The Weekly Bugger

Now that's a big Rooster!

2012-01-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Collins Kuper for hooking and landing this beast of a rooster!

Punta Mita, Mexico

2011-2012 Trout Stocking Schedule (near Houston in BLUE)

2011-12-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

Sorted by Stocking Location

Stocking Location City Total Dates Hatchery

Ablon Park Pond [Directions] Garland 2,860 8-Jan-12, 16-Feb-12 TFFC

American Legion Park Pond [Directions] Missouri City 4,000 6-Jan-12, 3-Feb-12, 2-Mar-12 ETex

Arena Park Pond [Directions] Marshall 1,200 14-Dec-11, 4-Mar-12 TFFC

Ascarate [Directions] El Paso 6,900 14-Dec-11, 11-Jan-12, 20-Feb-12 AE Wood

Bandera City Park Lake [Directions] Bandera 1,000 1-Dec-11 AE Wood

Bane Park Lake Houston 2,278 13-Jan-12 ETex

Beal Park Lake Midland 750 18-Jan-12 PK

Bear Creek Park [Directions] Keller 3,000 22-Jan-12, 26-Feb-12 PK

Bethany Park Pond C [Directions] Allen 1,700 8-Dec-11 TFFC

Blanco State Park #4 [Directions] Blanco 4,000 8-Dec-11, 28-Dec-11, 11-Jan-12, 23-Feb-12 AE Wood

Blue Hole Park Lake [Directions] Georgetown 1,250 7-Dec-11 AE Wood

Bob Sandlin State Park [Directions] Mt. Pleasant 2,700 15-Dec-11, 30-Jan-12, 23-Feb-12 TFFC

Brackenridge Park [Directions] San Antonio 1,850 10-Jan-12, 8-Feb-12 AE Wood

Brentwood Park Pond Tom Green 1,000 20-Dec-11, 17-Jan-12 PK

Buena Vista Park Lake * [Directions] Waco 896 2-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Buescher State Park [Directions] Smithville 2,000 8-Dec-11, 20-Dec-11 AE Wood

Bullfrog Pond * [Directions] Austin 896 2-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Burke-Crenshaw Lake [Directions] Pasadena 1,500 19-Jan-12 ETex

C. J. Kelly Park Pond Midland 750 18-Jan-12 PK

Canyon Southeast Park Lake [Directions] Canyon 1,500 8-Dec-11 Dundee

Canyon Tailrace [Directions] New Braunfels 18,351 4-Dec-11, 9-Dec-11, 16-Dec-11, 23-Dec-11, 6-Jan-12, 13-Jan-12, 20-Jan-12, 27-Jan-12 AE Wood

Carl Barton Jr. Park Pond [Directions] Conroe 1,960 10-Jan-12 ETex

Cedar Hill State Park Perch Pond [Directions] Cedar Hill 1,200 10-Jan-12 TFFC

Centennial Park Lake [Directions] Friendswood 500 9-Feb-12 ETex

Central Park Pond #1 * [Directions] College Station 1,792 2-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Cleburne-Hulen Park [Directions] Cleburne 1,800 14-Dec-11, 14-Feb-12 AE Wood

Comanche Trails Park Odessa 6,000 20-Dec-11, 17-Jan-12, 12-Feb-12 PK

Comanche Trails [Directions] Big Spring 5,384 13-Dec-11, 15-Jan-12, 15-Feb-12 PK

Community Park Pond [Directions] Prosper 3,550 22-Jan-12 TFFC

Copperas Cove City [Directions] Copperas Cove 800 19-Feb-12 AE Wood

Crane County Pond Crane 350 7-Dec-11 PK

Doornbos Park Nederland 500 26-Feb-12 ETex

Eisenhower Park Pond [Directions] Houston 3,000 4-Jan-12 ETex

Elder Lake [Directions] Kilgore 3,500 13-Dec-11 TFFC

Eldridge Park Pond [Directions] Sugar Land 500 1-Feb-12 ETex

Elm Creek Buffalo Wallow [Directions] Abilene 476 14-Dec-11 PK

Emory City Park Lake Emory 250 2-Feb-11 TFFC

Faulkner Park Lake [Directions] Tyler 1,700 15-Dec-11, 17-Jan-12 TFFC

First Capitol Park Pond [Directions] West Columbia 500 13-Dec-11 AE Wood

Fort Boggy State Park [Directions] Centerville 1,000 24-Jan-12 ETex

Fort Richardson State Park [Directions] Jacksboro 2,485 18-Dec-11, 15-Jan-12, 12-Feb-12 PK

Frisco Commons Pond [Directions] Frisco 3,150 5-Feb-12 TFFC

Fryer (Wolf Creek Park) [Directions] Perryton 1,200 6-Dec-11 Dundee

Garner State Park (Frio River) [Directions] Leakey 2,200 29-Dec-11, 18-Jan-12 AE Wood

Glen Rose Town Lake [Directions] Glen Rose 2,000 22-Dec-11, 20-Jan-12 PK

Greenbriar Park * [Directions] Fort Worth 1,896 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March TFFC

Guadalupe River (see Canyon Tailrace)

Harlingen Sports Complex [Directions] Harlingen 1,000 2-Feb-12 AE Wood

Heritage Park Lake [Directions] Mt. Pleasant 2,000 14-Dec-11, 27-Jan-12 TFFC

Hubbard City #2 Hubbard 500 21-Dec-11 TFFC

Hurst Chisholm Park * [Directions] Hurst 1,896 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March TFFC

Jasper City Park Pond [Directions] Jasper 1,800 22-Jan-12 ETex

Johnson Branch 2 [Directions] Sanger 1,000 18-Dec-11 TFFC

Keneteso Pond [Directions] Gainesville 3,250 15-Jan-12 TFFC

Kennedale City Park [Directions] Kennedale 1,700 18-Jan-12 TFFC

LNVA Barrier Pond [Directions] Beaumont 4,000 20-Dec-11, 18-Jan-12 ETex

Lake Corpus Christi [Directions] Mathis 1,500 29-Jan-12 AE Wood

Lakeside Park * [Directions] Duncanville 1,896 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March TFFC

Lakeside Park Pond Nacogdoches 769 22-Jan-12 ETex

Lamesa 9th Street Park [Directions] Lamesa 4,000 7-Dec-11, 1-Feb-12 Dundee

Landmark Inn State Historic Site [Directions] Castroville 1,000 26-Feb-12 AE Wood

Lewisville Tailrace (Elm Fork Trinity River) [Directions] Lewisville 2,938 16-Dec-11, 13-Jan-12 TFFC

Live Oak City Pond [Directions] San Antonio 800 15-Dec-11, 10-Jan-12 AE Wood

Llano River (Grenwelge Park) Llano 800 21-Dec-11 AE Wood

Lost Maples State Natural Area - Lower [Directions] Vanderpool 300 17-Jan-12 AE Wood

Louise Hays Park [Directions] Kerrville 2,200 13-Dec-11, 24-Jan-12 AE Wood

Lower Overton [Directions] Overton 1,400 19-Jan-12 TFFC

Magnolia Ridge Pond Woodville 1,800 7-Dec-11 TFFC

Mary Jo Peckham Park * [Directions] Houston 3,160 2-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Medical Center South * [Directions] Amarillo 4,424 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March Dundee

Meredith Stilling Basin [Directions] Stanford 2,000 8-Dec-11, 1-Feb-12 Dundee

Meridian State Park [Directions] Meridian 1,800 11-Jan-12 AE Wood

Mesquite City Lake * [Directions] Mesquite 3,160 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March TFFC

Mike Lewis Park [Directions] Grand Prairie 3,300 16-Feb-12, 4-Mar-12 PK

Miller Park Pond Temple 1,000 22-Dec-11, 24-Jan-12 AE Wood

Miller's Pond * [Directions] San Antonio 3,792 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Nelson Park Abilene 1,500 14-Dec-11 PK

New Horseshoe [Directions] Rosenberg 1,000 12-Jan-12 ETex

Nolan Creek [Directions] Belton 2,000 17-Dec-11, 7-Feb-12 AE Wood

Northwest Park Pond [Directions] Irving 3,100 4-Jan-12, 5-Feb-12 TFFC

Pair-a-Trees Pond [Directions] Wills Point 500 19-Feb-12 TFFC

Palmetto State Park [Directions] Luling 574 15-Jan-12 AE Wood

Pampa City [Directions] Pampa City 2,000 8-Dec-11, 16-Feb-12 Dundee

Pena Colorado Marathon 500 21-Dec-11 PK

Pittsburg City Lake [Directions] Pittsburg 2,000 15-Dec-11, 19-Feb-12 TFFC

Plum Lake [Directions] Wichita Falls 1,000 4-Mar-12 Dundee

Possum Kingdom Tailrace [Directions] Graford 6,000 6-Dec-11, 20-Dec-11, 10-Jan-12, 31-Jan-12 PK

Resoft Park Lake [Directions] Alvin 500 6-Dec-11 AE Wood

Rita Blanca Kids Fishing Pond [Directions] Dalhart 3,160 13-Dec-11, 7-Feb-12 Dundee

River Park Clear Fork Trinity River [Directions] Fort Worth 2,500 5-Jan-12 PK

Rose Park [Directions] Mansfield 1,200 2-Dec-11 PK

San Gabriel Park [Directions] Georgetown 1,250 11-Jan-12 AE Wood

Seabourne Creek Park Rosenberg 700 4-Mar-12 ETex

South Lakes Park Pond * [Directions] Denton 2,400 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March TFFC

South Llano River State Park [Directions] Junction 1,878 13-Dec-11, 1-Feb-12 AE Wood

South Weeks * [Directions] Wichita Falls 896 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March Dundee

Southside Lions Park * [Directions] San Antonio 4,744 1-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Spring Lake Park [Directions] Texarkana 1,325 14-Dec-11 TFFC

Springfield [Directions] Mexia 1,000 29-Jan-12 AE Wood

Sulphur Springs City Park [Directions] Sulphur Springs 1,523 5-Feb-12 TFFC

TFFC Casting Pond (Lake Zebco 2) [Directions] Athens 5,000 2-Dec-11 TFFC

Teague Park [Directions] Longview 2,500 13-Feb-12 TFFC

Theo (Caprock Canyons) [Directions] Amarillo 2,066 13-Dec-11 Dundee

Tom Bass I * [Directions] Houston 896 2-Dec-11 and continuing every two weeks until early March AE Wood

Tom Bass III [Directions] Houston 5,884 4-Jan-12 ETex

Towne Lake [Directions] McKinney 4,020 26-Feb-12 TFFC

Trinity Park Clear Fork Trinity River [Directions] Fort Worth 2,500 4-Jan-12 PK

Two - Acre Lake [Directions] Canton 2,079 12-Feb-12 TFFC

Tyler Nature Center [Directions] Tyler 2,000 Call for Special Event dates and times (1-903-566-1615) TFFC

Tyler State Park [Directions] Tyler 4,000 8-Dec-11, 19-Jan-12 TFFC

Utopia Park Lake [Directions] Utopia 750 14-Feb-12 AE Wood

Waldron Park Corpus Christi 1,000 24-Jan-12 AE Wood

Waterloo Park Pond [Directions] Denison 6,800 16-Dec-11, 8-Jan-12, 22-Jan-12, 12-Feb-12 TFFC

Woldert Park Pond [Directions] Tyler 1,030 15-Dec-11, 17-Jan-12 TFFC

Total to be Stocked 251,034

For further information: TPWD Inland Fisheries, Austin - 1-800-792-1112 select 4 then 7

A.E. Wood Fish Hatchery - 512/353-0572

Dundee Fish Hatchery - 940/586-1203

ETex (East Texas State Fish Hatchery) - 409/698-2052

PK (Possum Kingdom Fish Hatchery) - 940/779-2301

TFFC (Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center) - 903/676-2277

That's why he is CAPT. Malone!

