Texas Chapter Trout Unlimited
Editor: Bob Tuttle 207 Finn Austin, TX 78734
(512) 261‑4409
Contributors; Jim Vynalek Erik Bataille Hildy
Johnson
OFFICERS President: Erik Bataille 250‑9194
VP Chapter Affairs: Alan Bray 263‑9619
VP Fishing Affairs: Mike Small 258‑0946
Secretary/Treasurer: Bob Story 327‑6381
Recording Secretary: Barbara Parvin
DIRECTORS
Clem Bird Jeff Schmitt
David Hotz Marian Tilson
Irving O'Neal Miller White
Chad Oliver *Jim Vynalek
Cyndie Schmitt (Net'‑ TU Dir)
*EX Officio
October 1992 Notice of Annual Fall Meeting &
Newsletter
DATE: SATURDAY OCTOBER 24,1992
PLACE: St. Thomas Church Activity Center
adjacent to the church [Just below Canyon Dam on River Road] ‑Sattler,
Texas. TIME: 10.00 AM ‑ Registration & Socializing
10:30 to 11:00 ‑ Meeting Business
Raffle of SAGE 4 PIECE FLY ROD (See Raffle
Insert Sheet)
Program 11:00 ‑ 12:00 ±
LUNCH:(optional) 12:30 ‑ Barbecue Du Jour,
Various Salads, Ranch Beans, Chips, Bread, Relish, possibly some unusual
desserts and maybe a choice of wines. Delicacies gladly accepted! Margaret Ann,
Helen, Betsy et al are to be congratulated for their participation. Don't
forget to feed the "kitty" on your way through the line.
DIRECTORS MEETING 1:30 PM
THE PROGRAM Irving O'Neal, our program director, has planned
another Silent Auction, this one with a new twist. Along with donated items
that benefit the Chapter, you have the option of selling items for your own
benefit with a 20% commission going to the chapter. You get 80% of the
proceeds. Bring your fishing related gear, sporting equipment, and just about
anything appropriate. Fill the tables with items you no longer need and take
home items of great value. Start gathering the plunder now! Be sure to bring
small denomination $$ as we have run out of change at previous auctions.
Erik Bataille our current Kingfish, had lined up
Steve Magnelia from Texas Parks & Wildlife to explain the great new trout
program that has just been approved but that has been postponed until our
January 23rd meeting when Dave Terre will join him to address our group.
Jim "The Traveler" Vynalek has
promised to show color slides from some of his most memorable fishing trips.
This will be a 2 star program ... don't miss
this one!
A REMINDER....
Time once again for voluntary Chapter dues and
Lease Permit cards. Included are the forms for dues and the lease permit
applications
Remember .... your membership in National Trout
Unlimited governs your participation in Chapter activities. Keep, your TU
membership current. As usual the number of Lease Permits is limited,, first
come first served. Only Permit holders will be advised of trout stockings,
available leases, and other information that will not appear in the newsletter.
In order not to overwhelm our
Secretary/Treasurer at the meeting when paying dues or buying raffle tickets,
please bring smaller denominations and be sure to keep National dues separate
from other payments. Checks will be accepted. Better yet, mail in your
payments.
AT THE LAST MEETING....
The weather was cool, cloudy and delightful. Joe
Robinson held his casting clinic out under a few trees on the Church's parking
lot. Joe kept the smaller than expected group's attention riveted for over an
hour and a half. Dining and between dazzling casts he kept up a running commentary
of fishing tips and observations. This was a world class program. Unfortunately
there were some previous commitment conflicts that kept many members from
attending. Hopefully we will be able to have Joe back at another meeting.
The raffle of the 4 piece Sage travel rod outfit
was won by Past President Howard Itten who has in the past donated many items
to the Chapter.
At the director's meeting it was decided to
present 3 picnic tables to St. Thomas Church in memory of former Chapter
members.
NEW NORTH TEXAS CHAPTER FORMED ....
A new TU chapter, The Brazos River Chapter, has
been chartered in north Texas to better serve the Dallas/Fort Worth area
members of Trout Unlimited. "Headquarters" will be in Azle, midway
between the two cities.
