Search Results for 'feeding trout'

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17982

This has been quite a different year for me. It all started last Summer.

I have been dealing with a deteriorating left knee for a number of years. I consulted several specialists as far back as 10 years ago and they all agreed the cartilage in my left knee was torn in several places and the repairs from my skiing accident back in 1983 were not holding up. The only way to get relief from the pain and having a stable knee was an artificial knee. I put off this operation because 10 years ago, I was 63, artificial knees were lasting 15-20 years, and I planned on living longer than that. So, I ate supplements, used knee compressions, rehabed the left leg to keep it as strong as possible.

Last Summer during my Summer vacation to the Rockies, I thought my knee was doing very well. I was up in Wyoming fishing on the Greys. I love this river and the Snake River Finespot Cutthroats that inhabit the upper river.

Then again, this river is fast flowing, unconsolidated cobblestone, and slipping while wading is almost inevitable. Well, I did slip, but caught myself from completely falling down. The penalty was my left knee twisted pretty bad. And what do you think I did? Did I take it easy for the rest of the trip or even think about coming home? NOPE !!!! I had 3 weeks of fishing ahead of me and more than enough supplements and painkillers to get me through it.

I came home, rested for several weeks, and my knee really started to feel decent again.

Then, September rolled around, and it was holdover season on the Guadalupe. Normally not an early bird, but the holdover season demands early mornings and fishing till about noon as most of you know. This past Fall (2025) the Holdover Trout left in the river, after our summer feeding program had fattened them up, were amazing !!! I was fishing and catching some toads !!!!

The Day of my birthday I was on the river. I was fishing the slot at Horseshoe Riverside Lodge. I already had several fish to hand that day and was feeling pretty pumped. I made a cast into some soft water created by a little carved pocket in the edge of a limestone ledge. The water carried the flys down past the pocket and the strike indicator paused. I struck. Nothing happened for a couple of seconds really, then my line started moving upstream. It was almost too slow, too steady, like a Carp, or fouled hooked fish. Then, the Trout realized what had happened, and took off downstream with purpose. Now, I was standing outside the slot and it’s about mid-thigh deep and slick cobble. I was moving just about as fast as I could downstream, but that Trout was pulling away. Somewhere in my struggle to catch up, I had about 4 steps where I slipped, twisted, and did everything except fall down again. There was a sudden pain in my left knee. Fortunately, the Trout made it to deep water and stopped. This allowed me to catch up, reeling in most of the lost flyline.  I was now down about 30′ feet above the bridge. Here, I slugged it out with the Rainbow, with just 20′ or so of line out. It took what was a very long minute, or so, to get him within range of the net, but I was winning inch by inch. And soon I reeled up and had just 6 feet or so of leader and tippet out the rod tip. This is when it occurred to me, I might lose this fish. I swung the rod away so it was at 90 degrees to his head. Every time he turned, I changed rod position, to apply a turning side pressure to wear him out. I pulled the net and got ready, as he made a sweeping turn towards me, I scooped him like a matador as he passed. The Rainbow was in the net. The little #22 Manhattan Midge and 5X had held. This all took probably 5-6 minutes and the people who were on the backyard of the Lodge had been watching. And came down to the water’s edge clapping and whooping it up.

I tossed my camera to the owner of the Lodge and he took several pictures of my prize.

Here was my birthday present….. A little over 22″ and about 5-6lbs !!!!!

But there was a price. I couldn’t really move on my left knee anymore. The day was done.

Back home I took the usual anti-inflammatories, iced it, and hoped. They say hope is not the best of strategies. That was the last day I fished for holdovers in the fall of 2025. Weeks passed and the left knee was just swollen and painful all the time. I thought maybe all it needs is rest, compression, and time. I didn’t fish anymore. There were the duties for GRTU: river cleanup, first stocking, general meeting, second stocking, and still the knee was too sore to wade fish. I consulted with my GP. He recommended Dr. Fox, the best surgeon around. I made the appointment. Then came the examination, X rays, MRI, and the verdict was, nothing but a knee replacement would solve my problem. And the fun part was I would have to have 2 operations. The first to remove the: tibia rod, a screw, and staple, from my 1983 skiing accident’s reconstructive surgery. Then heal that up for a couple of months. Then the main event, a ceramic titanium knee replacement.

I didn’t fish through November, December, and most of January. I finally could stand it anymore. I was going to fish a little before the first operation. I called Doug K and we would meet at Rio at daybreak and fish together.

We went to Kanz. There were already anglers at the weir, so we went down to Grasshopper Run and the Patio Pool. We fished for some time without a nudge.

I saw that the weir was now open and we went up to fish there and I landed a couple, but was not really happening.

Time to look for a better bite. We went down to River Bluff.

We caught some there too, but nothing really to write home about.

Doug checked in with Tania, and he had to go back to Austin as his Dad wasn’t feeling well. So, I took him back to his car at Rio, where he took his gear off and chatted about the lack of action today. He left and I went to #5. There, I saw Alex and JC, but the lot was full, so I drove to Little Ponderosa. This was also crowded, but room for one more. I ended wading upstream to The Slot and Summit and then started to work my way downstream. I caught one here, and one there, moving back downstream towards the run below Pink Houses and the catching started.

As the sun started to go down, the bite heated up, The Island Run, Money Drop, and LP Pool all gave up a good number of Trout and I landed about 20 in total for the day. It was good enough for such a bad start.

My knee was bad enough to forget fishing for awhile again. A week later It was time to distribute Trout Eggs to area Classrooms for Ron McAlpins Trout in the Classroom. I was generally limping around and lamenting my fate. It turned cold the later part of January, and a sleet and ice storm covered San Antonio on the 25th.

On the 28th, with the first operation just a couple of weeks off, I figured it was time to wear out what was left of my knee fishing. So, I fished the 28 and 29th. I went back to Little Ponderosa late in the afternoon and it was terrific decision.

There were so many fish ganged up there it was almost stupid.

They loved the squirmy, but also ate some other standards, and towards the evening, I was slamming them on a small chubby. The only thing that bothered me, was when I would strike a fish and miss, my flys would end up hopelessly tangled in the tree limps overhead, and out of reach. I must have left 7 or 8 flys up there. But I have a solution for that…..

