Volume 14 • Issue 4 • April 2007

The Quiet Sport

It has sometimes been referred to as the quiet sport. These days, it seems almost an anomaly for any activity, much less a sport, to be absent noise and hyperactivity; nevertheless, our fly-fishing is enhanced by its control of disruption and disturbance. By nature it is, for the most part, quiet, except for the sounds of nature and slight celebration when something big and strong is at the end of line. Let's examine some of the aspects of success in our fashion of angling that are valuable tools used at times purposely, at other times, instinctively.

We approach the water, our steps slower and lighter. We near the bank with a measure of awareness, for the finny creatures we seek are known to be easily disturbed. Here, we might pause to scan the nearby scene for indicators of where fish would be most likely to hold a comfort zone or to patrol in search of other creatures lower on the food chain. We begin to form a strategy. Even a shadow cast their way will speedily dispatch our aquatic friends to safer a safer refuge.

Knowing their skittishness, we might softly keep a distance from the immediate bank and, if possible, make a cast from far enough back so as not to prematurely announce our presence. If it should be a small stream winding its way across an open plain, we might find ourselves on hands and knees for a lower profile and a chance to get off several casts without disturbing the waiting fish.

Our stealth may be for naught if we recklessly false cast, our line repeatedly signaling something awry. In countering this problem, we might choose to make a roll cast; or, if we must make false casts, they could be directed at an angle out of the prospective quarry's sight until we are ready to send the line toward the target by making the final forward cast in that direction where a strike might be most likely. Once the nearest site has been tested and either found rewarding or fruitless, we will move on.

We enter the water and wade discreetly, realizing that the excitement of reaching a chosen spot may cause us to move too hastily. We carefully make selected casts to check our random chance of success along the way while placing each step carefully to avoid an ever threatening plunge that would send our scheme asunder.

Finally located , we ponder strategy. Will it be upstream and across with an Elk Hair Caddis using a steeple cast to allow the fly to drift naturally without a tell-tale drag, or will it be a Bead Head  Pheasant Tail allowed to drift as we high-stick the rod to detect any movement at the end of the line in readiness for an instant response? Such decisions will be based upon observations we have made along the way. Were the fish rising to any action on the water's surface, or would our prize more likely be holding safely near a boulder waiting for an ambush as the current often sweeps some delicacy nearby along its way?

Such thoughts likewise drift through an angler's mind quietly in ever changing situations during a day's fishing. They are quiet thoughts, though sometimes intense. A pause to look at the masterpieces of nature allows for an appreciation of the restoring values brought about by the vast surroundings of the great outdoors and for a mental refreshment regarding the basics of life.

Fly-fishing teaches us the skills of observation, a discipline of both mind and body, as we use stealth to catch a fine fish and to capture the values of a lovely day.

–M.A.

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What About That Devils River?

Your errant editor wasn't able to make the March monthly meeting. I did, however, hear some reports that attendance was a healthy thirty persons and that Glenn McCullough presented an excellent slide program on fishing the Devils River. In lieu of trying to summarize Glenn's program, I decided to do a bit of research on this remote river, probably best known to some lucky fly-fishers for its huge smallmouth bass. On the other hand, the strongest memory might be the river's ruggedness and unique beauty.

One of the first things that caught my attention in reading about the river is that it flows where the Edwards Plateau, the Chihuahuan Desert and the Tamaulipan Thornsscrub [South Texas Brush Country] ecological regions come together, which makes for a fascinating geographical combination undoubtedly influencing the nature of the river, most notably contrasting the lush river area deep in a canyon framed  by the semi-arid to arid desert lands resting above. The river itself is sixty miles long from its source near Sonora, Texas, in Sutton County, to its conjunction with the Rio Grande River at Amistad Reservoir just above Del Rio, Texas.

The river's isolation is in many ways its salvation since large private ranches filter most access locations. The country is very rugged so that even the Dolan Creek Road leading to the Dolan Falls area requires suggested 8-ply rated tires. The Devils River State Natural Area provides some accommodations for the public, but they are of a Spartan nature to say the least .

