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Guadalupe River Chapter of Trout Unlimited

NewsletterNo. 88 October 2008 Publication Data on Pg. 16

GRGRGRGRGRTU MeetingTU MeetingTU MeetingTU MeetingTU MeetingSaSaSaSaSaturturturturturdadadadadayyyyy, October 25th, October 25th, October 25th, October 25th, October 25th

Jellystone ParkJellystone ParkJellystone ParkJellystone ParkJellystone ParkSaSaSaSaSattlerttlerttlerttlerttler, TX, TX, TX, TX, TX

Directions on page 3Directions on page 3Directions on page 3Directions on page 3Directions on page 3

9 AM - Lease Access9 AM - Lease Access9 AM - Lease Access9 AM - Lease Access9 AM - Lease AccessOrientation & Social HourOrientation & Social HourOrientation & Social HourOrientation & Social HourOrientation & Social Hour

10 AM - Business Mtg10 AM - Business Mtg10 AM - Business Mtg10 AM - Business Mtg10 AM - Business Mtg11 AM - Presentation:11 AM - Presentation:11 AM - Presentation:11 AM - Presentation:11 AM - Presentation:

“Dave’s Nymphing System”“Dave’s Nymphing System”“Dave’s Nymphing System”“Dave’s Nymphing System”“Dave’s Nymphing System”Dave WhitlockDave WhitlockDave WhitlockDave WhitlockDave Whitlock

12 - Raffle & Lunch12 - Raffle & Lunch12 - Raffle & Lunch12 - Raffle & Lunch12 - Raffle & Lunch12:30 PM - Lease Access12:30 PM - Lease Access12:30 PM - Lease Access12:30 PM - Lease Access12:30 PM - Lease Access

OrientationOrientationOrientationOrientationOrientation1 PM - Dave’s Nymphing1 PM - Dave’s Nymphing1 PM - Dave’s Nymphing1 PM - Dave’s Nymphing1 PM - Dave’s Nymphing

ClinicCl inicCl inicCl inicCl inic

WhaWhaWhaWhaWhattttt’’’’’s Insides Insides Insides Insides Inside

October SpeakerDirections to MeetingRaffle PrizePresident’s LetterFisheries ReportGRTU Helps CO TroutEntomology WorkshopProject Healing WatersLease Access ProgramNew Mexico OutreachHonorary Life MembersFlyfishing the GuadBoard and OfficersJanuary MeetingCentury ClubPublication Data

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GRGRGRGRGRTU CeleTU CeleTU CeleTU CeleTU Celebrbrbrbrbraaaaates 40th Annivtes 40th Annivtes 40th Annivtes 40th Annivtes 40th Annivererererersary withsary withsary withsary withsary withFly Fishing and Conservation SuperstarFly Fishing and Conservation SuperstarFly Fishing and Conservation SuperstarFly Fishing and Conservation SuperstarFly Fishing and Conservation Superstar

DaDaDaDaDavvvvve Whitloce Whitloce Whitloce Whitloce Whitlock ak ak ak ak at our October 25tht our October 25tht our October 25tht our October 25tht our October 25thChapter MeetingChapter MeetingChapter MeetingChapter MeetingChapter Meeting

Dave Whitlock and his wife Emily will be our special guests at JellystonePark Hill Country in Sattler as we conclude the celebration of GRTU’s 40

years as a chapter of Trout Unlimited.

We conclude this year’scelebration of GRTU’s40th year with our fallchapter meeting, featuringfly fishing andconservation Renaissance

man Dave Whitlock, onSaturday, October 25th.

The meeting getsunderway at 10 AM,with a social hour andlease access orientationclass starting at 9AM.

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As always, the meeting is free and open tothe public.

We journey back to Jellystone Park(directions on page 3) again this October.The blood should be getting thicker and thethrill of fishing for trout in our waters is notfar off. The October meeting is a must forthose that wish to again experience the joyof fly fishing in the southernmost troutwaters in the continental United States.

In preparation for another winter of troutfishing, Dave Whitlock present a programon Dave’s Nymphing System, showing hispioneering methods and flies. Come andlearn from one of the true masters of oursport. After lunch, Dave will host a clinicto share all of his secrets (or at least someof them). In addition to expanding on thetechniques shown in the presentation, Davewill be tying some of his favorite flies. Theclinic is open to all for a $10 fee.

Dave Whitlock is a man totally devoted tothe world of flyfishing and conservationboth professionally and personally. He is anative Oklahoman who, thirty-nine yearsago resigned his position as a researchchemist and pooled his talents in painting,illustrating, writing, photography, fly fishingand lecturing to embark on a new career asa full time professional in the arts of flyfishing. All his works, especially his art,reflect the realism of nature and related flyfishing subjects through the eyes of thesportsman. His diversity has always takenhim into new and creative directionsincluding, in recent years, trout streamdesign and restoration, with JohnnyMorris’s beautiful Dogwood Canyon beinga great example.

Dave regularly contributes his fly fishing art,photography and writing to manypublications such as FlyfishermanMagazine, Fly Fishing & Tying Journal,Trout Magazine, In-Fisherman, and

Field and Stream. He has written andillustrated four books: Dave Whitlock’sGuide to Aquatic Trout Foods, The L.L.Bean Flyfishing Handbook, The L.L.Bean Bass Fly Fishing Handbook, andImitating and Fishing Natural FishFoods for Lefty’s Little Library.

