The
February trip to the Shonto Ranch was with the Katy prairie fly fishers. http://www.freewebs.com/katyprairieflyfishers/ We
met for dinner on Friday and Saturday night to talk flyfishing and learn
about each other. Saturday morning we started fishing at dawn. Jim and I
went to different areas to work on casting skills and teaching how to
catch a trout or any fish on a fly rod. I brought several rods for people
to try and luckily brought some heaver rods, as the wind was a killer.
Several had not used a fly rod much and some had never caught a fish on a
fly rod. Bob, Dave, Haskell and Gregg were experienced fly fishermen
and Dave ties his own flies. Dave brought his granddaughter Mickey who was
a novice with a flyrod. Gregg brought his friend Raymond who was also a
novice. I let Raymond use 3 of my rods (3,5,and 6 wt) and he caught
bluegill and several trout. Richard has had a flyrod for a year and had
not caught a trout on it, until this weekend when he got 8 or 10.
Unfortunately the week before we came the temperature got so high the only
fish biting were bass. With the front hitting Friday we got the catch
quite a few trout and some bream and bass.
Mark
Friday afternoon Jim and I went by the ranch to set everything up for the weekend and C.D. said we could fish till dark. Thanks C.D. for the chance to catch some awesome fish. I saw and caught this huge Buck Trout, which was 24 1/2 inches long and 8 1/2 inches tall with a 22-inch girth. Jim said it weighted over 14 pounds (it felt like 15 to me). I used the formula and came up with 14.82 pounds or 14 pounds 13.16 oz. C.D. the Ranch biologist laughed and said it was the State Record and I should have not let him go.
It took a long time to revive but is worth the time to allow this magnificent fish to live to be caught again.
Taken just before I released the huge Trout. It took 25 minutes to revive this fish as it expended a lot of energy during the fight. Now someone else can catch the fish of a lifetime.
Jim, Gregg, Dave, Raymond, Mickey, Richard, Haskell, and Bob at the lake Saturday night.
Dave with a golden Trout
Jim with a 19 inch Buck
Bob hooked up with a Trout. Bob came last year also.
Raymond with his first Trout on a fly rod.
Jim talking about tips and tactics.
Raymond got a Bluegill on my fly rod
Jim with a nice Golden Trout
Nice Trout on my 1 wt and a 22 midge.
The Trout sure can jump.
A very nice 24 inch Trout on my 3 wt. and a wooly bugger.
Richard with his first fish on a fly rod. He went on to catch more fish than me.
Mickey with a native Bass
Dave with a Trout
Deer are all over the ranch.
Me back in the old days:)
Fishing the easement.
We saw a Zebra everyday near the entrance to the ranch.
Mickey got a Bluegill on fly
Mickey got her first Trout on a fly rod.
Gregg and Raymond warming up. It was 27 when we started fishing. Gregg had a stove and made hot Chocolate.
The water is crystal clear so fluorocarbon and lite tippets are necessary.
Dave with a Golden Trout. Dave is an experienced fly fisherman and tier
Richard with a 19 inch Trout. It took me 20 years fishing in Colorado to get one this big.
Bragging after fishing
How many turkeys can you see in this picture?
Rea are the 3rd largest flightless bird in the world
The way the roads crisscross it is hard to find your way around the ranch
The Big Horn Sheep were too far for my camera to see clearly.
Jim with an average Trout at the ranch. The best part for Jim is sight casting and catching a specific fish.
Finally on Saturday I saw this beautiful Golden Trout and caught it after trying the last trip and Friday afternoon.
A Zebra wishes us as luck as we came to fish.
Barasingha are endangered in India and are called a swamp deer. It was as big as an elk and was growing new antlers.
Richard releasing a nice Trout.
Raymond fishing.
Richard fishing.
See the deer behind Jim.
Richard, Raymond and Mark getting warm with some Hot Chocolate.
Jim pouting after his last cast on Sunday.
Mo Mo Our mascot for the trip.
We had a great dinner at the Inn of the Hills Saturday night.
Look over there! What's behind me?
