Volume 10 • Issue 8 • August 2005

The Nearby But Overlooked

It has been awhile since I last paged through the late "Bud" Priddy's Fly-fishing the Texas Hill Country, now updated as of the year 2000, with authoritative contributions by noted anglers who fish the scenic streams that wind their way through our beloved hills. The book called to my attention that over the past several years I have been so focused on our own favorite Guadalupe River that, except for an occasional thought aimed at the Llano or the Nueces Rivers, I have overlooked some stretches of water within reasonable driving range that just might be worth exploring.

One place, for example, is located about eighty miles from here just north of Junction by some thirty miles in Menard, Texas. Many times, as I have headed further north to the Panhandle or points beyond, I have driven over the picture-book shaded pecan bottom that borders the San Saba River below the bridge within the limits of that small town. Each time I vow to fish there someday, only to forget my promise several miles down the road.

The river is still there. I happened to think of it just in time to write this article. You guessed it. I pulled my copy of Fly-fishing the Texas Hill Country off the shelf to see if a trip to that pretty spot would be worth the effort for some good fishing. Boy, does it look good! The chapter on the San Saba, as luck would have it, was written by Billy Trimble, whom those of you who have been in the Guadalupe Chapter of Trout Unlimited know as a past president of that group and an excellent fly-fisher. I proudly claim him as one of my former students, a good one, when I taught years ago in Junction. His account in the Priddy book is probably the most authoritative one you could find about fishing on the San Saba, even though the publication was copyrighted in the year 2000.

I won't plagiarize nor will quote a description of all the fine fishing access locations both upstream and downstream from Menard. Suffice to comment that a lot of tantalizing spots are described–enough to whet any fly-fisher's appetite. Mind you, I haven't fished there yet. I'm just trying to give and example of a promising angling spot that may be escaping our fishing experience..

Along with its beauty, the San Saba River has some fascinating history attached to it. Fort McKavett is located nearby, close to the headwaters. It was established in 1852, abandoned during the Civil War, but later occupied after the war to fend off Indians by the famous Colonel Ranald Mackenzie, who fought numerous battles against the plains Indians on the Texas frontier. The place has been preserved nicely as a state historic site.

Further downstream, the ruins of Real Presidio de San Saba are on the river's edge on the outskirts of Menard. Jim Bowie's name is carved into one of the remaining cornerstones. Legend has it that Bowie had a gold mine located nearby before he died at the Alamo. It has never been found though numerous stories have mentioned it. About three miles downstream from the Presidio rests the site of Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba, where Comanches and Lipan Apaches wiped out the priests and residents on a fatal date, March 16 th, 1758.

Imagine catching some pretty sunfish and some fighting bass on the river that flows within sight these locations. If the fishing didn't measure up, the rest of the day might be spent exploring these early historic landmarks

Okay, I can't resist using one entry from the Priddy book. It's just too inviting–" Mile 22. This is the Stockpen Crossing Park. On FM 2092, 1 mile west of the traffic light in downtown Menard, this county park offers camping and access to a small lake created by a dam (flotation required). Good wade fishing downstream; . . . Note: Country club golf course and Presidio de San Saba are on the opposite bank."

M.A.

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August Signals End of Summer, Beginning of Fall Activities

This month may pass by being as hot as July; nevertheless, fall comes with September. Thus, there is plenty of warm water fishing left, but cooler weather is standing at the threshold waiting for fresh activities and a reassessment of where we stand as a club. August is a time for looking back at past accomplishments while feeling a tinge of excitement in looking forward to a new club year.

Of course, the biggest project we had going during June and July was introducing our sport to fourteen-year-old boys at Camp La Junta. A pat on the back is due to the following members who contributed time and effort to the Junior Anglers Fly Fishing Awards Course. Dr. Guy Harrison was head honcho of the whole effort and was on site for both months. During June, Walter Saunders, Frank Tull, Danny Wheat, Keith Masters, Bill Elgin, and Mike Andrews carried out various duties in conducting or assisting in basic casting, knot tying, fly tying, stream-side etiquette, and aquatic and terrestrial creatures. In July, a new crew came in to man the classes: Martin Pursch, Gene Smith, Roy Hickman, John Floyd, Bob Spencer, and Dan Cone backed up our ever present "Doc". Good going guys!

