Jimbo
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Elliot, yes bring your kids they are welcome! And yes even with the flows going up to 1200cfs we are going to be stocking.
Jimbo
Looks like GBRA is going to drop the lake. The decision to raise flows to 1200cfs is a CORPS decision. The real question is will they how 910’msl, the recreational pool, or drop it down to 909’msl normal pool. It should take about 7-10days to drop the lake down to 910’msl, then we will see if they cut back flows to whatever the inflows are. I was sure hoping they would start holding water now for the coming summer flows.
Jimbo
Yes the classrooms are using Brown Trout eggs this year, but there seems a difference in the survivability and later an ability to spawn when they are on their own from the beginning or stocked at some later date after they have been raised using man-made feed. That is what Dave Whitlock preaches and what I think is worth a try before I step away from being involved in river management and enhancement.
Jimbo
I want to thank those who helped get these Brown Trout eggs into the river: Steve, Kenny, Gene, Henry, and Bill. We had about 1000 eggs to start with, but call it bad timing, many were already dead, and some were even hatching before we even got to the water. Once there I had to do some selective removal and then stock what was left. I am guessing that this season we will have a smaller survival percentage than in years past. But we will have some that make it to the swim-up fry stage and therefore wild Browns swimming around in the Guadalupe.
I think for the future stockings we really need to ramp up this Brown Trout egg stocking with Whitlock/Vibert boxes. This is how Dave Whitlock created the wild Brown Trout fishery on the White River and it may be our best shot at any kind of self-sustaining Trout population. So that will be one of things I work on for next year. I will consult with TPWD and see if they will allow us stock somewhere in the 5000-10000 (or more) Brown Trout eggs. I think that would be the minimum number to see if we can get something started. If I get the go from TPWD then I will consult more with Dave Whitlock and find out how they did it and then try to replicate that on the Guadalupe. I also think this program would have to go on for 3 or more years to truly see if it will work. Something to think about for sure !
Jimbo
Bruce is right! The gauge measures water level which in turn is converted to CFS. The variations you are seeing can easily be caused by ripples in the water from the wind. GBRA has also said when they adjust the flows it is a bit of a guess. There many factors that come to bear. The more water in the lake the greater the pressure and more water comes through the gates at the same opening. So they do a little guessing, open the gate, see where it settles, and then try to fine tune it. That same gate opening will gradually release less water as the lake level drops.
But to answer your question, it is not so much that the flows are fluctuating, but it is a reading error in the gauge.
Jimbo
The eggs are here and we are a go for Saturday. We will meet at Rio at 10am. Bring your waders, boots, gloves, and dress for the weather, just like a regular stocking. From there we will go to Ingram’s Ranch and harvest gravel. Then take that to Maricopa and do the stocking there between the weir and the upper slot. It should take about 2 hours maybe a little more. I will call everyone tonight to see if you can still make it.
Jimbo
Thank for pointing that out to them. I have already had to deal with another incident this year when three vehicles parked there.
Jimbo
Contact Dustin Scott V P of Membership. He will get it back to the owner.
Jimbo
Gentlemen
We should be getting the eyed eggs on Thursday or Friday. Saturday looks like our best day, weather wise, around that time. I will try to contact everyone in the next few days to see if you can still participate. We will meet around 10am at Rio and then go from there to harvest the gravel and then head to Maricopa where we will do the stocking. Stand by for further notices.
Jimbo Roberts
I want to thank everyone for volunteering. I should know more next week about the eggs arrival and then checking the weather I will get back in touch with everyone as to the best day to stock them.
Jimbo
Since you admitted that this is only your second season on the Guad it’s easy to understand that you don’t know what you don’t know. Normal flows for the Guadalupe are 100-150cfs. We have not seen any of those flows this Trout season yet. Fishable flows we have seen this season have been anywhere from 320 to 8oocfs. Trying to nymph fish in this year’s flows compared to last year’s is very different.