Officers of the new Chapter are: President‑
David Hurdle, Vice President‑ Perry Corder, and Secretary/ TreasurerAdele
Hooks. Directors: John Erdtman, Fred Clingerman, David Vanderwerken, Jerry
Ward, Bob Andrews, and Jerry Cargill.
As suggested by its name, the primaary goal of
the new chapter will be to help improve the Brazos River trailrace trout
fishery below Possum Kingdom Lake. TU members in north Texas who are interested
in affiliating with this new chapter should contact:
Dave Hurdle
PO BOX 1201
AZLE, TEXAS 76098 (817) 925‑5759
At this time, Chapter meetings are scheduled for
November and February. Exact dates and places
will be forthcoming.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE ......
Anyone who saw the September 7, 1992 front page
Statesman beheld a bittersweet picture of our beloved Guadalupe River. The
photo shows a kayaker paddling down river amongst the tall trees. The water
looks crystal clear. The sad fact of the photograph is that the foreground is
littered with leer cans and other debris. This article describing incredible
litter drunkenness, nudity, obscenitv and unmentionable acts was shocking to
those of us who mainly frequent the river during the fall, winter and spring.
Folks, this is a shame. I don't know what we as TU'ers can do about the
rowdiness and trespassing of some of those who frequent the river in the
summer. I can ask, however, that each of our members carry a plastic trash bag
along with them on their visits to the river.
If one of us would spend just a few minutes each
fishing tri on the river picking up some cans and other trash, we can make a
large contribution to the cleanup of the river. I know that many of you have
and do spend time cleaning up our leases and I applaud you for your efforts.
We need also to respect private property along
the river.
On a more positive note, it looks as though the
"monsoons" have subsided and we can put some more fish back in the
river.
Last year we decided to stock earlier in
November. Stocking in November proved to be such a good idea that we will
probably consider it again this year.
Texas Parks & Wildlife biologists Steve
Magnelia and Mike Costello (who spoke at our January meeting) have had their
three year study proposal of the Guadalupe River approved! Steve is Zted to
speak at the upcoming meeting about what TU members can do to help and
TP&W's ultimate goal to create a "Trophy" fishery. Rather than
disclose more and spoil his presentation, I urge you to come to the meeting and
hear what he has to say.
In the meantime, let us all do our part and
release those trout we catch. Especially the ones over 16 inches.
I would like to welcome The Brazos River Chapter
of Trout Unlimited to our ranks! (See earlier article for particulars),
am looking forward to the 1992‑93 season.
Volunteers are needed to help with the various committees and projects. I will
be contacting many of you for help. If you wish to volunteer now, please
contact me Erik Bataille at (512) 250‑9194. Let us all make this the best
year ever ‑‑‑ Good Fishing!
TU INVOLVED IN ROBERT REDFORD MOVIE
Robert Redford's screen adaptation of Norman
Maclean's book "A River Runs Through IV' is scheduled to be released in
October. The book which became a best seller by word of mouth from one fly
fisherman to another, is set in western Montana on The Big Blackfoot River and
recaptures many fond fishing memories of the author.
Montana members of TU played significant roles
as advisors and consultants during the production of the film. As a result, the
production company is offering TU Chapters an opportunity to conduct fund
raising benefits in conjunction with the release of the movie.
GUADALUPE FISH CENSUS BY TP&WD
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department fisheries
biologist Steve Magnelia recently informed the Texas Chapter TU that a research
proposal involving, among other things, a fish census ‑for the Canyon
Lake tailrace- has been approved. While unusually high water has delayed the
project, however, it will begin the first week in October and include other
weekly samplings.
Texas
Chapter members may be called upon to assist in the project.
The project is designed to: 1) determine
oversurnmer survival of rainbown and
brown trout in
the Canyon Reservoir tailrace and 2) develop
baseline i.e, growth, length frequency data on the Canyon tailrace trout
population. (Along with other highly beneficial information, this can be
helpful with the Chapter's egg‑hatching project.) .