As for pure fun, probably the most significant success was exemplified by the showing of our members at the Annual "Bud" Priddy One-Fly Contest at Camp Wood on the Nueces River. Last month's newsletter mentioned some of what went on there–exhilarating fishing and noteworthy awards for our friends: Brad Love's son, Max, the largest bass, and Rick Wilson the largest sunfish. Last month's newsletter mistakenly gave the sunfish credit to Keith Masters. Keith was kind enough to bring this error to your editor's attention. He further commented, "Our cabin worked out well, so I reserved it again for next year." Keith also said that he might have a short write-up of the One-Fly experience for a future edition of The Back Cast.

The July meeting at La Junta mostly centered around plans for the future, especially focusing on membership matters. Our current involvement in youth instruction, environmental involvement in monitoring the Guadalupe, promoting stocking of Guadalupe bass on the upper branches of the Guadalupe, joining the Federation of Fly Fishers' Adopt-a-River Program, and actively participating in UGRA meetings, training of adult fly-fishing instructors in the Texas Parks and Wildlife's certification program, and contributing to the fly-fishing tent at TP&W's annual Expo. All of these endeavors call for increased membership and participation. A number of these items will be addressed at our August meeting.

For the near future, as fall enters our planning, the TP&W Expo fly-fishing tradition is somewhat "up in the air" as to some anticipated changes in its makeup; nevertheless, our club expects to play an active role in its format and activities as we always have in the past years. The 2005 Expo is set for October 1^st and 2^nd. We shall be optimistic and count on again seeing individuals and families being introduced to our sport as we get in some good visits with other fly-fishing clubs across the state.

A rare occurrence has presented itself this year. For the first time, our Texas Expo does not take place on the same dates as the Southern Council FFF Conclave in Mountain Home, Arkansas.

Some dedicated fly fishers have been torn in past years as to which they preferred to attend. Although the dates are closely crammed, they do not overlap this year. The Conclave is October 6^th through 8^th . The theme is "Celebrating the Arts of Fly-Fishing " during the Council's 25^th anniversary. A full schedule of events plus all of the fascinating supplementary activities may be found on the Council's web site, http://www.SouthernCouncilFFF.org . You also may choose to get to the Southern Council site by way of the freshly remodeled national FFF's web site at http://www.fedflyfishers.org . Sorry to say, but by the time you receive this newsletter, it will probably be too late to attend the FFF Conclave and International Fly Fishing Show that will have taken place during August 11 th through 13 th in Livingston, Montana.

For sure, make plans to attend our August meeting (and upcoming meetings) to participate and stay abreast of developing activities and interesting programs. See you at the meeting!

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From FFF ClubWire . . .

FFF Member Dues Increase
New rates began July 1 st . They are as follows:

Individual	$35.00
3 yr Individual	$85.00
Family	$45.00
3 yr Family	$100.00
Youth Under 18	$15.00
Retail/Outfitter	$75.00
Senior Over 65	$25.00
Sustaining (commercial business)	$200.00
Disabled Veteran (must provide proof of 50% + disability)	Free
Life Membership	$500.00
Couple Life Membership	$750.00

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New Member Grab Bag Incentive

For new members, we have a grab bag of fly-fishing "stuff" guaranteed to have a retail value of at least $50.00. Most of the items are from Scientific Anglers, to whom we are sincerely indebted, but may include a box of flies, or other surprises. The Grab Bag will be mailed as soon as your membership has been processed (approximately 3 weeks). For full details on the promotion, contact http:www.fedflyfishers.org/Membership%20Promos/GrabBagPromosDescrip.htm. This offer is not extended to renewals and youth memberships.

DEET Alternatives
Taken from Columbia Gorge Fly Fishers–
FFF Affiliate Club

If you love fishing and the outdoors, but hate mosquitoes and DEET based mosquito repellents, there are new alternatives. For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is recommending the use of two non-DEET-based repellents. Repellents, containing the chemical picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, according to the CDC offer, long-lasting protection against mosquito bites. Products containing these two ingredients have long been available in Australia and Europe, but Federal officials have maintained until now that non-DEET repellents were not effective against mosquito bites.

