Tag Archives: trout

Thats a wrap

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

Redfish Swim

Ladies and Gentlemen… its a wrap folks!

This year of 2016 has been fantastic with many wonderful days sight-casting redfish of all manners. We got to see tons of fish!

They were laid up, crawling, cruising, floating, tailing, schooled up and blitzing in schools down the grassy shorelines, crushing any and all of the helpless baits that were so abundant this year. Over clean hard sand, in clear water brown bottomed creeks, out among the turtle grass patches and tickling their chins over the fine-haired shoal grass.

backing redfish

By my observations, fish numbers are up, mostly thanks to all the rain Texas has received in the past couple years. This benefits the bottom of the food chain and over time the bounty moves up. 2017 will be another chart topper!

Many thanks to all the Guests who fished with me this year, every time, every one of us got in on some great days, and mad props to those who stuck it out during the more difficult days. The unpredictable weather is exciting and the Number 1 reason why it is important to learn a wide range of techniques in casting. We all still managed to get our hands fishy and learned quite a lot in the process adapting our equipment and techniques to get in front of the fish.

Admiration of the Redfish

There were many first timers as well who got their first taste of saltwater fly fishing, and I know for certain that they are just as hooked as the fish they finally caught! I cherish these moments because then, even a small fish is GIANT!

Looking forward to 2017, the early months in the year can have exceptional opportunities to sight cast. Timing with the weather is easier in Jan/Feb/March so don’t hesitate to call and get on the books to reserve your date. This past Jan/Feb/March was incredible and if you ask me, its quite the best time to fish.

Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year! Here is a little video from when the fish were blitzing down the grassy shorelines. Tight Lines and Sweet Fishy Dreams!

spring weather

Tuesday (tomorrow), Wednesday and Thursday this week are going to be golden. Give me a call ASAP to get on board for an excellent chance at sight fishing the South Texas Coast. P.S. Wednesday & Friday are booked.

fly fishing, black drum, redfish, guide, port aransas, rockport, corpus christi

pulling tricks with the blue crab fly

If you happen to watch the weather reports and try to plan your trips around that, it is certain you will go mad as the hatter, unless of course you are already as mad as the mad hatter. In those cases you probably watch multiple forecast sources, and then throw it all out the window. If you try to determine the perfect weather window on your own and schedule everything last minute you will most certainly drive your fly fishing guide completely mad. He already has enough things to juggle without trying to convince his guest anglers that they are not meteorologists and even they are dead wrong most of the time. Regardless, the best way to learn how to fish is to fish in all the conditions that might get tossed at us.

Caroline stuck several of these trout in spite of less than favorable conditions.

As a true fisherman and mature sportsman once put it, “the best time to go fishing is when the chance comes. And the way to go is with a free and hopeful mind and an eye quick to take note of things. There will be days when the fishing is better than even the most optimistic forecast, and days when things are far worse. Either is gain over staying home…”

Today while we fish in overcast skies and windy conditions we will focus on topwater fly techniques and maybe some subsurface blind casting methods while the winds howl at our efforts. nonetheless we will laugh and have a good tine and learn some new things while we are at it. I fear the day when I would rather sit at home watching to boob-tube I stead of going out into the elements to make another fishy discovery.

Remember, the best guides don’t quit just because there is a little wind. Down here in South Texas if the wind does stop blowing you will certainly pray for it to blow again because the heat and humidity can make it hard to breathe and the bugs will eat you. If you learn to fly fish in the wind, you can fly fish most anywhere, most anytime!

Quality or Quantity

fly fishing, redfish, speckled trout, trophy, beavertail, strike, first cast, port aransas, saltwater, guide, charter, aransas, pass, rockport, corpus christi

First cast of an epic day

I am beginning to love the effects El Nino is having on our fishing! The abundance of fresh water from the heavens last year has made for a super abundance of food for the fishes! The fishing has been way above average lately not counting against what madness went down in February.

Considering the quality and quantity of fish that I am finding… take your pick! Do you want shots at good numbers of fish or a few good shots at quality fish of several species? And even despite inclement weather, some fabulous fishing is occurring for dedicated anglers.

gator, trout, fly fishing, port, aransas, redfish, speckled, flats, guide, saltwater, black drum, redfish, mullet, flies

Gator trout pre-release

Fortunately, the new Beavertail Skiff is the driest ride I have ever had on a flats skiff and even in rough conditions this boat performs very well.

By any measure this new boat goes everywhere the old boat could get. That’s the most thrilling part! Or, well, maybe seeing more than a dozen trophy trout in one day is a little more thrilling but nailing a 28-inch below average trout really got the blood pumping. Our imaginations have soared for the week following and still continues to grow and call us back to the water.