Dave has also co-authored or madecontributions to many other books,including The Flytyer’s Almanac, SecondFlytyer’s Almanac, Art Flick’s MasterFlytying Guide, A. J. McClane’s FishingEncyclopedia, Michael Migel’s StreamConservation Handbook and Masters ofthe Nymph and others. He has illustratedover 20 books including Steve Raymond’sYear of the Angler and Year of the Trout,Swisher and Richard’s new edition ofSelective Trout, plus President JimmyCarter’s Outdoor Journal. Dave alsodemonstrates his flyfishing and teachingskills in seven videos and through guestappearances on televised flyfishingprograms

One of Dave’s most notable contributionsto wild trout management and preservationis the Whitlock-Vibert Box System — aunique and efficient, in-stream salmonid eggincubator and nursery device. Dave spentseven years researching and developing thissystem and wrote and illustrated aninstructional text, the FFF Whitlock-Vibert Box Handbook. Today, under thesponsorship of the Federation of FlyFishers, this Whitlock-Vibert Box programis used throughout the world forintroduction or enhancement of wild trout,char and salmon stocks. [GRTU has usedthe Whitlock-Vibert Box through theyears to hatch trout in the Guadalupe.]

Dave’s experience and his devoted andobjective outlook on the whole spectrum offlyfishing has earned him consultingassignments from top companies such as 3/M Scientific Anglers Company, Bass Pro,

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Sage Rods and Simms Fly Fishing Gear.He designed and directed the first ten yearsof the L.L. Bean Flyfishing Schools. Daveis in demand as a lecturer on flyfishing andconservation throughout the world and hasproduced many slideshows on the subjectplus one movie. Dave also conductsflyfishing courses yearly throughout theU.S. and abroad.

Dave is a recipient of many awardsincluding the Max Ander’s Wild TroutAward in 1976 for his work onpropagation of wild trout and the FFF’sConservation Man of the Year Award in1981. Dave also received the Buz BuzeckFlytyer’s Award which is the highest honorin the fly tying world. It recognized hisinnovativeness in new fly tying patterns andhis national fly tying activities.

In 1987, Dave was inducted into theNational Fresh Water Fishing Hall ofFame and was presented the FFF JamesE. Henshall Award for his work in warmwater fishing and conservation. He alsoreceived FFF’s Ambassador Award fornational and international promotion offlyfishing and conservation. In 1996, Davewas inducted into the Arkansas Game&Fish Hall of Fame and the next year wasgiven the Lifetime Contribution Awardfrom the National American Fly TackleTrade Association.

Dave and his wife Emily, after living nearthe White River in Arkansas andconducting their flyfishing school there forseveral years, have just recently movedback to Oklahoma, in the OzarkMountains near Tahlequah. There theycontinue to teach privately and pursue theirwriting, art and stream work projects.

Directions to October Meeting Site

We will be back at our fall venue for our next chaptermeeting on October 25th. It will be held at the YogiBear’s Jellystone Park Hill Country on FM 306 inCanyon Lake. Some may know it by its old name,the Maricopa Ranch Resort. For those familiar withthe river, it’s between the two FM 306 bridges acrossthe Guadalupe, on the south side of the road.

There are several ways to get exact directions. One isto visit Jellystone Park Hill Country’s website atwww.jellystonehillcountry.com. Another is to useMapquest or Google Earth or a similar website andtype in the address, which is 12915 FM 306, CanyonLake, TX 78133. The Park is 13 miles northwest ofexit 191 off I-35 and 13 miles southeast of the Hwy281-FM 306 intersection. For those who like to usetheir GPS, it’s at 29º 51’ 58.87” N and 98º 10’ 27.35”W.

Grand Prize in the GRTU 2008-09Raffle Is a Full Simms Fishing Outfit

Look like you know what you are doing! Get readyfor the next fishing season with the best fishing outfitoffered. Simms G3 Stocking Foot Waders, G3 GuideFelt Soled Wading Boots, and a G3 Guide Vest willhave you outfitted for years of fishing.Rick Laird of the Tackle Box Outfitters in San Antoniohas generously donated only the best to the membersof GRTU. Tickets are $8 or three for $20. All itemswill be fitted to the winner.

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President’s Letter

The 2008/2009 season continuesour 40th Anniversary celebration ofthe chapter, and the prime seasonfor the Guadalupe river tailrace isquickly coming upon us. Thisshould be a banner year for thefishery. We have been receivingreports of trout being caught as fardown as Little Ponderosa allsummer as well as fingerlings beingsighted. It is a testament to the hardwork the chapter has done on theflow agreement. We have gainedmany strong supporters and alliesfor our cause, though there arecritics and opponents as well. Ourchapter will continue to work withthese groups, both friend and foe,to help articulate our position andraise the awareness of the benefitsof having adequate flows and cleanwater in the river and how it benefitsthe community as a whole. Nowwe need some rain to help the lakelevels to activate the flowagreement for next year, so let’skeep our fingers crossed.

Behind the scenes, we have beenworking very hard to solidify ourscientific baselines for both waterquality in the tailrace andnaturalized flows above CanyonLake. Since Trout Unlimited has astrong reputation for making sounddecisions based on solid empiricalevidence, we want to continue thattradition on the Guadalupe as wemonitor the health of the river andprepare for stream restorationprojects. This work has takenresources, both from volunteers aswell as from our chapter’s finances.Well done to all of you who areparticipating in these efforts,

especially the members of theConservation Committee, ably ledby Gary Cobb.

