Exploring Fishing Opportunities for RGVFTC Members

It was just a few weeks ago that we planned on getting together and finding some locations that we could take our fly tying club members to fish. One of those places was my friend's place on the Arroyo Colorado. As you learned from the previous post some of us got together to help with planting the sand dunes at South Padre Island. There we finalized plans to meet at Chili Willies for dinner and then head to a possible fishing spot that evening.

Before we headed to the fishing spot, we ate burgers, calamari, and several other Chili Willie's dishes. Of course, I had turned on the fishing lights to attract baitfish and shrimp, just to entice some seatrout and redfish to lurk before we got there. Charlie Villarreal, Mike Gonzalez, Sheala Castillo, Irma Ramirez, and my sister, Dora Rivas had a good time eating and drinking before heading to the fishing spot. Mike and Sheala's daughter, Isla, wanted to see a fish, so we couldn't disappoint her.

Both Mike and Charlie casted clouser-type flies into quiet water. Schools of baitfish would scatter at times. We were certain that predatory fish were below the water. At around nine, Mike and Sheala prepared to leave and went into the house to say their good-byes to Dora and Irma who were catching up on family things.

Charlie knew that the bait was a good indicator that something was making the bait nervously jump out of the water. Not long after Mike and Sheala went in to the house, Charlie hooked on to a small redfish. At first, we didn't know what that silvery fish was that was tugging so hard. It wasn't a keeper, but he was feisty. Charlie's rod had a good bend in it and it didn't show itself at first. Finally, we figured that it was a redfish and carefully brought it near the dock.

Good bend on Charlie's rod.

First redfish of the year for Charlie.

Isla studies Charlie's catch.

At the same time, I remembered Isla's wish and ran (OK, maybe not a real run) to the house. Mike, Sheala, and Isla came outside to see the outcome of Charlie's attempt to catch his first fish of the year. He was a happy camper and so was Isla. She starred at the fish with her eyes wide open and an unsure smile. Eventually, she was so comfortable with the site that she touched the fish.

We did our deed. Isla got to see and touch her fish. Her parents say that she "likes" fish. I think it was fitting to show her that fish are important to our natural world and she got to see all of us treating the fish with respect by releasing it to grow some more.

Hopefully, we can have more children come and join us at some future outings. The inclusion of moms, dads, and kids at events like these will help to raise awareness to the pleasures the outdoors brings us. Also, its noteworthy that participating in events that encourage service to the environment are important. Today's double duty was a good example of what we can do in the future.

We also need to remember that we're about fly fishing and that fly tying is only one part of the process. Events can be structured so that we can participate in fly tying earlier during the week, have a service event and follow it up with a fishing/social event. Hopefully, we took this opportunity as the first look at this venture as a possibility. 

Charlie didn't end with his redfish that night. He followed it up with two keeper seatrout. The photographs that follow attest to his tube fly's ability to draw strikes even when the night is slow. I checked out the lunar tables and the fishing activity was slow. We were done by 10 p.m. and had three fish photographed and released. Can't ask for anything better. Congratulations Charlie.

Charlie's tube fly.

Charlie holds a nice keeper trout.

A soft touch with this trout.

Congrats Charlie! Great job!

Sand Dune Restoration - January 31, 2015

The oyster and seagrass beds were visible on the shoreline from Highway 100 as we entered Laguna Heights. We were on our way to help out the folks from the the South Texas Chapter of the Surf Rider Foundation plant grass seedlings on South Padre Island. The sun was out and one could tell that it was going to be a beautiful morning. Even better was that we were going to do something that would help restore the dunes and provide protection for the dunes against future storms.

The light breeze brought a comfortable chill as we turned on Cora Lee to pick up our friend Brad York and his son, Diego. They would be joining us, as would several of the Rio Grande Valley Fly Tier's Club members. After a little conversation, we headed to our meeting location and mindful that we had planned to be on time.

The Surf Rider Foundation tent was at the entrance of Beach Access #14 on Bougainvillea Circle. The tent signalled that we had found our way. We waited for others to arrive, but I couldn't help but notice that we quickly made friends. Better so, or maybe because they were all like-minded people is a snap. Within a couple of minutes we were greeted and we greeted half a dozen couples. Our group signed the registration booth and entered "RGVFTC" to note our participation. The crowd kept growing and eventually it seemed like a hundred volunteers would make this task short.

Students from UTB, Master Naturalists, and many wonderful folks were out on the dunes to plant grass plants into ten inch holes. The holes were dug by a crew that quickly made enough holes to put a couple of plants before covering. We were told to not leave any air pockets because the growing plants could freeze. We did our best and eventually caught up to those drilling holes. We made them work hard.

One would think that 10,000 plants would be allot, but with everyone's help we were done by 10 a.m. Sheala Castillo, who had been to several of these events, said that we might be done by noon. That was the expectation if everything that went on before was the same. She said that the number of volunteers was three times more than what she had ever seen.

There is so much to learn when you attend an event like this, but what is better is that you get to help conserve our dunes and its wildlife and at the same time be happy from being out in nature. For me, it was also seeing kids learning to serve their community and protect their environment.

Below are some other photos of all having fun.

Mike Gonzalez quickly drilling holes.

Brad, Diego, and Dr. Rey

Irma and Dr. Rey

Brad and Diego Planting

Nearing the end our our planting work.