hootin’ and hollerin and throwing out high-fives with glee. A little while later and as the tide peaks we move around to the other side and Adrian sets the hook on another tarpon, a respectable 3 footer which we land and take a quick photo.

Then as the tides change again the bite dies off, we decide to retire for the night and hit it again in the morning hoping the tide will turn’em on again but this time the tide wasn’t exactly the same. So we spent the 2nd morning casting blind in all the likely spots but the tarpon were just not there and probably had moved farther out with the falling tide. This is “fishing” of course, so we turn our sights to other species and continue fishing hoping to tie into a redfish or another species.

snook, texas, fly, fishing, gulf, mexico,

South Texas Snook on Fly

As Adrian is working a productive hole, he gets a massive strike from a fish we cannot see, and it pulls down the 11wt rod with a considerable bend but there is no jumping from the fish. As Adrian fights to keep the fish out of the rocks, the creature surfaces and we see right away that it is a snook! Now that’s a nice and rare fish and another species stricken from his bucket list.  We spend the afternoon changing locations and resting up and refueling our bodies, we talk about the final day’s plans.

On the morning of the 3rd day, I call Adrian an hour early and tell him that our plans to fish for redfish on the flats have changed and that we need to scramble to get in on another tarpon bite going off. Having literally 200+ tarpon flies in the box, there only seemed to be one or two tarpon fly patterns that the silver king wanted to eat that week and after two days of hardcore fly fishing I had run out of copies losing them to the unforgiving rocks and tearing them up to hungry fish.

fly tying, tarpon, flies, fishing, texas, gulf, coast, guide

20 minutes to GO TIME!!!

Luckily I tie all my own flies and I had tied a few more copies of the pattern at 5am earlier that morning to make sure we had what we needed to get the job done on the final day. Again, and without hesitation, Adrian said “Hell yeah! Let’s go!” and we geared up with red bull and donuts heading to the next tarpon spot with our tackle and enough food and water to get us through a potential 12-hour day. As we arrive on the scene, our eyes turn to the water, scanning to-and-fro looking for the tell-tale sign of Poon-anny.

Not seeing much at first, I explain to Adrian that tarpon do not have to “roll or gulp air” and that they certainly do this in areas with low oxygen levels but that they may also roll just for fun, or to look for humans to torture above the water’s surface. Additionally, some of their rolls are aggressive and obviously intended to kill their food. I continue to give hope and explain that even though we may not see any tarpon, there is good chance that they are there and it is only a matter of time before we get bitten. As the sun finishes freeing itself of the cloudy horizon we begin to see some tarpon roll. Occasionally we see a tarpon make an aggressive roll and this jump-starts the twitch in us again and we make a short move down and to the side where I can see another pod of fish rolling. Adrian begins casting and retrieving with faith the special fly that had worked so well over the previous two days.

By the time Adrian had made his 5th cast in this other spot, Adrian yells “FISH ON!!!” and BOOOM!!! the line goes tight while an absolute beast emerges from the water shaking his head back and forth so violently that water is spraying 30 feet out to the sides.

fly, fishing, guide, texas, coast, tarpon, leader, port aransas

Guess I need to beef it up to 50-lb leader with 30-turn bimini twist and a 100-lb bite tippet!!!

The creature’s massive mouth was agape and big enough to fit a 5-gallon bucket. I could see the freshly tied fly firmly planted in the top right lip near the corner. In the same nano-second the fish ejects its entire body from the water and flies through the air in the direction of the horizon, Adrian holds on tight and does a phenomenal job of clearing the fly line to get the fish on the Hatch 9+ reel and then clearing his hands from the blazing fast 50-lb backing as it peels off the reel faster than a super sonic jet! The lassoed GIANT Tarpon leaps 3 more times as it covers one hundred yards in the blink of an eye with our line in tow and on the 3rd jump she lands on the leader and shreds the 30-lb bimini twisted tippet separating our connection. Having just witnessed this and getting several good looks at it, I conservatively estimated this fish at 6+ feet and over 150-lbs and actually closer to 7-feet and weighing nearly 200-lbs.

