Gulf Coast - Rockport
Use large streamers and top water bugs get out real early, befiore sightcasting around 8:30 . Get OUT of the boat when you have bait and know fish are there, and Check white sand/ grass flats mid-day for cruising, sunning trout with long leaders (up to 12' and 12#) and small wtd flies (Blind Chicken, White, gray, and ginger bead-eye seaducers 2-4) and small dark ( #4 black and purple) crabs, well weighted doing well on lethargic fish. Lots of shots frisky fish stay with them until they are out of range, go to grizzly, tan, and black flies on picky fish
Rockport water , fly guides, hotels, restaurants and services coming back after Harvey, please be patient as we move to a new" normal", tides have been normal with water moving well with good SE wind pushes .....sunny, warm and windy with SE winds to 25, through this weekend then SE winds to 20 next Monday sunny to partly cloudy next week ..consider wading to lower profile going thru shallow lakes and skinny flats poling from deck to be "not seen...." ..more reports of Jackfish, mackerel and lady fish coming in...big trout matching up with males in this water. please gently release females (They don't grunt when held and most trout over 22" are females) they have important work to do this and next month More reports of jacks to 35# and small tarpon on Port A jetties..
please boat, paddle, and wade with caution as many landmarks, duck blinds, markers, and buildings on/ near water are gone and may have ended up somewhere else, Running your boat sitting down may be hazardous.. sightcasting fly.fishing has been slow, with low sun and dry flats.. try tan, olive, and black crab, seaducers, clousers sizes 4, 2 and 1
The ANW Refuge is CLOSED to inland boat traffic 8/27 /17 until future notice Whoopers have moved north Please avoid kicking up or disturbing any remaining birds with boat noise or traffic.... give them some space! Large trout (over 22" most of them are female) getting ready to drop eggs soon, please release to spawn, the under 20" fish eat better too
. go to 2-3' of 15# flurocarbon tippet off nylon leaders, for better sink rate and less visibility. Get out and walk when high winds make your boat or kayak a noisy liabililty WIth low sun go to shallower flats and look for waking or tailing fish, V shaped tails are mullet from finger size 3" to 18" "horse" mullet...... large bodied wakes or "mud stirs" usually kicked up by gamefish....
