Pro Tips

CENTRAL TEXAS BASS FISHING

If you enjoy wade fishing crystal clear streams with healthy populations of native fish and float fishing scenic rivers lined with lush vegetation, I have a wonderful place for you. Some of the waters are spring creeks with abundant aquatic life and dense hatches. There are chances to sight cast almost every day and fish will actively rise to dries, eat nymphs and viciously attack streamers. This isn’t Montana, Wyoming or Idaho; it's central Texas. Texas probably has the best variety of fly-fishing in the United States and the Texas Hill Country is the gem. The Hill Country area is in central Texas east of Interstate 35. San Antonio forms the southern boundary and it extends north almost up to Waco. Although this isn't the Rocky Mountains, the terrain is very rugged and inclined. Numerous gullies and canyons flow through the limestone substrata and beautiful limestone cliffs and bluffs are found along the streams and rivers. If your ideas of the Texas landscape were formed from 1960's western movies, you will be pleasantly surprised. Northern trout fisherman will feel at home on these waters. The central Texas streams offer solitude, incredible fishing and beautiful surroundings.
When I followed my wife from Jackson, Wyoming to Austin, Texas some of my friends worried that my fly rods would collect dust. They couldn’t have been further from the truth. My wife attending graduate school at the University of Texas was a blessing. Austin is centrally located for access to the surrounding Hill Country waters. I was given the opportunity to expand my fishing experiences in a wonderful area and add a few more species to my fish checklist. My friends, Bill and Kay Jones of Dallas, gave me a copy of the late Bud Priddy's Fly Fishing the Texas Hill Country book. This excellent book and The Roads of Texas atlas helped me find some great spots. I also worked for the Austin Angler, which gave me access to a wealth of information. Although I now live in Montana, I still like to travel and fish this area.
This part of the world has large underground aquifers and most of the rivers and streams are partially or completely spring fed. This provides a source of clear water and maintains constant temperatures in the area adjacent to the spring. Damselflies, dragonflies and caddis hatch almost all year long and are found in numerous sizes and colors. Some waters have the large Hexagenia mayflies and terrestrials are common throughout the year. To round out the food chain, we have crawfish and a wide range of baitfish. The biomass in these waters probably exceeds that of most trout tailwaters.
The native Hill Country gamefish include largemouth bass, Guadalupe Bass, a variety of sunfish, channel catfish and Rio Grande Perch. The yellow breast sunfish, which are actually a red breast sunfish, are the predominant river sunfish and they will live and feed in current. Locally, sunfish are called "perch". Some of the popular introduced species are striped bass, white bass, spotted bass and smallmouth bass. Rainbow trout and brown trout are found on the Guadalupe River. This tailwater has a good population of stocked trout and a number of holdovers. The best trout fishing is in winter months. Some of the non-gamefish, such as carp, freshwater drum, buffalo, suckers and gar, can produce some fun fishing also. These fish can be sizeable and are probably the most difficult of the Texas species to catch on a fly. Given the choice of casting to a pound gamefish or a ten-pound "trash fish", I'll aim for the latter.
Stream access varies. Some rivers, such as sections of the Llano, Guadalupe and Colorado have state owned river bottoms and you may wade fish up to the high water mark. Legal access sites are state and local parks, low water crossings, or by paying an access fee at private recreation areas. Camping is available at many state parks. On other rivers, the actually river bottom may be privately owned. These are best fished by floating or fee fishing on a private recreation areas Floating may require portages so canoes, kick boats, or kayaks are the best bets. Good fishing can be had all year, but the best times are March – June and September – November. In the spring, abundant wild flowers such as bluebonnets will carpet the Hill Country and enhance the outdoor experience.

