The Guides of Texas: Fly Fishing Intuition

Peaceful scene on the San Marcos River.

I spent ten days in the month of June in the small town of Ozona, Texas. The town is located in the scrubland of West Texas and it is quite quaint. In fact, the town used to have the most millionaires per capita within the whole United States. I was in town on business, and most of my time was spent confined in a hotel off of Interstate 10 and on an oil pad on the outskirts of town. I missed my family and I missed my rivers. The ten days out of town put a damper on my guiding. I was fairly close to the South Llano River, Devils River, and the San Saba River and many of my daydreams involved me casting a fly into the depths of one of these beautiful rivers. While gone, my two oldest daughters would call me on a daily basis and they would ask me if I could take them fishing after I returned home. I told both of them that if I was going to go fishing, they would be more than welcome to come with me anytime. On my last day in Ozona, I could not get packed fast enough. Even though Ozona is a quaint little town, the best thing about it… is seeing it in the rearview mirror.

Even though I was away from rivers for ten days in June, I was still able to guide and fish several days. My travels took me to the South Llano, Devils, San Marcos, and Frio Rivers. I was able to get a few pictures from some of these rivers. While on the Devils River, my camera went ka-put. I took one picture of my client and his father driving through the gate of Rye’s and Sons Ranch. I fished the Frio and the South Llano
, but due to the ka-putness of my camera, I did not get any pictures. Finally, I was able to get some pictures with a client on the San Marcos River and of course get some pictures of my daughters and myself on a couple of trips on the same river.

It is my hope that my daughters have a good fly fishing intuition. I have this intuition and many in my circle of fly fishing friends also have this ability to know where to find fish and how to catch them. Spend any amount of time on a river and you can almost smell when the fishing will be great. After finding a pattern, a good guide or fly fisher can call the spot where a nice fish will be caught. I have decided that I want my daughters to be able know where to find fish and how to catch them.

I always tell my clients that if they can cast 20 feet with accuracy, we will consistently catch fish. My daughters are learning how to fly fish. My oldest daughter Aurelia (8 years old) is beginning to cast well and her fly fishing intuition is starting to develop. There were several areas where she called a fish and actually hooked up. My middle daughter Ava (3 years old) needs help casting. I took her down the San Marcos in my kick boat and held her hand in mine as we cast. I would help her strip and set the hook on fish. After hooking up I would let her fight the fish. I was able to get in on the action as well and practice my fly fishing intuition. I made a kick boat trip with my wife Angela. She was willing to kick alongside me and take photos of the fish that I caught. I had three beautiful days on a river that I love with three girls that I love. I still need to take my youngest girl Angelina (1 year old), but I think she will have to be satisfied with a float.

Please enjoy the rest of the photos. For those of you who can cast 20 feet with accuracy, give me a call and let me put you on some fish.