Volume 10 • Issue 4 • April 2005

Grand Outing at Shonto Ranch Anticipated

a message from Keith Masters

We have an outing scheduled for April 28 at Shonto Ranch from 2:00 pm to dusk. We have an afternoon of excellent fishing and a Bar-B-Q dinner planned for this outing. The total cost is $45 per person. HCFF will be sponsoring the event by subsidizing the Shonto ranch fee and providing the dinner for all HCFF members. The cost for a member is $25.

We are also encouraging you to invite prospective members so if you would like to invite someone to join our club, the cost for an invited guest will be $25.

Details about the outing–directions, gate code, necessary paperwork, etc.–will be sent by e-mail to those who sign up over the next several weeks. You can check out Shonto Ranch at http://www.shontoranch.com.

Please reply to Keith Masters to let us know if you are planning to attend and if you would like to bring a guest. The e-mail is keith.masters@honeywell.com.

Mark your calendars for April 28th and come have a great afternoon of fishing.

Regards,
Keith Masters

April Fly Tying Get-Together

Due to the Shonto outing replacing our regular club meeting date to April 28 th, the fly tying session that we initiated last month will take place on the third Thursday, our normal club meeting date, to fill the gap and take advantage of using the UGRA meeting room that was already scheduled. Those present last month included Bill Emshoff, Guy Harrison, Ron Lowry, and Mike Andrews. It was a cozy group that passed the time tying, talking, and learning a few techniques.

What we need now is to increase the numbers. If we can give this aspect of participation in club activities a fair trial, it should prove to be quality time for not only bolstering our supplies of flies and learning some interesting things in the never-ending pursuit of this art, but it will also be an added attraction for prospective members to consider. If any of you have any suggestions or ideas for making our fly-tying meetings enticing to others, let it be known. Perhaps some of you have been members of other clubs that have had nifty innovations that would work for us. Use our web site to make suggestions. Bill Emshoff has already made some refreshing proposals on one of the threads that we have going on the topic. Check them out and add some more. Hope to see you on Thursday, April 21 st at 7:00PM for this month’s gathering either as an onlooker or as a tyer.

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"Fly tying, like fly-fishing, seems always to have been wrapped in myths. It is thought of as an esoteric, difficult art. But that’s not so. Tying and fishing flies is just like anything else in life: The way to learn is to do it, and the way to do it is to build on a basic foundation of information and skills." – Craig Woods in Fly Tying, New York: Mallard Press, 1992.

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A Fish Worth Keeping

It was here countless ages before we came along. Who knows how far back in time its ancestors emerged in what is now the place most of us call home, the Texas Hill Country. Its trim body must have been designed to populate picture book places where the water flows swiftly over shallow falls and riffles. An obscure Frenchman noticed this fish as being set apart from others similar yet not the same and not as special. The discoverer, surnamed Trucul, labeled his find Micropterus treculi, better known to us anglers and as the Guadalupe bass.

Time was slow in bringing proper recognition to this fine creature. Most of the fishing public would just think of it as another bass as opposed to a sunfish. That, too, is not quite right since bass are actually members of the sunfish family. There are several noteworthy items, however, that set this fish apart from the others that we find in local waters. Most importantly, is the fact that only in the Texas Hill Country will you find the Guadalupe bass. It is a native Texan. That, more than anything else, deserves special recognition. Moreover, in May of 1989 the 71 st Texas Legislature designated the Guadalupe bass as our official state fish. Ask Gary Gary Garrett of the Heart of the Hills Science Center about the rest of the story. He, a teacher, and a class of children were the motivating factors in this accomplishment. And an additional item cannot be ignored in setting apart this fish–though not a mammoth in size (the largest being about a foot long and not much more than a pound in weight), it is one of the finest fighting fish you might desire on the end of a fly line.

These and other factors make the Guadalupe bass a fish worth keeping. Let me explain .

I don’t mean keeping it to eat. I mean keeping it as a pure strain in the Guadalupe River. Let’s include other Hill Country rivers, too, when it is practical, as time goes by. It is a pretty tall order, mainly for one reason. That being that our fine Micropterus treculi will crossbreed with smallmouth bass quite readily. The smallmouth is a fighting fish, too, but not native to Texas. They were introduce into Texas in the 1970's and have successfully thrived. So how do we accomplish the task?

As far as our club is concerned, continued support of the UGRA’s plans as stated in an article in the March 25 ,2005, issue of the Kerrville Daily Times by UGRA Interim General Manager Scott Loveland with a goal that would “expand the fingerling stocking [of Guadalupe bass] to the north and south forks of the Guadalupe River, to drive out the hybrid fish and restore the prevalence of the pure Guadalupe bass.” Also, our HCFF will continue, largely under the leadership of Dr. Guy Harrison, to secure funds from the Federation of Fly Fishers both the national and the Southern Council and other organizations associated with fly-fishing to add to funds that have already been secured. Other local entities are moving toward significant donations to fund stocking of the fingerlings. The move is on and gathering strong support. It is not for me say to what the final results of gathering funds and support will be, but at this stage it looks extraordinarily encouraging. Be assured that Dr. Harrison and the leadership of the Hill Country Fly Fishers have been prime persuaders in the effort to insure the continued existence of our native state fish in our Hill Country Rivers, starting with the Guadalupe River. The Guadalupe bass is a fish worth keeping. –M.A.

