Tied a few sliders for the trip to Freeport,Tex next week. The live camera shows clean water all the way to the sand
Lots of bait in the surf so should be a good trip with a fly rod!!!!!

Nice ties. A few questions...I'm a long time fly guy, but this is the first year a bought a Texas license that includes saltwater. So, looks like you have at least an 8 wt. for those flies, maybe not. You mentioned sand, so will you be wading the surf? I'd like to find a spot to drive down to from Dallas, and throw some of my flies. Get a cheap motel, etc. Is Freeport the area for this? I don't like having to hire guides, boats, etc. Thanks.

kaboboom....good afternoon

I live north of Dallas and do not get to fish the surf very much ( 2 or 3 times a year). When I do go I fish with an 8wt. I also take two lines, a floating and sink tip. I plan to wade the surf close to the Freeport jetty early in the morning and then to fish the jetty after that. Between first light and sun up is a good time to catch trout in the surf. Sometimes you can catch them on top water with poppers. There are also skip jacks that are usually plentiful and hard fighters. There is always a chance for redfish there also.. Freeport is a good spot to go for me because it is only 5 hours or so from my house and the jettys provide a large entry-exit for water to the bay. I have not hired a guide and i think that you will be able to catch fish with out one. If you fish out of a kayak, there are several great places in the Freeport area to fish. Google maps will tell you a lot about the bay system and the surf also. There is also a live camera at Freeport jetty that shows all of the fishermen and the wind and water conditions. You tube is full of fly fishing videos for redfish in the Freeport area.

Also, the time of year also plays a part. The redfish spawn with the first cold front that comes thru and that is usually some time in October. Check the local fishing reports. They all know when it starts and put that information in their reports.

I think that my favorite place to fish is the north jetty at port aransas. It takes a little longer to get there but if you have the time, that is the go to place!!! I don't think you will have any trouble finding plenty of fish.

Good luck and tight lines

Long time Freeport/Surfside fly fisherman here. I do wade the surf at Surfside and then the beach at Quintana/Bryan. The pedestrian beach at Surfside is pretty reliable, but the village does make you get a parking pass to park along there. There are several motels at Surfside. Really, about anywhere in the surf can be good. My best most fun times have been tossing things like Borski bonefish sliders into the waist deep first gut. Simple 50 foot type of casts and it can be a fish almost every cast type of action at times.

I’m not a huge fan of jetty fishing only for the potential crowds, but there’s certainly good opportunities there.

Christmas bay offers good walk in and wade opportunities. It has firm sand in most places and lots of aquatic sea grasses. I fish that bay and next door Drum bay quite a lot.

There’s tons more quality water, but much of it is only accessible by kayak or boat, with soft substrate or sharp shell infested water.

There are a few more walk along the shoreline spots.

Thank you for the detailed response. I live near Dallas. I usually go on trout trips to Colorado or New Mexico a few times a year, but between drought, fires, etc., I think it's time to explore the Texas coast. I have a couple of 8wts, and can tie whatever is recommended, which is what I do for my trout trips. Between the pics of your flies, and the info you provided above, I'll be heading to that area pretty soon. Thanks.

Thank you as well for this info. I like to walk/wade...it keeps gear space small when driving down. I'll look-up the Borski slider and tie some up before I go. The OP also suggested poppers which I like to tie. It will be fun building a fly box for this area. Thanks.

Steve Farrar Blend patterns were what I started off using in the surf and surely will work. I tend to use Garstside Soft Hackle Streamers and the Borski Bonefish sliders more these days. I should have gone this morning, it looks good, maybe tomorrow. I think if they are feeding, most things will work. In my experience, be prepared to get some Spanish mackerel, bluefish, gafftopsail and even sharks. I might put on a heavier section of fluorocarbon, but not into wire bite tippets. Ladyfish, whiting, Jack Creavelle, occasionally a redfish or flounder round out the mix.

I lived at Surfside for a few years and then live about 12 miles away now. In my experience, trout could be out in the surf into December. Others like pompano are around at times. It’s a dynamic environment. If the surf is rough, then maybe Christmas bay will offer better conditions along the south shoreline. Walking the grass shoreline could pay off.

Allen has hooks and beads on sale (20% off). I like their hooks. I bought some 1/0 saltwater hooks and some bass dumbbell eyes for tying the flies you guys have shared above.

Nice thread.

Much more surf-line KARSTOPO

Nice catches!

That one fish ... second from bottom. I think that is a Gulf Kingfish. And would be a State record on fly. Very cool.

The Borski bonefish slider is a saltwater catch all type of fly. I would pick it over a clouser. The fish above all came yesterday out in the marsh from 8”-20” of water over mud and shell. I tried a number of other patterns and even three different baitcasting lures, but only the tan Borski slider got any action.

Maybe the Borski slider checks the correct size box or the blenny box or some invertebrate box or the shrimp box, but it seems to check the right ones for a lot of different fish.