Author: Ed

17 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY – SATURDAY, JUNE 21

Greetings Fellow Fly Fishers,

We opened the doors to a dream in 2008 in our first location – a former cat shelter in a small strip center – on Sam Bass Road. A few years later, we were blessed to move into a business complex on Main Street – a big upgrade from where we were before, but still hard to find. Finally, in 2017, we moved into our custom-built, stand-alone building at 103 N. Brown Street! Year over year, we have watched the fly fishing community grow, and we are honored that so many call our fly shop home. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating 17 years at Texas’ local fly shop this weekend!

17 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY – SATURDAY, JUNE 21
Shop, eat, and win prizes during our Anniversary Party this Saturday from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Enjoy live music from Ole G, bites from TX Biltong, complementary beverages, discounts across the store, and a free BBQ lunch. Of course our anniversary celebration wouldn’t be complete without our famous Prize Drawing and Mystery Scratch Off Tickets!

FREE BBQ LUNCH
We will be smoking up a load of brisket and sausage which will be served it up with beans, potato salad, cabbage salad, and drinks for lunch from 12:00 – 2:00 P.M.

ANNIVERSARY PRIZE DRAWING DETAILS
For every $10 that you spend (in-person or by phone order) on June 21st, you’ll receive a FREE  ticket to place in the prize drawing(s) of your choice! You DO NOT have to be present to win!!

PRIZE 1  ̶  Full Day Guide Trip for One or Two Anglers
PRIZE 2  ̶  Scott Fly Rod 50th Edition GS 4-wt and Ross Reel of Your Choice
PRIZE 3  ̶  Decked Honcho Case with Foam 
PRIZE 4  ̶  Fly Tying Shopping Spree
PRIZE 5  ̶  Private Casting Lesson for One or Two Students
PRIZE 6  ̶  SMITH Optics Sunglasses of Your Choice (up to a $350 value)
PRIZE 7  ̶  Sea Run Riffle Daily Fly Rod Case
PRIZE 8  ̶  Texas Coast Saltwater Fly Assortment and Boat Box
PRIZE 9  ̶  Lamson Remix S 3pk of Your Choice
PRIZE 10  ̶  Fishpond Tailwater Fly Tying Kit & Dr. Slick Tool Set
*Winners will be notified Monday, June 23rd and prizes must be collected or shipped by July 31st.

MYSTERY SCRATCH OFF TICKET DETAILS
The first 200 customers to make an in-store purchase on June 21st , will receive a Mystery Scratch Off Ticket. Bring your ticket back unscratched during the month of July to see what you’ve won! Prizes range from total purchase discounts, to FREE Scientific Anglers fly lines, to a Half Day Local Wade Trip with Chris Johnson! *Limit one ticket per customer. 

ANNIVERSARY SALES
– 40% OFF Select Leader & Tippet
– 15% OFF Fishpond Nets
– 20% OFF Select Decked D-Co Boxes
– 80% OFF Sightline Provisions
– 20-40% OFF Select Fly Rods
– 10% OFF Polarized Glasses
– 20% OFF Full Priced Simms Apparel
– up to 40% OFF Select Fly Reels
– additional 20% OFF Clearance Apparel & Footwear
* Sales limited to stock on hand. 

Thank you for a wonderful 17 years! We look forward to celebrating with you in the shop or catching up with you on the phone! If you have any questions about the event, please don’t hesitate to call or email. Thanks again for supporting your local fly shop!  We could never have made it this far without our fly fishing community.  Take care and God Bless!

Tight Lines,
Living Waters Fly Fishing

June NBFF Fly tying session this Thursday, June 12

We will have our June NBFF Fly tying session this Thursday, June 12 from 6 to 8 pm. at the Westside Community Center, 2932 South IH 35 Frontage Road in New Braunfels.  This month we will be tying the “Rainbow Warrior” a good trout fly on the Guadalupe.  We will start promptly a 6 with a short skills video, then a video on tying the Rainbow Warrior.
The club has several sets of tying tools, but if you have your own, please bring them.  The club will supply the needed material for tying this fly.
******As a reminder, this will be our last tying session for the summer (July-September) and we will hopefully resume again the first Thursday in October.
Hope to see you there,
Gary

We have moved our Fly-tying Session to Thursday, June 12th

At the request of the Westside Community Center, we have moved our Fly-tying Session from this Thursday to next Thursday, June 12th.  I will send out a reminder notice for this this weekend.    Also, this will be our last tying session for the summer (taking off July, August, September) and we will hopefully resume the first Thursday in October (October 2nd).
Hope to see you next Thursday,
Gary

First Annual Guadalupe Casting Cup

Folks,

Attached is an invitation from Rio Guadalupe Fly Shop to participate in their first annual casting cup on June 14th.
Casting demos and competitions for all levels of experience.
Hope you can make it.  Unfortunately I will be out of town that weekend.
Pat
Guadalupe Casting Cup.png

The Mosquito Dry | An Overlooked Summer Fare

The Mosquito Dry | An Overlooked Summer Fare

By Guest Blogger – Clint Bova

Mosquito larvae exist wherever there is standing water, and their hatch rates are staggering. From May through October, these insects are prolific across most of North America. Like the black fly, mosquitoes are a staple in a trout’s diet, largely due to what I call the “Pounds Per Meat Law”—meaning trout favor food sources that offer the most nutrition for the least energy expended.

With that in mind, the mosquito dry should be a top-tier pattern in every trout angler’s fly box.

This quilled mosquito pattern is one I’ve modified over the years. It can be tied with a standard hackle collar using hen tips or with a CDC stack combined with an Aero Dry Wing underwing.

Below, two quill options are shown. The black is overdyed using Veniard’s, and the other is a bleached, undyed hackle. Both are sourced from inexpensive feather dusters, which run around $7 and provide hundreds of usable quills.

Using a TMC 212Y hook (size 14 shown), tie in both quills side by side. Wrap them up the shank, stopping about three eye lengths behind the eye. Be sure your thread base is smooth and the quills are soaked for at least two hours prior.

Tie in two sets of micro-knotted black pheasant tail fibers on each side for legs.

Add a single strand of Tiemco Aero Dry Wing for the underwing. Trim it short of the bend.

Top the fly with 3 to 4 CDC feathers, extending to the bend. Use Superfine black dubbing for the thorax, keeping wraps minimal—mosquito heads are tiny. This fly should be light and delicate, not bulky.

CB’s Quilled Mosquito Recipe

  • Hook: TMC 212Y, sizes 12–18
  • Thread: Veevus 16/0
  • Body: Two quills—one black (overdyed), one bleached undyed
  • Legs: Micro-knotted pheasant tail, black
  • Underwing: Tiemco Aero Dry Wing (single strand)
  • Wing: Natural or dun CDC
  • Thorax: Superfine black dubbing (minimal)

Final Thoughts

The mosquito is a fantastic fallback during summer when trout are sipping and midges just aren’t cutting it. When other patterns fail to draw strikes, this one often pulls interest. It’s subtle, it’s natural, and it works.

Don’t overlook the mosquito. It might not be flashy, but it’s earned its spot in my box—and it just might deserve a spot in yours too.