MATCHING THE HATCH FOR THE TX HILL COUNTRY Tying and choosing proper fly patterns to increase your success on the water. Matt Bennett Fly Geek Custom Flies [email protected] Why should you listen to me? • Fishing the Austin area since 2008 • LWFF – 2012 through 2015 • Fly Geek Custom Flies – 2015 – now • Past Austin Fly Fishers President • Current TX Council Vice President Overview of the TX Hill Country Llano River near Kingsland Guadalupe River at Lazy L&L Brushy Creek near Round Rock Characteristics of Hill Country Rivers ¨ There’s a bunch! Guadalupe, Comal, San Marcos, Colorado, Llano, Blanco, Nueces, Frio, Sabinal, Concho, Lampasas and associated feeder creeks ¨ Majority are shallow and wadeable in stretches ¨ Extremely Clear Water (some clearer than others) ¨ Sandy, limestone and granite bottoms with lots of granite boulders/outcroppings ¨ Extreme flooding events YEARLY on average. Sept 11, 1952 – Lake Travis rises 57 feet in 14 hours. 23-26” of rain Guadalupe River, July 17,1987 Llano River / Lake LBJ – Nov. 4 2000 Why does flooding matter to fishing? ¨ Because of the almost-annual flooding / drought cycle of our rivers, they are constantly changing ¨ Holes get filled in and dug out, gravel gets moved around, banks get undercut ¨ We have to constantly relearn our fisheries to stay successful on the water ¨ Choosing the right flies with the proper triggers is an important part of your success on the water Overview of our forage Baitfish, crawfish, insects, and other terrestrials Why is forage important? ¨ #1 rule of all fishing – know your forage! ¨ Knowing the common forage where you fish increases your chances of success as it clues you in on what flies you should be fishing ¨ Forage base will vary between water bodies, time of year, species targeted, and more, as well as year-to-year. ¨ Applicable not just locally, but in every water body for every fish. ¨ Easiest way to get a clue on a new body of water is to stop and observe for a moment before casting. What are the fish doing? What’s going on in the shallows? Are there any observable forage (dragonflies buzzing, baitfish and sunfish in shallows, frogs croaking, grasshoppers buzzing etc.) Baitfish General tips: Teardrop shape Smaller sizes earlier in the year Darker-Colored Backs over Lighter Bellies Generally the most prolific forage for warmwater- focused fisherman Shad ¨ Member of the herring family ¨ 28 species, only two live in fresh water full-time ¤ Gizzard and Threadfin Shad ¨ Primary focus as fly anglers is on Threadfin shad ¤ Gizzards get quite big, but a large food source for striped bass and catfish, typically in large lakes and reservoirs. ¨ Migratory American Shad are a great fly rod target (east coast) Threadfin Shad • Mostly commonly around 2”-3” • Oversized eye • False eye “spot” • Bright yellow fins (especially tail) • Deep, white belly. • Hints of yellow, lavender, lighter/darker olive or black on top Sunfish ¨ Many different kinds found in the Hill Country ¤ Bluegill, Green, Redbreast, Longear, Redear, Warmouth, Rock Bass, Redspotted, Orangespotted, to name a few. ¨ Some water bodies have an overabundance, some have barely any Bass and crappie are also members of the Sunfish family, and should be considered forage as well. Sunfish are all cannibalistic. Longear Sunfish Shared Panfish Characteristics ¨ Narrow, deep body shape ¨ Young are typically a washed-out silvery color for many species ¨ Usually some striping/barring for camouflage ¨ Commonly have a bright belly – orange, rust, red, etc. ¨ Blue/Turquoise highlights (some) ¨ Dark gill flap ¨ 1” – 7” and up Immature Bass ¨ Longer, shorter body shape than panfish ¨ White/Lt. Gray Belly ¨ Olive/Brown Olive backs and tails ¨ Lateral Lines ¨ 6” and up Other baitfish to consider: ¨ Stocked trout ¨ Bottom-dwelling baitfish ¤ Darters ¤ Logperch ¨ Blacktailed Shiners and other minnows Crawfish – what kind are these? Red Swamp Crawfish Red Swamp Craw vs White River Craw Texas Craws ¨ 43 different species and counting! ¨ Countless variations of size and color between water bodies. ¨ Typically will camouflage to match surroundings ¨ Found on the bottom, typically concentrated around structure ¨ Fish don’t like to