10/8/2017

Welcome to Ryan's Report! This is a blog designed to showcase flyfishing and wildlife encounters throughout the lower Rio Grande Valley. This morning was exceptionally calm and clear and I attempted to chase big reds with my uncle. We decided to drive down South Padre Island and walk across the beach to wade out to an area we call "the sand". While the overwhelming majority of conditions that can effect a fishing day were in line with greatness, there was one sizeable factor that posed a challenge; the high tide combined with the influx of water brought on by tropical storm Nat.

My uncle and I decided that it would be worth our time to drive out and investigate in person and we gathered our gear and set off. After reaching the access point, we discovered that it would have been a rather arduous hike to reach our destination and after much deliberation we decided to try again after the waters receded to their usual ankle to calf level. While this experience did not yield fish, it did produce something far more enduring in value. This chance outing allowed me to reconnect with my uncle, who is a very accomplished angler and outdoors man, and hear about stories of when he and my father began experimenting with wade fishing and sight casting at the very same location over four decades ago. While I understand that we all expect to hear tales of greatness in any good fishing story I am now aware that sometimes there is much to be said for the experiences of connecting with your fellow anglers over stories and some good old fashioned trial and error. Thank you for reading and please check back in frequently for photos, videos, and commentary.