Thirteen TFFers sat down to dinner at Izaak’s Friday night. A lot of joking, planning, fly selection and general ribbing went on at that table. “All you can eat” fish was actually “more than you can eat.” Twelve of us met up at the Liver Saturday morning. Curtis Thomas, the owner of South Llano River Canoes, and Kayaks, was there to greet us and get us going. A quick shuttle and we were all on the river long before 0800. A nice leisurely paddle downstream, since the water was up slightly from last year, made the fishing more enjoyable. Before the TFFers had gone the first mile we already had a broken rod. A few miles further down we had our first swimmer. Towards the ¾ way mark we had a kayak with a major hole in it. A little bit of “MacGyver” and he was back on the water.The traffic on the river picked up towards the afternoon making fishing a challenge at times. Your backcast had to be clear at all times. I have no idea how many fish were caught. “A lot” is my best guess. A lesson I learned on this trip is to make sure to get past that first ½ of the float trip, no matter how good the water looks, because you will be forced to pass up even “fishier” water later. “Puck” Don C. Puckett Freshwater Chair Texas FlyFishers .
Are we ready to go yet
Are we ready to go yet, yes
At the livery getttin everything ready
Bear spotting the fish from above for Jude and Stacy
Rene hooked up
Rene looking for that perfect spot
Rene standing in the river with a bluff in the background
Scott fishing the shoreline
Scott sees a likely spot
Stacked up on the river
Stacy, Jude, John, Rene, finishing the one portage
Sunrise while waiting at the livery
The river
Another pair give up the ghost, and they were ONLY 4 years old
Another pair of favorite footwear bit the dust
Bear guiding from above
Bear is rally trying to help these guys catch fish
Cruising
Cruising through flatwater
Did John hook his pants, or a fish
Did Kelly find the honey hole
How many more can we get on there, Rene, Stacy, Ed, John, Shelby and Jude,
Is this another drop in front of us
John casting
John hooked a monster
John hooked up ------- sorta
John is working on his presentation
John's Rio Grand Perch, about to be set free
John's Rio Grand Perch
John's sucessful casting
Jude is moving to another spot
Jude Scott, Rene, and Stacy at the portage
Kellyh, Stacy, John, Scott, and Jude, the water was deeper than Stacy expected
Kelly's fine casting form, see the line dance
Kelly, Stacy, John, Scott, and Jude, the water was deeper than Stacy, swimmer, expected
Lillies1
Ready
Rene having some casting practice
Rene hooked up, again
Rene in a spring-fed backwater
Scot passing by a fishy spot
Scott and Jude seem to like this spot, and won't leave
Scott has a monster
Scott is BUFFed
Scott working a weed bed
Stacked up, again
The boys playing on the river
The rock bluff in the background
This is the old road that we had to Portage 1
This is the old road that we had to Portage on the downstream side
This is the old road that we had to Portage, upstream
Too tired to fish
Who is this with the red legs
Photography by Rene.
Bear enjoying the ride
Don easing along
Don showing us how it is done
Don taking a break
Jude Sharp taking a break
One of many bass caught on this fly
Rene' enjoying the fast water
Shelby Carpenter enjoying the ride
Stacy mastering the cast
Stacy Myers first fish on a fly rod
Stacys first Kayak ride
Talking things over