So, the next day I showed up prepared….

Yeap, it was time for some tree trimming before fishing….

I recovered most of my flys and some others while opening up the canopy a little….

After my horticulture, I fished the same places, with the same flys and again caught numbers well into double digits.

Again, these were the average fish for the season, so 11-14″ was common, and the large fish had not found their way into my net.

The next few days were spent at the doctor’s office and pre-op procedures. I fished the 4&5th. This time I concentrated on the water from #5 all the way down to Potts.

I caught fish everywhere, just like god knew what lay ahead for me, and threw me a bone…..

I covered ground and hit the usual spots, no real secrets anymore.

And towards dusk each day a few fish started to rise.

I caught them on Drakes….

I caught them on Caddis….

Both days I caught more than 30 fish.

I fished with Doug K one more time on February 10th. We would concentrate on the water that had produced so well the week before: the Lower Slot all the way down to the Bench Pool.

And the fish were still there….

I started moving downstream pretty fast as I wanted to be down near the Bench Pool in case the Trout started rising again….

A few here…..

A few there….

Finally, down in my water, I started watching the water for movement. I had company….

Sure enough, a few came to the surface….

It was late and time to head back upstream. I found Doug at Mountain Creek Pool and I caught a hand full to finish the day off….

We still had to hoof it back to the parking area, and it was time to go.

We had been blessed with cooperative Trout.

February 13, up early to N E Baptist Hospital for a pre-op series of tests. There were the usual vital signs, a blood draw, a nasal swab, and a bunch of questions about my health, both recent and from the beginning of time to make sure I was healthy and not bringing anything into the hospital before the operation. As usual it takes hours, but I get home by noon. I watching the news, when it occurs to me I could be fishing. So I load up the Bronco and head to the Guadalupe. It’s about 2pm when I arrive at #5. I gear up with my Scott 10′ 4wt.

I stop at Barking Dog Pool and catch 4 or 5 on the drop

From there I move downstream quickly, with Conner’s Pool my target

Here I am nymph fishing with a Dave’s Red Squirrel and a squirmy. I land 3 or 4 here. Now I am thinking, do I head down into Potts or up to Red Horse Run? My knee is already sore and it makes my decision for me. I head back upstream.

Luck is my back pocket today. I wind up and cut off the squirmy and add a small Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle as the dropper. Everything do I pays off. I easily catch a dozen here. With the cloud cover, it is hard to judge the time of day, but it must be almost 5pm or so. I move up into Mountain Creek Pool.

Here I stand behind Middle Rock and catch Trout after Trout

Again, no Big Ones, just a good average hard fighting Rainbow. Then along comes one stranger….

It’s an early spring and the Perch are starting to wake up again. The Trout numbers have been spinning up like a slot machine today, 20, 25, 30, 35….

and finally 38….

Suddenly it’s getting dark. The sun closed on the horizon, never peeking through the clouds. I pull out my flashlight and hustle down the trail, past the lower Slot, past Barking Dog Pool, then I cross the river, and back up to the Bronco.

It was a wonderful send off….

It was another good numbers day.

The last day before my first operation, scheduled for February 16th.

I was satisfied with myself and knew it would be weeks before I would be able to fish again.

 

Jimbo

 

 

 

u

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17982

This has been quite a different year for me. It all started last Summer.

I have been dealing with a deteriorating left knee for a number of years. I consulted several specialists as far back as 10 years ago and they all agreed the cartilage in my left knee was torn in several places and the repairs from my skiing accident back in 1983 were not holding up. The only way to get relief from the pain and having a stable knee was an artificial knee. I put off this operation because 10 years ago, I was 63, artificial knees were lasting 15-20 years, and I planned on living longer than that. So, I ate supplements, used knee compressions, rehabed the left leg to keep it as strong as possible.

Last Summer during my Summer vacation to the Rockies, I thought my knee was doing very well. I was up in Wyoming fishing on the Greys. I love this river and the Snake River Finespot Cutthroats that inhabit the upper river.

Then again, this river is fast flowing, unconsolidated cobblestone, and slipping while wading is almost inevitable. Well, I did slip, but caught myself from completely falling down. The penalty was my left knee twisted pretty bad. And what do you think I did? Did I take it easy for the rest of the trip or even think about coming home? NOPE !!!! I had 3 weeks of fishing ahead of me and more than enough supplements and painkillers to get me through it.

I came home, rested for several weeks, and my knee really started to feel decent again.

Then, September rolled around, and it was holdover season on the Guadalupe. Normally not an early bird, but the holdover season demands early mornings and fishing till about noon as most of you know. This past Fall (2025) the Holdover Trout left in the river, after our summer feeding program had fattened them up, were amazing !!! I was fishing and catching some toads !!!!

The Day of my birthday I was on the river. I was fishing the slot at Horseshoe Riverside Lodge. I already had several fish to hand that day and was feeling pretty pumped. I made a cast into some soft water created by a little carved pocket in the edge of a limestone ledge. The water carried the flys down past the pocket and the strike indicator paused. I struck. Nothing happened for a couple of seconds really, then my line started moving upstream. It was almost too slow, too steady, like a Carp, or fouled hooked fish. Then, the Trout realized what had happened, and took off downstream with purpose. Now, I was standing outside the slot and it’s about mid-thigh deep and slick cobble. I was moving just about as fast as I could downstream, but that Trout was pulling away. Somewhere in my struggle to catch up, I had about 4 steps where I slipped, twisted, and did everything except fall down again. There was a sudden pain in my left knee. Fortunately, the Trout made it to deep water and stopped. This allowed me to catch up, reeling in most of the lost flyline.  I was now down about 30′ feet above the bridge. Here, I slugged it out with the Rainbow, with just 20′ or so of line out. It took what was a very long minute, or so, to get him within range of the net, but I was winning inch by inch. And soon I reeled up and had just 6 feet or so of leader and tippet out the rod tip. This is when it occurred to me, I might lose this fish. I swung the rod away so it was at 90 degrees to his head. Every time he turned, I changed rod position, to apply a turning side pressure to wear him out. I pulled the net and got ready, as he made a sweeping turn towards me, I scooped him like a matador as he passed. The Rainbow was in the net. The little #22 Manhattan Midge and 5X had held. This all took probably 5-6 minutes and the people who were on the backyard of the Lodge had been watching. And came down to the water’s edge clapping and whooping it up.