Reeling in the slack line we exchanged several high-fives, handshakes and even a hug or two with enormous memories flooding our mind’s eye as the adrenaline continued to course through our veins. Under my breath I think to myself… “Well!!! That is it! Certainly this fish cannot be topped today!. Yet, with shaking hands and knees, we continue to fish non-stop for another 4 hours in an attempt to connect with another tarpon but in fact, this gigantic fish had taken the very last copy of that magic fly which had worked so well. The Airflo Tropical Tarpon Lines performed flawlessly and gave solid hooksets on every fish!

hatch, outdoors, fly, fishing, reels, texas, gulf, coast, mexico

Hatch Reels withstand all the abuse you can dish out

Retiring for the late afternoon, Adrian and I visit a local watering hole to have a really ice cold beer and reminisce about the last 3-days of fishing. I congratulate Adrian on a job well done and that he is a seriously lucky fisherman for having hooked such as massive tarpon on his 3rd and final day of fishing with me.

Immensely proud of Adrian, it is a true privilege to be able to work as a professional fly fishing guide who not only gets to take people fishing but that I am able to witness so many “firsts” for my clients such as their first redfish, first tarpon, first snook, and first GIANT Tarpon. To experience the rarest of rare moments with them is pure ecstasy and sharing in their enthusiasm, joy and excitement gives me the sense of accomplishment that I spent so long to find.

Thank You Adrian for being such a great fisherman and fantastic guest and a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to you for all of your exceptional catches while fishing with me! I cannot wait to see you again next year for the next Fall Migration of our Gulf of Mexico Tarpon!!!

P.S. Everyone… The first week of November is available for another multi-day tarpon trip. Call me ASAP to get in on this action before the run is over!!!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

 

 

The Den of Bud

One day last week I received an invitation to head South on a short scouting mission for Mr. Tarpon and jumped at the chance to test some flies and equipment and perform some checks in order to prepare myself for some very cool clients coming into town soon to fish with me.

tarpon, texas, coast, guide, jetty, fly fishing,

6+ Foot Tarpon was here

In the process I was fortunate enough to meet and spend some quality time with the great & legendary fly fisherman, Bud Rowland. His home is riddled with artifacts of grand proportion. A plethora of fly rods and reels, all with lines strung, flies tied to their leaders and ready to cast. They are strapped to the ceiling and walls like a high-grade weapons arsenal. Fiberglass replicas of colorfully massive fish jump out at you from every corner, some with long pointy harpoon-like bills, others baring fangs protruding from yellow mouths. Feeling like a kid in a candy shop, every miniscule item seemed to catch my attention.

Of course, with me being deprived of sleep, I didn’t prepare any questions for Bud in advance and thought that Bud might even be relieved if I did not bombard him with the same 20 questions he hears most frequently about his world record speckled trout which he bravely released. I also failed to even take a picture with Bud and myself… Lack of sleep can make things skip the mind. Nonetheless, it was an honor to hear some of his other stories and see many of the saltwater fly fishing relics and artifacts in his home, but the coolest part was just sitting quietly and listening to Bud talk about all the knowledge he has gained over the 40 years of fly fishing along the South Texas Coast.

bud rowland, mud, minnow, fly fishing, texas, coast, port aransas, guide

Bud Rowland’s Mud Minnow getting it done for Chris between storms passing in the distance

Truly amazed, I did manage to ask him a few squid-like questions, like how he got into fly fishing, and how he ended up calling South Texas his home. A bamboo fly rod was his first fishing rod ever, and when it came for him to pull up his Wyoming/Kansas roots, he told me it was either Texas where he had family, or Australia. I was pleased to learn that he chose Texas and that the fishing and outdoor activities here rival those that can be found in the Outback.

He even called the South Texas Gulf Coast a “fly fisherman’s paradise”, bringing another big smile across my face which I tried to hold back to no avail. Upwards and onwards, I think to myself, that is the same reason why I moved to Port Aransas. It is a legendary fishing port, formerly known for its enormous runs of tarpon and many other species and even today quality fishing experiences can be had most any day of the year.

