"Don’t fish much, do you?" questioned a youngster from the neighborhood who had accompanied my oldest grandson to my office.
I looked around and had to admit the shoulder and full body mounts, European skull mounts, and skins from big game animals I had taken decorating the walls and covering the floor it would certainly tend to leave that impression upon anyone entering my office. I grinned. "You’re right. I has been a long time since I’ve been fishing." I hesitated, but then thought back upon my youth when I indeed do a lot of fishing. First it was with a cane or willow pole, then a bait casting rig, then later a fly rod.
Where I grew up in the northern part of Colorado County, Texas in the Zimmerscheidt Community we had several creeks and "branches", most all were clear running water and filled with a variety of sunfish, bass (both largemouth and spotted), catfish and numerous kinds of "suckers". Somewhere during those early days I read an article in Outdoor Life by Joe Brooks or possibly Lee Wulff about fishing for bone fish. The photo accompanying the article showed a fish that somewhat resembled our local tribe of "suckers".
I reckoned if they could do it with a fly rod, so could I (well at least catch a sucker). I paged through the hunting and fishing magazines and found a place where I could buy some tiny trout nymphs, a new outfit called Cabela’s, I sent in money earned from helping haul hay and bought several.
About two days later I tied on a nymph to the end of my fly line and waded the thigh-deep, crystal clear waters of Cummins Creek. It didn’t take long before I spotted a group of carp feeding on the bottom about 20 steps away. Quickly I placed the fly on the gravel below and in front of the feeding carp, then waited.
It didn’t take long for the lead fish to suck the little fly in. I resisted jerking, setting the hook, but fed line as the fish move on. I counted to ten then set the hook. Immediately the fight was on! The nearly 4-pound fish took off going upstream like a bullet. I followed and for the next four or five minutes I fought my inland version of a bonefish. Talk about a thrill!
For a long time that was the largest thing I caught on my fly rod…well that was until the day I was fly fishing with my cousin Oliver. We were fishing a pond about a quarter mile behind their house. Oliver’s constant companion back then was about an eighty pound German shepherd, went with him everywhere!
It was hot that particular day, but I was catching a bunch of sunfish, mostly gorgeously colored long-eared sunfish. As it grew warmer, flies and gnats started buzzing around. Oliver’s companion sprawled out under a tall shade tree, not far from where I was working my fly. On a back cast trying to get extra distance I "worked" the fly way behind me…..and unknowingly the fly stopped it backward movement within no less than about an inch from the German shepherd’s mouth. Upon seeing the pesky critter than supposedly had been annoying him, he simply snapped at it…
As I started to whip the fly forward, I felt something on the backside give it a mighty tug…then watched in horror as Oliver’s dog started running away. I tried setting the hook, but it was too late, the fight was on!
Now I know there are fly fisherman and fly fisherladies out there that have caught some mighty big fish that put up one heckuva fight….but let me tell you something, I doubt seriously any of those watery fights could compare to trying to land an excited and thoroughly mad 80 pound German shepherd on land!
July is a time for remembering. Normally it’s too hot and too dry to do much anything else. But as we head into the heart of summer, I’ve never seen South Texas or for that matter all of Texas look any greener or better. Based on reports that have come to us through customers at the store, it’s going to be on of the best antlers years we may have ever experienced. And now that I’ve told my one fishing tale for the year it’s time to start thinking about hunting again.
I’ve just gotten back from Namibia, Africa (my 5th trip there) primarily hunting greater kudu, which I love almost as much as whitetails. I’m planning on going back to Namibia in 2008, probably leaving the 6th or so of July for a 10 day hunt. If anyone is interested in possibly going with me drop me an email at larry@loscazadores.com and I’ll send you some details.
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