Stocker Trout Fishing News

Another run across the border to Oklahoma for a chance at more trout! Will play the weather by ear but this time brought waders just in case it’s cold again like last Saturday. For now, here is a little ukelele fun to start the weekend; posted it last night as a “TBT” video.     A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 31, 2017 at 3:21pm PDT

Had a question from a Reader about how we tied the Red Damsel Fly that we used to catch the Catfish at Plano East Senior High School (PESHS) the other day. Below is a short video that details how we tied it. Other than only using two versus three marabou plumes, it is the same as described in our article, “ COAF Damsel Fly “! Do check it out; also included the video from our trip to PESHS!

Here is the follow-up video from yesterday’s trip to the Lower Illinois River. No action shots of the hook set as it was a tough go catching them on a fly rod. Fishing buddy did well with Ultralight Spinning Gear and Power Bait Trout Worms to get a limit! Did take the opportunity to talk briefly about the switch rod we used as a one-handed fly rod. Cold temps that day but did learn others were able to wet wade the day prior… even better, they were able to catch a number of them on the fly! Classic “they were biting yesterday” syndrome!

Made the run north across the border to the Lower Illinois River. Had a great time! One of us limited out (not yours truly) with six Rainbow Trout; the other one caught only two! Still working on the video; not sure if we got enough footage but will piece something together and get it posted!  For now, here is today’s catch!   Today’s catch #trout #fishing on the #lowerillinoisriver …one of us limited out. The other only got two. No worries, still a great time! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 25, 2017 at 1:49pm PDT

Decided to tie a couple of Red Damsel Flies and fish the catch and release ponds at Plano East Senior High School. Started out with a little fingerling Bass, then a Sunfish, and then a nice Catfish! Fun time… liking the Damsel Flies in purple and now in red, too! Ended the trip with 4 Bass, 2 Catfish and a little Sunfish. The two Catfish went ~15″, one Bass went 14″, remainder were scrappy fighters! For more on tying your own Damsel Flies, do check out our article, “ COAF Damsel Fly “. It’s a simple pattern that is easy (and fast) to tie!   Log Book Entry: 3/22/17 Location: Bethany Lakes – Main Pond (Allen) Time: 17:30 – 19:00 Weax: Sunny, Short Sleeve, Windy Rod: Redington Classic Trout 5wt – 9′ Reel: Echo Ion 4/5 – 6wt Flyline   Comments: Tied Red Damse Flies on a whim since the Purple Damsel Flies worked well at Bethany the last few trips; wanted to mix it up and try red! Action was steady with all but one fish caught in the West Pond. The one fish caught in the East Pond w...

Quickly tied some Damsel Flies to replace the ones lost yesterday. Fished them at Bethany Lakes and managed five Bass! Do watch the hook sets and how we are triggering the set by the movement in the fly line!   Log Book Entry: 3/21/17 Location: Bethany Lakes – Main Pond (Allen) Time: 17:30 – 18:45 Weax: Clear, Short Sleeve, Windy Rod: Redington Classic Trout 5wt – 9′ Reel: Echo Ion 4/5 – 6wt Flyline   Comments: Caught four Bass in 30″-40″ using the Damsel Flies, then bite slowed. Managed one more that struck as the fishing fly was resting on bottom! Also, saw one fisherman bring in a nice Bruiser Bass!   Landed: 5 Bass – 12″-13″ – Purple Damsel Fly – Sz 8      

Bass seemed to have developed lockjaw on the Foam Grasshoppers. Tied three purple Damsel Flies, and then fished Bethany Lakes later in the afternoon… caught three Bass. Would have caught more but lost all three Damsel Flies! Used short pulls of the line, and then a short pause before repeating. Bass tended to hit the fishing fly when we paused between series of short pulls. The last fishing fly off broke off taking the Damsel Fly with it. Time to make more at the fly tying table!   Log Book Entry: 3/20/17 Location: Bethany Lakes – Main Pond (Allen) Time: 1730 – 18:30 Weax: Clear, short sleeves, Windy Rod: Redington Classic Trout 5wt – 9′ Reel: Echo Ion 4/5 – 6wt Flyline   Comments: Damsel Fly worked in purple marabou! Need to tie more since we ran out. Used short pulls of the line and pause between sets. Bass tended to strike when the fly was resting still. Did lose a nice Bass… line broke. Was using thin tippet material; next round going back to ...