eat big claws! Insects and Terrestrials Dragon and Damselflies, Grasshoppers, Frogs, Mice, Hellgrammites, Leeches, Worms, Birds Damsel and Dragonfly Nymphs Hellgrammite Hoppers Building a better fly box Patterns to cover your bases on the river Creating success with your flies ¨ Think about WHERE in the water column your intended forage is found and also your intended quarry – does your match up to both? ¨ Have several different styles of fly for a specific forage, and several different sizes and colors of each of those styles ¨ Exaggerate the important aspects of your forage ¨ Know what your fish are feeding on currently ¨ Fly Profile > Fly Motion > Fly Color ¤ The clearer the water, the more important color becomes ¤ Add motion with breathable materials, create profile with rigid materials. Shad Lunch / Brunch Money • High contrast eye and shad “spot” • Deep body • Yellowish Tail • Proper color layering – Olive/Yellowish Purplish Silver/White • 1.5 – 3” Shad Craft Fur Baitfish • High contrast realistic eye and shad “dot” • Color Layering – Gray over Yellow over Cream/White • Better motion and can be tied larger – 3” – 6+” • Flash amount is customizable, layer in different types! Bluegill Craft Fur Baitfish • Deep, narrow body • Proper color layering to match most sunfish • Barring, black dot for gill flap, large high-contrast eye • Flash is layered – copper/olive/purple/blue here • Larger sunfish imitation Muted Bluegill / Fire Tiger Lunch Money • Again, same profile – deep and narrow • Colors are “washed out” to imitate a juvenile sunfish / brighter for murky water • Still have the barring camouflage • Flash is created with the chrome legs and also incorporated into dubbing Carp-It Bombs • Near-bottom small crawfish, hellgrammite or damsel/dragonfly nymph imitator • Variety of colors for attractor and natural • Tie to match your forage and river bottom • Tons of movement from marabou and sili legs • Dubbing loop helps make it “bubble” like an actual crawfish Craw Brunch Moneys • More of a “swimming craw” – imitates the fleeing motion of a crawfish • Natural colors – most craws have a cream or tan underside • Barring to imitate segments • Legs and smaller zonker to imitate claw/legs motion • Swing/hop these in moving/rocky bottoms Bigger flies for bigger fish! How to “unmatch” the hatch Principles of unmatching ¨ Keep the same profile and motion, change colors ¨ Muddy water – go to black, olive, or – create contrast ¨ Stained or tannic water – chartreuse, fire tiger, yellow ¨ Add more flash and bulk to get attention ¨ Purples, pinks, and blue are highly effective but vastly underfished fly colors. Bright flys Bandito Baitfish How I organize my fly boxes ¨ Creek Box ¤ Brushy Creek, San Gabriel, Llano ¤ Smaller, darker forage ¤ Tenkara ¨ River Wading Box ¤ Guadalupe, Llano ¤ Medium-sized forage, more whites ¨ Big River Boat Box ¤ Colorado, Guadalupe, Devil’s ¤ Big Shad and Bluegill, Craws Creek Box ¨ Smaller, darker forage ¨ Damsel and Dragon Nymphs, small Olive Craws ¤ Rio Getters, Black and Olive, 10-14 ¤ Carp-It Bombs, Olive Brown and Black, 8-10 n Normal and Carp Hooks ¨ Smaller minnow patterns ¤ Jigged Brushy Creek Streamers, 12-14 ¤ Bandito Baitfish, Olive, 6-10 ¤ Brunch Moneys, Sculpin Olive and Tan, 6-8 ¨ Wilcox JC Specials and Morrish Hoppers, 8-14 ¨ Small Llanolopes 6, 8 Hill Country River Box ¨ More Baitfish, Shad, and bigger craws ¨ Carp-It Bombs, Olive Brown & Copper Chrome, 6-8 ¨ Shad as a larger forage concentration ¤ Craft Fur Baitfish, Shad and Chartreuse, 2 ¤ Lunch Money, Shad, Tan, Craw, Muted Bluegill ¨ Brighter/bigger flies for high/off-color water ¤ Lunchtime Jig ¤ Lunch Money, Sexy Shad, Easter Bunny, Chartreuse ¨ Bigger Llanolopes and Morrish Hoppers – 4-8 Big River Boat/Kayak Box ¨ Colorado River, San Marcos, Devil’s River ¨ Big Craws – Lunchtime Jig ¨ More attractor bassy colors – purples, blacks, pinks ¨ 4/0 & 2/0 Craft Fur Baitfish – Pink, Bluegill, Shad ¨ Size 2 Lunch Moneys – Shad, Muted Bluegill, Pink ¨ Bigger Articulated patterns ¨ Bass Bugs – Umpqua Swimming Baitfish Thanks for having me! Questions? ¨ Facebook – Matt Bennett / Fly Geek Custom Flies ¨ Instagram - @flygeekmatt ¨ Email – [email protected] .