Jimbo
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“Is it Going to Rain?”
I rose early and drove to McD’s for a Sausage Egg McMuffin, I love those things. Back at the Condo, I’m looking at my maps. I decide to go look at the Hermosa River down in the lower valley. I’ve looked at this on Google Maps before and seen some videos. There’s some good looking water down there and some decent sized creek fish. So, that’s the plan….
They are flying this morning….
I grab a couple of 4wts, throw them in the Bronco, and I’m off….Headed west on Hwy 160 and I pass a familiar landmark…. Chimney Rock
I make the turn at Durango and head north on 550. Next as I cross the bridge that spans Hermosa Creek, I look down and there seems to be a good amount of water in it. I find the the forest road that takes me to the trailhead of Hermosa Creek. It’s a rough paved road that turns to gravel and gets real narrow going up. When I get close to the parking spot I realize the trail is way above the creek.
There is no quick exit if the weather gets rough today, so time to rethink this….Well, I know E Hermosa is not that far from here. I haven’t fished it in a while, so it’s “Plan B” again….
Back down the forest road, back to 550 and north again to Purgatory Ski Area. Once there I take to forest roads that lead to the back side. It’s muddy and slick, I switch to 4 wheel drive and lock the differentials.About 20 minutes later, there she is….
Yeap, there are clouds up the valley, down the valley, and on the side ridges….
Where’s my Gore-Tex?
This is really 2 or 3wt. water, but I didn’t bring one, so I pull the Sage 476 XP again….
I stuff my rain jacket in my vest with a Jelly and Peanutbutter sandwich and start down into the meadow. As you can see I am below the west side of the ski resort. This is a Colorado Cutthroat Restoration area that was started years ago. Before that, this was Big Brookie Water. CF&W decided this would be an excellent place to have a Cutthroat only headwater to feed the Hermosa River downstream. It also had an initial setback because not all the Brookies were removed the first time, as it’s often very difficult to hit every tiny little pocket of water to make sure no fish left anywhere above the fish barrier. The second time stuck though, and it’s been getting better over the years. Of course, this meadow is where the springs pop out, so the fish are generally small, but they are pure Colorado Cutthroats.Who’s watching me?
I walk a little ways down the meadow. I am expecting rain, but I want to give myself some room to fish upstream.
Here’s as good a place as any to start….
The Yellow Hippie Stomper goes on first….I make a few casts and it starts to sprinkle already….
Vest off, pull the Gore-Tex, slip it on, vest back on, and ready to catch.
They are here, and they are eager to take just about anything. I catch several this size. The rains starts to come down a little harder.
The Cutts still are attacking my flys….
The rain steadily gets harder….
And then it starts to hail….
You’ve got to laugh at yourself for chasing Trout in the mountains this time of year. The hail is already pea-sized and as dark as these clouds are it could get bigger. I start my retreat to the Bronco and sure enough the hails does get bigger. Some nickle sized is coming down now, enough to sting a little as it hits my legs going up the slope to the road.So, a little time-out in the truck, but I am prepared. I start to eat my Jelly and Peanutbutter sandwich, the stereo is on playing SRV “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” and I start to read “No Shortage of Good Days” by John Gierach. I can hear the clicking of the hail and the rain on the Bronco’s top, but it’s small enough not to do any damage. Then again if it were larger, about all I could do is stuff it in the pines, as there’s no real shelter anywhere up here. It rains a good 30 minutes, and then lightens up for the next 15 minutes before stopping altogether. There is no better flyfishing author to read while passing the time than John.
The rain stops, I step out of the truck and look around….
Well it’s not ideal, but it’s all that I have….
Let’s see how long I can fish this time !!!
Down the valley….
Up the valley….
It really wants to rain here !!!This time I arrive with my Gore-Tex already on….
Good Choice !!!
Well, at least there’s no hail, and no lighning….
Yet….
I catch a number of fish, the rain tapers off, but I can hear thunder and see lightning just over the ridge….
Time is up again….
Runaway and fish another day….
I hike back up to the truck, shuck my gear, and stow it for the trip home. It rains on me driving back out of the forest roads and turning south on 550.
I drive about 5 miles and traffic comes to a stop….
They are turning the cars around.
When I roll up to the officers directing traffic, I ask if they will let me drive through, and they do….
There was some much hail with the rain, it caused a slurry, that froze, and clogged up the drainage, resulting in some deeper water and hail covering the road.
With the Bronco in 4 wheel-drive, makes it through easily….
A little further down the road, another bad spot with rock that slid down, and covered some of the road….
While driving back to Pagosa, my niece calls. They as staying here with her in-laws and they asked me out to dinner at the Meridian. Sure, why not, I love a free meal. By the way, this new restaurant is nice, but for the prices, I think it’s just OK. Personally, I rather eat at Kip’s or Sage….
