Shallow Waters
Published July 29, 2011 Black Bass , Pedernales River 50 Comments
I’ve been dreading swinging by Pedernales State Park for the last month or so. Looking at the charts over the last month, showing flows of 0 CFS, was sort of like knowing that a good friend was in bad health. Long time readers will likely know this, but Pedernales State Park is my de facto Temple of Texas, something about the water and the land that butts against it makes me feel at home. Of course this home is haunted and full of creatures that stir the imagination, but that’s a different story.
With some time to kill i finally sucked up the courage to see my sick friend and was slightly relieved to see that the river was obviously hurting, but it wasn’t dead. Like many other bodies of water in Texas right now, there wasn’t enough water to keep the throngs happy, but there was JUST enough water to appease the hard core water seekers…me included.
Avoiding the first few pools that had more swimmers than fish, i eventually ended up splitting one of the larger pools with some Canadians that were dredging parts of the pool with a massive net. It was there that i tied on a tiny Pheasant Hair Nymph in search of Carp. It seemed bizarre to tie on such a small fly for such a big fish, but since i’ve tried to catch Carp for the last few years without any success i figured i had nothing to loose by trying something that seemed to small to succeed. Minutes later i was pulling in a 14″ Drum that actually took line off my reel, something i wasn’t really used to.
Minutes later i had another Drum repeat the preceding battle with only the slightest variation. The highlight of the day had to be when i found a school of huge Carp and let the fly do it’s magic. With my hands shaking, i slowly retrieved the Nymph while watching the Carps bodies stir up wakes on the waters surface, some of them even heading for my fly. Suddenly the water stirred as a Carp that was an easy 10lbs. bolted with my fly, line, and nerves in tow. After trying my best to put the breaks on the Rogue fish, i suddenly felt the tippett snap and reeled it in only to find a birds nest of 3X tippett tangled up in itself like a vain movie starlet.
It wasn’t the healthiest i’ve ever seen the river, not by a long shot, but it’s there and it’s till kicking. I’m pretty sure the river would’t mind if i asked you to do whatever you can to help bring rain. It’s not dead yet, but watching the tiniest trickle from pool to pool, it became obvious that if something does’t happen soon it could be. Pray for rain.
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50 Responses to “Shallow Waters”
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That’s the opposite of what we’re experience along the Missouri River in South Dakota. Hope the rains come, too.
Rain prayers … sent!
Really beautiful pictures, by the way…
Yes, pray for rain, indeed.
I do have to ask, though…carp?? Why, of all fish, would you want to catch carp? They’re the worst…haha.
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
one day id like to try fishing, its just that it has always looked so boring and tiresome to me..lol..
Congrats on freshly pressed and thank you! It is such a joy to hear a citizen speak of nature as a good friend and worry for her health. The fish images are beautiful. Thanks for this post. I will pray for rain.
Oh if only my fly fishing father-in-law had Internet access. Great post. Love the pictures.
most beautiful post nature
hey, that fish seems like a popular fish in my hometown. People call it “bandeng”…
I like how you think and talk about fish and rivers. Beautiful.
their big eyes are kinda creepy. thanks for sharing!
www.icouldntmakethisshitup.wordpress.com
As a fellow fisherman I thoroughly enjoyed your post. Here is hoping the outflow from tropical storm Don will bring your river some much needed rain!
Thanks,
Randy
I love fishing! There is something so relaxing about it. Great post!
I see that some showers may soon be headed your way soon. I hope that the strom moves some rain your way for you and the fish.
Rain dancing! Carp are awsome. I’ve heard (never had one one for more than a second) they pull like frieght trains. Saw a couple today in your hole. BIG ones too.
wut?
i think that that fish is a catfish
I love the picture of the fish! O3O
I love the pictures of the fish! I love to go fishing myself and find it so fun, I’ve been doing it since I was 5 years old as a little girl. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you for some rain! Or, send you some of ours, we’ve had a storm that has lasted a week it feels like.
clear pictures!
I hate Carp with a damn passion. It all goes back to that bottom feeder thing. Congrats on FP
Prayers for the rain ! hope the river gets full
I used to go fishing all the time until I got busy, It’s been more than a year since the last time I was out fishing. Prayer also sent.
Yup, prayers sent… Lovely pictures by the way! I used to love fishing and keeping fish as a girl. Now I have cats instead.
Thanks for sharing!
I enjoyed reading this post… Great report.
My frequent visits to the fishing village in Indonesia, we often find unique fish by arrest is also unique. This article reminds me
If you get some rainfall anywhere near resembling the flood of random comments this post generated, central Texas should be fine.
I’m hoping to get back down to Texas in late October as I have friends getting married on back-to-back weekends. It’d be cool to do some fishing with you while I’m there as I missed out while I was living there.
p.s. I can still send you the map link to get to the nice little Blanco River hole. It’s a deep pool and should still hold some water.
Thanks MW,
I’d love to head out in October, even it’s just Barton Creek. Let’s make it happen, anywhere you want to go.
I’d definitely appreciate the link to the Blanco spot.
Thanks for being there all along,
die Fische
Not sure why you find pictures of dead fish with painful hooks in their mouths beautiful, but I guess it takes all sorts.
nice photos and I hope some rain will head your way
I’m with Luna Kadampa on this post. [Though I'm not totally sure about the verity of such an unusual name! ] : WHAT do you people find so attractive about the painful capture, and presumed death, of innocent creatures who have just as much right to life and liberty as YOU ??
There’s nothing “sporting” about the torture and murder of wildlife. Unless you’re a member of a subsistence aboriginal group, who hunt/fish to live, what gives you the right to play predator?. THIS is your idea of care and stewardship of your troubled river? “Catch all the fish and kill ‘em, Cletus!”
How about “Live and Let Live?”
Red-necked killer!
Will, you seem to be a very unhappy/angry person. If i felt like it would make any difference, i would try to explain to you, like i did to Luna who was obviously coming from a caring place and so deserved to be listened to, how your assumptions about me and your labels that you want to throw on me are wildly incorrect. The only reason that i’m leaving this on here is to show others behavior that should be avoided externally and internally. Intolerance and stereotyping are signs of inflexible person, sometimes lacking a nimble mind. What you obviously think of as “Red Necks” would be a good example of this, you my friend would be another.
The fish looks soo cute
Nice share.
I went fishing once at Freycinet National Park and we were using frozen calamari for bait because the bait shop had burnt down in a fire. Unfortunately I only fed the fish and didn’t catch any. That’s a very detailed photo!