 Quoting the Texas Parks and Wildlife's website description of camping facilities at the natural area is the following:

"Activities: The parks large size and remoteness support day hiking, primitive camping, nature study, mountain biking, and canyon tours. Access to the river (1.5 miles) is by hiking, biking, or park tour only; no vehicle access permitted. The park is a put-in point (no take out) for canoes and kayaks. Nearest take out point is about 10 miles down river from the park and only outfitters are allowed to take boats out on these private lands. Lake Amistad is about 32 miles down river from the Park. No cost to take boat out there. Catch and release only. No live bait is permitted. No boats or motorized water craft are allowed, only canoes or kayaks are allowed in the water. This is a FLASH FLOOD AREA, exercise caution. The nearest hospital is 70 miles away. Only containerized fuel fires allowed. No pets are allowed in this park."

"Facilities: there are 7 primitive campsites (vehicle accessible) available. Potable water is not available so bring your own drinking water. There are also primitive campsites by the river that are available only for canoe campers who have come down river. All tap water is unsuitable for drinking. Bring you own drinking water; restroom facilities are very limited. . . ."

Brief research on this fascinating river reveals the following conclusions for anglers:

1. The Devils River is probably the most isolated river in Texas.
2. Private landowners rigidly control land on both sides of the river with the exception of the Devils River State Natural Area and land owned by the Nature Conservancy, which protects about  25miles of the river access.
3. Access to the river appears to be almost exclusively through hiring one of the few guides who have gained permission from certain land owners to take clients through their property.
4. Fishing on the Devils River would require considerable planning and careful considerations regarding logistics and health matters.

The history of this river is fascinating in itself.  From the Internet, an article written by Joe Nick Patoski in the July 2002 issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine reveals the following background:

"The first European to note the Devils' existence, the Spaniard Gaspar Casta de Sosa, was not exactly impressed. He named it the Laxas, which translates 'feeble' or 'slack.' Explorers and travelers who followed him held it in higher regard, naming it the San Pedro, and often lingering longer than planned, since it was the last rest stop before striking out west across the desert. St. Pete struck Texas Ranger Jack Hays as an uninspired name for the river when he came upon it in the 1840's, before he moved on to California. He reckoned the Devil would be a more suitable title. A military camp had been established on the river after the Mexican War. Another Texas Ranger, Capt. Pat Dolan, arrived to clear the region of outlaws in 1870, early enough to have his name attached to the falls.

"That made it safe for E.K. Fawcett who, along with a group of friends, left his mark inside a cave above Dolan Falls on July 24, 1883. As the Devils' first settler, Fawcett started grazing sheep by the falls, and others followed with goats and cattle."

Patoski's article goes on to reveal information given him by Garry Garrett of Texas Parks and Wildlife, now located at the Mountain Home Research Center, who has spoken to our club several times and is significantly involved with our club's Guadalupe bass stocking program:

". . . the river is relatively unpolluted and undammed–less than two percent of all American rivers remain free of such impoundments, and the upper part of the Devils is the only free-running river left in Texas–and one of the most pristine in the southwestern United States. But he also makes clear that, like every river in Texas, the Devils has been impacted plenty. Its flow has declined steadily. Chloride phosphate, cadmium, lead and mercury have been found in concentrations high enough to be potentially dangerous for aquatic life and human health. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout, once native to the region, disappeared long ago. The smallmouth bass, which attracts fishermen from all over Texas, is an exotic introduced to the river and, with the cessation of the practice of stocking of exotics in the Devils, the smallmouths are just holding on, making the practice of catch-and-release on the river crucial to their survival. Garrett suspects the smallmouth and other exotics, including carp, black bullhead and blue tilapia, may be contributing to the threatened status of the native Devils River minnow."

Note that the above information was published in July, 2002. A more recent article published in The Nature Conservancy, August 24, 2005 issue, "Save of the Week–Protecting Texas' Most Pristine River," gives an updated account:

"In West Texas, clear spring-fed waters weave a river of turquoise and jade through pale limestone canyons. The luminously blue Devils River lies at the heart of a rich biological crossroads where three contrasting ecoregions converge.

"Recently, The Nature Conservancy protected nearly 88,000 acres surrounding the headwaters of this remote, free-flowing ecological jewel through the sale of the land to a private conservation buyer–believed to be the largest conservation-buyer transaction in The Nature Conservancy's history and the latest achievement in our long-term efforts to protect a river that is crucial for both human communities and wildlife.

"From its headwaters, the Devils River winds southward through steep, wooded canyons for nearly 60 miles dotted with mesquite and juniper, and a desert of prickly pear and purple sage forests before joining the waters of the Rio Grande at Lake Amistad on the U.S.-Mexico border. The powerful freshwater springs, the Devils and its tributary, Dolan Creek, comprise what is the most pristine river in Texas. Its unique spring flows and habitats are what initially sparked Nature Conservancy's interest in the Devils River Basin more than a decade ago.