Then, suddenly, in the blink of an eye, I was back on the Texas Highways pavement heading back to Port Aransas with a few of Bud’s flies in my shirt pocket. I consider myself to be truly lucky for having met Bud, and I hope to see him again soon, either on my turf, or his.

bud rowland, saltwater, flies, mud, minnow, fly fishing

Bud’s Mud Minnows… Top and right are actually tied by Bud.

The time is nigh, as tarpon are congregating outside the inlets and passes of the gulf, laying in wait to scarf down the next baker’s dozen of mullet as they run from the bulls. In October I have one set of dates left for prime-time tarpon fishing. This is one experience you should jump on like a PBR Cowboy and it is one that you will never forget as it takes a good amount of fortitude to battle these Silver Kings (and win).

Give me a call directly asap to get on the books and make sure to leave a message if I don’t answer! The phone stays on vibrate most of the day to keep from waking the family!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

 

Lucky Foot Dirty Hats

Speaking to a few local fly-flinging friends the other day the conversation turns to the topic of luck. Time and time again I wonder just how much luck we really have… and just how much of what seems like luck was good simply decision making and skill. Luck doesn’t seem to follow us every time we fish together, but I know how that can be… I usually only catch those coolest of fish when no-one is around to bear witness and there is no camera! And those are some of my favorite moments. Without the camera or witness it seems that the details of the catch are highlighted and stand out more vividly. Like the time a native Northeast Coast striped bass flew out of the back-side of a wave and smashed a white bucktail deceiver out of the air then slipped back into the water in an instant.

tarpon, catch, release, repeat, fly fishing, texas, gulf coast,

Coming into hand for the release

Then there have been some epic tarpon moments too… And just about anytime you get a strike from the Silver King it is monumental. One moment in particular was when it was absolute gang-busters and three of us guys fishing together had lassoed 3 very respectable tarpon with estimated weights of 40-lb, 60-lb and 80 pounds. AT NIGHT. On the rocks. I can assure you we didn’t just stand in one place to fight these fish! There was tons of jumping and running, playing jump rope with our lines dancing with mayhem in out boots.

Sometimes I intentionally fish alone and leave the photo bomber in the truck to add to the mystery of what might come. But most of us have those lucky items which for some strange reason we think it helps us achieve our goals to catch more fish, win the lottery, or get the best parking spot in the lot. This usually comes in the form of some article of clothing or something you can carry in your pocket like a coin or stone. We have all heard stories of lucky socks, lucky hats, and even lucky underwear. But not being much of a superstitious person, I began thinking to myself about whether or not I had any items like this. Hats don’t normally last long, since the sun and salt bleach them white in a matter of days and then they get blown off my head while underway and sink like rocks. I wont comment on my underwear to keep it PG, but I remembered one of my favorite hats that had been hung on my fly tying desk to rest although it was given to me only months prior. While on hiatus, I had failed to clean it since taking possession even though it is a well-fitting ball cap. It was given to me by Travis Smith and Rance Rathie while visiting their bad-ass lodge, Patagonia River Guides in Trevelin Argentina. But before I could even think of wearing it again, it needed to be sprayed with some serious laundry cleaner juice and a splash of fresh tap water. Once thoroughly soaked, I threw it in a trusty old plastic grocery sack. “This hat is going to need to soak for a few days.” I quite thought aloud.

PRG, jack, crevalle, fly fishing, port aransas, texas, coast, guide

Lucky PRG Hat!

So when I returned from South Padre Island I rinsed it off after a good scrubbin’ and set it to dry in the handlebars of Sarah’s beach bike. Then I found this picture from earlier in the year when I was fishing locked drags and straight 50-lb leaders for big jack crevalle on the North Jetty in Port Aransas,

And wouldn’t you know it, there was my lucky PRG hat on my head and severely faded by the scorching Texas sun. The hyper-salty water, bleaching sun, and loads of fish slime had caused it to fade 20 shades lighter in only a few months but it still fit well and seems as though the luck in it is still kicking. I call it mojo, you call it whatever you like, but I am going back to wearing this hat day in and day out again!