Fished the Trinity River this morning in hopes of Trout; no luck with them. But, did see lots of Carp… looked like they were spawning. Sight cast to passing schools and did get one strike but ended throwing the hook soon after. Later, decided to closeout the weekend with a quick trip to Stoney Hollow Park Pond in Plano. Caught a Bass using a Guadalupana and three Bluegill using a Foam Grasshopper. Was able to get video of the Bass; none of the Bluegill!   Struck out #flyfishing the #trinityriver in Fort Worth this morning. Was hoping for Bruiser trout. Did see #carp spawning, even had one on the line briefly! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 19, 2017 at 3:52pm PDT Closed out the weekend with a quick trip #flyfishing …caught a #bass using a #guadalupana A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 19, 2017 at 8:53pm PDT

Fished Bethany Lakes this morning to give it another go with the Green Foam Grasshopper. Managed to get three to take the fishing fly! Had one missed strike, and then started hooking up once we found the right retrieve – short jerk and then wait. Bass were striking as the grasshopper sat still.   Log Book Entry: 3/18/17 Location: Bethany Lakes – Main Pond and Horseshoe Pond (Allen) Time: 07:30 – 09:30 Weax: Overcast, Short Sleeve, Breezy Rod: Redington Classic Trout – 5wt – 9′ Reel: Echo Ion 4/5 – 6wt Flyline Comments: Started at Bethany Ridge Park Pond but moved on to Bethany Lakes after no strikes. Did see some fish activity but could not tell what was moving about. Fished the Main Pond at Bethany Lakes next, starting by the “Wall” and moving toward the “Canal” without a strike. Did get a strike at the “Cove” near the “Canal” but it quickly threw the hook. Finally landed one using short jerks and then pausing. Bass...

Did some fly tying last night and added more Near Guads – a variant of the Near Deere, to the fly box. Goes well with the San Juan Worm Balls and Prince Nymphs without the biots that we fished tandem rigged for trout at TRWD Flyfest last Saturday. This morning, tied more Foam Grasshoppers to replace ones we lost to break offs and snags as well as ones that were taking a beating from the Bass and Bluegill! May need to make a quick trip and do a little fishing now!   #flytying this evening. Added more #nearguad to the #sanjuanworm ball and #princenymphs without the biots to the flybox. A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 18, 2017 at 4:02am PDT More #flytying this morning. Needed more #foamgrasshopper that the #bass and #bluegill have been liking while #flyfishing local ponds! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 18, 2017 at 5:26am PDT #flyfishing #foamgrasshopper in green and then yellow gets #bass and #bluegill this round at #bethan...

Quick trip to Bethany Lakes this evening. Opted for the Foam Grasshopper again. Tried White in size 16, and Yellow and Green in size 10. Bass seemed to prefer the larger size; had several Bass follow the smaller size grasshopper but none sealed the deal with a strike. No worries… did get five to take the size 10 grasshoppers. Here is a snippet of the action! #flyfishing the flats at #bethanylakes gets 5 #bass this round on a #foamgrasshopper A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 16, 2017 at 10:08pm PDT

Quick trip after working the salt mines today! Still a chill in the air; bite was slower than yesterday but did manage to land a Bass, a Bluegill, and a Shellcracker that went for a Foam Grasshopper. Also, lost two others that we suspect were Bass. No worries… great way to end a workday! #flyfishing a #foamgrasshopper gets a #bass #bluegill #shellcracker this round! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 15, 2017 at 7:16pm PDT

Fished the Lower Pond at Bethany Lakes this evening. Caught a Bluegill, several Bass, and missed several more. Bummer on losing the Foam Grasshopper to a Bass. Was able to switch to a dry fly we use as a strike indicator for those picky trout and caught several Bass! Will definitely tie more Foam Grasshopper and give it another go on the local ponds!   Log Book Entry: 3/14/17 Location: Bethany Lakes – Lower Pond (Allen) Time: 18:00 – 19:00 Weax: Clear, “Sweater”, Calm Rod: Cabelas TLR 4wt – 7’6″ Reel: Ross Flystart 1 – 5wt Flyline Comments: Started with the Foam Grasshopper on 4lbs test. Caught a Bluegill and a Bass and lots of missed hook sets in between. Then, had a nice fish – suspect it was a Bass, go for the Grasshopper but throw the fly shortly after the strike. Soon after a nice sized Bass takes the Grasshopper but the line breaks. Noticed that 4lbs test will break quickly when larger Bass are hooked in the mouth instead of the lips. No more Gra...

