Texas on the Fly (Day 3 of 4)… Guest Post by Tony Wheeler
Today we are back on the Colorado River fishing with Alvin Dedeaux with All Water Guides.
We start at the Utley Bridge about 25 minutes downstream of Austin on the highway FM-969. We jet upstream in Austin’s cool Hog Island Boat Works river boat that is half jet boat and half drift boat. Up on plane it skips over some low water riffles that are barley wet.
After a quick upstream run of 7 miles, it turns into a drift boat and we start back down the river. For once the put-in and the take-out are truly one and the same.
A high pressure bass unfriendly cold front with winds gusting to 30 mph has arrived. Alvin warns us our chances are grim.
Right near the start some unknown unseen river monster grabs Okey’s crawfish on Alvin’s 7 weight and it bends the rod to the cork. The creature streaks away diving for a brush pile. I dig for my camera in the dry-bag and as soon I find it the monster breaks off. Once again I sure hope that wasn’t a bass.
With the cold temps and howling wind the bite is slow. We both are getting them on streamers and crawfish patterns – beautifully marked Gauds and their largemouth river cousins. The hot fly for me was a C.K. Baitfish, a fly those Texas bass had never seen before. Okey stays consistent on the crawfish pattern.
We all fight the wind (especially poor Alvin on the oars) but our numbers start to climb. Soon we have exceeded the total of the last two previous days.
For variety Okey hooks and then loses a big gar. Then a few cast later he lands a catfish on the fly (a first for him.)
Much to the protest of my elbow I throw a sink tip fly line on my 8 weight all day. Later back in our rented Airbnb apartment in Austin I thought my elbow was going to just dislocate when I popped off my elbow brace.
I have known and done outdoor adventure trips with Okey for over 30 years now. No amount of coaxing could convince him to massage my shoulders and elbow while I soaked in a hot bubble bath.
I had to settle for a handful of Advil and shot of Tequila.