The proposal involved extensive preliminary
research and documentation by Steve Magnelia and Mike Costello, Fisheries
Biologists in San Marcos and Mathis, respectively. Their efforts and proposal
were approved by Phil Durocher, Chief Inland Fisheries, TP&WD. Principal
investigators on the project would be Dave Terre, Fisheries Biologist San
Marcos, as well as Costello and Magnelia, all of whom have extensive
backgrounds in trout fisheries.
Both Magnelia and Costello feel that if adequate
numbers of trout can avoid initial post‑stocking harvest and survive
through the summer, a more diverse fishery might be developed through changes
in management strategy. This might include restrictive angler regulations on
part of the tailrace or stocking specialized trout strains.
Their proposal noted that there are two methods
of electrofishing used in fish census research: PulsedDC or Continuous‑DC.
Pulsed is used extensively to sample stream trout populations. However, recent
high water has delayed begin the first week in weekly samplings. called upon to
assist in the project.
However, recent studies indicate that pulsed‑DC
current may cause serious spinal injuries in large (over 14") rainbow
trout. New electrofishing technolo nay minimize these injuries. However, this
technology has not been extensively tested and may induce equally serious
hemorrhage or spinal injuries. The consequences of these injuries to trout are
unknown. Continiuous‑DC electrofishing has been used without any
deleterious effects to trout.
Costello and Magnelia's proposal also noted that
while oversummer survival and growth of trout in the tailrace have been
documented, quantitative estimates of oversummer survival and recent estimates
of growth are unavailable. This information would aid in further developing the
trout fishery. If growth and survival are adequate, a trophy trout fishery
might be developed on a section of the tailrace through the use of restrictive
length limit.
SATTLER CITIZENS SORE....
about the trash buildup on the Guadalupe River
stated a recent article in The Austin American Statesman. TV news even carried
shots of the river. Several TU members have also reported that the Lease area
was a real mess. Cans, bottles,
Styrofoam, wearing apparel, paper, sun glasses,
etc. all over the ba river bottom. sun glasses to be primarily created by
tubers, boaters, rafters, and picnickers travelling down the river. Even though
they are on private property it makes no difference to the heedless. Drastic
actions by the community could even effect our group. We should state our stand
against these actions and offer some kind of help to community leaders.
WORD(Water Oriented Recreational District) of
Comal County has been doing their best by contacting the outfitters and
suppliers to the river riders and by promoting cleanups and furnishing
receptacles for the trash butt even with those efforts the problem remains.
WORD has replaced the washed away wire containers with sturdy 4 footsquare
boxes that were decorated by The Canyon Lake Art Guild. The boxes are being
used and are overflowing after a weekend according to Jim Inman director of
WORD. Inman also remarked that he could use an old fashioned snow shovel to aid
him when he empties those trash containers. Any northern people in the area who
could help him with this request.
As for our Leases, we might consider strongly
worded signage along the banks stating that the land is private and landing is
forbidden and perhaps string barbed wire along areas to further discourage
landings. All of this of course with the owner's permission. Something to think
about.
We should all do our part ... always carry our
trash when leaving and even pickup litter that is already there. Maybe after
one of our meetings, access permit holders might go down and police (cleanup)
the area as we have done in the past.
Testament of a Fisherman
"I fish because I love to: because I love
the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate
the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly:
because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties and assorted
posturing I thus escape: because in a world where most men seem to spend their
lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of
delight and an act of small rebellion: because trout do not lie or cheat and
cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude
in and humility and endless patience: because suspect that men are going along
this way for the last time, and I for one don t want to waste the trip because
mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters: because only in the woods
can I find solitude without loneliness: because bourbon out of an old tin cup
always tastes better out there: because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid:
and finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but
because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally
unimportant‑‑and not nearly so much fun."
By John Voelker AKA Robed Traver author of
"Anatorny of Murder."
FISHING TIPS DEPARTMENT....
These are the most productive lures in The
Guadalupe River, Texas (any comments?)
DRY WET
Red Fox Squirrel Nymph Blue Winged Olives
Picket Pin Elk Hair Caddis
Gold Ribbed Hare's Far Adams
Wooly Buggers
Caddis Pupa Imitations
Source: "A Fly Fisher's Guide to Rivers of
The Texas Hill Country" By: Bud
Priddy & The Alamo Fly Fishers, San Antonio. Texas