Alright folks I am still in Port Aransas but unfortunately the weather has taken a downward turn. I was prompted to look at the weather in Austin and saw there was some rain coming through. A few notes on what the rain means for the Colorado tributaries....
Water levels will obviously go up. Most of the rain will be funneled in one way or another into the types of watersheds and drainages discussed in the blog. As the water level rises fish will chase the water. In other words more water in the creeks means more fish swimming up the creeks in search food. This is generally a good rule to follow. Obviously I wouldn't go after them in a torrential rain or even a few days after the rain because the water color will be stained for a while BUT after a good rain look for some spots to carry more bait and more fish.
Another note is storms cause fluctuations in the barometric pressure. Both in Hunting and Fishing there are all sorts of theories on the affect of things like lunar tables, wind, pressure, water temp etc. but to my mind the STRONGEST predictor of "the bite" is the barometric pressure. If a storm is coming in the pressure will be rising and that is usually when I find the most productive fishing. Steady pressure can be considered "normal fishing" and falling can be very good or very not so good.
Long story short. In Texas summers we are in real danger of some of the creeks drying up completely. Rain this time of year is always a good thing. A few days after a rain you should be fishing. Higher water levels. More fish. (Be careful of flash floods and always know what the dams on the Colorado are doing!)
------Prospecting-----
Alright lots of spots to hit. Hoping these will be the next few posts.
Onion Creek - no reason this shouldn't be great fishing. Mckinney falls state park or a small park just south of the airport should provide suitable access.
Barton Springs (upriver) - Barton Springs as it comes into town lake is always a great spot to find some fish and a buddy has been telling me that upstream it gets even better. This will be the part of Barton just to the West of Tarry town.
Bear Creek - where it crosses Burleson rd. Saw a youtube video of some folks fishing there and seemed up my alley so to speak
Boggy - People keep telling me that I went to far downstream on Boggy so I am going to try and find some access further upstream which I think puts me more or less in the middle of east austin....
May 17, 2017
May 14, 2017
On the Coast
On the gulf fishing saltwater. Will be back before too long.
Good buddy fished Boggy ABOVE the location described in my post and apparently found some fish. Also had a buddy go to Bull Creek with good reports after last week's rain.
Tight lines!
Good buddy fished Boggy ABOVE the location described in my post and apparently found some fish. Also had a buddy go to Bull Creek with good reports after last week's rain.
Tight lines!
May 8, 2017
Boggy Creek...
...is aptly named.
A buddy of mine went on a scouting adventure to explore the lower reaches of Boggy Creek. Boggy flows through the eastern part of Austin before dumping into the Colorado about 6 miles from Webberville. Creeks this time of year have been productive and with the navigable waters rule (that we admittedly use readily) all that one needs to do is find access.
On this particular day we met at 8001 Delwau Ln. which is technically a parking area for the Walnut/Boggy Creek greenbelt. The spot is little more than a pull off in front of what looks to be a dilapidated old power/water plant or some such thing. When you park you should be facing the old steel structure. Access can be found by walking down the road to your left (as you are facing the structure). Keep following that road until you come across a relatively well traveled trail that breaks off from the road to the right. I marked the trail head with a stick on top of an empty water bottle. I doubt that marker will stick around and I regret leaving a plastic water bottle on the ground but moving past my carbon footprint transgression I hope the marker helps.
The trail will wind down the hill. Stay left on the trail - if you don't you will end up in a healthy reed patch. Follow the trail around to the left and it will drop you right at this cool little spot where a spillway of some sort comes into the river. There were fish hitting left and right at this spot when we were there (evening). There were also a ton of carp that you could sight fish to. I am working on trying to figure out how to catch these beasts on a fly but more about that later.
Fish the spillway spot. Both my buddy and I caught a few bass on poppers. Apparently there is an old City of Austin dumpster in the middle of that section of the river that holds a ton of catfish as well but we were ill equipped for the whiskered fish.