I tossed my camera to the owner of the Lodge and he took several pictures of my prize.

Here was my birthday present….. A little over 22″ and about 5-6lbs !!!!!

But there was a price. I couldn’t really move on my left knee anymore. The day was done.

Back home I took the usual anti-inflammatories, iced it, and hoped. They say hope is not the best of strategies. That was the last day I fished for holdovers in the fall of 2025. Weeks passed and the left knee was just swollen and painful all the time. I thought maybe all it needs is rest, compression, and time. I didn’t fish anymore. There were the duties for GRTU: river cleanup, first stocking, general meeting, second stocking, and still the knee was too sore to wade fish. I consulted with my GP. He recommended Dr. Fox, the best surgeon around. I made the appointment. Then came the examination, X rays, MRI, and the verdict was, nothing but a knee replacement would solve my problem. And the fun part was I would have to have 2 operations. The first to remove the: tibia rod, a screw, and staple, from my 1983 skiing accident’s reconstructive surgery. Then heal that up for a couple of months. Then the main event, a ceramic titanium knee replacement.

I didn’t fish through November, December, and most of January. I finally could stand it anymore. I was going to fish a little before the first operation. I called Doug K and we would meet at Rio at daybreak and fish together.

We went to Kanz. There were already anglers at the weir, so we went down to Grasshopper Run and the Patio Pool. We fished for some time without a nudge.

I saw that the weir was now open and we went up to fish there and I landed a couple, but was not really happening.

Time to look for a better bite. We went down to River Bluff.

We caught some there too, but nothing really to write home about.

Doug checked in with Tania, and he had to go back to Austin as his Dad wasn’t feeling well. So, I took him back to his car at Rio, where he took his gear off and chatted about the lack of action today. He left and I went to #5. There, I saw Alex and JC, but the lot was full, so I drove to Little Ponderosa. This was also crowded, but room for one more. I ended wading upstream to The Slot and Summit and then started to work my way downstream. I caught one here, and one there, moving back downstream towards the run below Pink Houses and the catching started.

As the sun started to go down, the bite heated up, The Island Run, Money Drop, and LP Pool all gave up a good number of Trout and I landed about 20 in total for the day. It was good enough for such a bad start.

My knee was bad enough to forget fishing for awhile again. A week later It was time to distribute Trout Eggs to area Classrooms for Ron McAlpins Trout in the Classroom. I was generally limping around and lamenting my fate. It turned cold the later part of January, and a sleet and ice storm covered San Antonio on the 25th.

On the 28th, with the first operation just a couple of weeks off, I figured it was time to wear out what was left of my knee fishing. So, I fished the 28 and 29th. I went back to Little Ponderosa late in the afternoon and it was terrific decision.

There were so many fish ganged up there it was almost stupid.

They loved the squirmy, but also ate some other standards, and towards the evening, I was slamming them on a small chubby. The only thing that bothered me, was when I would strike a fish and miss, my flys would end up hopelessly tangled in the tree limps overhead, and out of reach. I must have left 7 or 8 flys up there. But I have a solution for that…..

So, the next day I showed up prepared….

Yeap, it was time for some tree trimming before fishing….

I recovered most of my flys and some others while opening up the canopy a little….

After my horticulture, I fished the same places, with the same flys and again caught numbers well into double digits.

Again, these were the average fish for the season, so 11-14″ was common, and the large fish had not found their way into my net.

The next few days were spent at the doctor’s office and pre-op procedures. I fished the 4&5th. This time I concentrated on the water from #5 all the way down to Potts.

I caught fish everywhere, just like god knew what lay ahead for me, and threw me a bone…..

I covered ground and hit the usual spots, no real secrets anymore.

And towards dusk each day a few fish started to rise.

I caught them on Drakes….

I caught them on Caddis….

Both days I caught more than 30 fish.

I fished with Doug K one more time on February 10th. We would concentrate on the water that had produced so well the week before: the Lower Slot all the way down to the Bench Pool.

And the fish were still there….

I started moving downstream pretty fast as I wanted to be down near the Bench Pool in case the Trout started rising again….

A few here…..

A few there….

Finally, down in my water, I started watching the water for movement. I had company….

Sure enough, a few came to the surface….

It was late and time to head back upstream. I found Doug at Mountain Creek Pool and I caught a hand full to finish the day off….

We still had to hoof it back to the parking area, and it was time to go.

We had been blessed with cooperative Trout.

February 13, up early to N E Baptist Hospital for a pre-op series of tests. There were the usual vital signs, a blood draw, a nasal swab, and a bunch of questions about my health, both recent and from the beginning of time to make sure I was healthy and not bringing anything into the hospital before the operation. As usual it takes hours, but I get home by noon. I watching the news, when it occurs to me I could be fishing. So I load up the Bronco and head to the Guadalupe. It’s about 2pm when I arrive at #5. I gear up with my Scott 10′ 4wt.

I stop at Barking Dog Pool and catch 4 or 5 on the drop

From there I move downstream quickly, with Conner’s Pool my target

Here I am nymph fishing with a Dave’s Red Squirrel and a squirmy. I land 3 or 4 here. Now I am thinking, do I head down into Potts or up to Red Horse Run? My knee is already sore and it makes my decision for me. I head back upstream.

Luck is my back pocket today. I wind up and cut off the squirmy and add a small Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle as the dropper. Everything do I pays off. I easily catch a dozen here. With the cloud cover, it is hard to judge the time of day, but it must be almost 5pm or so. I move up into Mountain Creek Pool.

Here I stand behind Middle Rock and catch Trout after Trout

Again, no Big Ones, just a good average hard fighting Rainbow. Then along comes one stranger….