Llano River

This is one of my favorite streams in the world. It's crystal clear with riffles, runs and pools running over the colorful pink granite bottom. There are also areas of pocket water and numerous side channels. At the head of the riffles you will catch Guadalupe bass, in the runs and pocket water yellow breast sunfish, and in the pools and shaded banks largemouths will be present. It has a good population of the native Guadalupe Bass. The Texas State fish lives in current and is similar to a smallmouth in habits. They don’t get very large, but are aggressive, strong and beautiful. He is the cutthroat of the bass world and like the cutthroat is perfectly adapted to his environment. It is a great wade-fishing stream and can crossed at braids, riffles and tailouts. There are many access points. One of my favorite sections is in the town of Llano, a scenic seventy-mile drive from Austin. The city and county parks are excellent access points and the reservoirs provide fishing options. I have also floated the river. This is best left to the adventurous and should only be attempted with adequate flows. A kick boat with oars, canoe or kayaks are the best choices. Invariable you will portage around some rock gardens. The best sections are upstream of Llano and you will need to run your own shuttles.
I fish the Llano with two to four weight rods to take full advantage of the Guadalupe Bass, but largemouth exceeding eight pounds have been caught. You never know when Mr. Big might eat. I once had a sizeable Largemouth try to eat a Guadalupe off of my line. I’ve caught carp, spotted gar and largemouths up to a couple of pounds. Channel catfish and carp can sometimes be found tailing in the riffles as they look for nymphs. Traditional trout nymphs such as hares ears, pheasant tails and squirrel nymphs will work. Very large catfish have been caught in the Llano and I once stung a buffalo that was the size of my thigh. I doubt I would have landed him, but I had to try. I’ve fished some excellent caddis hatches with the pools stacked with rising fish. Madam Xs, Convertibles, Clouser Minnows, woolly buggers, pencil poppers and divers are useful patterns. A night at the historic Dabbs Hotel Bed & Breakfast, a restored turn of the century railroad hotel, and pork chops at the famous Coopers Barbecue are a good addition to any Llano fishing trip. Historically, this area was an important hunting ground for the Commanche Indians.

Blanco River

This limestone stream offers the chance of catching a large river smallmouth. I’ve also caught good largemouth, a variety of sunfish and catfish on the fly. Some of the of the yellow breast sunfish can reach good size. Numerous springs are found throughout the river and adjacent to them is thick aquatic vegetation. Water clarity is exceptional. Sight casting to visible fish can be effective. Deep pools are alternated with faster runs. Rock ledges give the fish cover and ambush points. However, access is limited. Floating this river is the best way to fish it and this should be done with caution and discretion. Area landowners are less than enthusiastic about recreational use of "their river" and the state owns the water but not the river bottom. Also, legal parking areas near low water crossings are not well defined. Wade access can be found at Blanco State Park, Little Arkansas Camp, a private fee area near Wimberly, and at Dudley Johnson Park near Kyle. All these areas also have small reservoirs on them, which have excellent stillwater angling. These spots are under an hours drive from Austin. There are good populations of insects, crawfish and minnows for the predators to feed on. Rubber leg Woolly Buggers, crawfish patterns, Kiwi Muddlers, damselfly nymphs and poppers are effective for the smallmouth, largemouth, spotted bass and sunfish. Joey Linn, an Austin fly fishing guide and photographer, has caught a number of smallmouth over three pounds on this water.


San Marcos River

A spring creek in Texas? The San Marcos bubbles out of the ground at 200 CFS with a constant 70-degree temperature. I’ve watched sunfish sipping Callibaetis mayflies as gently as any trout. Long strands of aquatic vegetation provide habitat for the abundant lifeforms and large Cypress trees form a canopy over the water. The area around the springs, the present City of San Marcos, is one the oldest constantly inhabited sites in the world. Our ancestors knew when they had a good thing. The river can be wade fished in the San Marcos City parks. As you move downstream most of the banks are deep and undercut. This creates wading difficulties, but it is an excellent floating river. You will be able to spot schools of bass and sunfish and watch them come to your fly. All the common bass and sunfish are found in this water with the addition of the Rio Grande Perch. This small cichlid is related to the peacock bass. They are difficult to catch on a fly and are considered a fly rod trophy even though a twelve-inch specimen is a large fish.
There are two excellent five-mile floats between I-35 and the town of Martindale. The Blanco flows into the San Marcos downstream of the city of San Marcos and doubles the flow. The lower float has class 3 rapids which can portaged if you don’t feel adventurous. Canoes and kayaks can be rented at Shady Grove campground in Martindale. They also offer float instructions and shuttles to put in points. I like to fish Madam Xs, Rabbit Charlies, mohair leeches and divers. Bass over five pounds inhabit the water and I once caught a foot long yellow breast sunfish. In hot and cold months, the upper river with its constant temperature will fish better than other central Texas streams.