There was going to be a theme, this trip. Mother Nature was wide awake, the monsoons were starting to kick in, but not coming from the south south west, but more from the west and even north west. Saturday morning broke and there was a morning shower. With this is mind, afternoon storms almost a certainty, I was headed east over the pass, and down to Beaver Creek. This is a small tailwater, mainly a brown Trout fishery, and one of my favorites over the years.
When fishing both sides of the divide, I always bring 2 or 3 flyrods, to cover the bases in case I need to move to plan B or C. Today the quiver includes: Sage 476 XP, 4711 LL, and Winston AIR 490 in case I fished the South Fork. Heading east out of Pagosa and driving up the San Juan Valley. Mostly Blue Skies, but a few clouds are already building on the west side at this time of the morning….
I usually start about half-way between the campgrounds. I gear up with the 476 XP and head down to the water.
Now this stream does see some pressure. It is also a place where locals do hit it hard and harvest does take it’s toll, but most years there is still plenty of Trout that will rise to my dries. I start off with a yellow Hippie Stomper and it doesn’t take but a few casts….
Full of confidence, not much wind, I am hitting the edges of seams, pockets, pillows above, and holes below mid-stream boulders as I work my way upstream. Something is off though. Usually, I can’t go more than 20′ without catching a fish. Today, I work well past the standard and don’t see a fish roll or spook one from it’s hiding spot.
Upon reaching this choke point, with that log creating a fall and hole below, I know there must be a Brown next to the Boulder….
And I’m right….
Well, not all my pictures are perfect. I was hoping for a couple of fish here, but just the one.I work the fork to the left of the big boulders and find a little Rainbow.
So maybe the catching will be normal. I do notice that banks have well worn paths of stomped down grass, more than I am used to seeing in past years.I fish around the small island and have zero Strikes. It’s time to question the fly I am using. So, the usual suspects get their chance to get wet, foam LYS, Parachute Adams, Small Chubby, Stimulator…. But like most small streams, it’s not the fly, it’s the presentations and the fish. Well there is always the other things….
Checking the spider webs, small mayflys, well dried out, but probably PMDs and Tricos.
Another choke point with the flow funneled and creating a nice hole….
And it pays off….
Thinking this might be one of the multiple fish spots….
But only one rises….What’s going on? Maybe it’s the wrong time of day? Maybe the morning shower and now full sun have them hunkered down and refusing to look up to the surface?
Fish can’t squint you know….
I’m covering the water more quickly than normal without the strikes and refusals that slow the pace.
Good flows, clear water, casts on target….
Patience, I tell myself, the fish will come.
The yellow Stimulator pays off.Another good stretch of water….
I land a Rainbow that won’t wait for the camera. And another tiny Rainbow not worth the pixtels…. I don’t take pictures of every fish and some that are worth a picture flip off and otherwise have no portrait.I am also noticing something else. This stream is predominately a Brown Trout stream, somewhere in the 4 or 5 to every Rainbow.
Today they are running neck and neck.Even though this is a tailwater, storms or unusual high runoff can push the trees down….
I decide to go back to my Hippie Stomper. Gold has been my favorite color, but I ran out of those last year.
Yellow my second favorite, but is not working as well, so I try a red one.
My casting is certainly not the problem and the right drift still brings up the occasional Trout.
I am now at the upper campground. I’ve landed 10 fish. I am disappointed with the numbers. There are a good number of campers here, and it’s not that many days from the July 4th crowd. So, I make my way back to the truck. I decide to drive up to where the flow gage is located and fish up into the canyon. Clouds are starting to fill the sky. I will not be fishing till dusk today, but let’s see what I can do. If there is a Cutthroat to be caught, this is the likely water.
I get to the pull-out. There are 2 vehicles parked here, but as soon as I get there are a couple of anglers coming up from the creek. I ask how they’ve done, they just fished the hole, and caught only one. As I swing my vest on and grab my rod, I am hoping the other vehicle is an ATVer. I climb down to the creek here and head downstream to fish upto the hole and give it time to rest. I hear thunder. I may not have long to fish before it opens up.
There’s a good long hole here. First cast brings a splashy rise, but no hookup. I study the water. I see nothing else in the tailout’s bottom. With time limited, it’s time to cherry-pick the water.
Another Rainbow, but at least I am catching Trout. Red seems to be working and I keep that fly on for what turns out to be the rest of the day. Nothing else to the surface in the remainder of that hole.It’s starting to sprinkle….
I fish all the way up to the flow gage and it’s hole, nothing shows itself.
As I go around the gage to the upper section, I see and angler climbing out of the canyon ahead of me.
No time to change spots. There’s already a light rain coming down and expect that it’s going to get worse.
I try a bow and arrow shot, deep under the willow, and close to the bank. The Hippie Stomper lands perfectly and almost instantly a Trout takes the fly. This fish is full of energy. At first he refuses to come out from that pocket beneath the willow and I don’t move him. Then he bolts for mid-stream where he goes where he wants to for some time. I pull the net and scoop him as he tries to pass me going down stream….
He’s the best fish of the day, 13-14″….Well, the rain has arrived. Time to pull on the Gore-Tex jacket.