2011-11-07T09:57:00.000-08:00

Outside of Boudreaux's on the Bayou in Galveston

Nice Sheepshead!

Dental work anybody?

Golden Dorado Fishing on the Rio Juramento

2011-09-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

September 19, 2011. At 6:30 pm.

I-FLY The Angler’s Edge

Invites you to a presentation:

Golden Dorado Fishing on The Rio Juramento,

in the Salta Region, Argentina

By Alfredo Zubiri and Harry Briscoe

Alfredo Zubiri is a lover of Patagonian wild lands and a world traveler who has been fly fishing Argentina form North to South. He is also the concessionary owner of Lago Verde Wilderness Resort in Los Alerces National Park , Argentina . Alfredo has been fly fishing for 35 years until he finally decided to devote all of his time and passion to the sport. Fly Fishing Soul is the result of this decision, where fly fishermen will find the best advice.

A little taste of the presentation can be found at: http://www.flyfishingsoul.com/sitio/fly_fishing_soul_guiding_rio_juramento.html

Harry Briscoe is an oil and gas exploration geologist by training, but a fly-fisherman by heart. He has fished many destinations around the world since about 1953. Since his introduction to Patagonia, Harry has been taken by Argentina and the fishing she offers. He resides in Houston TX, and is the owner and President of Hexagraph Fly Rod Co. (www.hexagraph.com)

Come in and learn about how to fish for these fierce and aggressive beasts. Alfredo and Harry will provide wine, cheese, and other snacks.

If you have any questions, please call I-FLY at

(713)993-9981.

We hope to see you there!

BIG OLE' redfish!!!

2011-08-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo of Ed with a POC bull red. He left Philly for a few days to brave the Texas heat. As you can see, he was rewarded nicely. He fished with Tom Horbey.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The ONE . . . .

2011-08-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sage has introduced a new line of rods. They call it ONE. This is probably the best rod line that we have ever cast. It is light, fast, and deadly accurate. Currently we have a few 5 weights, 7 weights, and one 8 weight. Come in, cast one, and see for yourself how cool this rod is!

More Tarpon!!

2011-08-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

Texas Tarpon Fishing!

It seems this year is turning out to be a fantastic year for Texas tarpon fishing. Our customer Geoff Griffith landed this beast sometime this weekend. After an hour and 10 minutes, Geoff managed to finally take a breather . . . with a tarpon at hand.

Geoff with his 126 lb'er

Another view!

Early morning drive in search of Poons.

2011-08-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

A last minute invite from Tom, some rapid calculations, and a really poor decision, had me committed to fishing with Tom. As we all know, 2:00 am comes way too early. Regardless if we are on the front side or the backside of waking up or leaving the bar. Having packed my bags, and put them in the car, I went to bed at a "way too early" 8 pm. I think my son was wondering if I was in trouble for having to go to bed that early.

Car loaded at 2:30 am.

The started off a little groggy, a cold shower, and a mondo size RedBull. With the car loaded, myself jolted awake by unknown chemicals, and visions of reds in my little head, I pulled out of the driveway at around 2:30 am. Running my usual checklists through my head while driving, I reassured myself I forgot nothing important. Those that have done the drive to POC know that the only traffic at 2 am are the ones leaving the bars. So, avoid getting close to other cars.
All said and done, I did not account for being ready as I was this morning. I did not have to stop at Whataburger in Port Lavaca, nor did I stop at HEB in the same town. (not that you can buy beer at 4:00 am) I took care of that along with breakfast/lunch. My usual 3 1/2 hour drive was cut seriously by this. Tom brought this to my attention when he called at 4:20am to ask if I was up. "Yup" I replied, "I'm passing the Speedy Stop." A few choice words later, I fenagled a breakfast of bacon, hash browns, and eggs before we were to take off. A few minutes later, we were running in the dark, on our way to the choice fishing spot.

The Dawn Patrol!

We ran a bit, then stopped the boat and waited for the sun to come out. When it came out, we began fishing. Tom had the new rod by Sage on the boat, and offered for me to fish it. This new Sage ONE rod (yes it is called ONE) is the most accurate rod I have ever fished. In the words of Tom, " . . . it's the best #@+! rod ever!" After much frustration, because I was hitting the fish between the eyes, I finally got a red to hand. What a relief! There is nothing quite like being on the spot, and not being able to seal the deal. The bad juju was broken!

Hooray! Red!

This was beginning to shape up to be a pretty cool day. The next thing I know, Tom asks if I want to go check out the jetties for some tarpon. A very enthusiastic "YES" followed. So, we ran to the jetties and I rigged up my 10 weight. As soon as we arrived, we saw rolling tarpon. I cast a couple of times, and to no avail, I was just casting at the water. the next cast, though, was aimed right a rolling tarpon. the line laid out, I counted to five, and started to strip my line back in. Suddenly, the line went tight, I pulled to set the hook, - and the rod jumped out of my hand. It hit the deck with a resounding thud! Airborne, the little poon shook its head and tried to get the steel it felt out of its concrete mouth. Luckily for me, the rod jumping out of my hand served the purpose of "bowing to the silver king". With a chuckle, and Horbey's "coaching", I picked up my rod and continued to fight the first Texas tarpon I have hooked. Another jump, and he was still on! As the tarpon grew more tired, the runs became shorter. After about 15 minutes, I had him to the boat. Tom leadered the fish, and I officially landed my first Texas tarpon!

Tom Horbey leadering a 25 lb'er.

Tom refused to take the tarpon out of the water, explaining to me that it was better for the fish. So, I tried to hug the the fish before we motored out and it swam off on its own. It waved to us by splashing, with its tail, a tailful of POC water. We celebrated by promptly cracking open a Dos XX.

Christopher with a 25 lb. Texas Tarpon

It was getting late, and I had to get back to Houston. So, we called it a day. I think it was not too bad of a day. A few redfish, a tarpon, what else could I ask for? Oh I almost forgot, the best shirt I have ever fished in, is the Sol Cool long sleeve shirt by Ex Officio.

Equipment used:

Rods

1. 7 weight ONE by Sage

2. 10 weight XI-3 by Sage

Reels:

1. BackCountry Wide by Tibor (RIO 7 weight Redfish line)

2.9 Plus by Hatch (Scientific Anglers Tropic Express 350 gr. line)

Flies

1. Swamp Rabbit (black/red)

2. Tom Horbey Spoonfly

Other Stuff:

1.Dos XX lager

2.Umpqua 16 lb. Redfish leader

3. 60 lb. tarpon leader by Umpqua

Port O'Connor Tarpon on Fly

2011-08-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jarid Malone from the shop headed down to POC yesterday with hopes of finding some cooperative tarpon, and ended up putting a couple of them in the air and releasing this beauty.

Fu WHERE?

2011-08-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought of fishing in the Middle East? If you don't mind being in the shipping lanes, and catching Mahi Mahi, you might want to look up Wayne de Jager. He operates a guide service out of the UAE. Fujairah, to be exact. This is Scott Weber who managed a little bit of "tanker time" while visiting.

Wayne can be reached by his website: www.eastcoastfishing.ae or he can be e-mailed at:waywil@emirates.net.ae Way to go Scott! Another "who knew?" spot...

Scott with a nice Dorado

A nice way to break in a new outfit!

Big fish with Tom Horbey!

2011-06-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

Another big (23 lbs.) Jack Crevalle comes to hand. The lucky fisherman this time is none other than Paul Franco from I-FLY! He was fishing with Tom Horbey out of Port O'Connor.

POC, 5/16

2011-05-19T10:29:00.001-07:00

Nick and Ben were determined to connect with some big game, so they headed out to POC again and finally made it happen.

The wind has finally started calming down and the fishing is turning on!

POC - 5/10/11

2011-05-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ben and multi-fly fishing record holder, Nick Rizopolous tried their luck in Port O'Connor. As has been for months, it was overcast and windy, but the guys managed to find fish. Chasing Jacks most of the day but to no avail, the guys changed the game plan to find some redfish as the sun peaked out for a couple hours through the clouds mid afternoon.

As the pictures show, the guys were able to trick a few fish and bring them to the boat.

Once the wind dies down and the sun shows itself, the Texas coast is going to be prime! There was an immense amount of bait in the bay so that's a good sign of a promising year!

There are fish at Tom Bass!

2011-05-08T11:36:00.001-07:00

Mother's day outing with kiddos. One nice bass to hand. Fly used was a Dahlberg Diver.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Fly Fishing Film Tour Dates!!!!

2011-04-04T13:12:00.000-07:00

Fly Fishing Film Tour coming to Houston!

I-Fly the Angler's Edge is pleased to host the first showing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour in Houston. We will be showing this collection of great film shorts at the Wildfish Theatre.

(next door to the flyshop)

If you have never been to a showing, it is an experience!

The film features incredible footage from waterways around the world. Every screening is a celebration of the sport with a casual atmosphere surrounded by people who enjoy the sport as much as you do.

This year's featured segments include fly fishing for mako sharks, pursuing permit in the Keys, hunting Guatemalan billfish, redfishing in the Louisisana marsh, and an exciting exploration of the Mexican coast in a vegetable oil-powered pickup.

