TexasKayakFisherman.com

Been fairly slow on this section of the board. I've been tying in prep for another coastal trip. Finally got my Lamson reel so I am not having to worry about my Hardy reels that are older than I am. Pretty excited to give some of these a go though they are more or less warm weather type patterns.

I have posted these popping shrimp before but someone had suggested I do some in white. I have used them before but more as a dry dropper rig with no action on the top fly. Hoping with warmer water I can get a top water blowup. Figured I needed some baitfish to go in the mix Also did some more crack style flies.

These are based on the "candy corn crawler" done by Backwater flies. I 've downsized their pattern to a #2 hook and went from the E.P. wooly critter brush to the E.P. tarantula hairy legs brush varying the size. I use 1 and 1/2 inch brush for the rear to get the foxy brush in the middle to flare and use 1/2 inch on the front of the fly.

Tie yourself up some unweighted crabs on #4 hooks in dark brown and dark green.

The reds are coming up on the flats in the shallow water as the sun warms them up. 1' of water or so. They are hanging near deep water because the nights are cold and the tides are very low.

Their bellies are full of tiny crabs.

Don't tell anyone I told you this

Nice ties. Fish up here have been gorging on small mullet and other fish, not so much crabs, lately.

Hate to admit it, but one of the Yankeeland traditions I miss is when it's not just slow- the water is hard as a rock. That's when the tackle and reel oil and rod building stuff came out, getting ready for the next season.

I suppose I could do the same here in Texas, but then I feel guilty about not just going fishing. Even when it is slow, something is biting somewhere.

On an aside, the older I get, the more appealing those ice fishing shanties (a'la Grumpy Old Men) look. I guess that's like the older I get, the slower are my boats.