After the spillway spot we moved around to the central part of the river where Boggy actually comes into the Colorado. Again, I've been having a lot of luck in creeks so I waded up the creek all the way to the Delwau bridge. The report is as follows:
The day we were there the mouth was pretty muddy. Muddy enough to visibly affect fishing. BUT if you keep going up the creek it clears out and there are some pretty nice little holes that hold bass larger than one might think. The more interesting part of the walk is the flats you come to. Obviously the water level is going to fluctuate with the coming and going of the spring rains but when I was there the flat was just deep enough to cover the numerous carp and gar I spotted while walking.
You CAN catch carp on the fly and actually the sport itself has been gaining popularity in the states. Naturally the Europeans were way ahead of us on this particular adventure. Apparently Carp have a brain the size of a walnut, dwarfing the brains of every other fish in the stream. You must find a school that is feeding. You can tell because the will leave a mud trail and if you are sight casting you can actually see them working the bottom like a vacuum. Often times you will come across a school of carp in suspended animation. These carp will not take. Just move on. BUT if you can find a feeding school and put the right fly in front of them - they fight. Hard.
Again I have, as of yet, not managed to accomplish this particular angling feat but it is only a matter of time. Recommended flies include trout nymphs (bead heads, copper johns, etc.) but apparently crayfish patterns and/or the right color wolly bugger will also work. I will keep everyone apprised of my journey to land a carp on the fly.
Any way it is a nice walk and while there are definitely some good holes I think this spot will yield much more action after a good rain when the water level goes up just a touch.
Regardless any day on the water is a great day on the water and this day was no exception. Tight lines folks.
A buddy of mine went on a scouting adventure to explore the lower reaches of Boggy Creek. Boggy flows through the eastern part of Austin before dumping into the Colorado about 6 miles from Webberville. Creeks this time of year have been productive and with the navigable waters rule (that we admittedly use readily) all that one needs to do is find access.
On this particular day we met at 8001 Delwau Ln. which is technically a parking area for the Walnut/Boggy Creek greenbelt. The spot is little more than a pull off in front of what looks to be a dilapidated old power/water plant or some such thing. When you park you should be facing the old steel structure. Access can be found by walking down the road to your left (as you are facing the structure). Keep following that road until you come across a relatively well traveled trail that breaks off from the road to the right. I marked the trail head with a stick on top of an empty water bottle. I doubt that marker will stick around and I regret leaving a plastic water bottle on the ground but moving past my carbon footprint transgression I hope the marker helps.
The trail will wind down the hill. Stay left on the trail - if you don't you will end up in a healthy reed patch. Follow the trail around to the left and it will drop you right at this cool little spot where a spillway of some sort comes into the river. There were fish hitting left and right at this spot when we were there (evening). There were also a ton of carp that you could sight fish to. I am working on trying to figure out how to catch these beasts on a fly but more about that later.
Fish the spillway spot. Both my buddy and I caught a few bass on poppers. Apparently there is an old City of Austin dumpster in the middle of that section of the river that holds a ton of catfish as well but we were ill equipped for the whiskered fish.
After the spillway spot we moved around to the central part of the river where Boggy actually comes into the Colorado. Again, I've been having a lot of luck in creeks so I waded up the creek all the way to the Delwau bridge. The report is as follows:
The day we were there the mouth was pretty muddy. Muddy enough to visibly affect fishing. BUT if you keep going up the creek it clears out and there are some pretty nice little holes that hold bass larger than one might think. The more interesting part of the walk is the flats you come to. Obviously the water level is going to fluctuate with the coming and going of the spring rains but when I was there the flat was just deep enough to cover the numerous carp and gar I spotted while walking.
You CAN catch carp on the fly and actually the sport itself has been gaining popularity in the states. Naturally the Europeans were way ahead of us on this particular adventure. Apparently Carp have a brain the size of a walnut, dwarfing the brains of every other fish in the stream. You must find a school that is feeding. You can tell because the will leave a mud trail and if you are sight casting you can actually see them working the bottom like a vacuum. Often times you will come across a school of carp in suspended animation. These carp will not take. Just move on. BUT if you can find a feeding school and put the right fly in front of them - they fight. Hard.
