The Grubsteak is an original fly pattern that was developed to mimic common aquatic insects that are found throughout our home waters. Insects like dragonfly nymphs, damselfly nymphs, and stonefly nymphs all reside in the the creeks and streams of the Pineywoods of East Texas.
Read MoreALT Fly Fishing Magazine is an online publication that posts new issues once a quarter. The latest issue features a short story that some readers of this blog might be familiar with. However, the crew at ALT Fly Fishing has giving the article new life by incorporating some new photos in a stunning layout. It looks great!
Read MoreFly tying instructions for our original fly pattern, The San Jac Squirrel, is now on PanfishOnTheFly.com! We are very happy to have the fly featured on the “Blog” page. Head over to Panfish On The Fly to check it out!
Read MoreA bad day fishing is better than a good day at work! This is a phrase I have known since I was a kid, long before I became an avid angler. We have all heard the fishing puns. People who have no interest in fishing have heard the adages and read the bumper stickers. Fishing jokes and phrases permeate American culture and language. But why?
Read MoreHe sniffed for my elusive fishy smell. He dissected each of my answers, searching for my dedication to the righteous fly fishing cause. He must not have found what he was looking for; I was met with his seemingly standard negativity.
Read MoreThis earns my curiosity, so I slouch into the seat of my kayak, trying to minimize my silhouette. I dip my paddle into the current, gently back-stroking, trying to slow my downstream drift. In the center of the river, the doe stands, the muddy water laps at her belly. She’s alert to something. What is she looking for?
Read MoreI am an utter newcomer to the sport of fishing, spin fishing to be specific. I am a neophyte. A tyro. A greenhorn. A babe lost in the woods. I have been fishing for roughly seven months in the seasonal waters of Western Pennsylvania. This is a boast that would be quite impressive for a ten-year-old. However, for a 31-year-old, this means that I have just learned which end of the rod the fish are caught.
Read MoreIf you are looking to explore and fish new water, then your scouting process will likely start at the computer. But before you start scrolling around on Google Maps, there are some key factors that will determine whether you can successfully find a new honey-hole full of fish.
Read MoreI left the truck parked on the shoulder of a gravel road and started bushwhacking through the East Texas foliage and undergrowth. Droplets of sweat dripped from my forehead and rolled down into my eyes. It was a blistering day as I made my way through the bottomlands of pines and hardwoods. My mission was to find and fish the headwaters of a local river.
Read MoreFly Fishing the Sam: A Guidebook to Exploring the Creeks, Rivers, and Bayous of Sam Houston National Forest is a self-published book by Rob McConnell. The anticipated release date will be early in the Spring of 2020.
Read MoreWhile fishing small streams in East Texas, I often come across many different types of snakes. Most of these limbless reptiles are harmless, but there are a few that can send you to the nearest emergency room.
Read MoreDenali watched over us as we slid into our waders on the back of Troy’s truck. The clouds were sparse when we pulled up to the creek, which flowed under the Denali Highway. Crisp and clear water slipped around boulders, holding grayling in the seams between the fast and slow water. We were excited to don our waders and take our first steps into the water.
Read MoreEllen and my ears perked up at the sound of truck tires rolling over gravel. It was the telltale sound of a vehicle approaching the cabin. We both looked at each other excitedly, "They're here!" she said, and then promptly scampered off the back porch, through the backdoor of the rental cabin, and onto the front porch. We could see the headlights of Van and Katie's truck as they made their way to the cabin. The truck's headlights bounced along the gravel driveway, weaving through the trees. A weekend of fishing and exploring the waters of the South Fork Caddo River was about to begin.
Read MoreYou can try to dress it up by calling it urban fishing or city fishing. If you do, you’re putting lipstick on a pig. It’s ditch fishing. You’re slinging your fly toward some mutant hybrid fish in flood control infrastructure. These hungry fish are slurping down flies in the muddy water while they swim amongst the concrete slabs, rebar, and bike frames.
Read MoreIt didn’t take long before Kyle and I were scrambling out of the raft in order to portage around a large impassable logjam. We laboriously pulled the raft along the white sandbar until we were clear of the obstruction. Before jumping back into the raft and continuing our float, we walked back to the large tangle of logs and limbs.
Read MoreSoon after moving to Houston, I was walking a man-made bayou with my fly-rod. I was keeping a watchful eye on the water that flowed through the ditch. I wasn’t sure what fish species I could expect to see. I caught sight of a fish slowly swimming to the surface of the water. It opened its mouth like it was taking something from the top-water and then slowly disappeared into the deep murky depths. I had just seen my first spotted gar.
Read MoreIt's summer, and that means it's time to explore the various creeks and streams that Texas has to offer. Fishing small creeks is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time in the summer heat. In this video, I show what my favorite conventional fishing gear is for fishing small streams. The gear that is discussed in this video will be linked to Amazon at the bottom of the page.
Read MoreAaron and I got together for a couple of beers on Friday evening. We wanted to discuss a fly-fishing excursion on the Guadalupe River, north of New Braunfels, Texas. The Guadalupe River holds the southernmost trout population in the United States and It also boasts the largest Trout Unlimited Chapter in the Nation.
Read MoreI think Van would agree with me, Big Piney Creek is one of those rivers that you could float over and over again without getting sick of it. Granted, I think we hit the river when the conditions were just right. If the water had been lower, we would have had to carry the raft for 7 miles. If the river had been higher, this novice oarsman would have been a little sketched-out.
Read MorePittsburgh Steve lay under the RT 366 bridge where it spanned the San Gabriel River. His back was flat on the cool earth and he gazed up at the underbelly of the bridge. The night air was alive with sounds. the rushing water of the San Gabriel and the sounds of insects soothed him. Pittsburgh Steve had a small fire crackling beside him. A catfish was simmering in a pot on the fire...
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