On the weekend of November 8th – 10th, the Fort Worth Fly Fishers will host a trip to Caddo Lake. This beautiful natural wonder is relatively close and within our state. If you haven’t had a chance to fish it, this is a great opportunity to do so. There is nothing else like kayaking and fishing around the great cypress trees of East Texas. Since the trip is in the Fall, hopefully the weather will be good, and the mosquitos won’t be bad.
It will be up to you to book your own lodging. Caddo Lake State Park does have camp and RV sites available. Also, there are many hotels and B & Bs in the vicinity. We will not officially get together Friday night, but if you want – grab some of your old buddies (and new) and go out for a bite.
On Saturday morning, November 9th, (time TBD), we will meet at Caddo Lake State Park Boat Ramp and launch our boats from there. The plan will be to fish in the surrounding area. This lake is a wonderful place for kayaking. There are places to ‘bank fish’, however, it is recommended to use a kayak or other fishing vessel.
Dennis North, the flyfishing guide that spoke at the FWFF meeting in May, is available for booking a guided trip. Please reach out to him directly to coordinate. Please see the link – https://fishinwdennis.com/dennis-north-fishing-tours/. Dennis’ tip for us: If you catch a fish, continue fishing in that spot. They tend to school up and you will likely catch more fish.
You are on your own for food this trip. There are picnic areas in the state park or restaurants nearby in Karnak, Texas.
We will gather Saturday night at Big Pines Lodge for supper and recap the day https://www.bigpineslodge.com/index.htm. Each person pays for their own food and drinks.
Sunday morning, we will not meet, but you are welcome to fish to your heart’s content or take one of the listed tours. Then, head back to civilization.
Other things to do:
Caddo Lake swamp tours. Here’s a site with multiple options.
https://cityofuncertain.com/caddo-lake-tours/
Tour Historic Jefferson – It’s about 13 miles from Caddo Lake State Park
Fish the Lake ‘O the Pines – It’s about 30 miles from Caddo Lake State Park, depending on where you put in
Fish Gilmer Lake – great perch fishing from kayaks. It’s about an hour away from Caddo Lake State Park
Things to bring:
- Kayak or fishing boat. If you do not have one – ask about borrowing one. The state park rents canoes, but it can be tricky fly fishing from a canoe. There are kayak rental places in the area. https://riverbendoutfitters.com/
- Lifejacket, paddles, and other accessories
- Fly rods 5wt to 8wt with sinking lines or sink tips
- Flies: Small streamers, Bluegill patterns and wooly buggers. black/chartreuse white/chartreuse
- Mosquito repellent
- Gator-B-Gone (just kidding)
- Snack food.
- Water
- Compass
Links:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/caddo-lake
https://www.bigpineslodge.com/index.htm
https://fishinwdennis.com/dennis-north-fishing-tours/
https://riverbendoutfitters.com/ – kayak rental