Notes From the March Meeting

After introductions of those in attendance, President Dennis Glenewinkel called for reports from each of our committee chairmen.

Keith Masters of the Warm Water Committee announced the upcoming meeting/outing/barbecue at Shonto Ranch. Some discussion followed with various members telling of what they knew of the facilities and the fishing at Shonto. Also, Keith said that he had rented a cabin at Camp Wood to use during the annual Bud Priddy Memorial One Fly Contest. There was room for a limited number of any members who cared to share expenses and stay at the cabin Friday and Saturday, May 13^th and 14^th during the event. Anyone interested should to let Keith know at (830) 990-4863 or e-mail keith.masters@honeywell.com.

New Salt Water Committee chairman Roy Hickman along with Danny Wheat told of attempting to line up a guide from the coast for the May meeting program, but that everything was quite tentative at this point. This committee also wanted to see if members would be interested in a June outing. Nothing at this point has been set for sure on either the program or an outing until further information materializes. [Later, Roy lined up Dr.John Jackman, professor of entomology at Texas A&M for the May program. He spoke to our club once before several years ago]

Doc Harrison reported for his Education Committee on the cypress tree planting project in assistance with UGRA’s restoration plan. He also gave details concerning a Texas Parks and Wildlife Area Chiefs training session scheduled for the weekend of April 2^nd and 3^rd. Doc encouraged members to participate in this activity both for an enjoyable, productive experience, but also to increase available instructors for various youth fly-fishing projects. Also, time was set aside for participants to do some fishing. [It turns out that the following members attended this workshop: Guy Harrison, Danny Wheat, Bill Elgin, Dianne Williams, Roy Hickman, John Floyd, and Walter Saunders–an impressive showing.] Another TP&W activity is set for Saturday, April 16 th at LBJ State Park to teach beginners —primarily 4-H Club members— the basics of fly-fishing. Several of our club’s members will be involved as instructors.

Discussion on fishing at our two trout locations brought forth various experiences in fishing at both Crabapple Creek and the Double B Ranch. The major item centered on when we should start keeping the trout. Those present decided that we should begin right away. Keith Masters had been taking water temperatures on each of his outings and stated that the water was beginning to move into a final phase for the fish when the it warmed to around seventy degrees.

Membership Committee chairman Mike Andrews spoke on how a new zest seemed to be taking place within FFF under the leadership of the organization’s new chief officer, "“Van" Gytenbeek. An examination of the Fly Fisher publication’s new format offered a good clue as to the many activities that FFF is involved in and the bright outlook that is taking place for this important national organization. Increased individual memberships by fly-fishers in HCFF is encouraged. Also, our new web site carrying our monthly newsletter and a discussion board will offer a new attraction for prospective members.

The final item included in our business session was a progress report by Dennis Glenewinkel on the encouraging status of our venture to initiate stocking of Guadalupe bass fingerlings in the north and south branches of the Upper Guadalupe. Already, significant amounts of money are falling into place to fund a five-year plan that will cost around $80,000. Dennis asked if our club would be willing to commit $1,000 per year over the five-year period. There was no opposition. The story of the Guadalupe bass will be a major topic and involvement for us during the coming year.

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James Pelland Pictures Fly-Fishing Both Near and Far

James Pelland, instructor, guide, and guiding service owner in the sport of fly-fishing, gave a double feature slide presentation for our March program. James addressed his experiences first with activities in the Texas Hill Country. Featuring a list of his favorite flies to use in our area, our speaker suggested success with a Beadhead Prince Nymph, Woolly Buggers, Blue Wing Olives, #24 Black Midges, Slate Wing Drakes, and Caddis Flies. His rod of preference is a 9' 5 wt.

Pelland gave clues to success on the Guadalupe. Using strike indicators was one. “On the Guadalupe,” he commented, “be sure your fly is on the bottom.” He carries six sizes of split-shot choices to take the fly down so that it bumps bottom--the slower the current, the smaller the split-shot. He cited an example giving an idea of how the end of the line should sink. He said that water 4' deep would take approximately 6' of line below the indicator. He also suggested using a ten pound test monofilament section at the end of the leader to get the fly down. When using two flies in tandem, the larger fly should be up front with the smaller fly tailing behind. This way, the first fly often serves as an at attractor to get the fish’s attention to take the tailing fly.

During the summer months, James guides in northern Montana in the areas in and around Glacier National Park at Summit Station Lodge. He guides within both Glacier and also Lewis and Clark National Parks. In addition, he ventures into neighboring Canada and the Blackfeet Reservation. Summit Station Lodge was built in 1906 and is a showplace in itself. The slides that James showed reflected the grandeur of the region. The fishing he described was both spectacular and adventurous. Some of our members who travel far afield might look into a trip with James Pelland as your guide in this rather remote, breathtaking region.

