Virtual launch of fly fishing book by local author set for Saturday

Virtual launch of fly fishing book by local author set for Saturday

Chris Johnson, left, and Aaron Reed, right, fly fish in Brushy Creek in early March 2020. Pam LeBlanc photo


A few months ago, I spent a few hours casting in Brushy Creek with local fly fisherman (and tugboat driver) Aaron Reed, and Chris Johnson, owner of Living Waters Fly Fishing in Round Rock.
We waded through knee deep water, hiked alongside a gorgeous grayish-white escarpment, and prowled after fish we could see lurking in the shadows. They caught a bunch; I got a few nibbles.
As we fished, we talked about Reed’s new book, “Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas” (Imbrifex, $24.95), which includes tips about the best places and techniques for fishing right here at home.
The book arrived from the printer just as the coronavirus pandemic hit, and the book signing Reed had scheduled for May got postponed. This Saturday, he’d do a virtual launch of the guidebook with Davin Topel (Real Spirits Distilling) and Dustin Scott (Heart Wood Trade). The event starts at 5:30 p.m. on Scott’s site, https://heartwoodtrade.com/live/.

Aaron Reed will host a visual launch of his new fly fishing guide on Saturday. Pam LeBlanc photo


The show will celebrate the entire central Texas Fly Fishing community and will include giveaways, prizes and music. Special guests will include Alana Louise Lyons, Edgar Diaz, Josh Crumpton, Jeff Troutman, David Fason, Chris Johnson, Matt Bennett, Chris Barclay and others. The event is free and open to the public, and should last about 90 minutes.
And in case you needed a reminder, fly fishing is one of those activities that makes sense right now. You can do it away from crowds, in a safe, socially distant way. Plus, some quiet time in nature always soothes frayed nerves.

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Forget Montana – Texas serves up some great fly fishing opportunities

Forget Montana – Texas serves up some great fly fishing opportunities

John Henry Boatright shows off a catch from a Central Texas river. Aaron Reed photo

If you’ve always thought of fly fishing as a hobby for wealthy people who waded around in Montana streams with a bunch of expensive gear, Aaron Reed begs to differ.

Just about anybody can learn to fly fish without spending a ton of money, he says, and they can do it in rivers and streams all around Central Texas.

Aaron, a fly fishing expert and native Texan who lives in Georgetown, drove more than 2,500 miles and waded and paddled more than 150 miles of waterways to research his new book, “Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas” (Imbrifex, $24.95). The guidebook, packed with photos, maps and tips, includes directions to more than 100 legal access points and more than four dozen wade and paddle routes within an hour’s drive of Austin. It also includes gear recommendations, tips on how to get started, information about the history and wildlife of the highlighted destinations, and suggestions on where to grab a bite and a beer when you’re done casting.

“I wanted to do what I could to demystify fly fishing,” Reed says. “There’s still a widespread perception it’s an elitist sport that’s expensive and hard to do. We certainly at one time deserved that reputation, but hopefully not so much now.”

Fresh bass! Aaron Reed Photo

These days, he says, anyone can get started for under $200, with gear that will last a long time.

As for that misconception that fly fishing is concentrated in places like Montana? Not so. Texas has a thriving fly fishing community, with five clubs between Waco and New Braunfels alone – as many as the entire state of Colorado. Austin is home to three fly shops, and three more are situated along the nearby Guadalupe River.

“There’s this incredible, vibrant community here that not a whole lot of people outside the state know about,” he says. “The idea is to serve that growing community and the incredible number of visitors who come in for Austin City Limits or South by Southwest music festivals, and pack a fly rod and go down to river and fish an hour.”

He says a recognition across the country that fly fishing isn’t just for trout and interest in warm water fisheries has put Central Texas at the forefront of the movement. People here are fishing for largemouth bass, Guadalupe bass, Rio Grande cichlids and even carp with fly rods.

“Austin for quite a long time has been on the radar worldwide as great place to catch wild common carp,” Reed says. “Carp is a huge sport fish in Europe … Fly fishing for them is catching fire, and we now have a series of carp fly fishing tourneys around the state, including one in San Marcos.”

Aaron Reed will sign copies of his new book at several locations in Central Texas this spring. Erich Schlegel photo

Want a signed copy of Reed’s book?

They’ll be available at the San Gabriel Fly Fishers meeting at 7 p.m. April 21 at the Boy Scout Hut in San Gabriel Park in Georgetown. He’ll also be signing from 1-6 p.m. May 2 at the Flies and Flame Expo at Star Hill Ranch, 15000 Hamilton Pool Road in Bee Cave; from 10 a.m. to noon May 9 at the Living Waters Fly Shop, 103 N. Brown Street in Round Rock; 3 p.m. June 6 at Lark & Owl Bookstore, 205 W. Sixth Street in Georgetown; and 5 p.m. June 20 at Book People, 603 N. Lamar Boulevard in Austin.

A party to celebrate the publication of the book is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 7 at Mesquite Creek Outfitters, 704 South Austin Avenue in Georgetown.

Edgar Diaz fly fishes in Onion Creek. Aaron Reed photo

 

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At Iron Fly, learn about fly fishing, then help clean San Marcos River

At Iron Fly, learn about fly fishing, then help clean San Marcos River

 

I caught two brown trout while fly fishing the Provo River in Utah last week. Aaron Bible photo

I just got back from Utah, where I caught two brown trout while fly fishing in the Provo River.

Something about wearing waders, standing thigh deep in a chilly mountain stream and casting a fly rod fills me with contentment, even if I don’t reel in a fish. Doing all that and actually pulling out two foot-long fish made me swoon.

Guide Mason Osborne from Jan’s in Park City casts in the Provo River on Sept. 21, 2019. Pam LeBlanc photo

Fly fishing, for me, qualifies as a near Zen experience, and you can learn more about it at a couple of events in San Marcos this week.

Pig Farm Ink, a lifestyle brand that encourages people to get outside and fish, will host an “Iron Fly” competition at 6 p.m. Thursday at Sean Patrick’s, 202 E. San Antonio Street in San Marcos. Contestants tie flies while blindfolded, using non-standard materials. (Spaghetti strands? Who knows!) Coaches will offer assistance, and organizers say no experience is necessary.

A participant at last year’s Iron Fly event ties a fly. Photo courtesy Pig Farm Ink

“One of the reasons we hold this event in a bar is so we can engage with people who have never even thought about tying a fly or fly fishing,” Donovan Kypke, owner of ReelFly Fishing Adventures in Canyon Lake, said in a press release. “A little alcohol helps things along, too.”

On Saturday, the organizers will host a Get Trashed river cleanup and fishing tournament.

The event will be headquartered at Texas State Tubes. Prizes will go to whoever brings in the largest item from the river, the most trash and the most fish. Rookie anglers get bonus points for their first fish, as do those who catch a fish using a fly they tied at Thursday’s Iron Fly event.

Blindfolded patrons attempt to tie flies at last year’s Iron Fly competition. Photo courtesy Pig Farm Ink

If you’ve been on the San Marcos River this summer, you’ve probably seen the massive amount of trash left behind by summer crowds.

Participants in last year’s Get Trashed event pull trash from the San Marcos River. Photo courtesy Pig Farm Ink

To compete, you’ll need some sort of paddle craft or raft. Boats will be available free of charge, as will shuttles from the take-out points back to Texas State Tubes.

The event starts at 8 a.m. at Texas State Tubes, 2024 W. Old Bastrop Highway in San Marcos. Real Ale Brewing Company will provide beer at the after party, scheduled to last until 6 p.m.

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