Details

Friday, May 13th at 6:00 pm.

Saturday May 14th at 4:00 pm.

You can buy your tickets in the shop, or online.

Tickets are: $12.00 if purchased in advance from the shop, $15 at the door or $15.00 online. Seating is limited, so get your tickets early!

Included with each purchase is a chance to win a four day guided trip for two at the South Fork Lodge in Idaho. (registration required online at http://www.thef3t.com/)

Here is a little teaser from our friends just East of us.

Mid-week fishing with Horbey

2011-03-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Three pods of tailing reds

Relax, get ready, cast! (good looking shirt)

Good, start stripping . . . .

He ate! Set the hook!

Alright, give me fly back!

Smile for the camera!

Lenten lunch!

I got to get out and have a little fun during the week. Fished with Tom Horbey somewhere in Pringle. We managed to get four to hand. (two keepers, and two dinks) The weather was less than favorable, but we managed, as you can see, to find a few tailing reds.

All in all, I had a great day on the water.

If you would like to get out on the water with Tom, give him a call at (361)983-2263.

You can also visit his website by hitting the following link: Capt. Tom's Website

Important Stuff

Rods used:

Scott S4S 7 weight.

Sage TCX 7 weight

Reels used:

Tibor Back Country Wide CL

Lines used:

RIO Redfish line 7 weight (on the TCX)

RIO Bonefish line 7 weight (on the S4S)

Leader used:

Umpqua 16 lb. Redfish leader

Beer consumed:

Victoria

Houston Motor Club Redline Rally

2011-03-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

I Fly was happy to host The Houston Motor Club for their Redline Rally.

A nice view of the fly shop

Instead of finely machined fly gear, we got to see some of the finest vehicles produced.

Group shot of the Redline Rally participants

A great time was had by all! We look forward to the next event. If you would like to have us host your event, let us know. Contact us at: (713)993-9981 or at (713)224-ifly.

Just get out on the water!

2011-03-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Somedays you just have to get out and fish! This happened to Doug Hirscg and I. We were more than 1/2 way to POC when Tom Horbey called to tell us that it was windy and probably be better to call it for another day. Since we were already 1/2 way to POC, we decided to give it a try.

Searching through the wind and chop

We arrived to the Clark's at a little after 9 am, and we promptly took off. If the weather guys were right, the wind should star slacking off after 11:00 . . . sure! We fished hard all morning, and were rewarded with at one suicidal red.

The only fish brought to hand. (Doug Hirsch in the background)

After that first fish, and the only fish, we searched and searched for others. We did see more than a handful fish, but they were some of the spookiest fish I have had to deal with in a while. With the wind blowing as it was, most of the reds seemed to be unrealistic targets. Anyways, we still kept at it! Luckily, Doug was as stubborn as I was. (and Tom very patient with us)

Doug at the ready.

All in all, the day was an excellent outing. I had a great time fishing with Doug. The fishing was tough, but I think it was a great day to practice casting into the wind. Tom got his workout for the day poling us around.

Eagle eyed Tom looking for reds

Fishing Information:

Guide: Captain Tom Horbey

Website: http://www.captaintomhorbey.com/

Phone Number: (361)983-2263

Location: Port O'Connor, Texas http://portoconnorchamber.org/site/

Equipment Used:

Rods: 8 weight Scott S4S, 8 weight Winston B IIIX

Reels: Hatch 5 Plus, Tibor Back Country Wide

Flies used: everything in the box (Zoodls shrimp on the only red caught)

Leaders: Umpqua 16 lb. Redfish leader (a good stiff mono leader)

Wintertime Therapy!

2011-02-26T14:14:00.000-08:00

Those fighting the winter doldrums should take a look at this fish. These were taken out of Port O'Connor while fishing with Capt. Tom Horbey.

Jim Wilkerson with a nice two spot red.

I unfortunately could not upload the other photo Jim sent in, but it is another nice fish.

Way to go Jim! And thank you for your photo.

Benz Rod Review: SAGE Xi3

2011-01-25T09:01:00.000-08:00

I have had the pleasure of owning a SAGE Xi3 for about a year now and could not be happier with the rod. When the opportunity arose to acquire a rod from SAGE, I originally favored the Z-Axis for it's superior ease of casting, forgiveness and extremely smooth transition of energy from handle to tip.

After having fished the Xi3 with Captain Eric Knipling out of Port O'Connor, however, I

immediately fell in love with the 7wt model. I first noticed how lightweight the rod was (one of the lightest rods available right now) and then how crisp the casting felt.

The Xi3 is a very fast rod with a lot of power in the butt section. The tip is soft enough to load and make a controlled cast to fish that appear out of nowhere right next to the boat (a very finicky situation) with roughly 9' of 7wt line out of the tip, but my favorite aspect of the rod is its accuracy at distances beyond that.

Because the Xi3 is a fast action rod, the tip bends very minimally. This can be an issue for less experienced casters, as less flex means less margin for error in the timing of your back and forward casts. For saltwater fly fishing, this is often a preferred rod action.

When the wind is blowing in your face and you've got to make a 40'+ cast to a fish, it is IMPERATIVE that your loop be tight and controlled while casting. Fast action rods offer more control over the tightness of your loops by minimizing the amount of rod-bend forward and backward in your cast, keeping your line from dropping as much (opening your loop) as a slower rod action (which bends more) would cause.

The Xi3 offers an impressive combination of control at various distances. As previously mentioned, the soft tip allows the rod to load at close range and the strong butt section provides remarkable power for distance casting (and fish fighting!).

It's hard to describe WHY this rod is more accurate for me...as I have fished a handful of different premium rods...but I believe it has to do with SAGE's Generation 5 graphite technology that offers an unbelievably smooth energy transition throughout the rod, a butt section capable of powering a 100' cast into the backing, a fast-action taper that minimizes rod-wiggle that can reduce distance and accuracy, a soft-tip that offers some forgiveness and short-cast capability, all in a surprisingly lightweight package.

Short-version: This is the most enjoyable fly rod I've fished for in-shore bay fishing. I feel very comfortable casting it, I can absolutely tell I am more accurate with this rod than any other and I can power a fish in quickly so I can get back to catching more fish!

All that said, I'd like to offer my abbreviated opinion of each of SAGE's rods that I have fished:

Z-Axis: EASIEST and SMOOTHEST rod to cast, very forgiving

TCX: FASTEST, LONGEST casting rod

Xi3: perfect combination of the two above, POWERFUL + SMOOTH = ACCURATE

If you are interested in casting any or all of these rods, head to IFLY in uptown Houston:

1703 D Post Oak Blvd.

77056

713.993.9981

Ready to go boxes by Umpqua Feather Merchants

2011-01-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

Is someone you know going on a trip?

Don't know what to get them?(or yourself)

Fret not! We have ready-made boxes from

Umpqua Feather Merchants!

Ultimate Trout Selection (74 flies)

$149.99

Rockies Trout Selection (52 flies)

$99.99

Bonefish Selection (36 flies)

$99.99

Of course, we can build you a custom box with flies of your or our choosing. Just let us know where you want to go, and we can set you up heading in the right direction.

If you have any questions, give us a call at: (713)993-9981

I Fly the Angler's Edge

1703-D Post Oak Blvd.

Houston, Texas, 77056

Pole Dancers on Board ! ! !

2011-01-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

Charlie's

POLE DANCERS

have finally arrived!

You can now say you are taking a Pole Dancer fishing with you, and the girlfriend or wife won't slap you!

We finally received our limited shipment of Pole Dancers.

Originally designed as a striper fly, I see huge potential as a trophy speck, golden dorado, peacock bass, or largemouth bass fly. This fly can "walk the dog" as well as create a ruckus on the surface.

As you can see this fly has a cupped face, enticing profile, and just about screams "eat me!!!!"

We have a limited amount of them in stock. As of now, we have the fire tiger, black, and brown/white in stock. They come in 5/0, 1/0, and size 2.

Let us put a little excitement in your next fishing trip. Take a Pole Dancer on board, and see what happens!

Scientific Anglers Spring Promotion

2011-01-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves "FREE!" SA is here to make you HAPPY! Check out their Spring Promotion.

Come in for details about this offer.

Great new shirts!

2011-01-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

Great Looking New Shirts!

This is a sneak peek at our new shirts that just arrived to the store. They come in an embroidered or screen printed version. they are extremely comfortable for fishing or just lounging around the house!

Come in and try a few on, and check out our new location if you have not!

I Fly the Angler's Edge

1703 D Post Oak Blvd.

Houston, Texas 77056

(713)993-9981

(southeast corner of San Felipe and Post Oak)

http://www.ifly.org/

A kid and a rainbow.

2010-12-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

I don't have much information for this photo that was sent in from the boy's father Greg, but the look on Kirk's face is absolutely classic.

Way to go Kirk! And kudos to dad for taking your son fishing!

As I get more information, I will update this entry with more information.

Overcast, cold, windy, but some fish!

2010-12-10T10:53:00.000-08:00

Had the pleasure of heading out and fishing with Tom Horbey again this past Tuesday. The conditions, we knew, would not be ideal. I still made the decision to go based on the fact that I would not be at work, and I would not be in Houston! Calling it an early night, I went to bed dreaming of redfish and specks.

I arrived at Tom's house about 7:30 am and we tried to determine where we would go.

As usual, we ended up at Clark's. With only one other vehicle in the parking lot, we did not think we would see anybody else on the water. We were correct in assuming this!

empty parking lot at Clark's

We took off from Clark's, and really saw what kind of day it was. It was overcast, a bit cold, and definitely blowing a little more than the 2-5 that "they" said it would be blowing. Tom motored up to a flat, and we saw nothing! Afraid that this was going to be the story of our day, we promptly took off in search of fish.

The next area we fished, we saw a few fish. But, because of the lack of light, we saw them as they left under the boat. After a bit of time scaring reds off the flats, Tom wanted to check out a flat where he thought we might see some tailers. A few minutes run, we were at the flat. Within minutes of starting our drift, we were rewarded with tails. After a few casts, and blowing up some fish, I finally hooked up!

Finally! A fish to hand!

Tom explained to me that the day would rely on being able to spot tailers, because the light was so poor. Well, I guess that clean living payed off! We were treated to many more opportunities to catch reds. I have to admit, that my "A" game was out the door with every pod of tailing reds I saw. I guess that despicable Mr. Murphy has a way of getting in on every trip.

Sunglasses off!