So, now that it is past midnight I will leave you with one final picture of a fish with which I have had beef since February. The score isn’t settled yet by far and honestly this beast won as I had to forfeit my win due to a poorly placed hook. While working a nook and cranny near Port Aransas and time ticking fast I saw this big ugly black drum cruising lazily near the water’s surface and I ran to grab my fly rod, knowing it had just the right fly already tied-on to get this guy to eat! I quickly stripped line from the reel of the Hatch 9+ and placed the fly within a foot or two as the beast turned slowly away and began moving left to right. Again, the fly lands close to the fish’s “business” end but I just could not seem to illicit a strike! Then finally the fly landed super close to the fish but still far enough ahead to allow it time enough to sink into the beasts lair, I thought I saw its gill plates flare and BAM! I set the hook.

black drum, fly fishing, port aransas, guide

Huggin the Big Ugly

We came tight but the fish gingerly swam left, then right causally, as if my sharp hook had only slightly irritated it. In short order the giant black drum came right to hand and as I lifted it from the water I discovered that the hook had caught the fish just behind the lips on its right cheek, confirming it to be an unofficial catch. So, I gave the Big Ugly a big ugly hug and back into the water it went where it lazily and seemingly blindly, swam away as if we had never met. “See you again soon my friend, until next time” I said.

There are some dates open in September for sight-casting to redfish on the flats and I expect to see some big bull reds there too as they prepare for their annual fall migration by fattening up on the tail-ends of all the finger mullet that have been taking whatever refuge they can in the bay but also getting ready to head out into the gulf and then South.

Give me a call directly asap to get on the books and make sure to leave a message if I don’t answer! The phone stays on vibrate most of the day to keep from waking the family!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

Hot Tail Continues

tailing, redfish, fly. fishing, saltwater, guide, port aransas, texas, gulf, coast,

There were too many of these to count!

The redfish has been more than cooperative and even with the extreme dead low tides we are still able to get into the skinny water with my skiff and put a hurtin’ on the large numbers of tailing red fish.

Justin fished with me recently and we absolutely had a blast trying to get him his first redfish on the fly! Not surprisingly the degree of difficulty in taking shots at these fish can be compared the technical difficulty found when bonefishing.

refish on fly, red, fish, fly, fishing, texas, gulf, coast, port aransas, guide

Optical Illusion! A 24inch redfish looks like 19inches up against Justin’s stature!

Undaunted and full of energy, Justin stuck it out and adapted well. His initiative that he took a week in advance to practice his casting accuracy by taking shots at paper plates in the yard at random distances certainly gave him he edge he needed to get the job done when taking shots at tailing redfish in only 8 inches of water! His exercise in patience paid off as well and for the first time he was able to sight-cast, hookup, and land this nice slot redfish. Of course he let it swim away, as it is only right and good karma to set free the first fish!

The weather has been more than cooperative, and the few passing clouds are nice and offer great reprieve from the scorching sunshine! I have some lat minute dates available and early August and late August are also open!

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Captain Ken Jones
361-500-2552
Port Aransas, TX
USCG Licensed
Certified Tourism Ambassador
Certified Wildlife Guide

Spring Is In The Air So Should Be Your Fly

So the story goes like this about this little fly…

The finger mullet are moving into my home waters in a nice steady flow and so I’ve been playing with sparsely tied mullet patterns. This is a difficult task to say the least being that the mullet are so damned fat-headed and it can take alot of  materials to get the fat and wide profile. Short and Stumpy they are.

hollow fleye, bucktail, seaducer, saltwater, fly, fishing

Hollow Fleye Seaducer

And one night in thinking over methods on how to get bulk yet tie sparsely, I put together this seaducer headed hollow fleye. Its another hybrid but of natural materials to keep it as light as possible yet maintain that bulky fat head.

A short time later I saw Matt’s the salmon fly hanging off the swollen edge of a particle board shelf. “Yes!” I thought and feverishly began to reproduce that pattern which was given to me by Matt, who is the brother of my good ‘ole buddy, Nate. We go way back and have gotten into fish trouble with our women many time! And, both Nate and Matt contribute to the Ohio Outdoors & Wildlife website which always has cool stuff about the outdoors. They are real critter getters!