It’s an early spring and the Perch are starting to wake up again. The Trout numbers have been spinning up like a slot machine today, 20, 25, 30, 35….

and finally 38….

Suddenly it’s getting dark. The sun closed on the horizon, never peeking through the clouds. I pull out my flashlight and hustle down the trail, past the lower Slot, past Barking Dog Pool, then I cross the river, and back up to the Bronco.

It was a wonderful send off….

It was another good numbers day.

The last day before my first operation, scheduled for February 16th.

I was satisfied with myself and knew it would be weeks before I would be able to fish again.

 

Jimbo

 

 

 

u

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17980

Feeding program is proceeding nicely this summer. We will have more holdovers than last year, because we stocked higher numbers (smaller fish) this past season, so all things being equal we should have more Trout, but smaller (shorter) fish. Now, we had a fairly warm spring again with low flows, so we lost a bunch of fish before July when they bumped the flows. With these increased flows, just about every Trout in the river right now, should make it through to the fall. We will also have more Trout further downstream this coming season before the stocking starts. Now I also expect to see fewer really Big Trout (>20″ and >4lbs) because that’s the way this season’s population started. Still, we should have a good season fishing for holdovers. As always watch your water temperatures, fish barbless, carry a net with a rubber bag, minimize the time these caught fish stay out of the water for pictures (less than 5 seconds), and release all the Trout.

Ron DeMeyer handles the feeding program. He is usually seeking volunteers in March and April for the next summer.

Jimbo

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17938

Ladies and Gentlemen

We have come through the spring and are now in the beginning of June, and all things being equal, we have decent flows and decent water temperatures. This is much better than last year where we saw water temperatures in the upper river in the 70s as early as the end of March. And we put in very high numbers of Trout, albeit smaller than we desire, so it is going to be very interesting to see what the Trout look like next fall with our summer feeding program (Big shout-out to Ron DeMeyer and his volunteers for doing the twice weekly feedings), Ron McAlpins release of Rainbow Trout Fingerlings from Trout in the Classroom, and of course our Whitlock/Vibert box program to establish long term Brown Trout in the Guadalupe River.

This El Nino weather pattern will also have an impact on the Guadalupe River, Canyon Lake levels, and the releases from the lake. We have already had a wetter spring than is normal, and we are just entering the neutral phase of El Nino. It is hard to predict the future, but it is shaping up to be fantastic season next year.

While temperatures are still favorable to fish the upper river in the mornings, if you go, watch your water temperatures, and quit fishing when they hit 68. Don’t forget to fish barbless, use a rubber basket net, keep’em wet, wet your hands before handling, if pictures are taken limit the time the Trout are out of the water to 5 seconds (you can do it!) and we will have healthy releases of those Trout back into the river.

Again, Thank You to all the sportsmen who have joined the Lease Access Program, which allows us to create this amazing fishery !!!!

Jimbo Roberts
GRTU V.P. of Fisheries

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17486

Reports from the crew feeding the Trout indicate holdover is not nearly as good as the last couple of years. We had some real high water temperatures beginning in late March and early April. This is about 60 days earlier than we normally see water temps in the 70’s in the upper leases. We have continued feeding the fish down to Little Ponderosa, even when reports came in of no or just a few Trout down there. I told the crew, If, we could get any fish to holdover down there, they are exactly the kind of Rainbows we want surviving and living in the river, and to keep feeding regardless of the lack of fish seen. I suspect we will have good holdover only at Maricopa. Everything else will be spotty at best. Typically, the river with deeper holes and shade will be the places these Trout will hold in the worst conditions. The good news is we have had some bumps in the flows, off 55cfs, in the 80-100cfs, not consistently, but often enough through the late summer to help with water temps. We won’t really know till Late October when things really start cooling off and the Trout again start to show themselves regularly. I wish the news was better, but right now that how we see it.

Jimbo

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17481

If you are going to float the river from the dam, you must be aware of Horseshoe Falls about one mile from the dam. Do not try and run it. Get out and portage left. The hydraulics below the falls are terrible. Watch your water temperatures. Fish only water less than 68 degrees. I would like our anglers to wait till late September, or even better October, to go fishing for Trout as they will be stressed in these low flows. We will be feeding them also till the end of September, which can make them difficult to catch of the day of feeding.

Jimbo Roberts
GRTU V.P. of Fisheries

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17370

So, I have been off the river for about 2 1/2 weeks. I was doing a reschedule of the men who won the Auction at Troutfest to go fish the Guadalupe. We were scheduled to fish a couple of weeks ago and when fishing was great, but we had to change that to April 3rd. I went down to pre-fish Wednesday, arriving about 1pm. I started at Kanz. I saw many Trout but something was definitely off. I started nymph fishing at the weir. I caught one right off on a Darth Baetis. I briefly thought everything was going to be fine the following day. I saw fish mid column, but they were very sluggish. After not catching any more in a reasonable time I started fishing some dryflys. Again, I caught one in short order.

I had some more splashy rises/refusals and that was it. I went on down to the fish Grasshopper Run and the Patio Pool. Nymphing again, I zeroed, I started changing flys, hoping to find a magic combination, but nothing was working. I tried some streamers,… nope. I went back to the dryfly and again I caught some more, but it was not a magic ticket. I was really only getting reaction strikes, not a match the hatch, but well it’s right there I might as well eat it.

A guide boat came through and I started talking to them and seeing what they had caught. They had three fish in the boat since 8:30 and mostly upstream and earlier.

I had noticed the flows seemed lower, but I had not looked that morning. I later found out the flows had dropped to 55cfs. It was about 4pm when it finally dawned on me to take water temps… It was 68 degrees out in the current in the Patio Pool. It’s April 2 2025 and water temps were already getting to warm to ethically fish this far up in the tailrace. THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS !!!!

I had planned on fishing as far down as Potts, but there’s no way now. I went up into the Tubers Loop and water temps were 66 degrees at 5:30pm. I fished there and the fish were willing to take the usual suspects nymphing.

I called the auction winner and told them what I had found and that it would probably be slim pickens. I suggested that we wait and fish next season when Trout fishing would be much better. But Jim was adamant about fishing now. He didn’t mind the challenge of fishing when the bite is tough. So, it was on.