Recent studies have prompted CDC to relent and broaden recommendations for these alternatives. These recommendations couldn't come at a better time, considering the widening threat of West Nile virus. Picaridin repellents are more pleasant to the skin and don't have the odor that DEET repellents have. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is a natural ingredient and appeals to those who don't like the idea of putting chemicals on themselves.

FFF Club Liability Insurance Carrier Now Available

For some time, FFF has been searching for an insurance carrier that understood our needs and would provide truly competitive group rates on liability coverage .[Our HCFF recently took out this policy to protect us in such projects as Camp La Junta.] Clubs interested may contact the Federation of Fly Fishers or Rick Austin, who can be reached at e-mail:raustin@epgins.com or toll free: 877-642-8775 or 901-685-3100; fax: 901-374-9793.

Be Careful Out There
Taken from The Puget Sound Flyfishers newsletter–FFF Affiliate Club
Woman Dies When Raft Overturns in Yakima River by Jim Maus

A 57-year-old Bellingham woman died recently in a rafting accident on the Yakima River. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene about a mile south of Ellensburg. Kittitas county Undersheriff Clayton Myers said the victim's pontoon-based raft, with a rowing frame, became caught in a log snag, which caused the watercraft to capsize. Friends in her fly-fishing group brought her to shore and tried to revive her, but she died at about 2:45 p.m. after rescue crews unsuccessfully continued efforts to save her. She was not wearing a personal flotation device. Meyers did not know if she knew how to swim. She showed no obvious injuries. Myers said the woman was a single mother of three children. The death of this woman on the upper Yakima River was a tragic event. But, it also holds some lessons for us all:

1. She was using a pontoon boat rated for lakes rather than rivers.
2. She was not wearing a PFD (personal flotation device).
3. She was floating a section of the river (from Rinehart Park to Ringer Road) that is posted with caution signs and requires very competent rowers–particularly in the spring when there are new sweepers in the river.

Please be careful out there. WEAR a PFD. WEAR a wading belt. KNOW your abilities. KNOW the capabilities of your equipment. HEED warning signs. DON'T raft alone. CARRY an extra oar, first aid kit, and other safety equipment. PACK a survival kit. CARRY extra food and water. LET someone know WHERE you are going and WHEN you expect to return.

Tying Corner
Floating Peacock Snail
Article by Eric Schubert–North Idaho Fly Casters Club

Most of us think about snails as those pesky little critters that eat our garden flowers and leave slimy tracks on our walkways. Because of these preconceived ideas, very few fly fishers have ever considered the importance of snails as a viable food source for trout. I must admit that for many years, a snail fly was not a part of my fly fishing arsenal either. All that changed in 1996.

While venting my frustrations at not catching many fish during an outing to a local lake, I decided to sample the stomach contents of a rainbow trout that I caught and eventually released. To my surprise, almost the entire stomach contents consisted of small dark-colored floating snails. All the time while I was at the lake, I had assumed that all of the visible fish rises were to adult midges and sub-surface flies. You can imagine the frustration of not having any snail patterns with me to entice a large number of cruising trout.

After my relatively uneventful trip, I set out to do some extensive research about the importance of this trout food, as well as my construction and presentation. One of the most helpful resources was from fly-fishing guru, Gary Borger, who has written some extensive articles about the not-so-lowly snail.

I found that, besides being a great delicacy to the gourmet, snails are a highly important trout food. Snails are mollusks placed in the order of Gastropoda . There are both terrestrial and aquatic forms. Of the 283 families of snails, only 14 occupy the freshwaters of the United States, but they are nearly ubiquitous, being absent from only the highest alpine lakes and heavily polluted waters. Snails never occur where the pH falls below 6.2, and are most abundant in alkaline waters where the pH is above 7.0. snails may inhabit all types of substrates from sand to beds of dense vegetation, but in trout waters they are most significant where there are abundant aquatic plants. They generally feed on algae and decaying plants. There are both floating and sinking snails, but in my experience, fish are more attracted to the floating type.

This month's fly pattern is a snail of the floating variety. It is tied on dry fly hooks with a standard shank length in sizes 10–14. In an effort to ensure its floating properties, the underbody consists of cellular foam that is cut into 1/8" wide strips, and is wrapped around the hook shank. The overbody consists of several strands of Peacock herl along with a Krystal Hair rib. To reinforce its floatability, the head area of the fly is constructed from a piece of foam-strip that is tied in a small loop. This is a very easy fly to tie. It is often mistaken as an oversized midge.