Matt tied this fly during a video shoot with me of some “other” patterns with heavy metal music blasting in the background. He was muttering Dahlberg this, gawd-dang Dahlberg that and this was pretty much the only word I could understand. And that is certainly one of my favorite ways to tie flies.

He then fished this fly with me in their neck of the woods under heavy snow in a river with ice sheets floating down it. Personally I prefer ice in my tea! The fly was tied on an upturned eye salmon fly hook in about a size 1. And, as he already knows, I used it in Argentina for freshwater trout. They killed it.

Once I saw how violently the fish were attacking this fly, I cut it off my leader and put it away for safe keeping.

salktwater, flies, redfish, jetty, jacks, mackerel, trout, redfish

Name that Fly

Now it took me a while to find gray magnum rabbit strips locally but finally found them at Swan Point Landing thanks to Dave Hayward. Hareline products can not be beat.

Sitting down at the desk and clearing off a patch to make room for another short stack of materials I found the Tiemco 611S and whipped it up into this. Then, I just had to tie it on the ever famed for its power but always hated for its one time use kind of a hook, the Tiemco 600sp.… I couldn’t bare the thought of a tarpon scarfing down this fly and not getting a perfect hookset. when one does, one must be prepared!04-11-2014_PIC123456 363 kenjo-foot-wound-copyright

Hopefully the samurai wound on my foot heals quickly enough to avoid infection, cabin fever is setting in.I will certainly put it in front of some of these South Texas Coastal fish!

– Kenjo Fly

 

Learn to Fish Eat more Fish

On how the Hastings Bill could throw a wrench in the re-authorization of the Magnuson Stevens Act…

“We have to remember that what really matters is [TOTAL] mortality, which is the sum of all mortality, whether or not fishing-related.” – John McMurray.

red white fly grouper texas coast

Dinner Sized Comb Grouper on the Fly

When I read this, I stopped… grabbed at the stubble on my chin and thought to myself…

“Precisely! This signifies what we should do when factors “outside our jurisdiction” cause a [calculable] negative impact on fish species populations.”

Maybe there is some rough factor in the equations already that account for this, but I bet not everything is taken into account. I’d like to see a list but I am no expert in those things. It seems though the obvious proactive measure would be to reduce quotas across the board in order not disrupt the natural ebbs and flows of a balanced fish population.  Human impact factors are the greatest of all in the list of measurable conditions which negatively effect a fishery. There is endless amounts of data for that! avoiding the use of plastics every moment you have is one example of a counter measure to pollution.

I’ve been known to say, “If you want to eat ( the freshest of) fish, learn to catch it yourself!”

Not only will it taste better than any fish you have ever eaten, the sense of accomplishment when serving your meal will be absolutely amazing.

redfish, fly fishing,

Not dinner to go? Let it go!

My philosophy when fishing for the table is to simply realize that I do not need to take a “limit” of fish. Nor do I need to kill the most fish and the biggest of fish that the law allows. Especially if just because it is allowed.

Compare the amount of fish on your plate at a restaurant to the size of the fish on your plate at home. As a frame of reference, restaurants only serve 6-8oz portions and most of the time its in the 6oz size. A 20.5 inch redfish will feed two people nicely with some rice pilaf and grilled asparagus. That’s full enough for me. Thank you. Maybe on a hungry day I throw in some GMO korn.

On the occasions when I want to take a fish home for dinner, and especially when the fridge is bare except for a few vegetables I routinely don’t catch a keeper. The idea though if you do get into boatloads of fish is that you can carefully select the fish that is appropriately sized for your dinner that night without even risking swamping your boat because you killed limits of fish. Nonetheless, certainly respect the current laws in place. If these laws didn’t exist we wouldn’t have any fish for which to go fishing. This practice also helps reduce waste of fish after it has been taken for the table.