"'The Devils River is a special place,' said James King, West Texas program manager , who has spearheaded the Conservancy's Devils River Conservation activities from the beginning, 'You can feel it, not only in the unique ecology of this spring-fed river, but in the people who live and ranch there.'

"These clean waters harbor a rare declining fish species many of which are unique to the Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion. The wooded tributary canyons of the Devils River corridor serve as important migration paths for birds and monarch butterflies traversing this dry region. The area sustains other rare species as well, including the Texas snowbell, the Devils River minnow, and the black-capped vireo, an endangered songbird that nests here each spring.

"The Nature Conservancy's efforts in the region now protect Fern Cave, a maternity roost for up to 10 million Mexican free-tailed bats from May through October, as well as the northernmost known wintering site for this species. The river also bears witness to its ancient Native American inhabitants. Fine examples of pictographs, Native American artwork painted on rock dating from historic times to 5,000 years ago, also are conserved through the Conservancy's work."

Just as I was moving into the conclusion of this report, I took one final look on the Internet to see if anything worth passing along cropped up when I stumbled upon a most recent and informative source about the Devils River fresh off the press. It so happens that the March/April issue of Southwest Fly Fishing contains an article  about this extraordinary river written by Steve Probasco, editor in chief of this always informative fly-fishing magazine. Probasco, guides Kevin Stubbs and Bill Higdon, along with the publication's art director, Jon Luke, set out to take on the river by way of rafts .For an excellent first-hand account of both the rewards and the obstacles one might encounter along the way on a well-planned trip by experienced fly fishers, be sure to read this article, which has been documented skillfully in both words and engaging photographs plus a finely illustrated map of the river and important points along the way that will show how to get there and landmark spots of significant interest. Copies of the most recent issue of Southwest Fly Fishing's March/April issue are currently on sale at our local book store, maybe other places too that carry outdoor magazines. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks, Glenn McCullough, for the program I didn't get to see. You are one of the few anglers who has fished the rough, rare, pristine, Devils River. I know it must have tangled with some really big bass with maybe one or two prehistoric fish thrown in, too, eh!

–M.A.

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Using the HCFF Website to Make a Post

1. Reach our website by way of www.hcff.org.
2. On the HCFF home page menu, click on "Message Board."
3. To make a post, if it is your first one, you must register by following the instructions at the top of the page. If you have previously registered on earlier posts, you don't have to register again.
4. Choose one of the categories, "General Discussion" or "Fishing Reports" and click on the one the one you prefer.
5. Select a topic that has already been posted to read and/or make a post on that topic. If you choose to make a post on any of the comments under the thread that you chose, see the "Options" listed on the bar at the bottom of the comment space provided, and click on "Reply to Message."
6. If you wish to enter a new topic under "General Discussion" or "Fishing Reports," click on your choice and on the bar at the top of the page beside the title,"Go to,"and click on "New Topic." Write your comment in the space provided, proofread, and click on "Post." That's all there is to it!

 Updated Hill Country Fly Fishers Calendar 2007

April
2nd	Board Meeting– 5 P.M.
19th	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M.; Program: Group Fly Tying. Bring your own vise and materials–Guy Harrison.
21st	Beginners Fly Fishing for 7th grade; Hunt School–Guy Harrison
24th	Fish & Food–Louise Hays Park–Hamburgers and trimmings; Danny Wheat and Roy Hickman; 3 P.M. until ?; $ 8 per person.
**	White Bass Outing–pending, but probably scratched due to low water conditions.
May
7th	Board Meeting–5 P.M.
12th	Outing: Llano River at Gene Smith's–BBQ, 5 P.M.; wade fish or float before or after– Dianne Williams. Check website for updates.
17th	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M.–Program: Casting–Mike   Andrews. Bring your rod.
17th	Leave for Gulf Coast Council Conclave–Lake Charles, La.–All invited.
19th	Bud Priddy One Fly Outing–Camp Wood on the Nueces River. Make your own arrangements early!–Dianne Williams
24th	Basic Fly Fishing Class–Buckhorn RV Park–Mike Andrews
June
4th	Board Meeting–5 P.M.
21st	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M.–Program: TBA
23rd	Outing: Redfish Fishing Trip–Aransas Pass–Preston Weatherred. Check with Preston and or website for details.
July
2nd	Board Meeting
21st	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M. Program: TBA
August
6th	Board Meeting
16th	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M. Program:TBA
September
3RD	Board Meeting
20th	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M.–Program: Doug Teter.   Doug fishes in Montana four months of each year, so this should be a good one.
28th	Outing: Group fishing trip to Llano River near Junction–Dianne Williams
October
1st	Board Meeting
18th	Monthly Meeting–Riverside Nature Center, 7 P.M. – Program: Fishing for Tarpon

