David Agerton
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Bill, The availability of natural food in the river to support the large number of trout GRTU stocks is a potential issue, IMO. That said, either the trout have learned to ignore the wide variety of flies I’ve offered this winter or they are not as hungry as I think they should be! Anyway, can GRTU ask an aquatic biologist from TPWD to survey the river and share his or her observations along with any recommendations to enhance the bug life? Fortunately, Ron DeMeyer & colleagues at the New Braunfels Fly Fishers club feed the fish from May through October several times per week. Interesting to watch the water boil with trout responding to the floating pellets — especially just after I’ve carefully fished that stretch with a variety of offerings. In 2010, GRTU offered a weekend class, Entomology of the Guad, by Rob Woodruff, Woodruff Guide Service, Quitman, OK. Gary Burns knew all about that. What I remember was how the invertebrates varied widely from below the dam to Rio to on of the lower crossings from tiny shrimp to mayfly & caddis nymph to crayfish. Best, Dave Agerton, Houston
Yes, if you read the entire set of private correspondence on this subject, you’ll see that stocking River Redhorse suckers (Moxostoma carinatum) is also part of the plan.
Adults: typically 22″ and 4 lbs, sometimes sometimes over 26″ and 8 lbs. Record weight: 17 pounds. This will cut costs and allow year-round action. Plus it will cut poaching and predation.
JC, Thanks for sharing this. Pls thank Madoka Myers accordingly. V. interesting to read about her strategies and technique: alternate rigs at hand, cast-sink-slight jig, observe flow regime, structure and activity and change accordingly. Here’s pic of Antonio’s BWO Emerger: https://www.flyfishfood.com/products/antonios-emerger-bwo Cheers, DJA
Love and respect the spirit of these follow up posts. They reflect a spirit of competition and collaboration that went into the event.
For the benefit of GRTU members and as a gesture of appreciation, please invite the competitors & judges to share their observations of what flies, rigs and approaches to their assigned beats were most productive and what weren’t. Last Wed., I fished 2 locations from 10-2. At 1:00, I switched from series of typical nymphs, ranging from big w/ rubbery legs to tiny black) to Whitlock’s weighted green caddis imitations, size 16. In the next 45 min., I landed 5 large rainbows. Run was ~4′ deep w/ medium strong current. Casts were 4-6 yards quartering upstream. I was prepared for a trico hatch, but observed none. On a previous trip, I’d observed a lot of rainbows feeding ~1-2′ below the surface during a mid-morning hatch that seemed like a snow-shower above the pool.
Glad to here about it. Better, tells us what made the difference and what can we learn: choice of fly, luck of the draw to be where trout had not been stressed, skill in presentation, etc.
I support GRTU hosting a tournament. I hope it may inspire some helpers / participants to support conservation. Fishing with an expert (eg: Jimbo Roberts) would be a wonderful way to further develop an appreciation for our river (and learn to catch more fish). I’d pay to fish with Jimbo for a day. That said, I can also learn from online instructional videos.
But they are no match for the experience of being there with an expert piscator who likes to share his or her knowledge and techniques. Anyway, I hope GRTU leadership considers how we might enhance the Guad fishery. Improvements might range from regulations to physical habitat improvements, like those we sometimes read about in TU’s TROUT publication, to what might improve the bug life. It could be really interesting to invite a TP&WL biologist and ecologist to float the river some spring day. The summer flow agreement and C&R conservations zones have certainly been important improvements. Unfortunately, we’ll always have poachers, predators and pluckers (folks with bait and trebble hooks).
How does this benefit GRTU or our fishery?
Given the number of times and different addresses I used to I tried to register this morning, if each attempt was registered as part of the “2000”, it would not be an accurate estimate of the number of people wanting to join. I do GREATLY appreciate all the efforts of the GRTU team working on registration and stocking and other club matters. Thanks. Dave Agerton, a member for maybe 30 yrs. !
How about describing or posting a link to a photo?
Billy, IMO, best bet for an introduction and tips would be to float the river with a guide.
I think you can buy guest passes at Action Angler. CVC (Gardo’s) would be a good place to start.
IMO, CVC – Gardo’s, 9440 River Rd, ~1/3 mile south of Action Angler, would be the best place to take someone w/ limited mobility. Gate code: 2020. I hope you have a sweet, memorable time with your pops.
Wiscoy, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and some history. What is “ACE” — “has to be approved by ACE”? I read that at one point, TPWD wanted to stabilize the banks of spillway creek to decrease siltation in the upper river. This could improve the health of the fishery and increase the chances at successful spawns by limiting egg suffocating siltation. It’d also help insects to flourish. I also read that TPWD once thought of installing Lunker Structures, but unlike anchored concrete wing dams, lunkers are not permanent and would likely be destroyed during floods. I agree, there’d be resistance to any changes; there always is. But we overcame resistance to a summer flow agreement and we have potential allies. Tubers and kayakers like what the gap in the Kanz weir does for the water dynamics. And, a deputy sheriff once explained to me why the City really does not like the tubers for the costly trouble they bring and the disrespect they show to people and the river. That’s unlikely to change, but I think the city probably likes GRTU a lot more for the value we bring to the community and the respect we show.
Welcome to GRTU and the Guad. Fastest way is to hire a guide for a day. eg: https://www.lonestarflyfishing.com/ or https://www.actionangler.net/ Meanwhile, thank for your service to the USA. I’d be happy to meet you at the river once the season get going and if our scheduled match up. Dave Agerton 713-873-1318