As I look forward to my remainingeight months of my term, I still seethe issues facing the chapter in thesame light I saw them when I firststarted my presidency. Obviouslythere are new challenges – whowould have known that gas priceswould be at the levels they aretoday. This affects the chapter as itdoes any other organization.

Last season was a very goodseason for the chapter. Through thehard work of Jeff Schmitt andothers we laid the ground work forestablishing a Project HealingWaters branch at Brooks ArmyMedical Center in San Antonio.We took one wounded warriortrout fishing for the first time, andwere able to raise funds to sendanother to the PHW nationalretreat. The Trout in the Classroomprogram, now active in two areaschools, raised and released healthyrainbow fry into the river. We hada great family weekend outing, ourinaugural Troutfest event, lastFebruary. We continue to reaprewards from our ColdwaterOutreach Conservation program,now entering its fourth year, withseveral local and national articlesbeing published about the projectswe help support.

The Lease Access Program hasalways been the life blood of ourchapter, and we continue our effortsto make it more effective andefficient. We had an extremelysuccessful Lease Access sign-up thispast season, with an average of two

day turnarounds on badges.Thanks to our efficient process andsome really big trout in the river, weexceeded the projected numbers oflease participants by over tenpercent. Our team is alreadyramping up to continue the successfrom last year.

So where does this leave us for thisseason? I have been told that thecost for items such as lunches,rainbow trout for stockings, andlease costs are increasing. I willwork with the Board to try to keepfees at their current levels, butremember, we will only increasefees if we are absolutely forced todo so. We have not had our annualplanning and budget session as ofthe writing of this article so I cannotgive you actual numbers.

The Fisheries Committee will bewatching temperatures very closelyin order to try to gauge when wewill be able start stocking fish thisfall. [See Bill Higdon’s FisheriesReport for more on that process.]Since we have had guaranteedminimum flows throughout thesummer, the river still has lots ofhealthy trout in it. If conditionsallow, we hope we can get any earlystart on stockings.

I am still very interested inexpanding the ‘Trout in theClassroom’ program into the SanAntonio and Austin schools so ifyou are interested in helping expandthis program, please contact ourEducation Committee chair andTrout in the Classroom coordinatorKaren Gebhardt by e-mail atKaren.Gebhardt@grtu.org.

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Once again we are supportingCasting for Recovery, bysponsoring women to the Texasretreat. This year, they hope tosponsor two retreats, so they’llneed even more support than in thepast. If you would like to find outmore information or would like todonate directly please contactSusan Gaetz atsusan@susangaetz.com

We are planning to continue withTroutfest this year as well. We havetentatively scheduled it for the lastweekend of February, 2009, somark your calendars. This season’sevent we are planning to expand theactivities including more events forthe kids. Watch for moreinformation as we get closer towinter. If you are interested in

helping to organize this event,please contact me.

Finally, as all of you know, we arean all-volunteer organization, so weneed your help to make theseprojects a success. In particular,we are looking for volunteers tohelp run the website. If you havesome technical ability and wouldlike to help out please email me atgrtu-president@grtu.org. The rivercleanups and conservation projectsare very labor intensive, so your helpis crucial.

See you on the water,

Greg NeubauerGRTU Chapter Presidentgrtu-president@grtu.org

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Fall Fisheries ReportOct 2008

I think, most would agree, lastseason was one of the best fishingseasons we’ve seen on theGuadalupe in quite awhile.Consistent flows, lots of huge trout,great leases, lots of bugs andhatches, crystal clear water,increased regulation enforcement.It was a season where everythingjust came together at the right timeto produce, a season to remember.

This year is stacking up to be acarbon copy. With the minimumflow agreement in force thissummer, the higher flows have keptthe water temperatures down. Theinsects are abundant; the Trout areholding over in good numbers,more big trout are scheduled to bestocked, the aquatic plants aregetting better every year, there wasmuch less poaching, this summer bycampers, all pointing to anothergreat season.

We are finally getting some muchneeded rain and the forecast looksgood for more, (Jimbo, keepbeating those rain drums).Everything is coming together againfor awesome season. Get your ‘08-‘09 lease pass and get in on theaction!

I always start getting lots of phonecalls this time of year regarding thefishery, and what can be expectedin the upcoming season. Below arethe most common questions andanswers:

Q. When are we going to stock?(The most frequently asked)

A. It all depends on the watertemperature. When thetemperature is consistently below70 degrees, we will begin to lookat stocking dates. This usuallyoccurs in late October to lateNovember, but sometimes as lateas December.

Q. What size trout will bestocked?A. We generally stock trout thatrange from 1 to 1 ½ pounds, with afew bigger and some a little smaller.The past couple of seasons, wehave been requesting larger trout,2 ½ lbs plus, we have found thelarger trout are much more robustand hold-over better than thesmaller trout. We will be stockingthe larger trout this again season.Last season, we had some trout5lbs+ off the truck.

Q. Will we stock any browntrout?A. The short answer is no. Wehave found over the years thatbrown trout do not do well in theGuadalupe, so we no longer stockthem, though sometimes a few willfind their way into the stocking truckon occasion. They are also muchmore expensive than the rainbows.