A few missed casts, and a lot of fish I did not even see later, Tom politely ordered me to take off my sunglasses so that I might possibly see the fish I was missing. This helped out enormously. (I do NOT advocate fishing without some form of eye protection) Luckily I did not leave my regular glasses in the car. As the we passed the day, we managed to hook a few more reds, and bring them to hand. For the day, I managed to land four. Two keepers, and two dinks.

Last red of the day.

All in all, for the weather not being on our side, I had a fantastic day!

South Padre Island

2010-11-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

Customer and friend of IFLY, B. Pancamo, visited Captain Eric Glass for a couple days in October and had a fantastic trip (Eric seems to have that habit with customers). Redfish were roaming the sands under prime skies and were hungry for Captain Glass' custom crab pattern. Check out the pic!

Mr. Pancamo stayed at the Redfish Inn on the South Padre Island (Captain Dale Fridy's place) and highly recommends it for anyone considering fishing the Laguna Madre area.

Want to be on the blog? Send us your fishing report and pictures and we'll post you up!

Email: benc@ifly.org

Sum: A-Lot with Sommerlatte

2010-11-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

Ben and Jim went down to Seadrift to fish with Scott Sommerlatte. It was a beautiful day, the wind was down and despite having to change flies due to finicky fish, they managed to get 30 reds to the boat.

The birds are migrating

Beautiful sunrise

Jim with a nice red

This was a great take, it was hungry!

Another nice one

Ben with a red

Don't worry, Ben just made him THINK he was dinner

One of many healthy, hearty reds of the day

It was a fun day with Scott and he did a fantastic job guiding as always. Check out his website at: www.scottsommerlatte.com and book a trip with him if you want a great coastal fishing experience!

IFLY's new store is now open and hosting its Grand Opening next week!

2010-11-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

New Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 10am-6pm and Sundays 12pm-5pm

We hope to see you soon!

We are open! Finally!!!! . . . Even on Sundays!!!!

2010-11-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that our Post Oak store is now open!
Store Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 10am-6pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm

Our new location is at: 1703-D Post Oak Blvd.

We are at the southeast corner of Post Oak and San Felipe.

(between the FEDEX Office and Wolf Camera)

The new open design of the store allows a more comfortable shopping experience.

Come in and see for yourself.
While you are at it, relax with a beverage of your choice!
If you have any questions, give us a call at (713)993-9981.

Got Bass?

2010-10-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for this photo Scott!

It looks like Mr. Weber has bass. I don't know the details, but I do know it is local.

. . . . favorite flies?

2010-10-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked how much I spend in flies a year. Really, like most fishermen, I could not truthfully answer that question. Much of what I fish, is usually tied by my own hands. Except for the materials, I honestly do not know how much I spend.(I think it is a question I really do not want know the answer) What this question really was to me, was "What flies do you use most of the time?" So, in an effort to try to answer that, I went to my redfish box, and took a look. And, this Is what I came back with....

My typical refishing box

As you can see, there are a few clousers, a few seaducers, some rattle shrimp, a few Horbey spoonflies, a pattern from Ethan Wells, a few crab/kwan style flies, and a few of the ZoodlS shrimp.(the previous fly with no name) All in all, I think it is a pretty basic fly box. The left side, is for the most part, my Galveston side. The right side are the flies I use for POC, Rockport, Mansfield, and Lower Laguna Madre. If you would like any of these tied up, let us know, and we can have Rosario do them up for you. Believe me, they would probably outlast the one I tie! Until next time, keep on fishing and tight lines!

What do you mean I don't have to drive 2 1/2 hours to fish for redfish?!

2010-10-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Scott Weber, one of our regulars at the Downtown store, sent us few photos of his spur-of-the-moment trip to Galveston.

Scott with on a redfish somewhere in West Bay

Scott Fished with Captain Steve Soule. Steve is one of the few guides that specialize in fly fishing in Galveston. If the weather stays as it has, the fishing in the area should really take off!

Fish landed and released to fight another day!

Other information:

Captain Steve Soule can be reached at: (281) 352-6289

His website is at: http://theshallowist.com/flyfishing.asp

Steve's email address is: shallowist@msn.com

Equipment suggestions:

As far as rods go, any faster action eight rod should do. (if I remember, Scott has a TFO Ti-Cr X)

Reels: A reel that holds the rated line + about 150 yards of backing.

I usually use a 16 lb. leader so that I can muscle these fish in.

For flies: Clousers, shrimp patterns, spoon flies.

A Rockport Report

2010-10-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

Jim and Ben went to fish with Chuck Naiser Oct. 11. It was a beautiful, partly cloudy day and the fish were feeding which made it even better.

This is how we like to start our Mondays

Chuck did an amazing job guiding, as always

Jim casts to his first red

Strip, strip....

...and there's the first of the day!

Jim on his second fish

Healthy red!

Jim on another fish, look at that smile

Jim makes it look easy

Oh and Ben caught fish too

Jim says he sees a big one...

"told ya so!"

And there's the catch of the day!

Thanks to Chuck for putting us on some great fish and being a pleasure to be on the boat with! If you would like to fish with Captain Naiser, give him a call: 361-729-9314 or visit his website: http://www.chucknaiser.com/

The tackle:

8wt. SAGE TCX w/ 9wt RIO Tropical Clouser line on Abel Super 9 - Tan Craft Fur Seaducer

7wt. SAGE Xi3 w/ 7wt RIO Redfish line on Tibor Backcountry- Brown 'De Los Santos Shrimp' (named for it's designer, sound like anyone you know?)

If you have a report, send it to us! Email Ben Crane, benc@ifly.org, with your story and pictures and we'll put your face on the top of the blog.

Another fall day in our backyard....

2010-10-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sunrise over Galveston

Just a reminder! You don't need to go to the other side of Texas to have a nice day on the water. I was fortunate enough to be invited by a very good friend, Doug Cooper, to fish on some of my old stomping grounds. I won't say where, but it was only about 45 minutes from home. Okay! Okay! I went to West Bay!

For those of you that have caught it right, Galveston can have some often overlooked fishing.

We took Doug's scooter out to drift a long shoreline, and hoped to be back at the dock slightly after lunch.

At first, I was skeptical, because I had forgotten how nice Galveston is. It is not Port O' Connor, but then I did not see the same kind of traffic as I see in POC. We started the day with each of us hooking and landing two specks in the 18-19 inch range both of them on topwaters. That is a nice way to start the day!

As the day progressed, and the light became better, we started to cast to cruising reds along the shoreline. It was not a numbers game, but a quality game. We ended up landing a handful of reds, all in the 20-24 inch range. (only one dink was left nursing a sore mouth)

We witnessed the carnage that a school of jack crevalle can do to a flat as well. In the excitement, I took one step too many, and walked off the boat into about three feet of water! All in all it was a great day in my books! The fishing, for the five hours we fished, was consistent, the quality of fish was excellent, and landing a 22 inch speck is ALWAYS welcomed. Thanks Doug for reminding me about fishing my own backyard!

Doug Cooper getting ready to release a casualty of the fly!

At the end of the day, It was a great feeling to know that I had to drive less than an hour to get back home!

22 inch speck fighting it out on the flats

22 inch trout taken on a chartreuse and white clouser. Watch those fingers!

Fabulous fall fishing appears to be here!

2010-10-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year that I love to fish. It is not so hot that you burn the bottoms of your feet, and you are comfortable in the sun. An added bonus is that the redfish are quite a bit more spritely than in the summer.

Goose Island State Park

Luckily for Frank and I, we got the asked if we wanted to fish with Ethan Wells out of Rockport. (what kind of question is that?) After a enthusiastic "YES", we started making arrangements for the following day. Not wanting to wake up at 3:30 am, we decided to call a favor to Dave Hayward. As it turns out, Chez Hayward was available. What luck we had! We met Dave at Moondogs, ate a grouper sandwich, had a nightcap at Mermaids, and called it a night.

Ethan Wells lauching the skiff

For those of you have not fished with Ethan Wells, I suggest that you definitely try. We met Ethan at the Gooose Isalnd State Park launch ramp at 7:30 am. (surprisingly we were in pretty good shape after a night in Rockport with Dave) Ethan warned us that we would be heading north, and crossing the bay. It might get a little wet. Well, the Captain was more than right. We did get wet, and I think I rattled a few fillings loose . After the crossing, we were in the back lake of Matagorda Island. It was smooth sailing from there on.

Frank enjoying the nice fall weather

Ethan ran into a back lake, and told us that we would be seeing mostly singles. There might be a pod or two, but for the most part we would be stalking cruising singles. I cannot speak for Frank, but this my favorite kind of fishing. We poled around to the very back of a lake, and just as we were getting ready to turn the boat around, I spotted a flash of copper, and cast to it. Luckily it was a fish. If the rest of the day was going to be like that, It would be another great daty on the water.

Fish on!

Frank's first fish of the day occured shortly after that. A cruising red at nine o'clock going to ten. At first he had a bit of trouble seeing it, but once it was spotted, the chartreuse and white clouser did it's magic. A nice red was added to the tally. This pretty much remained the norm for the day. Before the day would end, just as Ethan promised, we had double digits to the boat. The total for the day was fourteen reds to hand. Frank used a chartreuse and white clouser all day. I, on the other hand, used a nameless estaz shrimp pattern that I like . As you all can see the water was a bit off color. Not the worst, but still a bit challenging to see.

Frank hooked up!

For those of you that think redfishing cools off with the weather, I suggest you give Ethan a call. If you have another guide you like to fish with, then give them a call. Most importantly, give your guide a call! And if you don't have a guide, we have plenty suggestions for you. If you ask any of the guys at the shop, we all agree, the redfishing in fall is probably our favorite time to get on the water. I hope to see you all at the launch!

Maybe not the biggest, but still fun!

Frank and Ethan doing some dentistry.

Frank releasing a red to fight another day.

How many clousers do I really need?

Useful Information

Rods Used:

XI-3 8 weight

S4S 7 weight both 9 foot in length.

Reels Used:

Both of us used a Tibor Back Country Wide (my favorite redfish reel)

Fly Lines Used:

7 weight Jim Teeny Flip Pallot Redfish Line (Teeny has renamed it)

8 weight Rio Redfish Line

Leaders Used:

I like to use the Umpqua 16 pound Redfish leaders. They are a little stiffer, and I can horse a fish in and put him back in the water quicker. (or the icebox)

Frank was using a 12 pound Rio Fluorocarbon leader

Flies Used:

Size 4 chartreuse and white Clouser

Size 4 Estaz Shrimp pattern (I have not come up with a name for it yet)

Guide Information:

Ethan Wells

Phone number: (361)548-3952

Website: http://www.wellsoutfitters.com/

e-mail: wellsoutfitter@hotmail.com

If you all have any questions at all give us a call at the shop. Remember we are currently operating out of our Downtown store. It is at 728 Travis in the Houston Club Building. You can utilize valet parking at The Houston Club, and we will validate your parking for up to an hour.

