Jimbo
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I was out yesterday too. I fished at #5 and everything was good. Well into double digits. Fish didn’t want to come to the surface for me late, but did manage 1 on a dry so I was happy. The topwater bite does seem to be slowing down my last few trips. I am hoping it was the days and not a trend. Watch your water temps and have fun.
Jimbo
Not this isn’t anywhere near the same, but back in my Bass Tournament days, we had our fair share of, ” Probably should have stayed in bed ” days on the water. One such day, we were fishing a “Big Bass” Tournament on Lake of the Pines. Thunderstorms were in the forecast when we launched from the marina at 6:30am. Conditions were tuff, we managed to catch some Bass, but nothing over 2 1/2lbs. There were hourly weigh-ins and awards for those periods, but most were over 5lbs and the eventual winner of 9 1/2lbs.
Well about noon there was this storm building off to the south end of the lake. It made a run at the lake only to turn off to the east. It seemed to be circling as it approached the lake several times and then apparently turned away. What it was really doing was building in intensity and only the shelf clouds were spreading and then retreating as they spun around the super-cell. About 1 pm the storm made a run up the lake. We were on the opposite side of the lake from the marina. We decided to fish it out on our side instead of making a run for it. We put on our slickers and kept fishing for the $50,000 first place. First the wind picked up from what had been a casual 10mph or so to something around gale-force. The lake whipped up fast and 5 foot rollers where pushing across the lake to our side. Then the rain and the hail started. We decided it best to beach the boat and ride it out on that side of the lake. The hail started out at pea-sized but quickly grew to something around ping-pong sized. Everyone that hit us hurt and stung like the devil. We had taken shelter under the trees but it wasn’t enough, we took off our rain-jackets and threw them over some low-hanging branches and then hid underneat suffering the hail bouncing off the ground and into us. Well that lasted about 15 minutes or so. The storm passed and we came out from under the shelter of the trees. We launched the boat and still about an hour left in the tournament. We fished on in a light rain and caught a few more smallish Bass.
3;30 and time’s up,… so we headed back across the lake to the marina. The first thing we noticed was a “New” boat lane through the standing timber in the middle of the lake. As we got closer to the marina we could see the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and something was missing….. There was a large floating dock in the bay when we left but it was no longer in the water. A tornado had passed through with the storm. The marina’s floating dock was now in the parking lot. There were boats overturned and some with just their bow sticking out of the water in the bay. We had to wait a while in the bay as trucks, boats, and debris were cleared from the boat ramp area. The dock was sitting on top of a bunch of vehicles in the parking lot. It was a big sucker, probably somewhere around 50 boat slips or more some with boats still roped in and an the usual convenance and tackle store. Lucky our vehicle was not one of the ones under all that.
We were allowed to pull our boat out after a while. We helped get some of the recoverable boats out of the lake and left sometime after dark. Noone died, but many were injured, and an great loss of assets in vehicles, boats, and the marina. We were among the lucky ones with just a harrowing experience.
Jimbo
Yeap, it’s all good. Keep watching your flows, they lowered them again for the weekend, and watch your temps. We should have a long productive summer, with minimum guaranteed flows of 150cfs till the middle of September. It’s going to be interesting to see how big the carryover will be next fall.
Jimbo
I brought it up at the last board meeting. I was told it would be fixed. Until then bring along a thermometer, take water temps and quit when they hit 70.
Jimbo
Brown Trout Fry Totals: from the first stocking were 873 and the second 71.
Jimbo
I will be posting an article about what I have been doing soon……
Jimbo
We suggest that you stop fishing for Trout when the temps hit 70 degrees. At that point Trout become stressed to the point of increased delayed mortality. That is where the fish is released but later die of lactic acid buildup or some other injury incurred during the fight. Once 70 is hit you either move upstream into colder waters, call it a day, or totally switch to targeting other species in other drainages. Most years I will flat quit fishing for Trout about Memorial Day. This year we probably will have higher flows most of the summer and cold water you can fish for Trout. The question will be, “Will we flush all the cold water from Canyon Lake?” This does happen about every 15-20 years. So it is important to carry a stream thermometer and take water temperatures where you are fishing, It’s what we do as responsible sportsmen and conservationists.
Jimbo
Here’s the new advisory……
Canyon Reservoir Advisory May 6, 2019 Canyon Reservoir is currently at 909.62 ft. The Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will increase the water release rate at Canyon Reservoir to 780 cfs at 6 p.m. today, May 6, 2019. In general, releases from Canyon Reservoir will be comparable to those measured upstream of the reservoir at Spring Branch. Releases from Canyon Dam are based on current inflows and rainfall. Property owners, recreationalists and other stakeholders should take notice of the changing river flows. Additional information about Canyon releases and other stream flow data may be found at https://bit.ly/2NI2HTz
The releases are approximate and more water is flowing into the river from creeks and springs. So the Stattler gage will probably read higher than the announced 780cfs. We are expecting more rain this week. GBRA may raise flows again. Still we are looking pretty good as far as lake level and the trigger date of May 15th for the Flow agreement. I am hoping for the best. One thing for sure the river is going to be flowing as levels “NOT” conducive for wading for some time. Keep an eye out for further announcements and watch your flows and water temperatures before fishing for Trout.
Jimbo
Nonetheless, the river offers multiple educational lessons,…..
“Fly removal from trees”
Do you use the: jerk and cuss, jiggle sideways, grapple hook, or tree shimmy techniques ?
Jimbo
The first one looks like it was born that way. I’ve seen it before. The second one looks like it was attacked by some predator. There are many on the river. I saw a Heron stalk a rising Trout and stab at him but not make the catch. That looks something like this one I caught last Thursday…..
909’msl
Jimbo
I know Cortland Competition rods have a dedicated following. Many are used by veteran anglers, like Odom, on the Guad. I’ve read other articles which also mentioned Syndicate rods, on other forums, as an alternative to Sage’s CZN rods. I don’t really Czech nymph as competition rules dictate. I am usually indicator fishing, or in specific situations, will remove the indicator, and sometimes add a drop-shot tag for really swift water. I use split-shot because it’s what I know best and my fly selection/inventory is geared towards using split-shot rigs. Many of the flys I use are weightless or use glass beads. I believe that the lack of weight adds more life-like moment in the water to draw more strikes. But then again, I’m an old fart who resists change. That being said CZN nymphing does work well by those who spend the time to learn to use it.
Jimbo
P.S. Looking at your Rainbow JC I had to do a double take….. I thought at first it maybe the same fish, but studying it’s spots on the tail, it is different fish of the same size and coloration and from the same area….
I fished the San Juan some back in the early 90’s. I stayed at Abe’s Hotel back then, it was inexpensive and basic. I ate in the restaurant and bought 100’s of #18-24 flys from his Fly Shop. I didn’t know him well, but he always was cheerful and shared the info on the hot flys willingly. I slipped and stumbled my way around the upper couple of miles. He even told me where to go downstream to have a better chance to catch some Browns. He was an institution in Northwest New Mexico.
Jimbo
Very Good !!!
I had an epic day. I fished just drys and landed 14……
Jimbo
Just because the LAP leases are closed, many of the same areas may be accessed by paying an access fee. Lazy L&L, Rocky Beach, River Bank, and Bezdeks can all be fished after paying an daily access fee. Other places like Whitewater, Mountain Breeze, Gypsy’s, and Lone Star Float House are open and you can pay a daily fee and fish those waters. I have been using some of these places myself, paying a daily access fee and fishing. And I have a secret about this fishing that I am not willing to tell everyone yet……
Jimbo