Q. How many leases will wehave this season?A. The number of leases is usuallybetween 15 and 18. We are stillarranging the leases as of thisnewsletter but the majority will bethe same.

Q. Is the water too hot for thetrout?

A. As quoted on the GRTUwebsite: What are the best watertemperatures for trout?Ideally 57 - 62 degrees. Goodtemperatures are below 68degrees. It is widely acceptedby the biologists that temperaturesfor mortality are 74 to 82 degrees.It doesn’t mean that trout will die in74 degree water, but their conditioncould make them susceptible todisease and predators if thetemperature remains high. Andcatching and playing a trout in thisrange could be fatal to the trout,even if it appears to swim awaynormally. The water temperaturewill fluctuate in a 24 hour cycle andusually the water temperature ishighest in the late afternoon. Thedaily average water temperature isalso important indicator of theconditions in the trout fishery Troutbiologists believe that the averagetemperature should be below 72degrees. As of this writing thetemps have been consistently below70 most of the day only touchinginto the low 70’s in the lateafternoon (the activation on the flowagreement this year, has beeninstrumental in keeping thetemperature down this year). Theaverage daily temp as of this writing(8/08) is 68 degrees.

I hope this helps answer a few ofyour questions.

I look forward to seeing everyoneat the October meeting.Bill HigdonV.P. of Fisheries

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Eleven Mile CanyonSign Honors GRTU

Conservation Efforts

For the past three years, GRTU’sColdwater Outreach Conservation(COC) grants have helped fundstream restoration projectsthroughout the US. In June, Iattended the Cheyenne MountainTrout Unlimited Chapter’s event atCamp Alexander in Eleven MileCanyon on the South Platte Riverin Colorado. The event was heldto plant a sign recognizing thestream restoration project that hadjust been completed on this privatestretch of water used to teach BoyScouts from around the country,including many from Texas, theskills needed to earn their flyfishingmerit badge. A GRTU COC granthelped fund about 10% of theproject costs.

The project was designed tonarrow, deepen and reroute asection of the South Platte that hadexperienced significant bankerosion, stream channelstraightening and depth reduction. The project is known as a “Treesfor Trout” (TFT) habitatimprovement project and, as thechief river conservationist in chargeof the project explained to me, thisproject was the first true TFTproject. Previous TFT projectshad anchored trees that had burnedin the Hyman fire in the river inorder to create channel diversionsand holding water for trout. Previously, that had been the onlyeconomically feasible andregulatory permitted way to get thewoody debris material needed for

the effort. However, the CampAlexander project received aNEPA (National EnvironmentalPolicy Act) permit to use treesremoved from the Camp Alexanderproperty to create fire breaks as thesource material for the streambedimprovements. Therefore, theproject had two benefits. Inaddition to improving the streambedand trout habitat, it took a proactivemeasure to prevent another fire, likethe Hyman fire, as a part of theprocess.

The Camp Alexander stretch of theSouth Platte is located in ElevenMile Canyon near Lake GeorgeColorado. While the CampAlexander section is private water,

it is located between two nicestretches of public fishing water. The sign recognizing GRTU’scontribution to the project is placedprominently along the road betweenthese two public stretches and willno doubt be viewed by the manypeople who visit the canyon eachyear. I’ve already had a coupleGRTU members mention to me thatthey were in the canyon this summerand saw the sign. The CampAlexander project is the second ofthree COC projects that GRTU hasfunded to date.

Jeff Schmitt,GRTU Past President &NLC Representative

Greg Walck of Colorado’s Cheyenne Mountain Chapter thanks GRTU’s JeffSchmitt for our chapter’s Coldwater Outreach Conservation Fund grant thatassisted their chapter with the “Trees for Trout” project at Camp Alexander.

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Rob Woodruff OffersEntomology for Fly

Fishers Workshop forGRTU November 1-2

Woodruff Guide Service and theGuadalupe River Chapter of TroutUnlimited will be offering anEntomology for Fly Fishers Course onNovember 1 and 2, 2008.

Entomology for Fly Fishers is a coursedesigned for all fly fishermen. Thecourse gives an overview of thearthropods, both aquatic and terrestrial,that are of importance to the fly angler. Warm-water and cold-waterenvironments are included. Topics covered include samplingtechniques, identification of both larval

and adult stages and simple biology ofthe species. The ultimate goal of theclass is for the angler to develop theability to equate in-the-fieldobservation to fly selection andconstruction in order to achievesuccess as a fly fisher. The class consists of six hours oflecture and demonstration as well as ahalf-day field trip. The classroomportion will be November 1 atJellystone Park Hill Country. The fieldtrip will be November 2 on theGuadalupe River. While on the river,students will participate in thecollection and evaluation of insectsamples and receive instruction on flyselection. Advance registration for the workshopis required. The course fee is $65.00.To register, contact Rob Woodruff,

either by Email at wgsflyfish@aol.comor at (903) 967-2665. About the Instructor:

Rob Woodruff is an Orvis Endorsed FlyFishing Guide. He has a degree inEntomology from Texas A&MUniversity. Rob guides fly anglers forlargemouth bass on lakes in East Texas,including world famous Lake Fork, andfor trout and smallmouth bass on theMountain Fork River system ofSoutheastern Oklahoma. Rob’stechniques and flies have appeared inmagazines such as Fly Fishing andTying Journal, Fly Fisher, Bassmaster,Fly Rod & Reel and Southwest FlyFishing. He has been featured on twoepisodes of ESPN’s Fly FishingAmerica.