Colorado River

The largest river in the area starts in west Texas and flows through Austin on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. The reservoirs on the Colorado are home to the white bass and his big brother the striped bass. These fish travel in schools looking for baitfish. A boat is used for this fishing. Chasing stripers busting bait on top is very exciting and you never know what size the fish might be. They could be two pounds or twenty-five pounds. Deceivers, Double Bunnies and Divers will imitate the injured shad. When it is good it’s incredible, but you will have some slow days. More consistent fishing can be had in the tailwaters below the power generating dams. When the dams are generating power, baitfish are forced out with water. This is makes an easy meal for the waiting predators. White bass are the most frequent catch, but stripers will key in on this also. Max Starke Dam or the dam on Lake Buchanan are good spots. Largemouth, Guadalupes and sunfish can be caught during slack water periods. You might also pick up a freshwater black drum or you can cast to carp tailing in the shallows like bonefish. Use caution when wade fishing as the water flows come up quickly and without an alarm sounding. A sinking shooting head is helpful in deeper holes. My Lipstick Minnow, Cypert’s Mylar Minnow and Clouser Minnows are good imitations of the common small baitfish.
The Colorado and tributaries such as the Llano and Perdenales host good spawning runs of white bass in the spring. They feed heavily on the stream minnows. Fishing can be fast and furious. The smaller males move in first. Later, when the females move up, the whites will average between a pound and two pounds. Small #8 bonefish flies or grey Clousers are very effective, but at times my Conehead the Barbarian fly in chartreuse can be deadly. There is also the chance a striper may be in feeding on the white bass. Last year, J.T. VanZandt, an Austin Angler guide, caught striper in the ten-pound range. Colorado Bend State Park, the mouth of the Llano at Lake LBJ and Reimers Ranch on the Perdenales are some of the more productive areas. This is one time when you will have company on the river.
Town Lake in downtown Austin can be fished for largemouth and sunfish. It holds some the bigger largemouth in the region. The perimeter of the lake is a city park with a walking trail or canoes can be rented. Barton Springs, a popular summer swimming hole, flows into Town Lake and it holds a number of fish. They will congregate here in winter months. I caught a redear sunfish during a January cold spell that was the size of this magazine. Above Barton Springs, Barton Creek is paralleled by a green belt hike and bike trail. The flow can intermittent, but I've caught fish in the deeper pools and smaller springs seep life into the creek during low water periods. It is urban backcountry angling. Onion Creek at McKinney State Park is a suburban small stream option.
Downstream of Austin, the river becomes larger, wider and slower as you drop out of the Hill Country. There are some big largemouth here. Trees and deadfall provide excellent habitat for them. The faster riffles and runs hold Guadalupe bass and stripers, white bass, channel catfish and large gar also inhabit the river. Larry Sunderlund of the Austin Angler uses his Montana style drift boat to float the Colorado. There are a number of floats that can be done. A canoe or kickboat can also be used. Traditional bass bugs, poppers, bendbacks and crawfish are good flies.

Tackle

A rod in the four to six weight range is ideal for most of the Hill Country fishing. These will allow you to cast reasonable size bass flies and still have fun with smaller bass and sunfish. Medium action rods are better than fast rods for throwing the wind resistant or weighted flies. A 7-½ foot 2x leader will cover most of your stream fishing. Floating lines will cover most situations, but a Teeny T-130 shooting head is helpful for probing deep pools. I’ll use a seven to nine weight rod for stripers and big bass fishing. A 0x leader is about the smallest I use. Full sinking lines are good for suspended fish in the reservoirs. Along with the before mentioned flies, Rocky Mountain style attractor dry flies, hoppers, trout nymphs and streamers will produce.

Cautions

As with any outdoor adventure there are inherent potential dangers. Flash flood warnings should be taken seriously. The hilly, rocky terrain pours water into ravines during heavy rainstorms. It can come up very quickly. A small creek can become a large river in a short time. Water moccasins and rattlesnakes are part of the area's fauna. I figure if I don't bother them, they won't bother me. Give them a little space and you should be fine. When floating make sure there is an adequate flow. Otherwise, you might be in for a long portage. Also, float with a partner. Some floats are very remote and a companion may save your life.


Austin has excellent air service. Austin is known as the live music capitol of the United States. Nightclubs have great music for people with any type of musical taste and there are frequent indoor and outdoor concerts. Austin restaurants are on par with the music and any style of food is available in good quality. This is a great place to take a non-fishing companion.

There are numerous other streams, rivers and lakes in the area. I highly recommend wetting a line in the fertile waters of central Texas.