The Best Blog I've Seen in a Long Time

For several years I have had a fascination with watercolor ( and have painted off and on, but always seeming to sputter out).  And for a couple of years now I have had an obsession with flyfishing.  This blog has captured both of these passions.

drawingflies365

Really, Really, beautiful stuff.

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Schlappen Briminators

I sat down today and tied some flies for the first time in a long while.  I'm hosting a fly swap over at warmfly.com, so I figure I needed to get these done asap.  Getting lots of good looking flies in. Pretty fun.  These briminators are tied from a single schlappen feather - tail, dubbing and hackle.

 

 

Munger Place Progess

A while back I posted about a project my church has undertaken.  This weekend is our first Sunday at Munger Place.  It's a preview service, to straighten out the kinks, tweak systems, etc.  Here's what we still have to do this week:

• Install FOH console (Avid SC48)


• Install lighting console (ETC Element 60)


• Focus lights


• Tune PA


• Hang Televisions


• Install and test aviom systems


• Test HD video systems


• Install ProPresenter computer


• Rehearsal with band


• Lots of sweeping and dusting

It's a very tight schedule.  We've got a lot to do and could sure use your prayers.

Brian

 

 

Sunday Evening at the Youth Camp

I went out to my friend's youth camp last Sunday to help out with a fundraiser.  After setting up the PA system for a small country trio, and helping put the finishing touches on a video, I went to the swimming pond with my youngest son.  I have been on a cold streak for a while now, so it was very nice to catch a few.  I fished with a Briminator I tied, and a small black popper.  My son fished with a Royal Wulf. He caught a Crappie and a couple of Bluegill.  I caught a Largemouth and 3 Hybrid Green Sunfish.  We only fished about 40 minutes.  Sure was fun to catch a few fish for a change!  As an added bonus, there was a really beautiful sunset that evening.

[caption id="attachment_294" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Largemouth Bass Caught on Briminator"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_292" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="My Son with a White Crappie"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_291" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Hybrid Green Sunfish"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_293" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="The Pier on the Swiming Pond"][/caption]

Sunrise, Sunset

When I can, whenever I go fishing, I try to take a camera with me.  Aside from photographing fish, you never know what else you'll find interesting.  Lately, it's been less fish and more of, well . . . not fish.

Yesterday evening I went casting for a while in a local pond in Rockwall, Texas.  Not one hit on anything I threw.  There was a pretty spectacular sunset, though.  Then this morning I went back, and again - no fish.  But the sunrise was equally inspiring as last night's sunset.  Here are a few pictures and a video.  Enjoy.

What Happened to My Pond??

Well, I guess it's not MY pond.  But I have fished it quite a bit.  I took my daughter today to start teaching her how to fly cast.  I was shocked to see this.  I've heard that the pond has had a leak in the dam, and I guess they're fixing that leak.  I wonder if they'll re-stock the pond, and how long it will take for it to become a good fishery again?

[caption id="attachment_271" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="My Go-To Pond, Getting an Overhaul"][/caption]

Video from my Colorado Fly Fishing trip

Here's a short video with some highlights.  We were in some astoundingly beautiful country.  Didn't catch a lot of fish, but we had a great time.  I hope you enjoy the video.

Colorado Fly Fishing - Day 3

Well, today was a great day.  We went with a guide up to Big Blue Creek, North of Lake City.  The day started with some instruction and stream ecology education.  Our guide, Doug, was very thorough.  The bite just wasn't on for the first couple of hours.  It had been cloudy and a little rainy all week prior to our fishing today.  But there was not a cloud in the sky today, and the trout were very, very spooked.  Eventually the bite turned on and we started getting strikes.  Zac, Drew and I managed to put about a dozen fish on the line.  They were all brook trout.  Wild brookies tend to be very small in this stream, so the real thrill is making a presentation with a fly that won't spook them, that looks natural, and that doesn't end up in a tree behind you.  Watching the fish hit at your fly is such a thrill, especially when you are working so hard at presenting that fly just right.  Here are a couple of photos I took with my iphone.  Our guide took more, and I'll post those as soon as he emails us.

[caption id="attachment_256" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Brook Trout"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_257" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Drew working with Doug, our guide"][/caption]

Colorado Fly Fishing Day 2

The boys and I hit it today.  We went to a high country creek near some small lakes. We thrashed the water for hours.  A little rain, then sunshine, then again, rain. Zac was the only one who connected with a fish all day.  Tomorrow we're going to go to Big Blue Creek.  It's a small stream at an altitude of approx. 10,500 feet.  We did see some interesting wildlife.  Here are some pics.  Hopefully my next post will feature a lot more fish.

Zac with a Brook Trout

This is where we fished today

Bull Moose Eating Some Weeds in the Water

A Young Mule Deer

Zac and Drew

Colorado Fly Fishing

Today I left Dallas with my oldest son and drove straight through to Lake City, Colorado.  Today was just about driving.  The closest we did to fishing was to stop along the way and purchase our 5 day fishing licenses.  It was a great drive, and really great to se my youngest when we got there.  He's been staying in Colorado all summer.  Here are a couple of pictures from our drive.  I'll post more each day for the next three days.