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Rus Schwausch holds a nice trout for a “grip and grin” photo with veteran Matt Bovay, fly fishing for the first time aspart of the local Project Healing Waters program, jointly sponsored by GRTU and Alamo Fly Fishers of San Antonio.

Project HealingWaters

byJeff Schmitt

GRTU Past President andNLC Rep

Last year, GRTU and Alamo FlyFishers (AFF), began a joint effortto establish a Project HealingWaters (PHW) project at BrookeArmy Medical Center in SanAntonio. PHW is an organizationdedicated the physical andemotional rehabilitation of ourwounded warriors through fly tying,fly casting and fishing outings.

At last April’s GRTU meeting,many of you met Matt Bovay, ayoung man who had been badlyburned in an explosion. After themeeting, Chris Baumbagh, RusSchwausch and I took Matt fishingon the Guadalupe. Matt had beena spin fisherman in his home watersof New York before his injuries. Due to his burn injuries, Matt hadbeen restricted from getting wet(showering, swimming, etc) forquite some time. I’ll never forgetthe look on his face and the thingshe said when we put him in wadingboot and told him to wade right intothe cool waters of the Guad in hisjeans…..or his surprise when a bigtrout first followed a spinner to hisfeet and the turned away……or the

success of having Rus get him hisfirst trout on a fly.

Then, in June, many of you helpedus raise the money to send DavidPalasky and his 16 year old sonAnthony to a national PHW waterevent on the Smith River inMontana. GRTU raised the moneyfor travel and expenses and the gearneeded to send David and Anthonyto Helena where Lewis and ClarkOutfitters met them and took themon a three day float through one ofthe most remote and beautiful of the Wild and Scenic Rivers in the lower48. We’re hoping David andAnthony will be at the Octobermeeting with their picture andstories to tell.

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Our PHW program is just in itsbeginning stages. While wemanaged to get two woundedwarriors on the river this year, ouron base tying and casting programsare just in their beginning stages. This year we hope to establish aregular on-base presence and torecruit 4-6 wounded warriors thatwe will teach the basics of flyfishingand will use the tying and castingactivities as physical therapy fortheir rehabilitation. Our tentativeplan is to have a GRTU PHWouting over the April meetingweekend, at which time we willbring our wounded hero’s to theriver for a chapter event.

We still need a couple of things toget the PHW program off theground. Volunteers and money,probably in that order. Weparticularly are going to need thevolunteers to be able to staff aregular (weekly or bi-weekly)presence for tying and castingclasses at Brooke Army MedicalCenter. And, we’re going to needmoney to be able to fundtransportation and gear for ourwounded warrior fishing programs. The call for donations I put out inJune to fund the Smith River outingwas very well answered by GRTUmembers, considering we were notin our main fishing season. Weraised most of the money neededto fund David and Anthony’s tripbut could still use a few moremember donations to get out PHWaccount in good shape for thisseason. Once we have a wellestablished PHW program,including both the on-base and off-base activities, I intend to pursue

larger corporate donations to helpus insure the long term continuity ofthe program. So, along with yourmembership dues this year, I’d likeyou to consider throwing in a fewextra bucks and marking on yourapplication, or your check, thatthese funds are designated for theGRTU Project Healing WatersProgram.

If you have questions about PHW,you can direct them to Jeff Schmittat GRTU or Lloyd Matthews, whois heading up the Alamo Fly FishersPHW efforts.

GRTU Lease AccessProgram Looks Forward to

Another Great TroutSeason

bySteve Stilp

VP of Membership

Our GRTU 2008-2009 LeaseAccess Program provides manyaccess points on the river and iseffective November 1st 2008through October 31, 2009.Several of these access points areannual, meaning you have fishingaccess to the river year round.

Members can sign up spouses athalf price and sign up their children(ages 10-17) at no additional cost.What a wonderful opportunity tospend time with your children on theriver.

We will be stocking the river laterthis fall and will continue to stockthe river over the year. As a LeaseAccess Member you will benotified via e-mail when the

stockings and other activities takeplace. Additionally, you will haveaccess to our private online“Forum” where you can askquestions and get answers.

Go to our web site:WWW.GRTU.ORG and click onmembership. Our site is active formembership sign up and acceptscredit cards. You can also renewyour National TU Membership onour website. If you have questionsclick on CONTACTS and e-mailyour Area Rep or call.

• Our mission:Conserve, Protectand Restore coldwater troutfisheries

• Three GeneralMeetings per year

• Hands on troutstocking

• River conservationprojects

• C o m m u n i t ye d u c a t i o nprograms thatinclude womenand children

• Work with localand stategovernments onenvironmental andc o n s e r v a t i o nissues

If I can be of help please contactme: Steve.Stilp@grtu.org. We arelooking forward to seeing you onthe river.

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The Guadalupe RiverChapter of

Trout UnlimitedHonorary Life Members

The following distinguished members of GRTU have been designated, some posthumously, as Honorary LifeMembers of the Chapter for their exceptional contributions to our work. This honor is reserved for commendatory

recognition of individuals whose personal service contributions to the Chapter are deemed to have had outstandingimpact in advancing Chapter and TU objectives.

