Oktoberfisch 2017

Cody and I took our new Lance RV south to Junction to participate in the 14th Oktoberfish hosted by the Fredericksburg Fly Fishers.  This was our 11th Oktoberfisch and the second one at the South Llano RV Park.  We had a good time, appreciated the improvements made by the RV park, and enjoyed fishing one of our favorite Texas rivers, whose health continues to improve from the fires, flooding, and drought.

We put in at our usual spot, the South Llano River State Park.  We endured quite a crowd and high river traffic on Saturday due to the Llano River Alliance Watershed's earlier announcement on their social media sites. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife released 15 retired Guadalupe Bass broodstock back into the South Llano River on October 17, 2017. The broodstock were used to successfully restore the genetically hybridized South llano population. To celebrate this and other recent conservation successes for our state fish, Llano River Watershed Alliances is partnering with Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bass Pro Shops on a prize giveaway in which prizes will be presented to anglers who catch these Guadalupe Bass and return a tag Eligible Guadalupe Bass will have registered TPWD Floy Tags. If you catch one of these fish, please clip (do not pull) the tag and take a photo with the fish! Beginning October 17, 2017 and continuing until December 31, 2018, any angler who catches a tagged Guadalupe Bass from the South Llano River will receive their choice of prizes from an assortment of fly fishing gear donated by Bass Pro Shops.¹

Our friend Russell Hustead caught the first tagged fish on Thursday; one was caught on Saturday, and bird had killed a tagged fish but the tag was submitted.  However, the crowds trying to catch one of these fish put intense pressure, and the Guads were rather shy on Saturday.

Friday, I had fished the stretch of river that was the southernmost end of the former Morgan Shady campground to just west of the bridge and hammered the Redbreast Sunfish.  They destroyed my Bonefish Bitter.

8 Inch Redbreast Sunfish

Healthy, pure strain Guadalupe Bass

Demolished Bonefish Bitter--its legs are gone

Cody decided upon a new strategy this year, which was to put in and then by-pass the fishing at the state park.  In years past, we would spend so much time fishing at the top part of the run, that we ended up just kayaking through the bottom part.  Cody also targeted all the sideways and byways of the river, fishing the places others snubbed.  We also decided to stay close together this trip.  Cody slayed the fish; I only did okay, because I didn't fulfill my motto, "I Come to the South for the Rio," but Cody caught some beautiful Rio Grande Perch.  They are some of my favorite freshwater fish.  I did catch the most numbers of Largemouth Bass I have ever caught on the South Llano, and I think Nick of the Alamo Fly Fishers, who also said he caught the most LMBs he's ever caught, was right in that the high presence of kayaks and numbers of anglers really spooked the Guadalupe Bass in to hiding, Saturday.

Cody with a Guadalupe Bass; something was wrong with its back

One of Cody's many Rio Grande Perch

4 Inch Bluegill on a Bonefish Bitter

4 1/4 inch Fingerling Guadalupe Bass on the Red-lipped CodyBugger

Hybridized Guadalupe-Smallmouth Bass, what the Alliance & TPWD are trying to eliminate

Pure Strain Guadalupe Bass

At the end of the day, Saturday, I was making my way down the "Park Run" (where I fished Friday from RV park boundary to RV park Boundary), when I heard another water craft pretty close behind me.  I didn't really pay attention to the boat, until I heard its pilot speak.  It was our friend Kevin Hutchison in his blue pontoon.  I let Kevin have the lead and watched him fish while we chatted, since Grad School had really interfered with my fishing the past two years.  The days cooler weather combined with the high angler pressure just did not produce the fish it did the previous day.  Regardless, I loved the rare treat of getting to see Kevin fish instead of being the guide.

We enjoyed our time in the Hill Country once again and are looking forward to next year's trip.  However, we hope the Alliance contest occurs after Oktoberfisch, so we don't have to "combat fish."

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^{1. Llano River Watershed Alliance. "Celebrating Conservation Milestones for the South Llano River and the State Fish of Texas." Last modified 21 October 2017. Accessed 23 October 2017. https://www.llanoriver.org/guadalupe-bass."↩}

Fall Fishing in the Hill Country

The third week in October finds Cody and I and many DFFers in Junction, Texas.  For nine years, the Fredericksburg Fly Fishers have hosted the event Oktoberfisch on the Llano and South Llano Rivers.  I have attended seven of the nine and loved every one, including this year’s event.

The river was characteristically different this year.  I think the 2011 drought affected the South Llano more this year than last.  The river flowed well at both 377 crossings, but farther downstream at Boone’s Crossing, it was a little low, compared to years' past.  The levels seemed a little higher than last year at the South Llano River State Park crossing, because it would have been difficult to float under the bridge on the upriver side.  However, from the state park to Shady Morgan Campground (now owned by the Meachems), the river ran low and narrow.  

I did not see the usual carp cruising the riverbed, nor did I spot any of the big bass I have seen and  discussed in the Jul/Aug 2008 Southwest Fly Fishing.  There were very few deep pools.  Typically deep, swift chutes did not exist, including last year’s spot where I caught a ¾ pound Rio Grande Perch.  The downed tree near where the pipes have been exposed by calving banks did not hold the fish it held in years’ past.  One year, Cody cast four times and caught four species on an amber Bonefish Bitter.  We saw many, very small Bluegill, but that was it.  There were more and larger downed trees that must have succumbed to the drought and died resting in the river.  I thought these would be a haven to fish, but I guess the acidic content of the decaying trees have affected the nearby waters.  The fishing was good for the smaller species, and Cody did catch a nice Largemouth Bass on his newly finished 3# rod.  Cody also hammered the Rio Grande Perch, even naming one area the RG Tree!  We ate the sirloin supper cooked by the Limestone FFA men, enjoyed cake, won the two raffle items we wanted to win, and enjoyed the company of many friends.

Having taken a long weekend, Cody and I left the South Llano and headed south to Lost Maples SNA.  Thankfully, we had booked our RV spot many months ago.  While the maples aren’t their gorgeous reds, yet, they have begun changing colors and are beautiful.  We hiked along the East Trail back to the ponds and fished there, catching Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, and Bluegills.  The canyon was bathed in the dusk light and fall has definitely arrived in the Sabinal Canyon.

Cody had never been to Garner State Park, just 16 miles southwest as the crow flies, so we drove over to spend a nice day on the Rio Frio.  I was amazed at how few people there were.  I have seen this state park filled to capacity, and today, there were maybe 15 occupied spots!  First, we set out on a hike, a 360 foot ascent in .4 miles, to White Rock Cave and the nearby park geocache.  The cave was cool but humid.  After finding the cache, we headed back to the bank of the Frio, picnicked under old, beautiful Cypress trees, and with gorgeous, green water clarity similar to saltwater colors, we spotted Largemouth Bass 130 feet away.

After lunch, we fished the river below the dam hiding behind the Cypress trees.  The fishing was difficult, so we eventually packed up and moved to other areas of the park.  Cody picked a great spot and we caught all kinds of Redbreast Sunfish and Largemouth Bass.  Having fished that spot thoroughly, we moved to a new area suggested by park staff.  We found a gorgeous, small waterfall, deep pools, and fish.  We fished until dusk before leaving the park.  We ate at Mama Chloe’s in Leakey and made it back to Lost Maples.

Having not given the Sabinal River in Lost Maples its proper respect, we chose to fish its pools near the campground and entrance finding Largemouth Bass, Catfish, and spawning Bluegills and Redbreast Sunfish.  We fished topwater flies and Cody and GirlieBuggers all with fun and success.  We checked out and headed for home, leaving the Hill Country behind until next fall.