I don't normally post here, but I wanted share this with y'all.

Every fall my company holds a retreat that centers around hunting, fishing, camaraderie, phenomenal table-fare, and adult beverages sprinkled with we just a few work related topics to pass the time during the hotter parts of the day. This year we returned to one of our Land Specialist's family ranch just north of Rotan, Texas. In April of 2011 Rory lost everything to the devastating wildfires that engulfed the Big Sky Country of Texas and he's been eager for us to return to his ranch now that he's got his barndominium rebuilt and the wildlife and fauna have returned. Being out in West Texas I was forced to purchase my first hunting license in 4 years, which obviously means I had not been dove hunting since then. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings proved to be very productive for doves when hunting over milo and cotton fields that cover the fertile soils around Rotan. Although I only contributed a few bird to the Tuesday pile I did mange to shoot my limit on Wednesday; my first since high school. Each of the hunts were then capped off with big pieces of cow and vegetables seared on the fire pit grill.




OK, now that I've rubbed that portion of the week in y'alls face I'll get on to the fishing report. I mean come on, I'm a fisherman not a hunter and even in the dry landscape that is West Texas there are still plenty of opportunities to wet a fly line, and I had packed accordingly. So Thursday after nearly everyone had left his ranch I grabbed my fly rod and planned my attack. There was an abundant of rain south towards Abiliene and north towards Childress, so I had a small window to go fishing.

Rory's ranch is situated in southeast Kent County with frontage on the Double Mounatin Fork Brazos River (DMFBR). The 165+/- miles of the DMFBR rises in the break in the Caprock of the Llano Estacado in eastern Lynn County and runs east past Rory's ranch before joining the Salt Fork Brazos River in Stomewall County near Aspermont, TX. As you can see in the photos the the defining characteristics along this portion of Texas is the vibrant red/orange soil comprised mostly of the iron rich Perda and Berda. The soils are permanent clothing stains waiting to happen. Along certain stretches of the river the bluffs shot vertically 80+ feet exposing lines of quartz from their face. The contrast between the glistening quartz and red soil is amazing.






Surprisingly the water clarity of the pools was around 2 feet. However, finding deep enough pools that held those waters were few and far between so majority of my time in the riverbed was spent hiking. I did attempt to wade through a deeper hole only to find a quicksand consistency and me nearly stuck knee deep; no bueno. Even before that incident I had already confided to myself that a majority of my fishing was going to be targeting small sunfish, which was exactly the case. To my surprise were some small channel cats in some of those small, innocuously looking small pools. Although I didn't find any bass, the sunfish and catfish were eager to swallow my black woolly bugger.






Obviously there were no giants lurking out of sight, but I did catch a solid 8-9" catfish in one of the small pools that surprised me. And Of course he tossed the fly as I was reaching down to grab him so I wasn't able to snap a photo. After four hours of playing around in the riverbed I had to return to the bardominum so that we could hunt that evening. The birds at that evenings location weren't as plentiful so I only mahanged 8 birds. The next day I had planned on fishing somewhere as I made my way back to the Metroplex, but as many of y'all know there was a lot of rain out west. So much so that I only had about an hour window to get off his ranch or I would have had to stay another night or two. Let's just say 4-wheel drive was a necessity.

In he 3.5 years since the wildfires the Big Sky Country has bounced back quite nicely and it was a pleasure being out there on his ranch with no cell service for a week. The DMFBR just goes to show that even what looks like un-fishable waters to you and me holds an abundant population of eager fish. That's why I'm always packing; a fishing rod, that is.

Great read.

I hunted right around Aspermont for several years. I have spent many many hours exploring miles of the Salt Fork. Maybe it is too salty or shallow, never really saw anything larger than a minnow. I also never thought to toss a fly in the few deeper pools either. More likley to pull out a big nasty pig.

You guys know how to party

Awesome Post!

Nice post and pics - thanks for sharing.