Clement W BirdAlan BrayBill CobbDick FintaRupert GreshamHoward IttenWilliam A. (Bill) JohnsonJames W KeetonBob Newman

Chad OliverIrving O’NealWilliam C. (Bill) PabstJ. Bill ParvinBasden L. (Bud) Priddy, MDGlenn RichardsonJeff SchmittDavid SchroederMrs. Hazel Schubauer

Lt. Col. Paul A. Schubauer (Ret.)Betsy StoryBob StoryMarian TilsonBilly TrimbleR.E. (Bob) TuttleJim VynalekWilliam G. (Bill) WestT.B. (Tom) Whitehouse

GRTU Outreach toNew Mexico

Our 2008 Coldwater OutreachConservation grant was awarded tothe Truchas Chapter of TroutUnlimited (TCTU) in New Mexicofor a project on Los AlamitosCreek. Los Alamitos Creek currentis one of the few streams in NewMexico that retains a pure strain ofRio Grande cutthroat trout that havenot yet been encroached on by non-native trout (rainbows and browns)due to an aging head gate on anirrigation gate on the creek. TheTCTU project would replace thataging structure with a permanentbarrier that would insure that thesecutthroat trout remain protectedfrom encroachment. Not only willthe project protect a native cutthroatfishery on Los Alamitos creek, thesetrout are particularly important, asthey may become the seed fish for

replanting other New Mexicostreams that have already lost mostof the native trout due to suchencroachment. Once those streamsare cleared of the non-native fishes,the cutthroats in Los Alamitos Creekcan then be used for replanting ofthese other streams.

The COC grant GRTU provided toTCTU is a bit different than ourprevious two COC grants, where weproviding funding to buy materialsfor the project. In this case, theCOC monies will be used to fundthe NEPA (National Environmental

Policy Act) study needed to get apermit to construct the barrier. While the environmental impact isexpect to be minimal and positive,the project has to be permitted andthe process is complex andexpensive. And, while it is possiblefor TCTU to raise the funds neededto actually construct the barrier froma variety of sources, funds for theenvironmental impact study neededto improve the project are harder tocome by. Therefore, GRTU’sfunding of the NEPA study wasparticularly appreciated by TCTU. It is hoped that the study can becompleted in time to construct thebarrier next summer. In fact, theremay be an opportunity for GRTUmembers to actually help with thebarrier construction, if any membersare interested in a field trip to NewMexico.

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One of Bill’s happy teenage clients shows the results of fishing an egg patternon a double nymph rig during the high Guadalupe flows of early 2005.

Fly Fishing theGuadalupe Tailrace

byBill Higdon, GRTU VP of

Fisheries

[Editor’s Note: Bill Higdon has livedon the Guadalupe River for nearly adecade, fished it for 15 years, andguided fly fishers on it on almost a dailybasis for the last nine years. For thisspecial 40th anniversary issue of theGRTU newsletter, Bill has taken timefrom his busy schedule to capture andrecord a summary of the things he’slearned from all those hours on theriver. We now pass them along to you,our fellow members of GRTU.]

Since I became the GRTU Vice Presidentof Fisheries, I’ve had lots of our GRTUchapter and lease members contact meby phone or e-mail, asking my adviceon what they can do to be moreeffective in catching trout on the river.So here, in capsule form, is a summaryof my suggestions. I hope that youwill find them helpful.

One of the best pieces of advice I cangive you is to get a copy of Fly Fishingthe Tailwaters by Ed Engle (StackpoleBooks, 1991). It may be out of printnow, but is available from used booksellers. Most of the comments madehere are echoed in Ed’s book. Isometimes refer to it as the instructionmanual for the Guadalupe tailrace. Flows: Rivers below dams are referredto as tailwaters or tailraces. Thecontrolled release of water from areservoir into the river below oftenmoderates extreme flows from the upperriver in times heavy rains, provides forincreased water flow during dryperiods, clears the water, and provideshigher levels of nutrients. This makesfor great trout habitat year round. The exception on the Guadalupe Riveris that several diversion dams arescattered throughout the first 13 milesof the tailrace. In the summer months,

when the air temperatures reach into thehigh 90’s, what is normally a greatholding spot for feeding trout becomesmuch less likely to hold trout. Adiversion dam in the summer monthshas the warmest water flowing over thetop of the dam which means the waterbelow will have elevated temperatures.Trout will move further downstream tothe cooler water.

Wading is a little more slippery in atailwater, especially below water-storage reservoirs. The more uniformflow created by the water releaseencourages the growth of algae andother aquatic vegetation. The water isalso clearer because of the regular flowand the added light that is available forphotosynthesis. In addition, the wateris drawn from the bottom layers of thereservoir, which tends to be rich with

