Located south of Lake Sam Rayburn, below the Dam where it generates power for public utilities, the Angelina River meanders some 28 miles down stream towards Lake Steinhagen. Hidden among the twisting, turning bends of the river are several backwater sloughs that provide some exciting fishing action as well as some superb opportunities to test your fly fishing skills.
Launching at the Hwy-63 bridge public ramp I was soon enveloped within the early morning fog misting off the river. Bundled for warmth I pointed the bow downriver toward what would become an enchanting day of Autumn vistas and angling enjoyments.
Rayburn is well known for its bass fishing, from which has become legendary to most and a Mecca for the tournament industry. But the Angelina river that empties out of Big Sam is not well known for its extremely good fishing. When the bass anglers ply their skills on the lake whether for tournament reasons or for the sport of it, they need to take a break down below the Dam to enjoy what the Angelina has to offer.
My choice of tackle for this trip was an 8weight, 9 foot fly rod with floating line and rigged with a 6 lb tippet. However, this option would soon prove to be on the heavy side slightly out-classing the bass where a lighter 5weight would’ve been sufficient with a 4 lb tippet. In fly fishing the lighter action rod you can get away with will provide the most action for your trip as well as a challenge for your skills.
Bass poppers and Mylar streamers were my choice of bugs (lures) and the action I would find was within those hidden backwater sloughs where water born cypress greeted me with blazing burnt orange foliage and shore lined hardwoods showing off their Autumn colors. This all blended with the greenery of the pine. these quiet little places, uncluttered with the sounds of humanity, were rich with the life and sounds of nature with its abundance of waterfowl and wildlife.
Lay-downs, brush piles, and cypress knees showed me where to cast and after looping my line over a submerged log, a small, but energetic bass jumped on the popper and my first fight was on. This bass was to represent most of the bass that I would catch today. Scrappy little chunks of from one to two pounds. These were mostly black bass with some Kentucky spotted bass mixed in. But these bass were all sheer fun to catch on a fly rod with the smaller river bass giving good credits to their fighting abilities much like their larger Rayburn cousins. In the four hours that I worked my fly rod within the brush, lay-downs, and cypress knees I managed to catch two dozen, or so bass, all released.
I can clearly see those of you who fancy using kayaks or canoes for this type of fishing having fantastic times of it, and highly recommend it. There are many places on the Angelina’s shoreline for over night camping as well as doing the shore lunch thing. An abundance of wildlife is there for your viewing such as beaver, otter, and one large 8point buck that I spotted swimming the river.
But please be aware when lake Rayburn’s Dam is generating power the water levels will rise anywhere from 2 to 3 ft. Actually, when the generators are running and the water is moving this will become a plus for your fishing activity and provide some easy drift fishing for your kayaks or canoes.
The hidden backwater sloughs aren’t to hard to spot just look for the water entrances that may be only 8 to 10ft wide but will open up into small lakes, or sloughs once you’ve paddled through it. My day of fly fishing the Angelina turned out to be a supreme experience and I plan on returning often. Those of you who don’t have any fly fishing gear can enjoy fishing this wilderness treasure with ultra-light spinning outfits.
It’s another way to enjoy the great outdoors and could provide a family outing building memories for a lifetime. Fall is in the air, the colors are bright, and the bass are biting….let’s go gettum!
(For generation schedules call 409- 384-5716)By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