So see it’s just not a matter of depth, but also water velocity, that is the challenge. First I am assuming you are wade fishing, nymphing with strike indicators, versus drifting in the current in a guide boat. (It is much different and easier to get your flys down while drifting with the current in a boat than wade fishing) Then, let’s say you do know where the fish are holding. You must not only add much more weight and distance between your flys and the strike indicator, you must also put your cast further upstream because of the velocity, and then be accomplished enough to mend your line (I like stacked line mending when possible), giving enough slack for your flys to sink to just a few inches off the bottom, and keeping them there, drifting some distance, as they approach where the fish are holding. Many anglers believe they are doing this when they occasionally get their flys to touch the bottom., When in reality their flys are drifting more along a “V” path, diving to the bottom and then almost as quickly rising out of the strike zone, than actually drifting a good distance just inches off the bottom. Usually this is because the current is moving the strike indicator one way or the other and therefore changing the flys depths. (This is also why Czech Nymphing has become so popular. It’s a way to remove the indicator’s drag from the equation. If you can get right on top of the drift, it’s hard to beat. You can just remove your indicator and tight line your rig.) The other part of the fine tuning is understanding the changes in current velocity though the water column in a current tongue. Try getting and keeping your strike indicator as close to over or upstream of your flys to accomplish this drift at depth in higher flows is not easy. This makes a big difference in your ability to catch these trout in high flows.
Then there is the water clarity to deal with. When the water gets stained to turbid, things need to change again in your presentations and fly sizes. Even though these fish see much better (10X better) through the water than we do, as clarity gets worse you need at least one larger fly and even consider appealing to their sense if vibration and movement. Many anglers resort to fishing streamers and working them so the Trout sense them in the water before they see them. This has been especially effective on the Browns, early and late, and the Larger Rainbows.
One thing you can do is hire a good guide. If you float with them you will learn a lot about where the fish hold and where they move when flows change. It is your job to ask questions and learn as much as possible while with them. You could even ask them to take you wade fishing, since that is what you will mainly be doing and are having your troubles. And then get them to critique your presentation and drift.
Jimbo
We have put lots of Trout both Rainbow and Browns at Rio. They are there….. I would say it’s a matter of the exact spot (micro-location and structure) they are fishing, their technique, and even flys.
If you just go down and start casting, without knowing the holes, ledges, or other structure you are drifting your flys over, your odds go down. If you put in the time, learn the river bottom, and the habits of the fish that live there, then actually fish those areas effectively the odds lean in your favor. There is an old saying “90% of the fish are in 10% of the water” and it is so true. To that I add you also need to know how weather conditions, water temperatures, cloud cover (or the lack of it) time of day, Solar/Lunar tables, and the prey the Trout feed on will affect your choice of presentations and results. You also need to know when to fish deep with nymphs, swing streamers, fish the top foot with emergers, and even drys to catch more fish than the guy upstream of you. There are dead drifts, twitches, or lifts techniques that will get you more fish are the right time, if you only knew when to try them. This is an educational process. Keep your mind open, look around you as you fish, ask your fellow anglers what they are doing and their results. Over the years your head will fill with ideas and techniques that will make you the envy of the average fisherman.
And sometimes the fish get lockjaw and even the best fisherman will have trouble getting any fish in the net…..
Jimbo
Answers…..
1) Yes, we stocked the lower leases Janie’s, River Bluff, and Bezdek’s during the second stocking.
2) I believe the old felt with embedded tungsten studs had the best grip of all soles available. But some states outlawed felt soles because of whirling disease and other evasives years ago. So all boot manufactures started concentrating on different rubber lug soles, tungsten studs, and even aluminum to help with traction. Many will say one brand is better than another, but I have not found much difference in their traction between brands. So I stick with Simms boots using screw-in studs mainly because they are durable and they fit my wide foot well. Korkers seem to have a loyal following, with Patagonia in solid third.
Jimbo
“Brown Town”, Oh it’s in the Guadalupe River……
I do keep a few things secret, but it is one of the spots what we stocked Browns this year. There are actually 3 places where they are pretty easy to catch. So fish them all, pick the one you catch the most Browns, and you’ll probably have found “Brown Town”.
Jimbo
The success rate of any Trout Fry in the Guadalupe making it to adulthood is not good. The Whitlock/Vibert boxes and the techniques we use are unusually good getting the eggs to hatch and those yoke-sac juveniles to reach the swim-up Fry stage. This is much better than you would expect in the wild. After that is where we have troubles. Two things contribute to the low success rate of those swim-up fry reaching adulthood. First is the lack of cover for the Fry to hide. The second is the numerous predators Trout don’t normally have to deal with like: Stripers, Perch, Bass, Gar, Herons, and Water Turkeys. The thing is, we have never tried this with Browns, only Rainbows. So maybe the results will be better. We don’t know if we don’t try.
And no TPWD does not stock Browns.
Jimbo