13

nutrients from organic debris on thefloor of the reservoir bottom. TheGuadalupe has been flowingconsistently around 200 cfs since June,so the consistent flows have made itunusually slippery. Insects: Since the Guadalupe River’swater and flows are similar to othertailwaters, you might guess that theinsects that inhabit the river a similaras well, and that would be true. Insectsin the Guadalupe tailrace that arecommon in other tailrace fisheriesinclude Blue Winged Olives (BWOs),Pale Morning Duns (PMDs), Caddis,and Tricos. Although many trout are taken on dryfly imitations of the insects mentionedabove, trout spend anywhere from 80-90 percent of their time feeding belowthe surface on the immature forms ofaquatic insects. The point here is: don’tforget the nymph and midge box whenyou fish the Guadalupe tailrace! Rigs and Technique: What I’ve foundto be the most productive method forcatching trout on the Guadalupe isnymphing. Since our trout seem tospend so much of their time on or nearthe bottom of the river, the key is todevelop a setup that takes into accountthe depth at which you are fishing. Iuse a dropper setup with a strikeindicator. It consists of a floating flyline with a seven to nine foot leader.The indicator is placed about 11/2 - 2times the depth of the water I am fishingat the time. In other words, if you arefishing 3' depth of water, your indicatorshould be about 41/2'- 6' up the leaderfrom the top fly. If you are using a splitshot (which I usually place about 4-6”above the top fly), then the indicatorshould be that far about the split shot.The top fly is used as an attractor,something to get their attention.Normally I use a size #14-16 for the topfly. The dropper fly is much smaller, asize #18-22. This fly is what I call troutcandy. You would be amazed at thenumber 18"- 26" trout that are caughton a #22 size fly.

That’s the basic nymphing setup, butremember why I use it — it’s to get theflies down to where the trout are. Soif you’re not getting hook-ups, godeeper. Add weight until you finallyhit bottom, then back off a little. I think,one of the reasons trout eat sub-surfacefood 80-90% of the time is, they aremore likely to take food below them thanabove. Change flies often. This mayseem hard to do, especially on thosecold, overcast February mornings whenyour fingers just don’t want to work,but if the trout don’t take your fly inten casts, the odds are they won’t ever. Line control is a must. You will hearthat you must have a dead-drift to beeffective. You want a controlled drift,not always a dead drift. Sometimes youwant to agitate your nymphs. If you’rein a slow moving section of the river,giving the nymphs some action can helpthe fishing. If you think about it, lotsof fish are caught on the swing, at theend of the drift when the fly begins toget down stream tension bringing theflies off the bottom, enticing a strike. Itis the movement of the fly that enticesthe strike. Holding Lies: Where do trout hold onthe “Guad”? Trout hold and feed onthe edges of horizontal columns ofwater. What I mean by this is, you mayhave as many as three columns of watermoving at different velocities. Thewater may be moving at a highervelocity (moving faster) 4' from yourposition, a slower column 8' from yourposition, and then fast again 12' fromyour position. This can be caused bythe depth of the water, a pocket of slowmoving water behind a rock, or otherfactors that affect the current. There aremany different things that can affect theflow of water but if you focus on thewater you can see the different columnsof velocity. Trout are lazy and big troutare lazier, so you will find them on theedge of a faster moving column layingin the slower moving column, wherethey can move out into a faster column,where the food will be drifting, and thenback to the slower water, where they donot have to expend as much energy.

Watch for bubble lines, this is usuallywhere the most food is in the drift. Catch and Release: Land your fish asquickly as possible. If you must take apicture, wet your hands, handle gently,don’t squeeze the fish. Take a deepbreath, and hold it, if you have toexhale, you’ve had the fish out of thewater too long. An option tophotograph the fish is, move to thebank or very shallow water whilelanding the fish and then take yourphoto with the fish in the water next toyour foot. I must warn you, you cannotexaggerate the size if it’s next to yourfoot. You can also remove the flywithout ever taking the fish out of thewater. One last thing, River Etiquette. It is justcommon sense. Never wade or floatinto another angler’s vicinity, nevercrowd, even if he’s catching one onevery cast. Ask if you can float aroundor give him a wide berth when wadingaround. Move at least 100', let merepeat that 100', let me repeat that onemore time 100', above or below him/herbefore fishing. It is not that far. Justten basketball goals. If you are theangler catching the fish, net 4-5 fish andthen move on and let someone elsehave a shot. Even if no other angler iswaiting, or around, net a few fish andmove on.

If you use the Tips & Tricks above,you’ll hook up on more fish at differentlocations. The idea is to fish the wholestream not just one hole. You will learnmuch more by fishing lots of habitat.

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The Guadalupe River Chapter of Trout Unlimited 2008-2009

GRTU January 24, 2009 Meeting“Guidance from the Guides:

Fishing the Guad from the Perspective of Those Who Guide on the River” Banning Collins, Alvin Dedeaux & Kevin Stubbs

Three Raffle Drawings: A day of fishing with each guide

Lease Access Orientation & Social Hour Begin at 9 AMBusiness Meeting and Presentation Begin at 10 AM

Lunch and Raffles at NoonGuide Clinic to follow with technique and equipment demos

GRTU Officers and Board of Directors

President Greg Neubauer 281-856-0546 grtu-president@grtu.orgVP Chapter Affairs Andy Niland 210-355-8088 chapteraffairs@grtu.orgVP Fisheries Bill Higdon 830-964-5565 Bill.Higdon@grtu.orgVP Membership Steve Stilp 512-784-6013 Steve.Stilp@grtu.orgTreasurer Phil Dopson 512-708-1616 Phil.Dopson@grtu.orgSecretary Joe Filer 210-654-6220 Joe.Filer@grtu.orgEx Officio Mick McCorcle 972-569-9134 Mick.McCorcle@grtu.orgDirector Gary Burns 713-249-7764 Gary.Burns@grtu.orgDirector Corby Bittner 512-914-8309 Corby.Bittner@grtu.orgDirector Gary Cobb 512-257-0397 Gary.Cobb@grtu.orgDirector Mark Hazelgrove 210-658-3999 Mark.Hazelgrove@grtu.orgDirector Gary Lehman 210-394-2833 Gary.Lehman@grtu.orgDirector Doug Kierklewski 512-250-0840 Doug.Kierklewski@grtu.orgDirector Ron McAlpin 830-980-8043 Ron.McAlpin@grtu.orgDirector Ted Mendrek 512-507-6626 Ted.Mendrek@grtu.orgDirector Jim Roberts 210-826-2766 Jim.Roberts@grtu.orgDirector Bob Runion 830-537-5129 Bob.Runion@grtu.orgDirector Dennis Sheppard 512-965-6394 Dennis.Sheppard@grtu.org

