Trout Fishing | Bubble and PowerWorm Rig Worked This Round (Dec 21, 2021)

Decided to fish Pottsboro Lake in Pottsboro Texas this past Saturday. After a little rain in the morning, made it to the pond just as a cold front rolled in. Cold and windy, did manage three trout. Planned to catch trout using ultralight lures and a BFS Rod/Reel, but trout wanted PowerWorms. Good thing I had the Bubble and Fly Rig handy, just swapped the fishing fly for a PowerWorm. Bite was steady, just kept missing the hookset. Did get a few Bluegill and a Bass on the PowerWorms. Plus got some underwater video of what was lurking in the pond! Do check out the video!

Great for Trout, too!

Tying the Olive/Brown Near Deere (Feb 26, 2015)

Received a request to post information on how we tie the Olive/Brown Near Deere - the fishing fly we used recently at Murphy City Hall Pond for Rainbow Trout.

In reply, we posted a video below that demonstrates how we tie the fishing fly. Do check it out when you get a chance!

Other key points:

• For the fishing fly we tie, it is a variation of the fishing fly that Texas Fishing Forum's Tarpon Fly posted several years ago. He described the pattern and noted its simplicity and effectiveness.
• When we tie the Olive/Brown Near Deere, we use Olive Marabou for the tail and Brown Flash Chenille for the body. However, the pattern allows for ease of mixing and matching colors with our favorites being Olive Marabou/Olive Flash Chenille and Olive Marabou/White Flash Chenille.
• It can be fished with or without a strike indicator as well as fished as a tandem rig with a GRHEN, Soft Hackle, or Nymphs.
• It is a consistent producer of Trout as well as other fish like Bass and Catfish in our area!

PS: Tarpon Fly also offers the fishing fly in his online store at Carey Thorn's Online Fishing Store.

Back Again to Murphy City Hall Pond This Round! (Feb 24, 2015)

Fished Murphy City Hall Pond this evening. Was cold but it was great to get a round of fishing in during the work week! Even better that we managed to limit out on Rainbow Trout.

Used the Four Weight Fly Rod and the Olive/Brown Near Deere that worked the other day. Change in the retrieve compared to last time; long pulls and allow time for the fishing fly to sink instead of the faster retrieve we used on Sunday.

Only fished for about an hour but it was enough time to catch and keep five, catch and release one more, and miss a lot more due to missed hook sets or thrown hooks.

That said, looks like more cold temps and snow are in the forecast which may be a good thing to keep us focused on our day jobs!

PS: Pictures of the Olive/Brown Near Deere and Today's Catch as well as Today's Video are posted below!

More Tinkering Around with Micro Fly Rods (Feb 23, 2015)

More tinkering around with Micro Fly Rods. This time making a handle using wine corks. Once done, going to dry fit the Ice Fishing Rod Blank before working on the Rod Guides. Hope this one turns out as good as the Micro Fly Rod I and Micro Fly Rod II.

Back to Murphy City Hall Pond This Round (Feb 22, 2015)

Made it back to Murphy City Hall Pond before the front arrived. Used an Olive/Brown Near Deere, PowerBait, and a Super Duper to limit out!

Fishing Buddy hooked up with three on PowerBait, one on a Black Super Duper, and one on an Olive/Brown Near Deere. I took a limit on the fly with an Olive/Brown Near Deere.

Saw others hooking up as well! Not sure what they were using but the Trout were biting! Now it's time to bundle up and prepare for the colder temps and freezing conditions.

Two Youth Trout Derbies Saturday... February 21, 2015

Looks like this Saturday should be a fun one for kids participating in Trout Derbies in the Murphy and Denison! For more information, do check out the their websites! Hope the rain does not delay things... cross our fingers!

• Murphy - Rainbow Round Up
• Denison - 17th Annual Youth Trout Derby

Dry Flies at Waterloo This Round (Feb 15, 2015)

Fun time in Denison today. Nuclaroche and I fished Waterloo Park Pond. After a lot of missed hook sets to rising trout feeding on little, black bugs, we figured out the pattern - a COAF Griffith's Gnat in Size 16!

The Trout started out taking dry flies on a dead drift but as the wind picked up and the insects started "skittering" on the surface more, the Trout were wanting more movement on the dry fly.

Fun day, especially being able to catch them on dry flies. Also, had lots of fun casting and catching fish using the COAF Micro Fly Rod!

Tough Round at Frisco Saturday (Feb 15, 2015)

Late start Saturday for Nuclaroche and I. We planned to fish Frisco Commons for Rainbow Trout that morning but I was sidetracked by work and then some early "Spring" cleaning of the office. By the time all was done, it was late afternoon.

Around 4PM, we made it to Frisco and fished till after sunset. Nuclaroche hooked up with one Rainbow Trout using PowerBait. I stuck with different dry flies trying to hook the Trout that were rising on the surface, and then eventually switched to the Micro Fly Rod.

A quick check to match the hatch did not help either. I had caught one of the bugs flying around, and then tried several fishing flies that looked like it. No luck!

Still had fun catching little Bluegill on the Micro Fly Rod!

Weekend Is Here...! (Feb 13, 2015)

It has been a long work week but Friday is here at last. The weekend is looking good for fishing; however, we must do our duty and pledge our everlasting love to our significant others as tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

That said, the Trout Derby on the Blue River in Oklahoma has us itching for a run across the border. Unfortunately, we are unable to make it this weekend.

We do plan to wet a line, most likely at Frisco Commons Pond which was stocked last weekend with Rainbow Trout.

While preparing the fly box, I noticed the Soft Hackles purchased at Beavers Bend Fly Shop last year were looking beat. Guess a fishing fly can only take so much abuse from feisty trout and scrappy bluegill!

I decided to tie a few Soft Hackles. After a few "do overs",  I was able to turn out a few that looked "fishable";  hope to try them this weekend.

PS: Really glad for the YouTube video - Partridge and Orange Soft Hackle!

Another Round with the Micro Fly Rod (Feb 8, 2015)

After limiting out on Trout, decided to have another go with the Micro Fly Rod. Changed the fly line by using less backing line and more fly line. No knot to hang up on the rod guides, so I was able to get more distance on the cast.

Caught two little Bluegill and one Bass on a Soft Hackle at Frisco Commons Pond. Then, took a break to get hydrated again. Sun came out in force today; even think the temps hit above 70 degrees. Much different than last years freezing conditions at this time.

Later in the afternoon, fished the Feeder Creek at Bethany Lakes, Soft hackle had a few strikes but no hook ups. Switched to a Red Midge in Size 22 and hooked several soon after. Then, noticed  fish feeding on something on the surface. So, switched to a Size 22 BWO and ended up catching several more.

So far, have been pleasantly surprised with the casting capability of the little rod. The cast is different compared to standard size fly rods; the back cast straightens quickly, so the forward cast is started much sooner than I am used to.

No worries... got the hang of it and was able to get a few "long" casts in to where the fish were lurking. Fun stuff!