Headed out to Kroger Park after work today. Fished a Foam Grasshopper and managed several Bluegill and a couple of Bass. Was concerned the latest front had them deep. As luck would have it, they were striking on top… water was still warm. Not sure if it will stay that way tonight with temps forecasted in the 30s. No worries, will be back with a Grasshopper again when temps come back up.   #flyfishing #foamgrasshopper with a 4wt! Mix of #bass and #bluegill at #bethanyridgepark A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 13, 2017 at 5:47pm PDT Log Book Entry: 3/13/17 Location: Bethany Ridge Park Pond aka Kroger Park (Allen) Time: 18:00 – 18:50 Weax: Clear, “Sweater”, Windy Rod: Cabelas TLR 4wt – 7’6″ Reel: Ross Flystart 1 (4wt Reel) – 5wt Flyline   Comments: Windy and cold temps despite sunny conditions. Was concerned the fish were deep and would not take a Foam Grasshopper. Luckily, the water felt warm still and the fish were readily striking the fishing fl...

Had a blast at TRWD Flyfest 2017.  Not able to fish the trout contest but was able to fish and limit out at the open fishing area! Lots of lost and missed fish but did manage to get bit enough times to take five! Fishing was rough for some in the first heat of the Big Trout Fishing Contest; did see at least three contestants hook and land trout. Largest went 21″ but there were larger ones lurking in the area. Hope the event happens again next year! Will make an effort to keep the calendar open! PS: Only one landed with the San Juan Worm Ball and Prince Nymph Tandem Rig. But, had a strike on every cast before running out of the fishing flies! SaLog Book Entry: 3/11/17 Location: Trinity River – River Park Trailhead (Fort Worth) Time: 12:30 – 14:30 Weax: Clear, “Short Sleeve”, Slight Breeze Rod: Cabelas TLR Switch Rod 6wt – 11′ Reel: Lamson Liquid 4 – RIO Switch Chucker with Versitip (F)   Comments: Trout contest in the first heat has several trout caught...

Had a great time at TRWD Flyfest. Have some video to edit but here is a quick update! Had a great time watching the Big Trout Contest with a 21″ trout caught and released! Saw several others catch trout but overall it was a tough go for most. For yours truly, was not able to join the contest; heats that remained open were later in the day and had other pressing things that called for leaving the fun earlier than we liked. No worries though, did manage to fish the area further downriver from the Contest area. And after losing a few nice ones, got our mojo back and started landing them. Ended up limiting out with five that went 15″-16″ in size with one Albino (or is it Golden or Palamino Trout) in the mix! The San Juan Worm Balls and trailing Prince Nymph (without the white biots) were doing well. But, ended up running out due to some Bruisers breaking them off! Switched to a Near Guad and caught a one more as well as missed several others. Then, went with the Near Deere...

Fished Bethany this evening and caught a mixed bag of Bass, Bluegill, Sunfish, and a Shellcracker. Used a Guadalupana, a Foam Grasshopper, a Damsel Fly, and a PMC Emerger Variant to catch them this round! Fun stuff.. pics and a short snipped of one of the Bass and the Shellcracker begin caught! #flyfishing this evening. Caught #bluegill #bass #sunfish #shellcracker on #guadalupana #foamgrasshopper #damselfy #pmcemerger variant! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 10, 2017 at 6:49pm PST   Short clip of this evening’s action… #bass on a #foamgrasshopper and #shellcracker on a #damselflies A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 10, 2017 at 7:57pm PST Fishing Log: 3/10/17 Bethany Lakes – Various Ponds and Canal (Allen) 17:15 – 18:50 Clear, “Short Sleeves”, Calm Redington Classic Trout 5wt – 9′ Echo Ion 4/5 Reel – 6wt Fly Line Comments Bass were in their beds but really finicky; ignoring fis...