Regional RepresentativesVP Membership Steve Stilp 512-784-6013 Steve.Stilp@grtu.orgAustin/Central Texas Dennis Sheppard 512-965-6394 Dennis.Sheppard@grtu.orgDallas/North Texas Roger Turner 214-475-1551 Roger.Turner@grtu.orgHouston/East Texas Gary Burns 713-249-7764 Gary.Burns@grtu.org

New Braunfels Tiffany Fluitt 830-625-4440 Tiffany.Fluitt@grtu.org San Antonio/West Texas Karen Gebhardt 830-980-7580 Karen.Gebhardt@grtu.org

Other PositionsNewsletter Editor Mick McCorcle 972-569-9134 grtunews@grtu.orgTU Liaison Corby Bittner 512-914-8309 Corby.Bittner@grtu.orgInfo Tech Chair Greg Neubauer 281-856-0546 grtu-president@grtu.orgConservation Chair Gary Cobb 512-719-6011 gary.cobb@grtu.orgNLC Representative Mick McCorcle 972-569-9134 grtunews@grtu.orgEducation Chair Karen Gebhardt 830-980-7580 Karen.Gebhardt@grtu.org

15

The Guadalupe River Chapter of Trout UnlimitedHonors Our

Century Club MembersThe following have contributed $100 or more for GRTU programs, including the Guadalupe River Legal DefenseFund, in addition to their supporting membership donations and lease access fees. Please note: This list is only

current as of press time; we apologize to members added after that date.

In the Hills Fishing ExcursionsBill Higdon

1854 Ponderosa

Canyon Lake, TX 78133

830-964-5565

www.inthehillsfishing.com

FLY FISHING THE BEAUTIFUL RIVERS OF THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY FOR TROUT, BASS, ANDPANFISH FROM A RAFT OR DRIFT BOAT

Coming Soon: The Guadalupe River Lodge, an exclusive fishing lodge on the Guadalupe River

Check our website for the latest details on this new venture

David BairdBob BlairRandy BlandAndre BoutteDuane BrandtAlan BrayWalter BrownGary BurnsWalter CarverSam CastleberryMark CavenderMichael CollinsPhil DopsonOscar DupreJoe FilerJay ForrestMalcolm FreemanKaren GebhardtMichael Gieringer

James HalbertRobert HeineReed HelmlyMilton HerrmannRandy HooverRalph JenkinsTodd KremersLloyd MathewsMark McCollumMick McCorcleMichael McCoyMark McCurleyScott MillerDoug MingCliff MossDennis NaidusGreg & Gretchen NeubauerAndy NilandCraig Norton

Sam PateGeorge PrigginsDouglas RagsdaleAdam RobertsMichael RotmanAlbert SandersJeff SchmittWilliam SpencerPeter StilesSteve StilpKim StoddardR. David Telling, JrRobert Thomas.Rafael TorresCraig TownsendDouglas TrotmanRoger TurnerDouglas WageJeff Wooley

16

Guadalupe RiverChapter of Trout

UnlimitedPO Box 536

Austin, TX 78767

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAIDAUSTIN, TX 78767PERMIT NO. 1627

GRTU NewsletterPublication dates: January, April, and October to over4,000 Trout Unlimited members in Texas.

With regard to your membership, change ofaddress, not recieving Trout magazine, or other

matters, write, phone, or E-mail:Trout Unlimited

1300 North 17th St., Suite 500Arlington, VA 22209-3800

Phone: (703) 522-0200Fax: (703) 284-9400E-mail: trout@tu.org

Worldwide Web: http://www.tu.org/trout/Membership Phone: 1-800-834-2419Membership E-mail: sdavison@tu.org

12 noon - 5PM Eastern Time

ContactsGreg Neubauer, President, Houston, TX, (281) 856-0546,grtupresident@grtu.com; Mick McCorcle, NewsletterEditor, (210) 913-4177, grtunews@grtu.org.

Advertising RatesAd sizes: Business card size, 1/4, 1/2 and full page. Rates:Business card- $75 for 1 issue, $125 for 2 issues, $175 for3 issues; 1/4 page- $90 for 1 issue, $140 for 2 issues, $200for 3 issues; 1/2 page- $150 for 1 issue, $250 for 2 issues,$375 for 3 issues; full page- $275 for 1 issue, $450 for 2issues, $625 for 3 issues. Ad Copy: Camera-ready blackand white. Ad copy deadlines: January artwork due De-cember 1; April artwork due March 1; October artworkdue September 1. Payment: Due with artwork. Make checkspayable to Guadalupe River Chapter, TU. Mail to GRTU c/o Phil Dopson, Chapter Treasurer, at PO Box 536, Austin,TX 78767.