Now comes Thursday, I wanted to fish as early as possible when water temps would be cooler. They were coming from Sugarland and the earliest we would meet would be 9am. I arrived a little earlier wanting to check water temps out first. They were already there. First, I was hoping it would be cool enough to fish the drop at Barking Dog Pool. We went to #5. There were 2 vehicles already there. I waded below the weir to check water temps. It was 66 degrees.

I went down to the drop and talked to the anglers there. I watched the water as we talked. They had landed nothing that morning. Not wanting to take the chance of taking Jim and Walter all the way down to the Lower Slot and Mountain Creek Pool, only to get there and already be close to 68. I went back up the hill and announced we were headed straight to Kanz.

So, we drove to Kanz and below the weir it was 65 degrees at about 9:30am.

We started fishing and both Jim and Walter had fish on nymphs right away, but it was short lived. I tried a few different flys, but it didn’t make any difference. We tried fishing different angles and depths, but these fish were in a funk. I had my flyrod set up for fishing drys and made a few casts before moving downstream. I had a fish come up and strike, but didn’t hook up. This was a first cast kind of day as would be seen later. Subsequent casts had fish rising to look at the flys, but not take them.

We headed down and tried the drop into Grasshopper Run. Zero….

We then went down to the Patio Pool. I set Walter up in the head to the Pool and Jim down at the deeper slabs. Walter scored first and missed another. Down in the deeper water we could see fish suspended, mid-column, the were swimming steadily in place. I could not see any feeding activity. There were the occasional splashy rises, but there was not really any adult insects or terrestrials on the surface. They were hitting either midge, Trico, or BWO emergers, but I could not see what they were. Jim really wanted to catch something on a dry, so I cut the fluoro out of the leader, build up a mono dryfly leader, and tied on a March Brown, the most likely drake. He used his rod with the Drake and mine with the attractors back and forth. He caught his first fish on a dry, I forgot which rod and fly he was using. But these were reaction bites again. He would make good drifts over holding Trout, and most the time they would not look, rise to inspect, or even spook. They just ignored it like it was even there.

I swapped Walter and Jim’s position, putting Walter in the deeper part of the pool between the first and third slabs and Jim up in the shallower head of the pool. I switched back and forth between the drake and the attractors and he caught more fish, but again. most strikes came as the fly landed or shortly thereafter… Reaction strikes, not really deliberate feeding strikes.

I guess it was about 1pm when I took water temps again and it was 67 degrees and time for Lunch.

From there I took them up to fish Whitewater to JDL. There the water temps were 66 degrees.

Jim caught Trout in the tailout of the pool on dryflys and Walter caught fish on the drop with nymphs.

About 3:30 tubers started showing up and we moved upstream. I wanted to fish the island holes and several groups of swimmers and tubers were there camped out in the water. So we moved on upstream.

We briefly looked at the top of the island hole, but with tubers moving through, we continued on to JDL. They had a few strikes in JDL, but none landed.

Jim and Walter kept trying to about 6pm, but the Trout were not very active. The splashy surface rises ceased. Soon after they bid their farewells and I told them I owed them a good trip next season and we’d do it again. I stayed and poked around myself for another hour or so. I landed a couple on nymphs and had a few splashy rises on drys, but none landed.

This will probably be my last trip to to Guadalupe River this year…..

I love fishing here, but I just cannot fish anymore this season if these flows and water temps persist….

It’s very unfortunate. Flows are already lower than last summer. Water temperatures are much higher than I have seen at this time of years in decades. The feeding program will start shortly. I wanted to start earlier this year because I thought it would be beneficial and now with these the water temps it’s essential.

Last year we had flows most of the summer around 70cfs and bumps in the 90s for downstream demand. The holdovers in the fall were AMAZING !!!! The flows were just enough to keep water temps under 70 down to Mountain Creek. The feeding program kept them supplied with easy extra calories to get through the heat of summer and early fall. My fear is that this summer the flows won’t be enough, the temps will get too high and we will loose almost all the Trout population.

For those who wish to continue fishing for Trout, I would like for you to follow “Hoot Owl” Restrictions. Take water temperatures often. Move upstream to cooler water when they hit 68 degrees or quit fishing altogether. I would suggest no matter where you are fishing, fish only from dawn to about 1pm and then quit. Even if you release a Trout and the water temps are below 68, if the water temps go up into the 70’s that day, there is a good probability the fish won’t see another day.

For me, I will turn my interests to fishing the other Hill Country Rivers and Streams for Bass and Perch till I head north into the Rockies for my annual summer flyfishing Trip. I will also not fish the coming fall until temps have fallen into the mid 60’s all day. I hope you will consider doing the same.

Jimbo

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#17370

So, I have been off the river for about 2 1/2 weeks. I was doing a reschedule of the men who won the Auction at Troutfest to go fish the Guadalupe. We were scheduled to fish a couple of weeks ago and when fishing was great, but we had to change that to April 3rd. I went down to pre-fish Wednesday, arriving about 1pm. I started at Kanz. I saw many Trout but something was definitely off. I started nymph fishing at the weir. I caught one right off on a Darth Baetis. I briefly thought everything was going to be fine the following day. I saw fish mid column, but they were very sluggish. After not catching any more in a reasonable time I started fishing some dryflys. Again, I caught one in short order.

I had some more splashy rises/refusals and that was it. I went on down to the fish Grasshopper Run and the Patio Pool. Nymphing again, I zeroed, I started changing flys, hoping to find a magic combination, but nothing was working. I tried some streamers,… nope. I went back to the dryfly and again I caught some more, but it was not a magic ticket. I was really only getting reaction strikes, not a match the hatch, but well it’s right there I might as well eat it.

A guide boat came through and I started talking to them and seeing what they had caught. They had three fish in the boat since 8:30 and mostly upstream and earlier.

I had noticed the flows seemed lower, but I had not looked that morning. I later found out the flows had dropped to 55cfs. It was about 4pm when it finally dawned on me to take water temps… It was 68 degrees out in the current in the Patio Pool. It’s April 2 2025 and water temps were already getting to warm to ethically fish this far up in the tailrace. THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS !!!!

