Texas Bowfin on the fly Part 1
The Discovery
I had really been wanting a Bowfin on the fly but didn't really know where to start. I had caught them over the years on accident bass fishing with a plastic worm but never consistently. Well I have been spending a lot of time this year on Lake Conroe fly fishing, paddling, chasing carp and occasionally other species. One day paddling around looking for carp up shallow I look over and notice a Bowfin looking me in the eyes wiggling his eel like dorsal fin almost curiously or excitedly then he darted off under some vegetation. I thought badass and kept going about my day. After several more similar experiences I was starting to form a game plan on how to go about targeting this prehistoric fish.
Then one day after getting a little pissed off at some Grass carp. I decided to tie a streamer on and give it a try in an area I had seen a few. I probably casted less than 10 times before I got a hard thump and missed it. A few more cast to the same area and another hard thump but this time I strip set it hard and keep stripping in line not letting up. After a bit of wrangling the fish out of some tree roots and some surprise aerial acrobatics. I boated my first Bowfin on the fly! Admired the air breathing prehistoric beady eyed fish with eel like fins and released it back into the murky water. I landed three more in the same area right after that and man do these things fight! I went home stoked ready brag to everyone about my new species on the fly.