 

April Meeting: Note the meeting for April on the above calendar: Business: Committee Reports and Pending Business; Program: Group Fly Tying (Bring your vises if you want to tie flies). If you have no fly tying equipment or just want to observe, that's okay, too. Meet at the River Nature Center located on the north side of the Guadalupe near Francisco Lemos Street at the west end of Louise Hays Park.

From FFF ClubWire. . .

The $2,000.00 Adams
By Gil Padovani from the
Long Island Flyrodders Newsletter

When I decided to try my hand at fly tying, several years ago, I had no idea whatsoever of what I was getting into. I started with a simple instruction book, a Thompson 'A' vise, some basic tools and enough feathers, hooks and fur to tie some twenty-five, size ten, light Cahills.

It soon became apparent to me, that if I were to be successful in my endeavor, I would have to add a few new items to my meager collection. Naturally, this led me to buy some new hooks, a few extra  tools, a couple of grade B necks, three dozen different size dry fly hooks and two small bags of gray and ginger dubbing fur.

As any sympathetic fly tier would compassionately understand, I soon found out that these were not enough. After all, how could I tie a Royal Coachman without peacock herl or a weighted nymph without fuse wire?

The answer obviously lay in–first, making a list of all the paraphernalia needed to tie every dry, wet, nymph and streamer fly known to man (from size 2 to 22, of course) and second, transferring the savings I had set aside for my son's college education, to the accounts of most of the country's leading suppliers of fly tying material.

Unfortunately, this idea did not go over too well with my wife, who, as anyone will readily realize, is not as sympathetic to fly tying as you or I may be. The obvious alternative, therefore, was for me to sneakily charge these just needs to my VISA and MasterCards and have the suppliers ship them directly to my secretary's home address.

Having pulled this coup successfully, I found myself confronted by a new dilemma–lack of space. I surveyed the situation very carefully and soon deduced that it should psychologically be in my two sons' best interest if they shared one bedroom instead of their having separate ones.

That evening at the dinner table, I casually mentioned reading an American Medical Association report exulting the benefits of siblings being able to communicate freely from on bed to another. "We could also buy another color TV set and put it in their room," I quickly added when I saw the frown in everyone's face.

That did it. My wife saw herself, undisturbed, watching soap operas in the family room. The boys saw themselves undisturbed, watching the ball games in their bedroom, and I, of course, saw myself undisturbed, tying millions of flies in my brand new hobby room!

Three days and a brand new 21" Sony color set later, the move was completed; I finally had my own fly tying room.

It was then that I realized I had overlooked something minor. . . like a chair to sit on, a bench for my vise, shelving for the hooks and other incidental needs. Obviously, something had to be done quickly to remedy this awkward situation. The following day, I stopped at the local unpainted furniture store and bought a desk, chair, three bookcases and a large storage cabinet. Next, I went to the local department store and purchased three cork bulletin boards, a high intensity lamp, some magnets, a wastebasket and a few other desperately needed items.

Within two weeks, my fly tying room was completed. The furniture, now stained a light maple, was in its proper place. The books in th bookcases were filed in categorical order. Materials and tools were stored systematically in the desk drawers on the file cabinet. Everything was just perfect!

That evening, to my utmost satisfaction, I tied a gorgeous size 14 Adams that was reminiscent of the first dry fly I had bought for seventy-five cents. I closed my eyes and, in my head, I added all the money I had spent so far just for this beautiful fly. I nearly had a heart attack when I figured that this Adams had cost me almost two thousand dollars!

The following day, I went to a favorite trout stream, tied my brand new Adams to a 6x tippet and cast it as gently as I could to rising trout on the opposite bank. Needless to say, the fly got snagged on an overhead branch that was totally out of reach. I pulled on the line, snapped the leader and watched the equivalent of two thousand dollars just hang there. As my mother used to say, "Easy come...easy go..."