I have been running into a real mecca of giant trout and even on the days we couldn’t sight cast we got them dialed in on topwater flies. Some glorious fish have been revealing themselves putting on the feed-bag, and even sometimes when the angler least expects it. Lessons are learned by all in situations like that… “Never take your eye off the fly!”

fly fishing, redfish, speckled trout, trophy, beavertail, strike, first cast, port aransas, saltwater, guide, charter, aransas, pass, rockport, shrimp fly, corpus christi

chartreuse and black fly

The redfish are also hungry and some 20+ fish schools of oversized redfish are begging to be caught. Chartreuse shrimp and mullet flies are my go to color and choice flies of all time regardless of light conditions. Then I go to blue crab flies (bigger is better if you ask me) and don’t forget to have some plain white topwater flies ready to zing! The majority of the black drum have been a little scarce from my normal operating areas the last week but those that I did find were close to 10lbs and have even found at least 1 drum per trip between 25-40lbs. Ya Ya!

Here also is a little video of my good buddy Bob playing tug-o-war with a very respectable trout on a fine day last week while breaking-in the new skiff. Give me a call directly to book your next Texas Fly Fishing Adventure! Capt Kenjo 361-500-2552

Red Hot Winters

On 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.

Secondly, 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!

Sight 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.

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!

Good Times Fly Fishing

Tomjo at 2 months!

Things have been shakin and bakin ’round the Jones’ house lately and especially with the addition of our newborn son, Thomas. He is already growing so fast this little man will be double-haulin a fly soon enough. Sarah and I could not be more excited to have him in our lives! With all that has been going on around the domicile, I haven’t gotten out on the water much at all except for a short hour here and there and in between diaper changes and all the jazz that comes with that! Just like now, putting this blog together at 11:52pm… Thankfully the boy went to sleep!

fly fishing, trout, texas, coast, guide, port aransas

‘Ole Clouser getting it done on a 22inch sea trout

Two day ago when I arrived at a favorite Port Aransas spot that usually produces a nice table fish (such as grouper, trout or flounder), the water looked great but when I checked off in the distance I couldn’t help but notice a large tanker ship bearing down on the inlet getting ready to head into Corpus Christi Bay to do its dirty deeds. I thought to myself, well, there goes the fishing, and sure enough, as the ship passed the water muddied up nicely against the rocks. But I persisted, and methodically worked the fly from up current letting it swing to and fro… Finally I got the bite I had hoped for, and without even knowing what kind of fish had hit the fly, a large smile crossed my face as if I hadn’t caught any fish in a long time. Then something large appeared under my fish as it came to the surface, instantly thinking to myself, SHARK! But then, a 30-lb jack crevalle came busting out of the water hot on the tail of my trout, and I had to take evasive maneuvers to keep the fish from eating my catch! Definitely a fun experience to observe, but I told Mr. Jack “Not this time!” and quickly plucked my catch from its reach.

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. I also have a few days available in October for Prime-time tarpon fishing. 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

Fall Fishing South Texas Saltwater

double rainbow, port aransas, texas, gulf, coast, saltwater, fly fishing

Port Aransas Double Rainbow over Harbor Island

While it has been awhile since I have posted any reports or stories, I can assure you I have been busy chasing the local tail. While on the water very little attention has been given to the camera, and more time has been spent with rods in hand and tighter lines. As with any fishing experience, there have been some great days for catching, and some great days for fishing. That being said, it goes without saying that there is no such thing as a bad day of fishing!

A perfect example of what some might argue as a bad day of fishing versus an epic night of fishing is when you get spooled 4 times in one night of hunting tarpon.

tarpon, silver king, fly fishing, spin fishing, full moon, jetty

This little silver king graced us with its presence and allowed us this quick opportunity for a photo.

Somehow though I still felt the need to apologize to my crew for finding tarpon that were too big to catch with the equipment we had to use. Never in my life did I anticipate apologizing for this reason, especially because of the epicness of the tarpon hunt. But, because of the beating we all took during that trip, it was worth cracking my apology as the joke of the year. Hell, before the trip even started when picking up the crew from the airport I felt my own nervousness showing through, something inside me knew that it was going to be the sickest fishing trip that any of the 8 of us had ever experienced in a total of 120 years of combined fishing experience.

phil shook, lydia ann lighthouse, red fish, texas, saltwater, fly fishing

A scrappy young of year redfish comes to hand near the Lydia Ann Lighthouse with author Phil Shook.

Redfish and trout are still in the bay and reports of big black drum are starting to trickle in steadily from local sources.

With the cool Norther that we are getting right now as I write this article, the fish should respond well to the dramatic change in weather patterns are start putting on the feed bag in order to fatten up for the impending winter season.

protected, seagrass, Pelican, saltwater, flyfishing, flats

Lest we not forget, seagrasses are protected. This sign is posted at the Southwest entrance to Brown and Root Flats

Next weeks weather patterns are looking excellent, with a little bit of rain later on in the week (fish are already wet and don’t care if it rains). We should have calm seas with moderate winds early in the week and should make stalking redfish and trout pretty exciting.

