Bayou City: An Angler's Paradise

The fourth-largest city in the U.S. has a secret hiding in plain sight: All that water means it's a fabulous place for fly fishing. Travel no further than to the city's "concrete flats" to stalk carp with Houston's iconic skyline as a backdrop. Just outside the metro area, wade in the secluded spring-fed waters of the Pineywoods to find spotted bass, largemouth bass, and a variety of panfish. Launch a canoe or kayak in nearby lakes and backwaters to search for gar and bowfin. Add some adventure with a trip to Village Creek, a fascinating biozone where bass and catfish thrive along with four varieties of carnivorous plants and 35 species of orchids. With Fly Fishing Houston & Southeastern Texas as your guide, discover the rewards for anglers this unique region offers, from inside the city limits to the countryside beyond.

• 38 detailed on-the-water descriptions of "wades" located on 12 unique streams and waterways
  
• Descriptions of access points for paddles in local lakes
  
• Suggestions for creating personalized fly boxes for southeastern Texas
  
• More than 300 color photographs, including close-ups of the key sport fish available
  
• QR codes supplying GPS coordinates for optimal parking for each wade location
• Recommendations for the best gear to get started fly fishing
  
• Angler-friendly breweries and fly shops
  
• Local history, info, and events
  
• Insider tips for sneaking up on fish
  
• An overview of current water use regulations in the Houston area and how anglers can help keep streams, creeks, bayous, and even ditches available to fly fishing enthusiasts

Silver Medalist, Outdoor Adventure Guides, 2023 National Outdoor Book Awards (NOBA).

About the Author

Robert H. McConnell was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. It was in the shadow of the Allegheny Mountains where he developed an affinity for fishing and the outdoors. In college, Robert pursued a degree in geology, one of the only majors that offered frequent field trips to the great outdoors. After graduating, Robert began a career in the oil and gas industry, which brought him to the wilds of northern Pennsylvania. He began fly fishing in earnest after discovering the joys of hiking into remote streams in pursuit of native brook trout. In 2014, Robert and his wife, Ellen, moved from their home in rural Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas, where they reside today. Robert continues his passion for fly fishing, but instead of chasing native brook trout, he now pursues the multitude of warmwater fish species that live in the waterways surrounding Houston. Robert especially enjoys exploring the more remote waterways, including those in the Pineywoods of East Texas. Robert is also the author of Fly Fishing the Sam: A Guidebook to Exploring the Creeks, Rivers, and Bayous of Sam Houston National Forest.

Reviews

"This fine guide includes everything you need to find these forgotten streams: maps and descriptions, helpful information on fly patterns, behavior characteristics of the fish, QR codes showing the best place to park, and GPS coordinates for legal access points. Everything you'll need for an hour, an afternoon-or a full day of fly fishing fun."-Ron Watters, National Outdoor Books Award (NOBA).

"The essential source on freshwater angling in Southeastern Texas, complete with handy maps, captivating photographs, and enough savvy insider tips to ensure a place in your dry bag for years to come."-Wes Ferguson, former Senior Editor for Texas Monthly

"Love all the waters/species included as well as the local fly guys."-Danny Scarborough, Houston Fly Fishing Guide Services

"Fly Fishing Houston and Southeastern Texas is an essential resource to anyone who intends to fly fish the greater Houston area. From local, urban fisheries to remote destinations buried in nearby National Forest, this book covers it all."-Chris Johnson, Owner Living Waters Fly Fishing.

"With detailed descriptions of access points, wading trips, ideal flow and discharge rates for each creek, and fascinating notes about the biology and ecology Houston's local species, Fly Fishing Houston is an invaluable resource."-Travis Richards, Fisheries Biologist, Texas A&M University at Galveston

"With this book and a sense of adventure, any "creek freak" fly fisher willing to step over copperheads and wade mysterious waters can tie into some of the most exciting freshwater fly fishing Texas has to offer. This guidebook should find its way into the glove compartment of every fly fisher who wanders the woods and waters of southeast Texas. With it, they're almost certainly within reach of fishable water in some of the most surprising places."-Chris Hunt, journalist and author of Catching Yellowstone's Wild Trout: A Fly Fishing History and Guide

"A sumptuous feast of angling opportunities featuring an incredible diversity of waterways and species for our consumption. Exhaustively researched, Fly Fishing Houston and Southeastern Texas reveals where and how to pursue "lunker" largemouth bass in sprawling lakes, massive carp from urban concrete canyons, and gorgeously-colored longear sunfish from remote Pineywoods streams. This is a fun, informative read and an invaluable resource."-Terry & Roxanne Wilson, authors of The Bluegill Diaries: A Fly Fishing Chronicle, Largemouth Bass Fishing, Smallmouth Bass Fly Fishing, Crappie Fly-Fishing and Bluegill Fly Fishing & Flies

"Robert has taken the guesswork out of fishing our local waters, telling you how to prepare, where to go, and what to bring."-Don C. Puckett, President, Texas FlyFishers.org

"What a wonderful resource! Robert has described, mapped and critiqued so many accessible areas in and around Houston that have been overlooked in the past. Getting to know him while we worked together was a real pleasure. Anyone who wants to learn about this area, must have this book!"-Mark Marmon, MetroAnglers.com

Awards
Winner of Silver Medal, NOBA 2023 (United States) and Silver Medal, Benjamin Franklin 2024 (United States).



Book Information
ISBN 9781945501609
Author Robert H. McConnell
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Imbrifex Books
Publisher Imbrifex Books
Weight(grams) 762g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 152mm * 44mm