New Orleans on my mind!

2010-09-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Spoke to the guys out of New orleans a few days ago, and they are reporting great fishing. Here is a short video to get you off the couch and make that trip New Orleans. When is crawfish season again?

Click on the link to check them out!

The Heart of the Marsh

Give the guys a call, and check out what LA has to offer.
Capt. Greg Dini: http://www.flywaterexpeditions.com
Capt. Gregg Arnold: www.fishinthelandofgiants.com

Thanks, see you at the new shop soon! ! ! !

Updated information for the new store!!!

2010-09-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Change is in the air!!!

2010-08-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

We are happy to inform all of our customers that

I Fly the Anglers Edge

will be closing on September 1, 2010. This is so that we can move to our brand new location. Our new location at Post Oak Plaza, should be open in early October.

During the transition, we will be happy to assist you at our downtown location.

The downtown store is at 728 TRAVIS.

The phone number is: 713-224-4359.

Tight Lines! To all!!!!

Musky on the Fly!

2010-08-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

This picture comes in from Meredith Mc Cord. She took this nice Musky last friday while fishing Nestor Falls, Canada. Congratulations to her for her fine catch! Way to go Meredith!!!!

Fishing out of Freeport

2010-08-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Ben went out with Captain Gerry Gimber this Tuesday to do some scouting out of Freeport, TX. Gerry has been fishing the waters of the Galveston and Matagorda bays his entire life and has established a successful guiding service. Ben and Gerry covered a lot of water to see how the different bays, shorelines and lakes were looking.

The first spot was the most successful. The sun was still low but the tide was as well, allowing fish to be seen in shallow water. A fly change was necessary after a few refusals, but that proved to be the key. With a bright colored shrimp imitation, Ben immediately hooked a small but healthy red.

Afterwards, the two decided to try some other spots to see if there were just as many or more fish in other areas. The fish apparently got word of this and despite beautiful grass and mud flats with clear water, the reds somehow hid from sight. Ben and Gerry then traveled around to several other spots but with a strong incoming tide, water quickly became too deep and off color to sight cast. It was a short but successful trip and Gerry was a pleasure to be on the boat with.

If you would like to fish the Galveston or Matagorda bay areas, give Gerry a call at 979-239-7222. Check out his website at http://www.galvestonflyfishing.com/.

Catch Big Bluegill and Bass in Your Back Yard!

2010-06-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for your fly-fishing fix but don't want to travel far from home, head to your local pond and fish for some bass and panfish. The Bluegill pictured below was the size of a dinner plate and a formidable opponent even on a 7wt!

These fish and small bass can be caught on line weights as low as a 3, but to cast bigger flies for the bigger bass we recommend a 5-7 wt. rod.

If you need a fly selection for these fish, come by IFLY; we'll show you what you need to catch these really fun fish!

If you have pictures of your latest catch and would like bragging rights, email us your story with the pictures and let us post your catch on the blog! (send to iflytheanglersedge@gmail.com or benc@ifly.org)

Agua Boa report.

2010-06-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Our customer Gord Mills returned recently from the Agua Boa lodge

in Brazil.

When it rains . . . well you know!

17 pounder!

14 pounder

If you would like to go to the Agua Boa, give us a call and we can send you!

Help Team Paddlefish!

2010-05-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

The 48th Annual Texas Water Safari: "260 miles, 100 hours, June, Texas.

They don't call this the world's toughest canoe race for nothing!"

On June 12th at 9am, teams will start from Aquarina Springs in San Marcos,
TX and race the entire lend of the San Marcos River into the Guadalupe River
then across the Guadalupe Bay to the finish line in Sea Drift. Teams must
have all provisions on board at the start of the race. Other than water and
ice - and cheers from supporters - no additional supplies are permitted.

260 miles, day and night in no more than 100 hours!

Why? Project Healing Waters: Project Healing Waters -Texas is dedicated to
the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty and
veteran military service members through fly fishing and fly tying. The
therapeutic value of fly fishing has proven to very satisfying to service
member that have sacrificed so much for us.

Join The Crew and Paddle Too: Team Paddlefish is me, my paddle partner,
Christine Johnson http://www.flyfishchick.com/, captain Will Meyers, and co-captain
Tosh Brown. My undertaking the year's race is to raise $5000 to support
Project Healing Waters. And you can join the crew and paddle too by
contributing to my inspiration ... $20, $50, $100, $1000, or more. It all
gets me at least a step closer.

Please make your online donation at:
http://www.grtu.org/DirectedDonationsPHW.html

Your Paddle
Leading contributors can have their names inscribed on our
paddles, or come by and sign it yourself!

Your contribution will provide immense support, not only to Team Paddlefish,
but to our deserving vets.

Links:
http://www.teampaddlefish.com/

Follow us on Facebook! Team Paddlefish
Follow the story by Christine: http://www.flyfishchick.com/

Corporate Team Sponsors:
The financial expense for travel and gear is enormous. These are the companies that have put our goal within reach. Interested? Link: http://www.teampaddlefish.com/partners.html

Paddle Partner:
http://www.fireinthegut.com/

Chase Team Partner:
http://rutamaya.net/
http://www.1379kids.com/
http://www.grueneoutfitters.com/
http://www.teampaddlefish.com/
http://www.hotkayaks.com/
http://www.dianedopson.com/
http://www.sportsmansfinest.com/
http://www.alamoflyfishers.com/

Gear Donors:
Patagonia, Chaco, and Buggie Plumming.

Horbey Spoonfly . . . Magnum edition!

2010-05-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Tom has been telling us about these "magnum" spoons he has been fishing with. After much prodding, we have gotten our hands on a few of these wonderful jumbo size spoons.

This should be great fly for fishing them big ole reds of the Lousiana marsh.

It would also be a fantastic fly for fishing off-color, or deeper water around our bays. (Galveston)

Come in and get yours before they are all gone!

Who knows when Tom will be inspired/harassed into making some more?

Permit on the Fly!

2010-05-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Bob Kauffman! As you can see, two nice permit on a Rag Head Crab.

He was fishing at Turneffe Flats.

Look at that smile.

Another one taken by the Rag Head Crab!!!!

Congratulations Bob!

A classic day on the water.

2010-04-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

The wind was down, and the sky was clear. What a day to be on the water! Luckily, Tom Horbey invited me down to go out and scout some areas with him. As I reached Tom's place, he was outside readying the boat for the day's fishing. He was also readying a couple of old fiberglass rods from his collection. On the boat with us would be some pretty vintage items. . .us included. The day started well enough. We went into an area I never would have thought of fishing. As we approached it, we spooked a lot of reds that were in the small lake. We tried a few casts, but realized that these fish were REALLY spooky. It was early in the morning, so our shadows were long and the fish could see them before we were able to get into casting range. (at least my casting range) After a few minutes of this, we decided to go before the water dropped too much. We decided to go in the opposite direction this time.

After a short boat ride, we ended up in another back lake. We immediately started seeing reds. I used a Scott X2S 8 weight, and caught one nice redfish. Then, Tom suggested, that I try fishing with a rod from his collection. He then gave me a Vince Cummings River Rat 9 weight rod. On the rod was a Billy Pate 8 weight reel, with an 8 weight Sharkskin saltwater line. Afetr giving a brief history of the rod, he jumped back onto the poling platform and off we went. It was definitely a different fishing experience casting and fishing the old rod. It definitely makes you slow down and enjoy the scenery. After spotting a red, and luckily, making a nice cast to the cruising red, the fight was on! Talk about fighting a fish using the butt of the rod! A short time later, a nice keeper red was in hand. Boy! did I have a lot of fun fishing that fiberglass rod. Enough fun, that I continued to fish the rest of the day. After that fish, we caught one more red.
Then, Tom had been seeing schools of black drum. He asked if I was up to fishing for them. I told him that he was the Captain. So we went in search of these guys. We did find them, exactly where he said we would. But, they were not as easy as I hoped they would be. Actually, it was pretty damn tough! We fished for these guys for over an hour, decent casts, but to no avail. Reminded me of fishing for sheepshead. It was time to have a beer. Even a MGD 64 tastes good on the water. Total fish for the day: 4 Redfish (2 dinks, 2 keepers)

Information: Captain Tom Horbey: (361)983-2263 Tom' website: http://www.captaintomhorbey.com/ Equipment Used:
Rods: 1. Scott X2S 8 weight
2. Vince Cumming River Rat 9 weight
Reels:
1. Abel Super 9
2. Billy Pate 8 weight
Lines: 1. Scientific Anglers Sharkskin 8 weight with ghost tip
2. Scientific Anglers Sharkskin 8 weight Saltwater line
Flies: 1. Tom Horbey Sea Beetle in Smoke
2. Chartreuse and white Clouser with lead eyes.
3. Tom Horbey Sea Beetle in Green (magnum size)
Beer:
1. Miller Genuine Draft 64
2. Heineken keg can

Classic equipment

Hooked up!

The first one of the day.

The view

POC - April 21

2010-04-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ben headed down to POC to stick some reds on Wednesday, the tide was strong, skies were clear and with a 7wt Xi3 in hand, casting was smooth and easy!

The strong outgoing tide of the early morning limited the ability to get into skinny spots for the first few hours. There were also several fly changes before fish finally ate, but with persistance, he finally started getting some takers.

The fish were very spooky and were not feeding real strong, but three keepers were brought to the boat (all safely released).

Captain Eric Knipling guided the trip. He worked hard and did a great job of putting Ben on fish. To learn more about fishing with Eric, check out his website at http://www.texasflatsflyfishing.com/ . You can also give him a call at 361-549-5923 or shoot him an email at eknipling@yahoo.com .

If you would like your recent fishing trip posted on our blog, send us an email (benc@ifly.org) with a description of your adventure and some pictures and we would be happy to post your success on our site!

Pesca Maya, Mexico

2010-04-21T15:26:00.001-07:00

It is a great thing to see a father and son fishing. This is Doug and his son Karl on their trip with Pesca Maya. They fished Ascension Bay outside of Tulum. Along with bones, they caught a mix bag of fish. If you are down in Can Cun, and would like to fish, gibe us a call so we can set it up for you.