I had planned on fishing as far down as Potts, but there’s no way now. I went up into the Tubers Loop and water temps were 66 degrees at 5:30pm. I fished there and the fish were willing to take the usual suspects nymphing.

I called the auction winner and told them what I had found and that it would probably be slim pickens. I suggested that we wait and fish next season when Trout fishing would be much better. But Jim was adamant about fishing now. He didn’t mind the challenge of fishing when the bite is tough. So, it was on.

Now comes Thursday, I wanted to fish as early as possible when water temps would be cooler. They were coming from Sugarland and the earliest we would meet would be 9am. I arrived a little earlier wanting to check water temps out first. They were already there. First, I was hoping it would be cool enough to fish the drop at Barking Dog Pool. We went to #5. There were 2 vehicles already there. I waded below the weir to check water temps. It was 66 degrees.

I went down to the drop and talked to the anglers there. I watched the water as we talked. They had landed nothing that morning. Not wanting to take the chance of taking Jim and Walter all the way down to the Lower Slot and Mountain Creek Pool, only to get there and already be close to 68. I went back up the hill and announced we were headed straight to Kanz.

So, we drove to Kanz and below the weir it was 65 degrees at about 9:30am.

We started fishing and both Jim and Walter had fish on nymphs right away, but it was short lived. I tried a few different flys, but it didn’t make any difference. We tried fishing different angles and depths, but these fish were in a funk. I had my flyrod set up for fishing drys and made a few casts before moving downstream. I had a fish come up and strike, but didn’t hook up. This was a first cast kind of day as would be seen later. Subsequent casts had fish rising to look at the flys, but not take them.

We headed down and tried the drop into Grasshopper Run. Zero….

We then went down to the Patio Pool. I set Walter up in the head to the Pool and Jim down at the deeper slabs. Walter scored first and missed another. Down in the deeper water we could see fish suspended, mid-column, the were swimming steadily in place. I could not see any feeding activity. There were the occasional splashy rises, but there was not really any adult insects or terrestrials on the surface. They were hitting either midge, Trico, or BWO emergers, but I could not see what they were. Jim really wanted to catch something on a dry, so I cut the fluoro out of the leader, build up a mono dryfly leader, and tied on a March Brown, the most likely drake. He used his rod with the Drake and mine with the attractors back and forth. He caught his first fish on a dry, I forgot which rod and fly he was using. But these were reaction bites again. He would make good drifts over holding Trout, and most the time they would not look, rise to inspect, or even spook. They just ignored it like it was even there.

I swapped Walter and Jim’s position, putting Walter in the deeper part of the pool between the first and third slabs and Jim up in the shallower head of the pool. I switched back and forth between the drake and the attractors and he caught more fish, but again. most strikes came as the fly landed or shortly thereafter… Reaction strikes, not really deliberate feeding strikes.

I guess it was about 1pm when I took water temps again and it was 67 degrees and time for Lunch.

From there I took them up to fish Whitewater to JDL. There the water temps were 66 degrees.

Jim caught Trout in the tailout of the pool on dryflys and Walter caught fish on the drop with nymphs.

About 3:30 tubers started showing up and we moved upstream. I wanted to fish the island holes and several groups of swimmers and tubers were there camped out in the water. So we moved on upstream.

We briefly looked at the top of the island hole, but with tubers moving through, we continued on to JDL. They had a few strikes in JDL, but none landed.

Jim and Walter kept trying to about 6pm, but the Trout were not very active. The splashy surface rises ceased. Soon after they bid their farewells and I told them I owed them a good trip next season and we’d do it again. I stayed and poked around myself for another hour or so. I landed a couple on nymphs and had a few splashy rises on drys, but none landed.

This will probably be my last trip to to Guadalupe River this year…..

I love fishing here, but I just cannot fish anymore this season if these flows and water temps persist….

It’s very unfortunate. Flows are already lower than last summer. Water temperatures are much higher than I have seen at this time of years in decades. The feeding program will start shortly. I wanted to start earlier this year because I thought it would be beneficial and now with these the water temps it’s essential.

Last year we had flows most of the summer around 70cfs and bumps in the 90s for downstream demand. The holdovers in the fall were AMAZING !!!! The flows were just enough to keep water temps under 70 down to Mountain Creek. The feeding program kept them supplied with easy extra calories to get through the heat of summer and early fall. My fear is that this summer the flows won’t be enough, the temps will get too high and we will loose almost all the Trout population.

For those who wish to continue fishing for Trout, I would like for you to follow “Hoot Owl” Restrictions. Take water temperatures often. Move upstream to cooler water when they hit 68 degrees or quit fishing altogether. I would suggest no matter where you are fishing, fish only from dawn to about 1pm and then quit. Even if you release a Trout and the water temps are below 68, if the water temps go up into the 70’s that day, there is a good probability the fish won’t see another day.

For me, I will turn my interests to fishing the other Hill Country Rivers and Streams for Bass and Perch till I head north into the Rockies for my annual summer flyfishing Trip. I will also not fish the coming fall until temps have fallen into the mid 60’s all day. I hope you will consider doing the same.

Jimbo

[trice]

trice

#16975

My only hope with feeding is to ensure we get as many fish as possible through the hot months. Any time your catching LOTS of big fish, the excitement does drop. Go spend some timne in the San Juan in NM. And that is a natural river full of big fish. This holds true for trout, bass, tuna, whater. I feel very appreciative to be able to fish a river where we can catch big fish. Thanks Jimbo!

[Alex Argyros]

Alex Argyros

#16965

Although I think that there are good arguments against feeding the trout, the one adduced by the board makes no sense. If we need to feed the fish at any time, the summer for example, to have significant holdovers, then our fishery is not self-sustaining. Winter feedings would have nothing to do with trout survival. The only feedings that might help some, if not, especially during low flow periods, most trout survive are during the summer. Consequently, if such feedings are instrumental to having a year-round fishery, then, by definition, this fishery is not self-sustaining.

