Author: Ed

With the Guadalupe flows up to 1200 + till the Corp gets the lake down to 909 or so, might as well go to the Llano and fish.
TPWD released fish this morning at Castell so the outing is a go. We will meet at the Brookshire Bros store, 18275 FM306, Canyon Lake at 7:00 am; stop in Fredericksburg at Hill Country Donuts and Kolaches, 605 E Main at around 8:00 for a pit stop. Gary Nyland and Jeff O’Bara may meet us there if they go. I asked Mark at the store about the river being fishable and his comment was “well, there are about 10 people down there fishing now” so I guess that tells the story.

Hope you can make it. We will carpool as necessary.

Ron

If you like fishing two- or even three-nymph rigs, you know that one of the problems is the dropper line can tangle around the main line. George Daniel has a very simple solution for adding a dropper line that comes off the main line at a 90-degree angle, thus reducing tangles. And he accomplishes this with a simple clinch knot, which slides down on a surgeon’s knot. These are super-easy to tie, and I think you’ll see the benefits of this system immediately.

George Daniel operates Livin On The Fly, a guide service in State College, Pennsylvania. He is also the author of Strip-Set: Fly-Fishing Techniques, Tactics, & Patterns for Streamers, as well as Dynamic Nymphing.

Public Fishing, Paddling Access Expands on the Llano River

AUSTIN –The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is expanding public fishing and paddling opportunities on the Llano River with four public access sites opening just in time for winter trout stocking this month.

“The Llano River is a short drive away from major urban areas like San Antonio and Austin but in the past, recreation on it has been limited by a lack of public access points,” said John Botros, TPWD River Access and Conservation Areas Program Coordinator. “These new sites greatly expand the public’s options for safe, legal and high-quality bank fishing and paddling access on the river. Seasonal rainbow trout stocking this month makes it the perfect time to explore this scenic Hill Country river with family and friends.”

The four Llano River public access sites secured by the TPWD River Access and Conservation Areas Program can be found at:

South Llano at County Road 150: A kayak/canoe launch and a quarter-mile of bank fishing access on the South Llano River upstream of Junction at the County Road 150 bridge crossing.

Main stem Llano at Pete’s Pecan Patch: A kayak/canoe launch, 800 feet of bank fishing access and day-use picnicking areas surrounded by a historic pecan orchard near Junction at 325 Kimble County Road 3121.

Main stem Llano at Castell Crossing: A kayak/canoe launch point and 950 feet of bank fishing access on the main stem of the Llano River at Castell Crossing on FM 2768.

Main stem Llano at HR Seventh Heaven: A kayak/canoe launch and parking for vehicles and trailers near the City of Llano at County Road 103 (Schneider Slab Rd).

Although all of the sites are now open for public access, historic flooding on the Llano River in October 2018 impacted some amenities at the sites including signage and kiosks. Anglers and paddlers hoping to utilize these sites should keep in mind that they are mostly in a natural state, meaning no staff, restrooms, running water or other features they would expect from a park. A map, area descriptions and special conditions on public use for each site can be found on the TPWD website.

To provide seasonal fishing opportunities for anglers and paddlers while the weather is still cool, TPWD will be stocking rainbow trout in the Llano River in late January in the reach downstream of Castell in Llano, at South Llano River State Park in Junction, and at the James Crossing in Mason at Highway 2389. Dates and directions to each stocking site can be found online in the TPWD rainbow trout stocking schedule.

Although rainbow trout make for great winter fishing, year-round the Llano River is home to many popular sport fish including largemouth bass and the Texas state fish – the Guadalupe bass. Anglers are encouraged to practice catch-and-release of sport fish in this river, especially after recent flooding which may have displaced some of the native fish populations.

As part of the river access agreements with cooperating landowners, TPWD biologists will be conducting scientific surveys in the river this spring to monitor fish populations and streambank vegetation, and to identify opportunities for invasive species treatment and habitat restoration. Survey data will be used to ensure that increased public use does not have a negative impact on natural resources.

The River Access and Conservational Areas Program is funded through donations to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, the Sport Fish Restoration Recreational Boating Access Grant Program, and by sales of the Texas Rivers Conservation License Plate.

For pictures of the Llano River RACA sites, visit the TPWD Flickr album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmudrj9S.

2019-01-16

Capt. Billy Trimble is a full time fly fishing guide that lives in Aransas Pass, TX. and targets Texas Redfish year round. Aransas Pass is in the bulls eye of flats fishing on the Texas Coast and Capt. Billy has access to over 150 miles of shallow water within an hour of his house. Capt. Billy targets Redfish, Speckled Trout, Black Drum, Jack Crevalle, Spanish Mackerel, Tarpon and other species.

Billy has been fly fishing the Texas Gulf Coast since 1980 and started his guide service in 1998. Billy has fly fished the vast shallow flats of the Texas coast from South Padre to Port O’Connor. He was raised in Junction and has fished the rivers of the Texas hill country his whole life. Billy served as President of GRTU and has fished the trout streams in the Rocky Mountains from New Mexico to Alberta Canada. Billy has fished the Bonefish flats of the Bahamas for 30 years and has fished salmon rivers in Alaska. The past few years Billy has been targeting Permit, Snook and Tarpon in Mexico.

Meetings are at the New Braunfels Public Library

Mike caught his first bass at two and his first trout at three. He is a fifth generation fly
angler who’s passion for steelhead and Skagit casting has taken him across the Pacific
North West. Born in San Francisco, the United Sates Air Force brought him to Kerrville,
Texas where he retired in 2003. His angling adventures annually take him from Louisiana
and the Texas coasts to Colorado through Alaska. He is a member of the Hill Country Fly
Fishers and GRTU.
You can follow some of his adventures on his blog site: pureskagit.net.
Mike joined the IFFF now known as Fly Fisher’s International in order to become a
certified two-hand casting instructor. He is now the Education chair for the FFI’s Texas
Council.