The rain is now coming down hard enough, that even with a foam fly, it’s not wanting to stay on top more than a few casts. My Amadou Patch does a good job of drying the fly for another drift. Here I catch two Rainbows and pictures of only one….
They are pretty much twins, so no big deal.I’m wading wet and the rain has really dropped the air temperatures. I’m starting to get cold, but I have a few more fish in me.
I catch one behind the rock in the middle….
I work up a little and have a strike behind the rock on the upper right of the photo. I should have netted that one, it was another pretty good fish 13-14″, but I swung it to my hand, unhooked it, and reaching for my camera, it decided it had waited long enough, and squirmed out of my hand and back into Beaver Creek.I felt a shiver come over me….
Time’s Up !!!!
I worked my way back down the creek and started the climb back up to the Bronco.
There’s something about calling it a day and getting back to a relatively warm and dry vehicle. There just enough protection in the rear when I swing the rear glass up, to take off my boots without getting any wetter or colder.Once in the driver’s seat, I can take a shot of Basil Hayden, and that warm’s me up proper….
I drive out of the valley and start up the South Fork for Wolf Creek Pass.
Today was difficult, I landed about half of what I normally do. When I am back in Town I stop at “Let It Fly” and Pop’s tells me other shops have started guiding on Beaver Creek. Well, that explains the trampled down grass everywhere and the lower numbers I guess. Still, I think weather also played a factor and I will fish it again.
Looks like the Guadalupe finally got some really good rain !!!! I am seeing over 16,000cfs at Comfort !!!!
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
Well, that didn’t work out for the Guadalupe and Canyon Lake….
Time to look elsewhere for some much needed rain.
Time to pray….Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
Unless we get a big shift to the west, Beryl is going to miss the upper Guadalupe….
Close, but no Cupie Doll….The good news is there are some showers associated with a front giving the Hill Country some rain…
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
If it makes landfall in Texas, that should be somewhere close to Monday July 8th. It’s been 22 years since we have had a significant hurricane come to the upper Guadalupe and the Texas Hill Country. That was 2002 and that was a hurricane that turned into a tropical depression that stalled over the Texas Hill Country and dumped about 60 inches of rain over several weeks. Now we don’t need that much rain, but the one in 2002 sent enough water down the Guadalupe into Canyon Lake to fill it up more than 3 times. The water came over the spillway for weeks maxing out at some 60,000cfs. I hope we don’t get that much rain but 25-35 inches would probably get the lake to pool.
Nothing is definite yet, it could miss us totally, but the prediction models are lining up more and more with the storm coming in around Brownsville and that would probably put the storm over the upper Guadalupe where we need it desperately….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
Wooo Hooo…..
If ever I saw a chance for us to get significant rain in the upper basin this is it…..
Cat 4 Hurricane in the Caribbean, Beryl, is at a good latitude, a good track, and good steering currents…..
This one could make it to Texas as a cat 2 or 3 storm. I know it would hurt some people along the coast, but this is what Canyon Lake needs.
A storm that makes it to the Hill Country and stalls out as a tropical storm, dumping feet of water on the upper water shed.
It does happen every now and then, and we are past due…..Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
I am always excited about being a GRTU LAP member for another season, still the best deal in flyfishing just about anywhere, other than winning my TroutFest Guide Trip Donation….
I have completed step 1 and ready for the next one! Join me in supporting GRTU’s stocking efforts which are funded by this program….Jimbo
We have a definite maybe…..
A area of tropical moisture developing in the Bay of Campeche. We need a big shot of tropical moisture over the upper Guadalupe to get this drought turned around. Let’s hope that this time the moisture falls where it’s most needed, around Hunt and Kerrville !!!! Prayers are in order….Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
Good news, Ron reports it did not affect the Trout too much….
Jimbo
We have a couple more chances at rain tonight and tomorrow….
571cfs at Comfort right now!Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
So many chances to get good rains over the upper Guadalupe Basin these last few weeks, but not much to show for it. Now weather patterns are changing. The High is moving further away to the southwest, so over the next few days, the heavy weather will be concentrated over the upper basin. There was a little rain there yesterday, and if today’s forecast is right, we will get significant rains right down the length of the Guadalupe. Of course we don’t want hail or tornadoes, but heavy rains are welcome….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
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
Back from the Dead…..
It’s time again to look to the west….
For storms that could move over the headwaters of the Guadalupe River !!!!
It could happen this weekend and the river and the lake desperately need the rainfall. Springtime in Texas usually bring strong storms and some of our heaviest rainfall of the year. I hope so!!! We are still in El Nino, but trending towards ENSO neutral this summer and transitioning towards La Nina late summer and fall. So, all that being said…..
I’m praying for rain and channeling those that will listen to our prayers….Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….
Tom tom tom tom….Jimbo
Just what…..
I went back and it took about 5 minutes to find my camera.
It was right where Doug and I thought it was but couldn’t see it because of the slit in the water.
It was covered by leaves but I saw the lanyard and BINGO….
I rather be lucky than good….Jimbo