Nice bonefish! And a nice hat!

Good looking hat!

Very nice jack crevalle!

Patagonia

2010-04-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

Wilson Miles, customer and friend of IFLY, caught this native rainbow on his recent trip to Patagonia. He reported having caught it on a dry fly and that the fish pulled him into his backing very quickly and made numerous jumps; a healthy, hard-fighting fish of the Malleo River.

Mr. Miles stayed in San Martin de los Andes and used Damonte outfitters for guide service. He highly recommends the area and the outfitter for anyone interested in fishing the northern Patagonia in Argentina.

Thank you again, Mr. Miles, for your contribution to our blog; we hope to see you again soon and wish you more tight lines and big smiles!

It's been too long!

2010-03-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

This winter has not been kind to us. Talk about a long and pretty dismal season. But, finally, I managed to get out on the coast. Captain Tom Horbey out of Port O'Connor called up, and asked if I wanted to go do some speck fishing. As you all know, I have not caught a decent speck on the fly since around the time that Nirvana was really popular. So breaking out the flannel (not really) I decided yet again to leave Houston at 5:00 am. The weather report said "foggy", like my brain without my morning coffee.
It was foggy! The weather remained foggy until roughly lunchtime. As you can see in the first photo. I hooked a pretty nice red which I promptly lost. (tried to horse him in too fast).

After losing that fish, Tom proceeded to pole down the flat, and look for some more reds. Unfortunately, we did not see too many. -and my casting quite simply wasn't up to par. Luckily, a little after lunch, I found at least one hungry red.

This guy was not too smart, nor too big. I guess that's the way it goes. After getting the stink off of too many bad casts without connecting, the Captain asked if I wanted to check out Pringle. We motored over to Pringle, and stopped on a flat that had a drop-off. A fouled cast (I think fly lines have a shoe fetish) and about three minutes to untangle it, I strip it once, and think I connected with the bottom. I flick my rod tip and the line starts going the other way. Fish on! This time, I land a nice 22 in. speck. My day is looking better!

We stay there a while, and continue to hook a few small schoolie specks before Tom decides to take me to another spot.

This spot seems oddly familiar, almost spooky. I have been here before, on an earlier trip when Tom hooked and landed an enormous speck, while I landed about a 10 in. red. Tom sets us up on the drift, tells me where to cast, and bam! A nice speck takes the fly! I had forgotten how hard a speck fights in comparison to redfish. My pulse raced as Tom screamed form the platform directions and other things. I really stress the "other things". I finally get the speck to the side of the boat, and see it is definitely a larger fish . . . finally!

I had finally caught a 25+ in. speck on the fly! Years and years of trying to catch a beauty like that, finally comes. Elated, Tom snapped a couple of quick pics, and commanded that the nice trout be promptly sent back too her home. Not being one to rock the boat, especially Tom's, we got her back into the water to live another day.

Sending her on her way! Hopefully some other fisherman will do the same . . . .

If any of you all would like to fish Captain Tom Horbey, his website is: http://www.captaintomhorbey.com/

EQUIPMENT USED:

7 Weight Sage TCX
7 Weight Rio bonefish line
16 pound Umpqua General S/W leader (better to quickly bring in fish)
Tom's red and copper spoonfly, a white streamer style fly
Sandwiches from HEB
Dos XX lager

Buff is raising the standard again!

2010-02-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you that use the sun protective Buff products, you all will be happy to see that they are making a new glove for those of us that fish. This is the brochure for these bad boys! Can't wait to get me some!!!!

Winter Redfish Line

2010-02-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Scientific Anglers has been thinking of us who go out to the flats in the cold. This new line should definitely be on at least one of your reels. (If you fish this time of the year)

Taper has been maximized for coldwater use.
PVC has been formulated to handle colder water
Core material maintines line stiffness to turn over the line
Braided multifilament nylon core
Great line for winter, and spring time fishing

If you have any questions, drop us a line, or give us a call!

(713)993-9981 or iflytheanglersedge@gmail.com

Christmas bay . . . .

2010-01-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Unloaded kayaks getting ready to get wet

Ben and I decided that it would be a cool idea to load up the kayaks and make the run to Christmas Bay. Hopefully, we might get into a few redfish or specks. I guess the fishing gods were also watching the NFL play-offs. They definitely made the winds blow. Unfortunately, the day ended up being a scouting and exercise day. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea what "15-20, and sightly choppy" means.

Sage and Hatch reel, TCX and TFO,

Windy! See the fly on the horizon?

Paddling back to the truck, I think that was twice into the wind!

I guess we will try to luck into another Sunday, this time, we hope, the weather will cooperate. Hopefully, we will see you on the water!

Birthday 'Bows at the Guadalupe!

2010-01-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, things just come together. Last week, Jim informed us that it was his 51st birthday on the coming Sunday. So, like the gluttons for punishments we are, we decided to go to the river and celebrate the occasion. Steaks, beer, cigars, and bourbon!

As the best plans, often times do not go as planned, we left the shop later than planned. We left the shop at about 6:30 pm, and left to the river. It would be about 9:30 before we got to the Hideout on the Horseshoe. Luckily, Ray (a customer) decided to meet us up at the cabin. This was a welcome respite from the cold. (it was supposed to be 17 degrees in the morning)

We got there, put on the steaks that had been marinating on the grill, put some potatoes in the microwave, and poured ourselves a beer. Luckily for us, nobody is a vegetarian!

After dinner, drinks, a cigar, and more drinks, we retired for the rather short evening.

Sunday morning came way too early. After a breakfast of kolaches, coffee, and OJ, we started to get ready for the river! In a surprise twist of events, David (a former employee) and Kevin (a regular) Thanks to David, we all learned a new type of wading boot. Apparently, Crocs covered with cotton socks work like felt boots?

We planned on starting the day off right below the cabin. This area is called the Horseshoe. Just a quick walk, and we were on the water in no time! we planned on fishing this area for a couple of hours, and then moving on down to the river to the Rio Raft area. The following photos show how this part of the trip went.

Jim's birthday fishing started off pretty slow. We waded into the "warm" water . . . considering the outside temp was in the teens. Ray took off upriver, Jim and I took off downriver, and Frank, Kevin, and Dave took off farther downriver.

For me, the river was not generous. I cast and cast, but no trout to my hand. Then, Jim waded over to where I was fishing. Three casts later, Jim is hooked up with a nice rainbow. This leaper put quite a bend in his rod. After a couple of jumps, and me negotiating the river to go and take a photo of the fish, the little critter set itself free. Grrrrrrrr! As the day progressed, I decided to get into relax and fish mode. The stogies came out, and the Bourbon was poured! This would be a great day! -as all days on the river are. As the day turned out, we all finished with a smile on our faces. Jim ended catching four. Ray Johnson, caught one. And the rest. . . let's just say we did a lot of casting practice!

The following photos show the day. the next time we go, I hope you can join us!

Trout of the Carolina's

2010-01-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

Ben's first two days back home in South Carolina were spent catching up with the trout fishing he'd been missing since leaving last winter. Day 1 was spent on the Davidson River in Brevard, NC and Day 2 on the Chattooga River which divides North East Georgia and Western South Carolina.

With sub-freezing temperatures, icey-guides and sluggish trout, fishing was very difficult but everyone managed to catch fish.

Ben's first fish of the day, a beautiful rainbow trout

Jason Galloway with a nice brown trout, notice the snow in the background

Ben with a brown trout

All the guys on the Chattooga River

Fish were caught on cerise colored midge-braid worms, a heterogeneous nymph, y2k eggs, zug bugs and streamers such as the Dover's Peach fly, Barr's bouface and Barr's slumpbuster.

Morning temperatures began at 14* and never got above freezing. Dates were January 6th and 7th, 2010.

Fish Porn!!!

2010-01-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is Alex Marshman somewhere in the UK . . .

We'll get details when he is back in the states.

Thanks for the photo Alex!

Texas Royalty Grazing the Shores of San Jose Island

2010-01-02T13:33:00.000-08:00

Help the Whooping Cranes ! ! ! !

This very special painting, limited to 400 prints, is now being offered by I-fly the Angler's Edge. This is not only a beautiful painting depicting the longhorns of San Jose Island, but is also a way to help the whooping cranes on the Texas coast.

Order your print by going to http://www.ifly.org/ or by calling (713)224-IFLY. The 24"X36" limited edition, signed and numbered, cotton canvas Giclee print is only $295.00 plus tax, shipping and handling.

Or, you can order an 18"X 24" print on watercolor paper for only $165.00 plus tax, shipping and handling.

Also included, is discounted framing at Warehouse Frames & Gallery in Houston. (coupon with purchase)

We hope that you share our enthusiasm for helping the Whooping Cranes. If you have any more questions, please call.

They're Here ! ! ! !

2009-12-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

These boots are made for WADING!

Simms has just introduced the new Flats Boot.

As you can see, Simms has put much thought and effort into making

THE BEST WADING BOOT ON THE MARKET!

With abrasion and puncture resistant materials, these bad boys should be around for many a season!

Come into the store and check them out.

Buggers on the Guadalupe

2009-12-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

Ben's first Texas trout

Jim with a nice, plump rainbow

All fish were safely released

Jim with another nice Rainbow

Jim Collins and Ben Crane went to the Guadalupe River Sunday December 6th. It was a chilly, overcast day that began with light rain and a low 40* temperature but just as the guys were getting ready to gear up the rain stopped and a gentle mist kept the air cool and moist until it warmed up into the mid 50's.

There were plenty of other fishermen on the river, some having a bit of luck here and there, but it was a tough fishing. Fish were hard to find and seemed very spaced out. From 8:30 A.M. to 1 P.M., neither Jim or Ben had a single hook-up, despite throwing every fly in the box.

Then, about 2 p.m., success! Fishing an olive-n-crystal "Rosario Wooly Bugger" (our fly-tyer's own pattern), there was finally some fish to be caught. 5 fish were brought to the net, several more broke off taking a few buggers with them, but all in all it was a fun two hours of fishing and finally catching.

To get some of these 'wonder-flies', come by the shop! We'd also enjoy hearing about your reports, so give us a call, pay us a visit and send us some pictures so we can put your story on the blog!

