PVR and Conway Ranch

[Prowler_Tuber]

Fished PVR and Conway Ranch this weekend with much success. On Friday we left around 9am in route to PVR. We made it up there in pretty good time. It was my first time there, so we decided to tube it. I took my new Creek Company 420 ULT out for a spin, the walk is about 1.5 to 2 miles which isn't bad except i brought only 1 strap so I had to make it work. I packed my fins and waders under the seat and headed on out. The fish were holding close to the bottom, got a few on the minnow but most of them came on bait. The biggest was about 1 pound but the were very colorful and healthy looking. We each ended up with a brown trout as well. About 45 min into our fishing session the winds came blew hard, once the winds let down we caught a few more and ended up each getting at least 10 trout in 2 hours. We kicked up stream and called it a night. The Following day we met up with 15 of our friends at Conway Ranch, it was smaller than it looked on Google Maps but the staff was very friendly and it was very clean. I started out fishing a Chart/White Trout King Minnow on #4 Izorline in the new Golden Green, the first Brown Trout I got weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces. The plastic bite slowed down after the first hour, so I switched to a split shot with a 18-20" leader using a #8 Owner Mosquito Hook in the Black Chrome color with a pinched night crawler. I made a few casts at various speeds and I finally did the slowed retrieve I think Ive ever used and that little motion is what they wanted. I landed the biggest Brown Trout of the day at 7 pounds 8 ounces, it was an impressive male with a big hook jaw measuring 26" long with a girth of 18.5", I took my time landing the fish with #4 lots of rocks an objects in the water. I caught two more Brown Trouts that weighed 5.14 and 4.9. My friends ended up with beautiful fish as well. We packed it up and called it a day. There were so many of my friends there that it felt like fishing locally, we all laughed and helped each other out either netting each others fish or locking in the hot color or baits. It was fishing like it is suppose to be and the people made the trip worth it. I have a lot of respect for the group of guys we met up with some of which have been fishing together for well over 20 years. It was good seeing them and I felt blessed to be a part of it. On my way home I got a call from the lady at Conway Ranch and she gave me the good news not only did I have the biggest Brown Trout of the day I had the Biggest Stringer which won me $500, I missed out on another $500 I had the second biggest fish of the day the biggest was a 10 pound 2 ounce Alper checked in by another guy. Well here are some pics and videos of my trip thank you for watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqaOii4SeEY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bENiGUjMVso

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc113/guamboas/IMG_8491_zps75e359cd.jpg (http://s215.photobucket.com/user/guamboas/media/IMG_8491_zps75e359cd.jpg.html)
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc113/guamboas/IMG954483fcp1_zps8769bea7.jpg
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc113/guamboas/IMG_8501_zps3aa77347.jpg (http://s215.photobucket.com/user/guamboas/media/IMG_8501_zps3aa77347.jpg.html)
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc113/guamboas/IMG_8497_zpscf22e74f.jpg (http://s215.photobucket.com/user/guamboas/media/IMG_8497_zpscf22e74f.jpg.html)
http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc113/guamboas/IMG_8499_zpsbfffe9ae.jpg (http://s215.photobucket.com/user/guamboas/media/IMG_8499_zpsbfffe9ae.jpg.html)

[retired96]

Did you have to pay to fish Conway Ranch and if so how much....

[Sierra_Smitty]

Did you have to pay to fish Conway Ranch and if so how much....

Retired, it was a one time only (hopefully) "fish out" of a non-extraction pond at the ranch. It was $100 per person and allowed for a 5 fish limit. Under normal circumstances fishing at the ranch is a pay to play affair and runs $25 to $50 per hour depending on the pond and only C&R barbless fly fishing is permitted. It will probably be another season or two, weather permitting, until they have the ponds available for fly fishing again. Lets hope for some snow this winter...

[RiverWalker]

Beautiful fish! It's a shame that Conway Ranch had to shut down like this and and basically pawn off their personal fish from their trophy C&R pay pond. I kind of feel bad for those pigs. They never knew what hit them. Not much of a challenge dunking bait or fishing in general out of a hatchery's trophy pond but still great catches none the less. Looks like a lot of fun! Great job!

[Rooster]

Boom! Awesome Report and Videos my brother. Loving those Brownies :Applause: Congrats Diego on the 5 Bens

[fishtacomag]

Smitty if anyone knows PVR it is you. I remember reading an article you wrote in a magazine to remain nameless that was one of the best I ever read about that fishery.

[fishtacomag]

And nice stringer Diego...I remember seeing you on the cover of a magazine last winter but the fish was not as nice as these