However,if we removed the self-sustaining, part, the board’s argument is good. There is something artificial about a fishery where the fish are fed. It does feel a bit like fishing in a hatchery. So, I would also be against winter feeding, but, as explained above, not for the reasons offered by the board.

Finally, I’m less concerned about what the general public thinks than what is good for our river’s health. If feedings during any time of the year were shown (i.e., with good, objective data, not anecdotal reports) to be an integral component of our efforts to promote the vigor of our river and its residents, then I would support it without hesitation.

Alex

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16956

Well thanks everyone !!!! I have been walking around in a bit of a fog lately. There have been many things going on in my life that have me distracted and sometimes I wonder how I appear to everyone else. It is always very helpful when we have so many members willing to help with the stockings, as it is a lot of work carrying all those buckets into our LAP sites.

The first stocking the fish were a little smaller than we are normally receive from the Hatchery, then again high numbers are always nice on the first load. I am hoping they get a little larger on average in the next 3 loads. I will finish arranging the last two stocking dates and get those permits in hand. I wanted to do more feeding of the Trout through the winter and brought it up before at the recent GRTU Board meeting, but they voted it down. We will continue feeding them through the summer, so we still have that going for us.

It’s very nice, when I hear from our members that they like the way things are going.

Thank You !!!!
Jimbo Roberts
GRTU V.P. of Fisheries

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16808

Dan Cone has been the V.P. of Fisheries for a number of years and has implemented several new programs like, the feeding of our Trout through the stressful summer months. This has led to an increase in the number and health of the Holdover Population of Trout as everybody has seen. Dan Cone has stepped aside from the V.P. because of some Family Issues, which require so much of his time, that he felt he could no longer give the V.P. of Fisheries the attention it deserves. Dan asked me if I could step in and handle the position for him. I said it would be my honor and the Board accepted this change. I would like to thank Dan again for the dedication he has shown to GRTU and the V.P. of Fisheries. We are all the better, for the time he has served!

Thank You
Jimbo Roberts
GRTU V.P. of Fisheries
210-415-6822

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16808

Dan Cone has been the V.P. of Fisheries for a number of years and has implemented several new programs like, the feeding of our Trout through the stressful summer months. This has led to an increase in the number and health of the Holdover Population of Trout as everybody has seen. Dan Cone has stepped aside from the V.P. because of some Family Issues, which require so much of his time, that he felt he could no longer give the V.P. of Fisheries the attention it deserves. Dan asked me if I could step in and handle the position for him. I said it would be my honor and the Board accepted this change. I would like to thank Dan again for the dedication he has shown to GRTU and the V.P. of Fisheries. We are all the better, for the time he has served!

Thank You
Jimbo Roberts
GRTU V.P. of Fisheries
210-415-6822

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16716

1) The amount of the food available to the fish is dependent on habitat. And the main limiting thing right now is flows, or the volume of water the fish and the insects and prey fish have to occupy. So, the low flows have a more complex impact other than just temperature on the health of the game fish in the river. More flow increases the area and volume of the aquatic habitat everything from the smallest Midges to the largest Stripers can exist and multiply. It also increases the dissolved oxygen as it tumbles and moves downstream. Higher flows also work to remove silt in the river, allowing for more pore space in the streambed gravel, and thus increased areas and populations for the insects and small prey fish that live there.

When the flows are low and by that I mean below about 100-150cfs, the river has a limited capacity to sustain the top predators, like the Trout. So, feeding them during the summer when temperatures are high, especially when flows are low, the Trout are under a lot of stress. The higher water temperatures mean the fish metabolism is also running at higher level and they need more calories to sustain themselves. The feed is a very high calorie supplement that provides those calories and then some. You can see just how fat and healthy the survivors are in the fall after feeding them through the summer.

Should we feed them all year? That is a question we have not addressed. The supplemental feeding certainly keeps their stomachs full and they become accustomed to the size and timing of those feedings. Anyone who has tried to fish after the morning feeding are over, knows they will strike flys less frequently than on the day no feeding occurs. Now during the actual feeding, they are whipped into a frenzy and will hit flys floating in the feed itself. During the colder months, as water temperatures fall, the fish seem to do better because the metabolisms slow down and they need less calories. We also seem to have better hatches of Caddis and Mayflys during the winter and spring. It might help to feed the fish some during the winter and maybe the Fishery Committee should discuss this and talk to the board about it. I will bring up the subject this season.

2) Stream improvement projects were proposed decades ago. It is quite complicated as the river is controlled by the CORE (Army Corps of Engineers) and GBRA, with TPWD supporting. You can not just move some rocks around and permanently change the stream bed in any way without the approval of the CORE and GBRA, because Canyon Lake is primarily a flood control project. Thus, the primary function of the Canyon Lake Dam is to control flows downstream to prevent flooding of the areas adjacent to the river. Delivery of water downstream for agricultural or municipal use and power generation are secondary, with river biology falling behind everything else.

The first things we did accomplish to improve the Fishery were limited harvest regulations and the Flow Agreement. Both of these success’ have helped increase the possibility and realization of a Trophy Trout Fishery. That and with a strategy of the size and numbers of Trout we stock has greatly improved the fishing for Trout in the Guadalupe.

The question of what species of Trout to stock has never definitively decided. We are still playing with the idea that Brown Trout might be better at providing a self-sustaining Trout fishery. But so far, they have not been, and we don’t really know why. We do know that excessive siltation and other river predators have been a limiting factor on natural reproduction. We have stocked Brown Trout in the past of varying sizes, but they do not seem to hold-over as well as out specialized temperature tolerant Rainbow Trout from Crystal Lake Fisheries. Chris Johnson is spearheading a Whitlock/Vibert Box planting of Brown Trout eggs in an effort to see if a born in the river Brown Trout can establish a reproducing Brown Trout population or even a viable population of catchable Brown Trout.

GRTU proposed several stream improvement projects decades ago, primarily to better the habitat for the benefit of the Trout. We actually did get approval for the movement of aquatic plants into the upper river after the 2002 flood to restore the plants lost during the scouring flows.

