The Lone Guad Hunter

Life finally slowed down, if just for a moment, and the weather finally cooled off, but just for a weekend.  I knew I had to hit the river.

Here is a report of the trip in pictures.

I have been busy, very busy, the past couple weeks, and will continue to be for the next couple months.  It has also been hot, almost unbearably hot, but that is what we come to expect from the summers here in Texas.  But Friday evening, after the high school football game, a cold front blew in.  

View from my video box of the opposing teams sideline

It was the first noticeable front of the season.  Saturday was nice and cool, but it was extremely windy.  Difficult conditions to either kayak fish or fly fish in, and my plans were to do both.  So my wife and I decided to take the day to make the drive into Del Rio to get some errands out of the way.  Plus I knew that Sunday would be sunny, cool, and almost wind free.

So..I woke up Sunday morning and hit the road by myself in search of some Guadalupe Bass on the South Llano River.  With my kayak and gear loaded, and a quick stop for a breakfast taco, I made the hour drive to Junction, to one of my favorite stretches of river for Guadalupe Bass.

The long road to the river

Breakfast Taco, Coffee, and my Tula Pecos Hat

I quickly unloaded, and hit the water, soon paddling (and dragging through shallows) up stream from my launching point.  It was a cool 69 degrees when I launched, the sun was out, and there wasn't a soul around other than a few whitetail deer and some black squirrels playing near the river.

I fished for an hour our so with a black popper, but the only hits I had came from little sunfish who would just grab the legs.  I then switched to a hand tied sunfish imitator, that I tied, and the action was on.

I immediately landed a small largemouth bass and had a ten inch Guad come off at the kayak.  I then caught a little sunfish, and was glad I made the switch.  It was beginning to warm up at that point so I pulled off to the side of the river to get in my ice-chest for a little refresher.

I took off the PFD and made a few casts into the river around that spot, but didn't catch anything.

So, it was time to move on and fish some new water.

Further downstream, I fished a few deeper pools of water.  I was still throwing the sunfish imitator, and it continued to produce.  The next fish I caught was a little Guadalupe Bass that came out of a patch of grass to smash my fly.  When I got it to the boat I noticed three other Guads trying to steal my fly out of his mouth. Each one was larger than the fish I had on my line.  I landed the fish and quickly snapped this picture:

Knowing that the others were still in the water, I quickly made another cast and almost instantly hooked up again.  I think it might have been the same fish though, it was just about the same size.

I kept moving downstream making casts to the bank and stripping the fly back.  I hooked up with a couple more Guads and few sunfish.  I snapped this picture because the coloration of this guy looked very similar to the fly I was fishing.

After continuing to work my downstream, I lost my fly to the trees above.  I, being a new and completely self taught fly angler, am not the best caster and didn't have a backup of that fly, so I had to tie something new on.  But before I did, it was time for a little more refreshment.

I tied on another popper, but this time it was bright chartreuse.  I fished for another hour or so back down to my truck, and I managed to land a couple sunfish, but no more bass.  I pulled back up to the take out, loaded up and headed home.

It was wonderfully relaxing, being out on the river alone.  I needed that break to refresh myself before the upcoming, loaded calendar I have.  If you are feeling worn out, you too should find a flowing river and a few local fish during your break.

Related posts:

Thin Places

Beautiful, Small Independence

Home Waters