Again I have, as of yet, not managed to accomplish this particular angling feat but it is only a matter of time. Recommended flies include trout nymphs (bead heads, copper johns, etc.) but apparently crayfish patterns and/or the right color wolly bugger will also work. I will keep everyone apprised of my journey to land a carp on the fly.
Any way it is a nice walk and while there are definitely some good holes I think this spot will yield much more action after a good rain when the water level goes up just a touch.
Regardless any day on the water is a great day on the water and this day was no exception. Tight lines folks.
May 3, 2017
Heaven (it's real and not too far away)
Alright so I found a spot unlike any other I've visited thus far. Bigger fish. Small water. Mostly sight casting.
Here's the deal, this blog is supposed to be a helpful resource that directs you to some good fishing. BUT I also know what it is like to have a spot get blown out by traffic in a week or two.
If you are interested in said spot comment and I will reach out with specifics. From here on out this spot will be referred to as Heaven #1. Obviously I am hoping this wont be the only time I run into a relatively obscure spot with fantastic fishing.
Here's the deal, this blog is supposed to be a helpful resource that directs you to some good fishing. BUT I also know what it is like to have a spot get blown out by traffic in a week or two.
If you are interested in said spot comment and I will reach out with specifics. From here on out this spot will be referred to as Heaven #1. Obviously I am hoping this wont be the only time I run into a relatively obscure spot with fantastic fishing.
May 1, 2017
The Mighty Colorado
...was not so mighty today but a few friends and I had a great day on the water.
The spot (also known as secret beach) is essentially a ways downstream from the Pleasant Valley dam. Not too far below "secret beach" you'll run into the 183 bridge. Today we fished the stretch from 183 to the beach. It rained last night (29th) and we were worried about water clarity etc. but it turned into a beautiful day in water as clear as I've ever seen it.
This post is a bit different from my others in that this is big water. You fish big flies for big bass. We came across a few gar which were fun to see. Gar can be caught on the fly and lord knows we tried but today we were unsurprisingly unsuccessful.
We did tie into a few bass. No big fish and honestly I was hoping to catch a few more but it was a nice change a pace from the small water I usually fish. A front came through last night and we caught the tail end of which is historically not a great time to be on the water. One of the guys I was fishing with today was kayaking the same stretch the day before. He told me every fisherman he passed had a fish on.
It was also interesting to scope out the Pleasant Valley Dam. I'm not above putting the flyrod up for a day or two, buying some stink bait and hoping for some gargantuan catfish while enjoying iced beverages. It's a pure form of fishing.
Anyway the water was great today. If you go walk downstream from secret beach to the 183 bridge and fish upstream. Skip the beach portion. Lots of dog traffic. Tight lines.
The spot (also known as secret beach) is essentially a ways downstream from the Pleasant Valley dam. Not too far below "secret beach" you'll run into the 183 bridge. Today we fished the stretch from 183 to the beach. It rained last night (29th) and we were worried about water clarity etc. but it turned into a beautiful day in water as clear as I've ever seen it.
This post is a bit different from my others in that this is big water. You fish big flies for big bass. We came across a few gar which were fun to see. Gar can be caught on the fly and lord knows we tried but today we were unsurprisingly unsuccessful.
We did tie into a few bass. No big fish and honestly I was hoping to catch a few more but it was a nice change a pace from the small water I usually fish. A front came through last night and we caught the tail end of which is historically not a great time to be on the water. One of the guys I was fishing with today was kayaking the same stretch the day before. He told me every fisherman he passed had a fish on.
It was also interesting to scope out the Pleasant Valley Dam. I'm not above putting the flyrod up for a day or two, buying some stink bait and hoping for some gargantuan catfish while enjoying iced beverages. It's a pure form of fishing.
Anyway the water was great today. If you go walk downstream from secret beach to the 183 bridge and fish upstream. Skip the beach portion. Lots of dog traffic. Tight lines.
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