The Floating Snail is fished on a floating line. It is cast into an area where fish are aggressively feeding. After the cast, let the fly sit. The fish will find this fly and strike it aggressively. Be sure to use the heaviest tippet that you can get away with without spooking the fish.

I have had many pleasurable hours feeding this artificial escargot to local lake fish. You may have similar experiences .Find a small local lake and use the Floating Peacock Snail. Its effectiveness may astound you.

[Editor's note: There is supposed to be a PDF illustration attached to this article from the FFF ClubWire, but I find no access. I have found to web sites that give recipes and tying instructions for tying similar snails. They are http://www.flyfishwithdon.com/snails.htm and the fly archives of Fly Anglers on Line web site, www.flyanglersonline.com, under the 3 rd quarter 1998–Rainy's Snail, tied by Rainy Riding. Also, a useful quotation from John Roberts' (neither the CBS newsman nor the associate justice nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, just an ordinary fly-fishing writer) Collins Illustrated Dictionary of Trout Flies, Castle Books: Edison, New Jersey, 1998, offers some further insight in fishing with snail patterns:

"Snails provide a major contribution to the diet of stillwater trout, and to a much lesser extent river trout and grayling. For the most part they live on the lake–or river-bed or on weeds, and they are therefore difficult to imitate successfully. There is a period in mid-summer when snails migrate to the surface and hang beneath the surface film. They do this probably because of the de-oxygenation of the water. During July and August it is not uncommon to catch trout full of snails, and the imitation fished slowly just below the surface an have a great effect."

 

August Meeting: Thursday, August 18^th, 2005; 7:00 PM; UGRA Offices at 125 W. Lehmann Drive (behind the Texas Dept. of Public Safety on South Sidney Baker); Business: Committee reports and a number of important items; Program: Gene Smith telling about this year's Octoberfisch. Also, Bob Miller may make some comments about scheduling Dave Whitlock for an instructional outing on the river sometime next spring.

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Fredericksburg "On the Water Outing"

If you read this in time, the Fredericksburg Fly Fishers are having an evening event–" On the Water"–Thursday, August 11 th. We are invited. It will start around 6:30 PM on the Pedernales. Take SH 16 south from Fredericksburg, towards Kerrville. Go past the roadside park and turn left at "Old Kerrville Road", "Center Point Road" to the river. If you get to Pfeister Road, you have gone too far south. If you have any questions, Mary Rohrer should be able to help you. Her e-mail is mary1rohrer@yahoo.com.

 

An Outing of a Different Kind

A really neat outing took place recently that could serve as a model for bringing some of our friends and club members together periodically for a totally enjoyable experience. Doc Harrison, Roy Hickman, Martin Pursch, John Floyd and your editor got together and made a trip to Buda, Texas, just south of Austin to visit the new Cabela's store. It is something to behold with all of its displays of outdoor settings, its aquarium, all of the various departments with goods galore. It even has an upstairs balcony with a food center, a meeting room, and a section offering furniture and all sorts of room decorations–you name it.

Our game plan was to spend about an hour and a half freewheeling it on our own exploring our particular areas of interest. Oddly enough, the first choice for all of us was the fly-fishing department, but from there we drifted away to roam, agreeing to meet at our set time at the food area. The plan worked without a flaw. We ate and chatted for close to an hour, then followed our game plan to go our own ways and meet again downstairs at the main entrance, again after about an hour and a half. Of course, we found some items we just couldn't pass up buying. All of our purchases seemed to be well worth the money.

The trip coming and going was as rewarding as our visit to the super sport store. We found that a lot of good fellowship took place during the whole adventure. Now, such a trip could be taken at almost any time with a car or two of our fly-fishing friends sharing each other's company for a delightful venture. All it takes is for one person to round up some acquaintances, either new or old or both, and set out for Cabela's. The excursion is not limited to a one-time-only episode. The store's goods are always changing, and we anglers are always running out of something we need to add to our fly-fishing gear and supplies.

Put this idea for a fun outing on the back burner and pull it out whenever you want to get together with some of our fly-fishing friends for an experience that is always there when you want a little change of scenery and some quality time well spent.

–M.A.