By the way, James spends part of his time guiding at Shonto Ranch right here in Kerr County. We thank this dedicated angler for a fine program. He may be reached in Texas at (512) 413-3869 or e-mailed at JP@guadalupetrout.com. When in Montana he is located at Summit Station Lodge, PO Box 230; Phone (406) 226-4428; or web site www.summistationlodge.com.

 

The White River in Arkansas

Written by Danny Wheat

I fished the White River below Bull Shoals Lake and the Norfork River (the north fork of the White River) located in northern Arkansas near the Missouri state line the third week of March, 2005. We parked our fifth wheel trailer at the Bull Shoals State Park campground located just below the dam and our site was right on the river bank. We looked out the picture window of our trailer at the river and the wooded bluff on the far shore and when it wasn’t raining, it was beautiful. Although the park was cleared and had paved roads and RV sites with water and electricity, the area around the park was dense hardwood forest, similar to what we saw in North Carolina.

The river below the dam was about 150 feet wide and was very swift, due to the water being released from the dam for power generation. There was really no way to fish the river except in a small boat powered with a 15 HP motor. The motor was used to keep the boat relatively stationary in the current, or to move the boat upstream to get another drift. I did not have a powered boat and did not feel like engaging a guide with a boat or renting one from a nearby tackle shop, so I did not fish in the White River below Bull Shoals dam. In fact we stayed two nights, and looked around the area, washed our clothes and drove over to Norfork Dam about twenty miles away. We liked Norfork better because the release from the dam was not as strong as Bull Shoals, so we moved over to Norfork Quarry Cove COE Park for three nights. The park was just as beautiful as Bull Shoals SP.

Before we left the Bull Shoals area, we visited the famous Gaston's on the White River, just upriver from the Bull Shoals State Park. Gaston’s is located right on the river bank and all the cabins and the restaurant overlook the river. There is a marina with about thirty aluminum boats with motors there and I assume that there are guides for all the boats. The day we were there the waitress said there were about twenty boats out fishing. One can either fly fish or spin cast from the boat, but single barbless hooks and artificial baits must be used. Some fish can be kept and can be cooked in the restaurant, if desired. I would say that the river was flowing about 800 CFS. We had lunch in the restaurant and it was very interesting, because of the collection of old bicycles, outboard motors and tools hanging from the ceiling. There are other cabins to rent and other guide services available along the river.

After we got settled at Quarry Cove Park, below the Norfork Reservoir Dam, I decided that I could fish in the river using my float cat. We were there two days and on the first day I launched at a boat ramp in the park and oared downstream to an island just down river of the ramp. I was able to anchor in the swirl behind the island and cast into the current and let my bait drift downstream into the eddy behind the island. The weather was beautiful that day. I used my five weight sinking line with two split shot above the olive drab gold hackle bead head nymph that I bought from Martin. I had a couple of bumps, but no hookups. I then switched to a white bead head wooly bugger, with no luck. I lost about four nymphs on a submerged log just downstream, before I got wise and moved further down. I did not catch any fish that day.

On the second and last day I fished with Clint Lawrence, a member of the Fredericksburg Club, who was there with his wife. He did not have a float cat, so we tried from the bank above the boat ramp for about two hours with no luck. His waders were leaking so he gave up about noon. I launched my float cat and set up in about the same place below the island, but a little closer to the current. In fact, I was in the current, but my anchor held. As long as the anchor does not drag, one can anchor in the river. I used the same set up this time, but added a red egg dropper below the olive drab nymph. Sure enough, I caught a nice 12 inch rainbow and had another on for a few seconds, before he got off.

All in all, we had a good time. The weather was horrible, raining for about six of the ten days of our trip. When we left to start home, we drove ten hours and it rained on us all day. No fun driving and pulling a 10,000# trailer. The second day it was raining when we left Texarkana at 7:30 AM, but cleared up about noon. I think if someone were planning a trip to the White River with river flows that high, he should plan on fishing in a boat with a motor. Of course, one would need a guide or a partner to operate the motor in a rented boat. I talked to one fly fisherman who was very satisfied with his guided trip and said he caught about a five pound rainbow. All the locals said the water level of the river was very high. Perhaps we were there at the wrong time and the rivers could be waded when levels and flows are lower.

One of the most interesting things about the Norfolk River was the fish hatchery right next to the COE Park campground. The creek draining from the hatchery into the river was about two hundred yards long and was loaded with big rainbows, just lazing in the current. Fishing in Dry Run Creek is restricted to youths below sixteen years of age, and has the same barbless, single hook artificial bait restriction, and is catch and release. We walked the dogs by the creek early one morning and I guess we saw over fifty fish. I think that what they are doing is wonderful for young fly fishermen. There is nothing like catching a big, fat rainbow to get a youngster interested in fly fishing.