A Little Turkey, A Little Snooky

2009-11-29T18:25:00.001-08:00

My family has been making the trip down to South Padre Island for Thanksgiving for the past seven years. Hunting redfish on the flats and chasing snook in the ship channel has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember, and this year we continued it, and, despite some inclement weather, managed to catch some fish. We arrived on Tuesday night (thanks to the Fort Bend Independent school district and teachers who decided to give me tests, I had to go to school on Monday and Tuesday and cut the trip in half) and were greeted with heavy wind. Upon calling our guide and good friend, Eric Glass, he suggested we watch the weather and fish the falling tide in the afternoon on Wednesday. The wind thwarted our plans and we decided to fish with him on Thanksgiving Day.

Thursday morning was cold, windy, and cloudy, and the redfish were few and far between. We poled flats until noon, then ran to the sand to find some trout. I put a solid fish in the boat (and dropped it in the water while I was holding it up for a picture) and we decided to head back to the flats for reds as the weather was improving. Upon arrival, we started to see fish, and I made contact with a solid fish within a few minutes. My overexcitement, though, caused me to set the hook like I was tarpon fishing, and I bent the #4 Tiemco 811S out of the fish's mouth. Argh...

We had Eric over for Thanksgiving dinner as we have done for the past five years (He can eat!!) and we reminisced about our past adventures.

The following day brought us light winds and moderate cloud cover... my dad and I decided to run to the ship channel on my boat to look for snook, which are my favorite fish. We hit a few of the normal spots looking for the baby tarpon we had heard were there with no luck. But number three, one of our lucky spots, was on fire. As we arrived and I began casting, I saw the distinguished yellow tails of snook swimming under the boat. They were schooling right under us! I actually had the opportunity to sight cast to them, seeing the tails and presenting a few feet in front of the fish.

I have never seen such a thing; my dad and I caught 18 snook in total, most of them small but 5 or 6 of them around 23", and also a few incidental trout and redfish. We were thrilled.

The next few days proved to be tough, as the weather worsened and my dad came down with a bad cold. Oh well... back to Sugar Land...

Eric Glass is the man to fish with in South Padre. He has guided us for years and has put me on half-a-dozen state records.

http://captainericglass.com/

Gear:

9 wt. Sage RPLX/Sage 6010/10 wt. Teeny Bruce Chard Permit or SA Tarpon Intermediate

8 wt. Sage Xi2/Nautilus 8/9 wt. Teeny Bruce Chard Redfish

Photos taken with a Nikon D90

Hello there!

Running to the channel

Dad with a nice snook

A beautiful Texas Snook

A brief moment of sunshine

My favorite fish

Dad looking for a redfish

Another nice snook

Classic SPI wind

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ! ! !

2009-11-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

To all of our friends, we wish you a

Happy Thanksgiving!

We will see you on Friday!

First fall wade fishing trip, and leaky waders!

2009-11-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

Witnesses to the start of the day

One of my favorite times of the year to fish is in the fall. This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to go and fish Tom Horbey. As always, this is a lot of fun! So Jim and I decided that we would go and fish with him.
I went into the caves, and dug out my waders, my flats boots, and socks.
After meeting Jim in Wharton, we proceeded to POC. Eventually we met Tom at Clark's. There was an ugly bank of clouds to the south, but the wind was down. A perfect day for wading. With the boat in the water, all we had to do was take our mound of gear and put into the boat. After this, we took off into the unknown.

The morning view leaving Clark's

We decided to try to pole the boat, and see if we could catch a few reds before getting our waders wet. The fishing gods did not smile upon us. No sooner did Jim get on the bow of the boat, did the wind kick up and the clouds blocked the sun. foiled again!

Jim on the bow trying to see fish

Afterwards, we decided to stick to the original plan, and get our waders in the water. We went to an area that has produced some nice trout for Tom. Putting waders on, getting our gear in order, and getting the ever important bottle of water, we got out of the boat and went in three directions. I cast to "nervous" water and was greeted by something that tried to take my fly. Whatever it was, it was hungry! Slowing my retrieve, i was "lucky" enough to hook a needlefish. Hmmm. . . now what? Just for the record, these fish smell bad. I released the needlefish, and went hunting for another victim.

Needlefish . . . poor seaducer!

I looked toward the shore, and saw two of what everybody loves to see. . . tailing fish! There were only two tails, but I was more than happy to try my luck at them. I wish that I could report that I caught one of them. To my utter dismay, I yanked the fly out of the mouth of the redfish I fooled. D@$!, i was not too happy with myself after that.

Sun beginning to peek out from the clouds.

Shortly after that, the Gods smiled upon us. What is that? Sun? Where have you been? Luckily with just a little bit of light, you can see a lot. As i was wading, I saw the blue color of a red's tail. Fortunately for me, he wasn't going anywhere. I made a cast, twitched the fly, and he ate! WooHoo! A hungry and confused red came to hand shortly thereafter.

Hungry red with a white Seaducer in it's mouth.

Getting ready to release this guy.

After this excitement, I continued fishing. When I got back to the boat, I learned that Jim had seen one of the largest Specks that he has ever seen. Tom got no bites. We fished the rest of day. Personally, I saw a handful of reds that I could not get to eat anything I threw at them. All in all, It was a nice day! Oh yeah, I found out my waders leak . . . gotta love warranties!

Equipment Used:

Jim: 8 weight Ti Cr-X, Abel Super 9, Sharkskin wf8f, chartreuse and white clouser

Tom: 8 weight Z-Axis, Tibor backcountry wide, Rio 8 weight redfish line, mystery fly

Christopher (me): 7 weight TCX, Sage Reel, Rio bonefish wf8f, white/chartreuse seaducer

Beer: MGD 64 (gotta watch our weight)

Guide:

Captain Tom Horbey Can be reached at (361)983-2263.

Or through his website: http://www.captaintomhorbey.com/

No Cheese!

2009-11-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Cold beer! Turquoise water! and Tarpoon and Snook!

2009-11-16T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from Doug's (from the Downtown store) trip to CanCun. He fished the Isla Blanca fishery just north of CanCun. This is a unique fishing ground that is a great diversion when you visit CanCun. Details for Enrique can be found at: www.cancunflatsfishing.com. If you have any questions or need help to book with Enrique, give Christopher a call at the shop. (713)993-9981.

The view outside of Doug's room

Baby Tarpon

Snook!

Sabalito!

Equipment Used:

Rod: Scott S3S 8 weight

Reel: Hatch 7 Plus

Fly Line: Jim Teeny Flip Pallot line 8 weight

Flies Used: Black death, Big Eye Tarpon, Toad style flies

Guide:

Enrique can be reached through his website: www.cancunflatsfishing.com. For any additional help, call us at the shop.

GRTU Lease Access Program 11/17/2009 from 6pm-7pm ! ! ! !

2009-11-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited

Lease Access Program

Come over on Tuesday the 17th of November, for GRTU's Lease Access program. As you might know, GRTU goes through great pains to get members access through private landholders. In order to do this, you have to attend one of the programs to make sure you know the regulations. After the program, you will have all the necessary paperwork to go and fish!

The first Stocking on the Guadalupe is Nov. 13th.

If you have any questions, call the shop at (713)993-9981.

The Sommerlatte Show

2009-11-04T15:02:00.000-08:00

Dave Wilson and Ben Crane went down to Seadrift to fish with Captain Scott Sommerlatte Nov. 3. With an early start at 6:30 in the A.M. it was slightly chilly in the bay, but it didn't take long for the reds to warm up!

It was a beautiful day with clear water and mild wind, warming up toward noon into the high 70's. Scott moved the guys from one side of the bay to the other and that proved to be a GREAT decision! There were more than enough reds to cast to for the rest of the day and even a RARE chance to sight-cast to a flounder! Dave cast the fly just over the flounder's head, dragged it across and everyone watched in excitement as the flounder smashed the fly! It was quite a sight!

Dave also caught his first redfish as well, a multi-spotted beauty, what a way to start your redfish-career!

All in all, ten fish were brought to the boat, 9 reds and a flounder! It was a fun day and a great experience thanks to Captain Sommerlatte. If you are interested in fishing with Sommerlatte, email info@scottsommerlatte.com or call 979-415-4379.

Redfish Crack!

2009-11-02T15:14:00.001-08:00

Gift ideas! For those who haven't a clue!

2009-11-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Water, bug dope, lip balm, bottle opener, and a waterproof carrier . . . What else do you need?

Here is a little idea for the fisherman in your life! If you need any more ideas, come by the shop, and we can get you pointed in the right direction.

A Fishing Workout!

2009-10-29T19:46:00.000-07:00

Again, I got fish with Tom Horbey. This time we went out for the elusive tarpon and big jacks. As you all may know, this is 12 weight territory. We went searching for the tarpon, but they did not cooperate. But, my good friends the Jacks, showed. Although many regard jacks as the red-headed step child of fishing. (kinda like the cousin of lady fish) They are F-U-N to catch! It is a disciplined person that sees a school of jacks and can resist throwing a fly to them! And, a person I think I don't want to fish with . . . .

I ended up landing three of them, and losing one at the boat. (I coulda lost all of them right after I hooked them) But, it gave me a chance to try out the new XI-3 12 weight from Sage. Oooh! I know what is on my Santa list this christmas!!!! It is by far the nicest casting 12 weight I have ever put in my hands! Tom worked with me a bit to get the most out of rod. It took a bit, but I was casting it quite comfortably after his pointers. It has backbone like no other, as well as a feel that can only be described as "lively". Put a Hatch, Tibor, Abel, or a Sage reel on it, and watch out!

After we got off the water, I felt like I had ran 10 miles. Luckily, there is coffee! Needless to say, I had another fine day on the water with Tom, and I got to pick up some Horbey spoon flies for the shop. (these are also known as fish crack) I hope all of get to get out on the water soon. Fall is in the air!!!

EQUIPMENT USED:

RODS: 12 weight XI-3

REEL: Tibor Gulfstream

LINE: Rio Outbound Intermediate sink tip

LEADER: 100 lb. Fluorocarbon attached to 40 lb. mono (no getting away)

FLY: Red/Black bunny leech pattern tied on a 3/0 600SP

BEER: Dos XX

Customer Appreciation Day - Saturday, October 24

2009-10-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

What an awesome day! Great food, stories, company, and weather were present at today's event, and a good time was had by all. The IFLY staff would like to thank everyone who came out! Here are a few pictures I snapped...

-Nick

2009-10-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Chris-A-Palooza 2!

Get Ready for the fly fishing benefit of the year.

Mark your calendars for the second benefit for Chris Phillips. As you all may know, Chris is undergoing treatment for brain cancer. All the fly shops are getting together at Blanco's, and showing our community that we care. I hope to see YOU there! (tickets for the boat can be purchased at Ifly the Angler's Edge, Orvis, Cut Rate, or FTU) Please send the copy of the invite to all your friends!!!!

