Before the Storm

It's been dry here. For three years now the rivers have either had no flow or have been completely dry. With the river overnighter being called off due to the approaching storm that was to include some flooding, a river day trip was in order before the storm.

The morning greeted me with dark skies and wind. Rain would begin to fall thirty minutes before the destination was reached. Loading the Coosa and gear into the 4X4 we headed to a private section of river that can only be accessed by permission from a nice rancher. Rain was pounding as we drove across the river bed and into a pasture where the kayaks would be launched.

After launching the kayaks we approached the river alternating working each side. Throwing a popper started producing a few bass along the grass marking the edges of the bank.

 

Finding a small creek and slipping the kayak through the narrow entry it opened up after ducking through the overhanging branches. Tossing the popper at the edge of a grass bed and seeing a large shadow dart out knocking the popper out of the water before retreating back to the safety of the grass, making the popper explode in the water changed the fish's mind as she turned around and exploded on it. Fighting a large bass on a 5wt was insane. I had to let the drag on the Opti reel wear down the fish before easing my hand into its mouth and lifting it up for pictures and a quick release.

 



The rain quit and after a short lunch we launched again with the sun high over our heads.

Putting the popper away. I took out my 8wt Loop Cross S1 and tied on a Cajun Cheerleader to imitate the crawfish that I knew were lurking down below. What a good move it was as the bass were holding tight to cover. This set up produced quite a few more fish to close out the day.

Thanks Chuck for the great day on the water.

Always a great time fishing with a great friend.

You want salad with that yak

"You want salad with that yak"

If it wasn't for friends this trip would have been miserable. Spent a week flipping through old pictures from past trips that we did each year on this same stretch of river. The anticipation was killing me as I tried to sleep the night before while my mind continued to count the number of nice bass caught on each trip.

It took two hours to reach my destination on the Colorado river just outside of Austin. Thirteen miles were to be paddled and fished over the next two days. Upon reaching the river I was greeted with a sight unlike anything ever seen there, water was being released at a rate of 4,000cfm and had pushed all of the Hyacinth that had been growing and floating somewhere upstream our way.

With the water getting muddier and choked with this floating vegetation we decided to proceed and make the best of it. This annual trip started a few years ago with some friends getting together and camping out for the weekend. With an open invite it grew to a total of 24 people, many that have already fished together and new ones that were intrigued.

Quickly when trying to paddle through the floating water plants you come to realize that you might as well relax and just go with the flow. Trying to paddle through it was like trying to paddle through sand.

Most of the day was spent floating and trying to fish any pocket of open water that we could find. Good thing there was College football to listen to and cold beer to quench the thirst as only three fish were caught before we reached the island where we would call home for the night.

We spent the night back in the woods in hammocks while the rest of the group set up tents out in the open area.

Dinner was sausage from the meat market and baked potatoes.

Waking up and eating the leftover sausage for breakfast, we broke down camp and hit the river for the remaining five miles. The water was still off colored but the floating hyacinth was not as bad as the day before.

While the fishing was the hardest ever on this river, it was still a good time as it always is when you are in good company.

See you on the water...................................

After the Tube Hatch

Now that school is back in session and the heat subsiding (even if just a little) it was time to do some kayak fishing on the Guadalupe river. With only three weeks left in the Texas Double Haul Tournament, I was itching to get on the leaderboard.

Concentrating on Bass and Perch had me with two rods on the yak today. One with a hopper fly and the other with a Cajun Cheerleader which imitates a Crayfish as it is moving through the water. Casting the hopper along the bank of the river produced some great action and caught both species that were being sought.

Making a move around noon to a deeper section of the river that offered shade along the Cypress studded banks I decided to take a break from the 100 degree temp to get hydrated and have a little snack.

Back on the water and tossing the cheerleader into a deep bluff and beginning to slowly strip it back, the line grew tight and lifting the rod I knew that a good one had taken the fly. After a short battle the fish was landed, photographed, then released for the next time.

The bass really inhaled the fly.

Had a great time on the river and i'm looking forward to a trip down the Colorado River next weekend.

Wading the Llano

Having never been on the Llano river and seeing pictures of its beauty that friends have taken on their visits. I had to go find out first hand and all I can say is the pictures don't do it justice.

Hiking down the worn trail a glimpse of the river came into view. Never had I seen water so clear and a carved limestone bottom like this river bed before. The grooves under my feet worn through the rock by many years of flowing water and the granite boulders everywhere just added to its beauty.

Easing into the water and casting a Matthews 5wt with a wooly bugger tied to the lightweight tippet, it didn't take long for a bluegill to add a tug to the end of the line.

Heading further downriver to explore some, I was greeted with a first for me as a freshwater drum came to hand. I have seen them on other rivers and tried to catch them before with no luck so a grin came to my face when it was released back into the water.

Many drum were seen throughout the day and a couple followed the fly, but not another one landed. The day was also filled with many species of fish found including gar, bass, and carp. With the water so clear the fish definitely have the advantage here.

When the opportunity is presents itself you take advantage of it, guess that's what was going through his mind when he tried to eat the fly.

Although none were seen, apparently they exist here.

Looking forward to the next visit........................

Ichthus Reel

Had the chance to test out a reel called the Ichthus ( which means fish in Greek ).
It comes from a company called Risen Fly based out of Beaver Falls, PA. and is available in 3/4,5/6,7/8, and 9/10wts in both Black or Gunmetal colors. The company also offers fly line, backing, fly boxes and some accessories.

Pairing the reel with my custom Kabuto rod I went out and put it through the paces.

Some things I noticed about the reel was that the finish is nice, it comes apart easy. Line stripping is very smooth and the reel is easy to palm when fighting a fish. The drag hasn't been tested yet because the bigger fish did not want to cooperate during the trip but the adjustment knob is large, which makes it easy to control if you are fighting a bigger fish.

Currently they are offering a 30% discount which will end on June 14th on their website.

Here are some specs:
Precision machine cut from pure aerospace aluminum bar stock and stainless steel for maximum strength and corrosion protection
Large diameter Cork/FXB polymer disc drag delivers ultra smooth, low start-up inertia
Two sealed, precision, stainless steel ball bearings
Fitted with one-way roller bearing
Quick left and right hand handle reversal
Counter balanced spool
Large arbor design
Easy drag adjustment
Drag clutch with zero-backlash
Silent retrieve with a crisp out-going click
Quick release spool
Exposed palming rim for additional control