A sad thing I have noticed alot of people doing recently is that they are running their motors across the flats. For those of you with your own shallow running boats, take the time to respect the law, and more importantly, the environment from which we take so much pleasure.

Stop your outboard motors at the edge of the flats and either get out and push, or use a push pole or trolling motor to get your boats onto and off of the flats. With a little research of the maps and some forethought, you will find short routes on and off the flats for quick trip, or longer routes if you have more time. Use the wind to your advantage to help push your skiff onto the flat, and if you plan your route correctly, the wind and tides will help you move your boat off of the flat just as easily so that you do not exhaust yourself.

Please be mindful of all the plants and animals on which we tread. I am certain that if a redfish could, it would be waving the “Dont tread on me” flag as well.

If you are interested in booking a fly or spin charter for redfish, trout, drum or flounder, I have This Sunday November 10th available and Wednesday the 13th of November. Give me a call or email to get in on the action.

Keeping the hooks sharp,
Capt Ken Jones ([email protected])
361-500-2552 – Port Aransas, Texas – Certified Wildlife Guide

Fly Tying – Texas Poppin Shrimp

Fly Tying Steps for the Redfish Popping Shrimp

This Texas shrimp pattern is inspired by several flies and I bet you can name a few that are similar. It is easy to admit that I am not a hermit, therefore in my 20 years of fly fishing and fly tying experience, I have laid my eyes upon thousands and thousands of fly patterns. I don’t particularly consider any fly tied to be original, although if the hook is the canvas, and materials are the paint, and having applied it in any number of ways, then each fly is a work of art and unique in its own right.

redfish flies, trout flies, fly fishing, texas, guide, recipe,

Texas Poppin Shrimp Fly

What initiated the development of this pattern you ask? I was stalking fish on a nearby flat late one evening and loosing sunlight fast and worried out of my mind that the numerous stingrays that I had previously passed on the way out were lying in wait for my dark and sightless return. Then, suddenly a school of broad shouldered fish began chasing bait completely out of the water and pushing wakes that traveled for 50 yards across the flat. I moved closer and determined that small grass shrimp were on the menu. Problem was that these shrimp were buried in loose and deep piles of widgeon grass which was beginning to float to the surface the more the fish worked the shrimp.Needless to say many flies were thrown at these fish drawing only one strike which failed to hook the fish.

From this experience, I wanted to develop a topwater shrimp pattern that doesn’t require a weedguard but is weedless. So I decided to use the bushy hackle and rubber legs combination, tied a little long which seem to suffice when pulling over the subtle widgeon grass and other floating debris. The tail of the fly is what intrigues me, it has some attractive facets that I cant wrap my mind around, but the fish LOVE it when tied with this material and secured in this manner. Many thanks to my comrade Austin for letting me toy with the method. One could have used many different threads/wires for this technique but I like the copper wire because it causes the tail to hang at a slight downward angle. I hope that you find the tying steps below useful, feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. -Capt Ken ([email protected])

Step 1: Apply thread base to Gamakatsu SC15 sz 2

Fly Tying Step 1 – Thread Base

Step 2: Take 20-30 strands of superhair, fold and cut in half. Keep halves separate, as each half length will tie 1 fly. Tie onto hook as shown in picture.

Fly Tying Step 2 – Brown Super Hair

Step 3: Fold superhair back and secure

Fly Tying Step 3 – Fold back super hair

Step 4: Apply small amount of dubbing to cover thread wraps securing the superhair.

Fly Tying Step 4 – add golden brown dubbing

Step 5: Tie in hackle by the tip. Be sure that hackle fibers are 1-2 times the length of the hook gap.

Fly Tying Step 5 – add hackle tie in at tip

Step 6: Take 3 strands of rubber legs and tie in middle facing forward and back on bottom of the shank of the hook. The rubber legs should be 2 times the length of the hook gap, slightly longer than the hackle fibers.

Fly Tying Step 6 - add 3 sili legs to underside of hook shank

Fly Tying Step 6 – add 3 rubber legs to underside of hook shank

Step 7: Apply more dubbing behind, in between, and in front of legs.

Fly Tying Step 7 – dub behind, between and in front of legs

Step 8: Palmer hackle behind, in between, and in front of legs. Trim tips of hackle from top of the shank. Leave enough room behind the eye to secure the foam later shown in next step.

Fly Tying Step 8 – palmer hackle forward, behind, between and in front of legs

Step 9: Secure foam in front as shown in the picture.

Fly Tying Step 9 – add foam, tie in front

Step 10: Secure foam in back as shown in the picture.