We also proposed the stabilizing if the banks of Spillway Creek with willow trees to prevent excessive sedimentation from entering the river. That has been on hold for approval forever.

We also proposed a streambed modification in the Potts area, to prevent excessive impacts of high air temperatures on the river’s water flowing there and then affecting water temperatures downstream and limiting the preferred temperatures/habitat for the Trout downstream. We went so far as measuring flows vs stream width (most know how shallow and slow the water moves because the river is so wide there) and using ground penetrating sonar/radar to measure the depth of the gravel and bedrock in the area. The idea was to create structures that would naturally narrow and deepen the channel to speed the volume of water there and lessen higher air temperature impacts. Again, the base work was done, but approval to proceed was never given.

So, GRTU has been thinking about many things to improve the Habitat, better the survival, and even natural reproduction of the Trout populations in the Guadalupe. But it’s all the red tape that has held us back. Now these projects are still on our minds and when possible, we will do what is allowed to make the Guadalupe River a better Trout Fishery.

Jimbo

[Alex Argyros]

Alex Argyros

#16715

You’re right, Jimbo. The feeding program leaves us with a lot more, and a lot healthier, trout than we would have had without it. I should add that the people who do the actual feeding are among the nicest and most helpful folks one is likely to meet on the river.

Alex

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16714

Howdy

I just wanted to remind all those who have gone through the LAP registration process that signing up for this season’s LAP closes midnight Tuesday October 8 !!!!

We still have about 100 potential LAP members that have qualified but not signed up.  Don’t miss out by waiting too long to pay for this year’s LAP season. We need the funds because the cost of Trout has gone up again this year $7/lb to $7.70/lb and we need the monies to support the program’s: fish, leases, and feeding program. And let me tell you, this feeding program that we established, is making a HUGE difference in the quality of the Trout holding over through the summer to the fall. I went fishing last week and these fish in the upper river are not just healthy, but down right fat !!!!

Thanks for everyone joining the LAP program. It is responsible as the primary generator of funds to pay for our stocking efforts on the Guadalupe. And you know what a difference it makes in the quality and numbers of Trout in the river to catch !!!!

See You on the River

Jimbo Roberts

 

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16714

Howdy

I just wanted to remind all those who have gone through the LAP registration process that signing up for this season’s LAP closes midnight Tuesday October 8 !!!!

We still have about 100 potential LAP members that have qualified but not signed up.  Don’t miss out by waiting too long to pay for this year’s LAP season. We need the funds because the cost of Trout has gone up again this year $7/lb to $7.70/lb and we need the monies to support the program’s: fish, leases, and feeding program. And let me tell you, this feeding program that we established, is making a HUGE difference in the quality of the Trout holding over through the summer to the fall. I went fishing last week and these fish in the upper river are not just healthy, but down right fat !!!!

Thanks for everyone joining the LAP program. It is responsible as the primary generator of funds to pay for our stocking efforts on the Guadalupe. And you know what a difference it makes in the quality and numbers of Trout in the river to catch !!!!

See You on the River

Jimbo Roberts

 

[ron.demeyer]

ron.demeyer

#16701

The New Braunfels Fly Fishers annual holdover Tournament will be held on November 2.

This is NBFF’s one fundraiser of the year and helps support not only the club’s guest speaker budget, but also provides the money necessary for NBFF to provide each participant of the GRTU Youth Camp with a gift bag that includes items such as a fly box, hemostats, nippers, flies, and other accessories necessary to help them get started in fly fishing.

NBFF members spearhead the effort each summer for the GRTU trout feeding program, which has resulted in a marked increase in the numbers as well as the improved health of the rainbow trout that GRTU stocks each season.

Data collected from the tourney is shared with GRTU to help them better determine the overall viability of trout in the Guadalupe River tailrace.

Learn more by visiting:

https://www.newbraunfelsflyfishers.com/

[ron.demeyer]

ron.demeyer

#16701

The New Braunfels Fly Fishers annual holdover Tournament will be held on November 2.

This is NBFF’s one fundraiser of the year and helps support not only the club’s guest speaker budget, but also provides the money necessary for NBFF to provide each participant of the GRTU Youth Camp with a gift bag that includes items such as a fly box, hemostats, nippers, flies, and other accessories necessary to help them get started in fly fishing.

NBFF members spearhead the effort each summer for the GRTU trout feeding program, which has resulted in a marked increase in the numbers as well as the improved health of the rainbow trout that GRTU stocks each season.

Data collected from the tourney is shared with GRTU to help them better determine the overall viability of trout in the Guadalupe River tailrace.

Learn more by visiting:

https://www.newbraunfelsflyfishers.com/

[Jimbo]

Jimbo

#16364

We had a terrific turn-out with somewhere around 70 people showing up to help with the spring cleanup. In fact we had one group come from as far away as Rockport to help pick the trash up and out of the river.

Here is the crew I took to Kanz and JDL to clean those areas….

Everyone crossing the river to start at Kanz….

This group filled over 20 bags…. Good Goin’ !!!!

After finishing up at JDL, Ron McAlpin was there with another “Trout In The Classroom” Rainbow Trout Fry release…..

We talked about the Guadalupe, our efforts to enhance the Trout Fishery, what is an evasive species, the Guad’s special harvest limits, and other conservation topics.

The trailer being filled up with the collected trash back at Lazy L&L….

This and another couple of pickups beds worth was collected to help beautify our River….

Awards were given out for the most unusual trash collected. This boy and his father found and retrieved a wrought iron patio table. He received a flyrod for his efforts.

Another flyrod was given out for a Drone that was found.

This volunteer came from Rockport and received shadow box with hand tied flies of a dragon fly and some bees, for the furthest a group traveled for the clean-up.

The New Braunfels Flyfishers were also well represented….

A special “Hello” to Ron Demeyer (on the far right) who wrangles the volunteers for the Trout Supplemental Summer Feedings for GRTU.

All in all, what a fabulous group of volunteers to help doing the hard work of beautifying our river and share some burgers, drinks, and stories of the day and other days on the river. This is the GRTU in action that gets little attention, but it’s critical work to enhance the river and the fishery.

Jimbo