From a Scenic Overlook in the Middle of Ratton Pass

[caption id="attachment_233" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="The Rio Grande River, About Twenty Miles From It's Headwaters"][/caption]

Getting Ready for Colorado

My trip to Southern Colorado is just around the corner.  I'll leave Dallas August 10 with my oldest son and we'll drive straight through to Lake City.  Then we'll fish and hang out for a few days.  Here are some flies I've been tying.  One is a Parachute Adams (size 12) and the other is a parachute Royal Wulff (also size 12)

New Ponds and Fishing with my Son

The other day I tried a new pond close to my house. Not much was biting, but it was a really beautiful evening, and I managed to photograph this awesome sunset.

This evening I went fishing (abandoned the fly rod and broke out the conventional tackle) with my son at the youth camp where he works. We were fishing with Shrimp, which I don't remember doing since I did it with my own father more than twenty years ago. I was really surprised at what we caught. Zac caught a couple of catfish (yellow cats). Nothing too big, though. He has been catching 6-8 pounders with his boss out here at the camp. Then he caught a largemouth Bass on a piece of shrimp. I have never sen that before! It was about a 1 - 1.5 lb. fish. Later, I also caught a few small yellow cats, and then I caught a nice Crappie on shrimp as well. Again, this was a first for me. We had a good time, and I think we're going to hit it again in the morning.

Fishing at the Youth Camp

I went out to a friend's ranch-turned-youth camp early yesterday morning to cook breakfast for about 100 campers.  My son son and wife both work at the ranch and it's fun to volunteer when I can.

After cooking the eggs, I made my way down to the pond to see if I could hook up with a few fish.  I was about to catch a couple on a briminator (actually, it was briminator-ish, not the true pattern).  Stopped by Bass Pro Shop on the way home to pick up a leader, then went fishing again in the evening on another pond.  Hadn't been fishing in several days.  It felt good to get back out.

My Son Catches His First Trout On A Fly!

My youngest son has been spending the summer with his grandfather in Southern Colorado. One of my brothers finished up a trip to the San Juan River in Northern NM, and secretly drove to Colorado to surprise my son.  A full day of fly fishing ensued, with my some catching his first trout (about 20 of them) on a fly rod.  HIS fly rod that he just bought at Dan's Fly Shop.  Here's my son showing good form with his new rod, and my brother celebrating a nice hook-up.

A Nice Day

This morning I got up early and went fishing at a couple of local ponds. I was wanting to try out some new flies I tied. My new Briminators and wooly bugger produced about 10 bluegill - all pretty small. By far the best part of the morning was watching the ducks. I had my camera handy, and snapped these photos.

I got pretty hot and my head was hurting so I went home for the afternoon. After supper (some pretty amazing salmon patties) I went back out. To the lake this time. I went to a fishing pier I used to fish. The lake way low, and the area receives a LOT of fishing pressure. I wont be going back there any time soon. I did have a nice conversation with a guy on the pier, and gave him a criminator to use as a crappie jig. It turned out to be a nice sunset.

New Briminator Flies

I recently started tying flies, and this morning I worked on some Briminators.  I was able to get them out this afternoon and wet a line in between rain showers.  Here are a couple of small fish I caught, along with a pic of the fly I was throwing.  Small is still good, especially when caught on home tied flies!

I've Started Fly Tying

Here are a couple of flies I've tied the past couple of evenings . . .  Both Wooly Buggers.

Happy Father's Day!

Today started early with my church job (it does every Sunday).  After church my wife took me to a great little Tex-Mex place here in Dallas.  Then a quick nap, and we headed out to a youth camp where my wife and oldest son worked.  I cooked 180 hamburgers, then off to bass Pro Shop to buy a fly box with a gift certificate I had been given by my family.  It was a really great day!  Here's the box I bought.  I was able to consolidate  two other small fly boxes into this one.

[caption id="attachment_166" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Woooly Bugger and Clousers on the Left, Briminators on the Right."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_169" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Dry Flies and Nymphs on the Left, Poppers on the Right"][/caption]

6/18/10 Evening Fishing

I went to a favorite local pond this evening.  I caught one bluegill, and two green sunfish.  What made it a nice evening was that I caught the fish on a briminator fly a new friend tied for me.  Thanks, Eric!

Evening Fishing in Rockwall, Texas

This evening I went with my oldest son to Harry Meyers Park in Rockwall, TX.  It was a really beautiful evening.  Zac didn't catch anything, but I managed one bluegill, one Green Sunfish and a couple of bass.  It was a great time hanging with my son.  Not seeing a lot of him this summer because of his job at a youth camp, so a little time fishing with him is priceless.

Fishing at the Library

This evening I stopped by the Plano Library to wet a line. What a pretty evening! I only caught one fish, and small one at that. I was fly fishing, too, and anything is fun on a fly rod. Here are some photos from my evening. If you care, it was a male bluegill, caught on a small red/silver Crappie Bully.

A Nice Evening Fishing with a Friend

Last Saturday I was able to get out with afriend and try a couple of local ponds. We completely struck out at my go-to pond. After switching to another pond a couple of miles away we had slightly better luck. Here an iPhone pic of the 2nd pond (digitally messed with a little) and of one of the small green sunfish I caught. By the way, I was fly fishing with my 4 wt, and using some small poppers.