Only taking species which have a stable population is a good practice, and letting go all the ones that are big fish because they produce the largest reproductive biomass and especially those that are currently reproducing. And hell, if you caught tons of fish, after a long exhausting day you might pass out and forget to clean the fish. Doh! The gills should be red when you go to clean them. If the are dead too long or if they get hot too fast, the gill color fades considerably. That is exactly what Granddaddy taught me as a kid. Red gills are a sign that the fish is fresh. Any other color gills was a a waste of that fish’s life. Grandaddy was right. Make sure your fish has gills, then put it to your own taste test!

happy camping redfish texas coast

Vic with his keeper redfish that fed 4 people well.

If you know me, cleaning a tons of fish for a few hours is not my favorite thing to do. When only taking one or two fish for a single meal you will usually have a few cold pieces of fried fish leftover from the night before to snack on for breakfast!! Just dash on a little powdered cayenne pepper and hit the door to go catch some more!

Keeping the hooks sharp
Captain Ken Jones

 

 

Jack be nimble

… Jack be fish. Jack jumped over the fisher man.

Jackfish. Yellow bellies. Jack Crevalle. Give’em any badass name you want!

It is undeniably only a primal act of natural instinct to wait patiently perched on the tallest of rocks scanning the water while wolf packs of marauding crevelle cruise just outside of casting range on the crowded tip of a mega shrine made of red stone. Here fisherman from all sorts of watery trails convene in one place for a holy experience with a ravenous Jack.

Many are sighted and hundreds of casts thrown as offerings with a mighty heart and sometimes in faint confidence.

jack crevalle, fly, fishing, texas, coast, jetty, guide

Down in the S…

Then the brave soul encounters another soul of even greater brevity. It belongs to the fisherman. The best are patient. Keenly aware of their surroundings and quick to execute a precise cast and know when to retreat. That feeling, the twitch, the shake, the jitters and even the creeps, can make your hair stand on its end as if in anticipation of being jolted back to reality when the massive donkey jackfish crushes your fly out of nowhere and screams for the border. “HERE WE GO” he yells aloud!

A power and strength unrivaled in the saltwater world. Even the tightest drags and strongest of lines cannot seem to hinder the initial runs of these fish. Then, they get down and dirty and that is where you are most likely to loose. In the rocks, deep down on their flanking sides, the jack begins a process of swimming sideways and even in circles trying desperately to separate you from him. Talk about rocks being in hard places. It can end in an instant, faster than you can imagine or even react.

But with luck, a skilled angler can put maximum pressure on the fish from the instant you are hooked up together, to exerting maximum amount of turning angles on the fish when he is running from one side to the other, the techniques described below will certainly increase your odds at winning the jackfish lottery!

Fly Tech Section:

Since most saltwater fish are stronger and bigger, the butt section of the average saltwater rod is designed to do all the work. That is where your lifting power and turning capability stems from. For some people this is why they prefer fishing in saltwater over freshwater although many giants exist in sweeter waters.

Lets think about angles here for a minute, as it applies to the angle of the rod in relation to the angle of the water (horizontal) and in relation to the angle of the fish.

The most effective fish fighting method is to keep the butt section of the rod at a low angle to the water. That angle, in relation to the fish means that if the fish is moving left, your rod angle should be to your right, effectively putting pressure against the fish (from behind the fish) yet still off to its side (the fish’s left or right).

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Hard low and left angle on fish running right and tight to the rocks

If the fish is running straight away out in front of you and you’re loosing line fast, angle the rod slightly to the left of right, but keep the butt section quite low to the water, yet keeping the vertical rod angle no higher than 45 degrees to the water. If the rod is lifted higher than 45degrees above the water (horizontal plane) when fighting a fish, the mid section of the rod has to do all the work then, and that section is not as strong as the butt section (bottom ~3ft of the rod). This prevents you from putting maximum pressure on the fish and increases the possibility of breaking the rods Gink & Gasoline wrote an article on that.

Hope you find this explanation helpful and with little effort and patience the mighty Jack will pay you a certain visit you cannot forget.

Until next time, sharpen your hooks and I will work to put together a video on preferred knots to connect the fly, and to connect leaders with bite tippets.

-Captain Kenjo, Port Aransas, Texas