Fly Tying Step 10 – tie down foam in back

Step 11: Finally, apply 3 wraps of copper wire to tail to secure superhair. Use a small drop of glue to keep the wire from sliding off the end of the tail. A small drop can also be applied to both tie in points on the foam. I prefer using softex or similar so that the superhair and foam doesn’t turn white when it dries.

Fly Tying Step 11 – add 3 wraps of copper wire

TIP: I do use a smidgeon of zap-a-gap (it dries fast and bonds with EVA foam well. Apply a small amount on the underside of the back of the foam (pointy end) and press against the superhair tail while holding straight.

This serves two purposes; 1. to keep the superhair from fouling around the hook bend when casting and popping, and 2. it keeps the foam flat across the back because it wants to stick up when the thread is used to secure the foam to the shank of the hook.

Remember to keep your hooks sharp! -Captain Ken Jones

New Waters – Texas Coastal Bend

Many things in life change; like leaders, tippets, flies, fly lines and Destinations.

Early morning sunrise flyfishing in the South Texas Coastal Bend

Some of them unexpectedly and even sometimes unplanned and hopefully things turn out more rosy than imagined. After working the grindstones of New York City for what 6 years seemed to have been 12 and for the most exciting times of my life, day in and day out, non-stop action on and off the water, I recently have found myself settled in South Texas after a grueling past year with some seriously pinched nerves. Warm climate seems to be the best medicine for this country boy, aside from actually being able to see the stars at night.

Quite literally, having run out of road in Port Aransas, Texas, a place twice visited by President Roosevelt to fish for Tarpon, the little piece of Mustang Island north of the Laguna Madre is a nice spit of sand and hopefully is here to stay for a while.

Upon arrival I immediately began scouting the local waters and found many excellent fishing scenarios available.

Redfish habitat

Whether on foot or from some sort of watercraft of your choice, the rich biodiversity of the marine ecosystems in the South Texas Coastal Bend area will get you hooked and keep you coming back for more. Truly, this place is prime and the fish are eager.

To get up to speed, I’ve compiled short bit of notes on the fly fishing opportunities available in this area from boat and on foot (sand, mud, rocks, beaches, rip-raps, jetties, bulkheads, cuts, guts, swaths, piers and docks), and will continue to track fish patterns based on seasons and other relevant environmental conditions.

Hooked up!

In October, the redfish are running hard and is prime time for bull reds. I feverishly attempted to intercept these big bulls on fly, although it may take some more time to nail them consistently.

Fly Fishing juvie tarpon in South Texas

At the jetties, multiple shots from juvenile tarpon exist with a good chance of hooking up.

Even during the North blows, the Spanish mackerel even respond well. The larger tarpon in the 60-80lb class have also been sighted with a keen eye. I have yet to hook into a tarpon in this size range but they do visit Port Aransas during certain times of the year.

Speed Demons like this make smoking hot drags!

King Mackerel also come in close to shore and are a serious test of your tackle and fish fighting skills. A lone 30-lb king mack like this one can take 175yds of line off the spool in about 10-seconds flat.

During November, the redfish continue to haunt the flats, while the speckled trout are lurking around the edges keenly out of sight. Bird variety and populations begin to explode in the marshes, flats, and along every 50 yard stretch of mangroves. Spoonbills are a treat to sight with their pink colored plumage and odd head/neck behavior when feeding. They are truly marvelous animals! Seagulls and terns take flight all along the beaches and fight every morning for their next meal. When times are tough the terns will even sit on the backs of the pelicans immediately after the pelican dive-bomb some bait and the tern will pick scraps from the pelicans beak as it drains the bucket-loads of seawater from its pouch filtering the bait fish it had caught.

Mangrove cays such as these are excellent fish attractors

Load of mullet in all sizes keep the water shaken but not stirred unless a over slot red fish cruises nearby. Nervous water appears on every turn in the shoreline, and with the multitude of mangrove islands the next trophy red could be ahead. Top water flies are good game this time of year and can produce some exciting takes from redfish on the flats.

Mangrove snapper are also plentiful and can fill up a 5-gallon bucket quickly with small pieces of shrimp dangled around the rocks. Or you could simply tie on a small clouser and nymph-fish it around the rocks as well although you don’t need boobers. Sometimes anglers get lucky and bag a nice Gag Grouper from the rocks.

Nice Gag Grouper from the rocks at Port Aransas

For now it seems the variety of species is dwindling but the redfish, trout, and flounder are still abundant and should hold average population levels to keep fisherman busy throughout the winter down here in South Texas. There are always rumors of snook lurking and can be a tough challenge on fly given their rare but confirmed presence in the coastal waters of the Laguna Madre.

The one secret I can really tell you is you gotta go (fishing) to know (fishing).

Keeping the hooks sharp,

Captain Ken Jones

361-500-2552

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