Casting Clinic Update Al Crise Casting Clinic in Glen Rose

Al Crise, Ol' Al as we all know him, will be hosting another casting clinic. The original date of 13 September was a bit blown out of the water so to speak by Ike's arrival. But it's back on! If you are at all interested in gaining more skill as a caster this might be the best $100 you ever spent. Plus the fellowship of other fly casters and a chance to fish the Brazos and/or Paluxy Rivers quite nearby Al's place.

Al's website is Hawkridge Tackle

I've taken the liberty of pasting Al's updated schedule below. Hope you can all make it!

November 1, 2008 Saturday General Clinic from just starting to advanced casting.
November 2, 2008 Sunday Special for CCI Candidates


The Clinics is held at Hawk Ridge Flyfishing School near Glen Rose. TX. 50 miles southwest of Ft. Worth (Ol' Al's place)
Here is the 'plan of the day' for clinics. We will make some small changes as needed.
This time I hope to have some special casting with the Spey Rods.
The problem is it would be nice to have some water. Pray for rain. We missed all that Ike dropped.
**************************************
Saturday 7:00 AM
Coffee and sweets.
Introductions of Instructors and Students.
Why and how this Clinic is set up
What you should get out of this training
7:30 Evaluations of the students
8:00 Bill's essentials. /Bruce Richard’s 6 steps
9:00 Casting
10:00 Terms of the fly Caster [new changes.]
11:00 Casting
12:00 Lunch Chicken BBQ
1:00 Different flies and how they are fished.
2:00 Spey casting demo
3:00 Casting
4:00 Loops & control slack line casting / Casting in the wind
5:00 Distance & Saltwater Casting
6:30 Dutch treat at Loco Coyote restaurant. Caravan over there.



Sunday
7:00 AM
Coffee and sweets
7:30 What is a CCI
8:30 Casting
9:30 FF ethics
10:30 Casting
12:00 Lunch Burgers
1:00 Cast required for the Test
3:00 Tips on teaching.
4:00 Open casting if you have any questions now is the time

The charge for this clinic is $100.00 for students 16 and over, Free if under.
8+ hours of Casting and Class.
Certified Casting Instructors (CCI) has to give a one-hour classroom talk on some part of casting. Outline required before the clinic, so I can set up a schedule. They should be on-hand to help with the casting class. No charge for them if they do.
The idea is to help the CCIs to become better instructors by learning from other instructors. The 'CCI Candidates' will have Sunday for Teaching tips. We will cover much that is on the CCI test. The charge for this is $50.00
Glen Rose has many Motels, State Park nearby If you are on a "Casting Junkie budget" Camp on the Ranch for free.
Contact Allen Crise MCI flysoup@itexas.net, Ranch 254-897-2045 or Cell 254-396-1574

"Ah Wont Thayut"

In Napoleon Dynamite uncle Rico pulled out the model sailing ship which the lady of the house could not resist.

I had a similar feeling when I saw this little gem of a knife


Marble's Cutlery FLy Fisherman's Knife

SA Mastery Series Striper Line

Remember that Mastery Series Striper Seven Weight Sinking Line that sat in that cardboard box on the counter in the fly department at Barlow's Tackle for all these years? The poor thing looked so forlorn but I could never bring myself to pay the amount they were asking.

Finally, this Friday, I just straight up asked how much they'd take for it to get rid of it. The guys gave me a price that was right so now I have yet another line to buy a reel for.

How Small Is Small?

This is a fly that I am currently researching, a Blue River Fly Fisher asked me to review it for a possible tie.

Here is the first image I took of the fly


And here is a second, set upon a dime

Little Men

Yesterday after work I drove over to my little neighborhood creek for some decompression and angling.

As I stood in the door of my truck stringing up the one weight I saw them headed my way. Seven and five years old and dressed in standard issue little boy summer attire...shorts, that is all.

"Are you going fishing?!"

"Yep, sure am"

"Have you fished before?"

"I've fished a few times"

"Do you know how to put that all together?"

"Yes, I believe that I do"

"Do you have the dealy-thing? If you don't you can borrow mine"

"That is very kind of you to offer; I think I'll be OK"

"There is a big old snake down there!!"

"There aren't any fish down there. (pointing to the stretch of weedlined bank below). There is a big fish down there!"

"I saw a gold fish! it was BIG!!" (resident koi)

"Guys, I am going to be casting this thing down there so please be sure to stay back. I sure would feel bad if I were to hook one of you"

"OK, we'll just go jump in the water a while"

"Oh please don't do that. It'll ruin the fishing for me"

"OK"

Then they were off to score Popsicles from apparently grandpa or a neighbor who dotes on them. I last heard them discussing the relative merits of sharing candy.

What I had initially knee-jerked as a big ding in my angling time turned out to be a refreshing break in my initial refreshing break.

Look Out, It's Raining Bowling Balls!

Scott Bridgess videoed some striper action on Texoma

Fly Fishing Caddo Lake

I'm still ruminating. What a time I had! Here are a couple of movies I made and then the photos link






Pretty little Bass On Three Weight

Fly Fishing is not all fun and games (note the "not a happy angler" face)


nice bream!


some parts of the lake are eerie-creepy...but pretty cool


something used to be here


it's not all hard work in Uncertain TX!


Entrance to Devil's Elbow (wonder how many fish are holding on that knocked down tree?)


another fishy looking spot

let's just face facts, it's all fishy!


dream home!









camera phone image by the motel


look at that line! Water had cooled off with all the rain




in 1903 oil was discovered and Caddo was raised with a low water dam to allow drilling. This is an old abandoned well in the Big Green (a section of the main lake)


I know I keep saying this, but there were some fish up in here


Shawn from the Triton dealer in Marshall TX drove one of the camera boats, and squeezed in some fishing as well!


The weather was oddly and unseasonably cool. Very light rain on day one, we dodged the bullet on day two as a big storm blew in just after we got off the water. I lost track of bream and small bass that I landed on my three weight. You can rest assured that I will be back to Caddo as soon as I possibly can.