Come to the October 24th event! ! ! ! !

2009-09-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

Enter your photos for this year's contest.

Also get your tickets to try to win an AWESOME Hell's Bay Flat's Skiff

(Tickets are $100.00)

All money goes to help Chris Phillips.

. . . another POC report.

2009-08-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

29 lb. Bull Red!

Nice Jack!

Who has the bigger smile?

Born and raised in Houston, TX and having been fishing for as long as I could hold a rod, it was shocking to my fellow anglers that I had never in my 35 years ever fished the Texas Coast. Well that trend ended this week, when upon winning a I-Fly Angler's edge raffle underwritten by Caracol in Port O'Connor, I was awarded a free night stay and a full day of fishing with any guide of my choice. After hearing Tom Horbey present earlier this summer at an I-Fly event, I knew he was my guy.

My goal: to see what the Texas Coast had to offer in terms of variety. Having traveled several times half way around the world to the Indian Ocean and other remote destinations, I was excited to see what I would find, my biggest question...would I find anything of any size? So this past Monday off I drove. The drive was so quick and so easy, I had to ask myself why hadn't I done this before??? The two days on the water with Tom enlightened and delighted me beyond my wildest hopes. Not only was the water clearer than I had anticipated, but the variety of fish which presented itself during my adventure there was thrilling. Tom was a great host and guide with his enthusiasm for the sport of fly fishing and for his habitat. I came back from the trip more knowledgeable and more excited than ever about this sleepy little fishing town of Port o'Connor and its productive flats, levies and channels. It was every Houstonian sight-caster's dream. And only 2.5 hrs away. Did I mention my awesome accommodations??? I stayed at the PocoLoco, recommended by Tom, and was greeted by the owner himself, Mike (who was playing cards in the "living room" with other residents) with a ice cold Coronita. My room was fully stocked with FREE bags ice, sodas, snacks, candy, juices, Starbucks coffee and tabasco. The A/C was great and cranked down nice and low to keep my sun-burnt body more comfortable and I slept like a baby. The only blip on the scene was the lack of tarpon. Tom assured me that they do exist, but that they just do not love a strong southwestern, which I encountered both days. Alas the fight with my 21lbs Jack and 28.5 Bull Red more than made up for the no show of the tarpon and was well worth the sore arm and stomach the next day. There's nothing like sight casting your 12wt to a 20lbs plus fish!! The Bull Reds made a great showing and were all over the place feeding on huge crabs riding the tides out to sea. We must of seen 50 over the course of 2 hours crashing the surfaces left and right. Needless to say, I can't wait to head back down again to try for the Kings and Tarpon...and maybe a few flats' redfish on the side. Thanks I-Fly for hosting not only the Caracol's raffle, but the event in which first peeked my interest in the Texas Coast and introduced me to Capt. Tom Horbey this past May. What a blast! Here's to keeping lines tight and work light! Meredith McCord Owner/Janitor The Mad Potter: Paint-your-own-Pottery Studios

Fishing in Katmai National Park

2009-08-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Griffin Bunnell:
I recently returned from a fishing trip to Katmai National Park in Alaska. We fished with Katmailand staying at Grosvenor Lodge on Grovesnor Lake. Along with my two cousins, Addison and Dylan and their father Tim, we each caught at least 100 fish during a 4 day span. We fished the American Creek, the Hardscrabble Creek, an assortment of small rocky streams, and a couple of ponds filled with pike.

Addison Bailey and I

In the American and Hardscrabble Creeks, we mainly caught Dolly Vardens and a couple Rainbows mixed in. On the more shallow rocky creeks, we strictly sight casted to trophy sized Rainbows. In addition to fishing the rivers and streams, fishing Grovesnor Lake in front of our lodge offered us great fishing to Rainbows, Dollys, and Lake Trout. Me with a Rainbow

Of course every now and then we would catch a Sockeye and during the first day it was fun to fight those strong fish, but after landing two or three, we began breaking them off to catch the Rainbows and Dollys. Tim Bailey with a Dolly (pic of the trip!)

The weather was ideal, a high in the mid 60’s during the day and a low in the mid 40’s during the night. We saw 15-20 bears roaming the rivers everyday jumping on spawning sockeye’s. The only rain we saw was on the first day and it was really nothing more than a few sprinkles. All in all the trip was great and the staff with Katmailand is highly recommended! - Griff ^^Daniel Martinez^^

The Kings of POC!

2009-08-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Me with the 29 pounder

Tom Horbey with the 29 pounder in hand

The first 16 pounder

A couple of Sundays ago, I had the good fortune of being able to fish Tom Horbey out of Port O'connor. It happened, as things usually go at the last minute. What would posses me to get up at 3:00 am to drive 2.5 hours to this little mecca of fly fishing? The answer to that question lies in the hopes of hooking a Texas tarpon, and incidentally the chance at a kingfish on the fly.

A mega-sized can of Redbull, a mystery taco from the TA truck stop in Ganado, and 3 hrs later, I arrived just as Tom was putting the boat at Clark's. About ten minutes later, we were on our way. Well, a long story short, the Tarpon Gods did not smile upon us. We saw only one tarpon roll. But, on the other hand, Tom saw a good sized Hammerhead chasing a bonnet head shark. Lucky for the bonnet head, Tom fooled the hammerhead with an huge streamer. Fortune did not smile upon us. The hook pulled out against the strain of the big shark.

After that, we decided to go see if we could find some kingfish. I had no idea how much fun catching a few kings could be. I got on the bow and started casting the 10 wt. rod, with a 350 grain sinking line. Talk about work!

After a few casts, and a little tired, I felt a slight resistance against the line. Just playing, I "set the hook" thinking it would be a small spanish mackerel. Boy was I wrong! The next thing I knew, there was a screaming reel! 100 yds of backing out of the reel, and a confused guy on the bow trying to make sure the line did not tangle on anything. As luck would have it, I got the fish to the boat. A very nice 16 lb. King was in hand. Not too bad! Releasing the fish to the ice box, then cleaning the boat, and having a celebratory beer, I continued casting. On the second cast, after letting the fly drop for about 45 seconds, a strike that can only be described as brutal, let me know my fingers were too slow to get out of the way! OUCH! This was a bigger fish!

The king took a run of about 150 yds. of backing. Then allowed me to see the fly line before doing it again. A game of tug-of-war ensued for what seemed like a short time. Give a little, Take a little. . . man was I tired. I could actually see the tungsten colored part of the fly line again, when the kind decided to another long run. This run took out about 175-200 yds. of my backing. Finally, I got the fish to the side of the boat, when Tom announced that this was the largest Kingfish had been hooked on the fly in his boat. Talk about pressure! A couple of short runs, some heavy lifting, and a lot of coaching by Tom, the king finally gave up!

Tom hoisted the fish up, and stated that this was pretty close to the state record. This fish definitely made the icebox. After that, it was 11:00 am, I was beat, and not looking forward to the drive home, when I asked if we could call it a day. Thankfully Tom agreed. The king weighed in at 29 lbs., one pound short of the record! But that was okay! The kebabs were tasty! So ended another wonderful day of fishing with Tom Horbey. If you would like to contact Tom, call us at the shop, or see the link below. Until another day of fishing, Tight lines!

INCIDENTAL NOTES ON EQUIPMENT USED:

Rod: 10 weight Winston Boron IIX
Line Used: Scientific Anglers 350 gr. density compensated sinking line
Reel: Sage 340oD with 275 yds. 30 lb. Micron backing
Fly used: A red and yellow Reducer
Leader: 30 lb. fluorocarbon (about three feet) with a double overhand surgeon's knot, connected with an albright to 40 lb. Malin.

You can contact Tom Horbey on his website: http://www.captaintomhorbey.com/

Doubled Up in POC!

2009-08-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jim Collins and Ben Crane went out in Port O'connor Texas with Captain Tom Horbey looking for Tarpon. The Captain had them on Tarpon within an hour leaving the dock, seeing about 10 tarpon roll on the surface. Four of the fish came within casting distance but best efforts couldn't grab their attention.

Jim noticed dark water moving in the distance and further exploration brought the crew onto a school of Jack Crevalle. The group followed this school throughout the bay, Jim and Ben landing two Jacks each!

It was beautiful day in POC and a great day of fishing thanks to Captain Tom Horbey.

For information about Captain Horbey's guide service visit http://www.captaintomhorbey.com/ or call 361-983-2263.

Bonefish, Pirates, and GT'S . . .oh my!

2009-08-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

A GT Triple!

Providence Atoll in the Seychelles. All fish are 60-70 pounds.

left to right: Ernie, Joe, and Ed

Ed and his 70 pounder.

These are a couple of photos from a great customer of the shop. Ed sent these in from his trip to the Seychelle isalnds. These freight trains are all 60-70 lbs. The amazing thing is that all three were landed! Way to go guys!

Keep those photos coming! You can e-mail them to iflytheanglersedge@gmail.com.

2009-08-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a cool drawing for the summer!

Come check out our new Hatch, Teeny, and Patagonia gear.

. . . this ain't no trout fishing!

2009-07-10T07:06:00.001-07:00

Ben with his first Texas Redfish

(Scott on the left, Ben on the right)

On Tuesday, Frank and Ben went out with Scott Sommerlatte. Ben, a neophyte to the salt, went to see what it was all about. After a few tries at fish, he finally hooked up with a nice redfish. His first on the fly! Frank also hooked a few. The score was Ben -1, Frank -3, and Scott -1. (after 13 casts).

The guys were using a spoonfly, green and tan slider pattern, and clouser. They ventured to undisclosed locations around Port O'Connor. It was slightly overcast, as hot as a Texas summer, and the wind was blowing about 10-12.

Thanks a lot Scott for getting Ben and Frank on the water! If you are interested in fishing fishing with Scott Sommerlatte, give us a call at the shop, or call him direct at: 979-415-4379.

Let's see how this goes . . . .

2009-06-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hello ladies and Gentlemen, this is the initial posting on what should be a fun and interesting endeavor. We hope to utilize this forum to keep anyone interested in fly fishing in Houston informed as to what is going on in the fly fishing community.

As y'all may know, we are a fly shop located by the Galleria in Houston, Texas.

We hope to regularly post at least once a week, if not more, and keep the community informed of all that is happening locally and beyond.

We invite anyone to e-mail any questions, comments, complaints, raves, etc . . . after all, without you, we are just another fly shop in a hot and humid town!

Sincerely,

IFly the Angler's Edge