Out running an errand after work today. Sidetracked with some fishing at Kroger Park (aka Bethany Ridge Park). Caught Bluegill on the 2wt Cabelas CGR Fiberglass Rod and the Echo Ion 2/3 Reel. All went for a variant of the PMC Emerger… the PMC GNE! Log Book Entry: 3/9/17 Location: Bethany Ridge Park Pond aka Kroger Park (Allen) Time: 18:00 – 18:45 Weax: Clear, “Short Sleeve”, Calm Rod: Cabelas CGR 2wt – 6’3″ Reel: Echo Ion 2/3 – 3wt Flyline Comments: Bass were active and in their beds. Had one strike the fly but no solid hook ups with Bass. PMC Emerger GNE did well with Bluegill lurking in the shallows and near the feeder creek readily taking the fishing fly. Did see several nice Bass and a large Catfish cruising the area! Landed: 5 Bluegill – 4″-6″ – PMC Griffith’s Gnat Emerger (PMC GNE) – Sz 16 Click on pictures to see more about Cabela’s CGR Rod/Reel Combo and deals they are offering!

Fished Bethany Lakes on a quick trip using fly fishing gear to test a new pattern – Near Guad. It’s a combination of the Near Deere and the Guadalupana. Had one Bass look at it, else no takers. Switched to a smaller Guadalupana and caught a Sunfish and a Bluegill, then put on a Griffith’s Gnat and caught several more… fun time!   Log Book Entry: 3/08/17 Location: Bethany Lakes – Feeder Creek (Allen) Time: 18:00 – 18:45 Weax: Clear, “Long Sleeve”, Calm Rod: Redington Classic Trout 5wt – 9′ Reel: Echo Ion 4/5 – 6wt Flyline   Comments: Fished the Back Pond and had one Bass follow the Near Guad. But, it did not take it. Moved to the Feeder Creek and caught a Sunfish and Bluegill on a Guadalupana. Later, changed the fishing fly to a Griffith’s Gnat as there were a number of strikes but no solid hook ups. Caught several more Sunfish and Bluegill with the Griffith’s Gnat. Fished a little after dark and left them biting!   Lan...

Here is a Largemouth Bass Weight Estimator developed by Texas Parks and Wildlife! We modified the table to use a calculator format. Here are the details on how the Estimator was developed: Estimating Weight of Largemouth Bass This information is provided for those who wish to hold “paper” fishing events, releasing bass immediately after catch instead of holding them for weigh-in. Figures in the conversion table below represent average weights calculated from statistics on 3,178 Texas bass. By using this table, you can get a reasonable estimate of a fish’s weight. This method is not accepted for official fish records and will never be as accurate as weighing on a certified scale, but it can be helpful at slot limit lakes, or for fishing clubs that wish to provide better care for bass during the hot summer months when fish are easily stressed. Instructions Measure the bass to the nearest eighth of an inch. Go down the first (left-hand) column and locate the row corresponding to the...

With the 2016-2017 Texas Rainbow Trout Stocking Season closing out in our area, decided to fish Waterloo Park Pond in Denison this morning. Bite was steady with a limit taken on PMC Emergers. That said, next week is TRWD Flyfest in Fort Worth; we plan to join the fun, learn more about fly fishing things, and maybe catch a trout! Afterwards, the Team will shift to warm water fishing to include kayak fishing once things get warmer. Do check back periodically for the latest post! Do checkout the video from today. It’s longer than our normal videos but we decided to leave some of the clips unedited as it gives Viewers an idea on the retrieves we used and the number of missed strikes we “enjoyed” today! PS: Article on tying the PMC Emerger for anyone interested in tying their own!   Log Book Entry: 3/04/17 Location: Waterloo Park Pond (Denison) Time: 08:00 – 09:30 Weax: Overcast, “Multi-Layered”, Breezy Rod: Redington Classic Trout 5wt – 9′ Reel: Echo Ion ...

More fly tying this evening with two more Guadalupana to add to the others. While tying them, decided to tie a couple of Near Deere using the same Dry Fly Hackle Wrap as the Guadalupana. Looks good, may have to sneak away tomorrow and try them on trout at one of the recently stocked ponds in our area!   Been using the dry fly hackle wrap #flytying #guadalupana #fishingflies …decided to try it on #neardeere …looked good. Now gotta fish them! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 3, 2017 at 6:05pm PST

Busy work day; no fishing but did get a couple more Guadalupanas tied to add to the others! That said, the weekend is near and the Team is still uncertain where to fish. Will be playing it by ear but next weekend, TRWD Flyfest is next Saturday. Looking really good that we will be there! Fun times to be had!   More #flytying #guadalupana #fishingflies this evening. Adding to the others tied the other day! A post shared by COAF Field Team (@coaf.field.team) on Mar 2, 2017 at 9:11pm PST