A Land Before Time
Crystalline water can be both a blessing and a curse. You can see the fish, but they can usually see you as well. Advantage: fish. Central Texas’s San Gabriel River is about as clear as they come.
It would have helped if these fish were the exception to the rule, but they were not. However, when I could sneak in without being detected and make a suitable cast, my odds improved dramatically.
Rio Grande cichlids are notoriously picky, and catching them often requires both stealth and patience. “Rios” don’t like to travel far from their comfort zone, which is often associated with some type of rocky structure. Using this to my advantage, I had crawled up onto a large undercut boulder that rose above a deep hole. From my perch I could see sunfish of various sizes swimming along a limestone shelf that transected the pool. As one of the smaller fish swam near the boulder, a big cichlid rushed out and drove it away. I waited until the Rio had retreated under the rock before attempting to cast.
I dropped the fly quietly onto the water, then worked it slowly into position by guiding it along the flat rock shelf, moving it just a few inches at a time and then letting it sit for a few seconds. The Rio hiding beneath the boulder soon dashed out to inspect the fly, circling my offering but not taking it. When the fish had lost interest in the fly, I would move it a few inches. The fish would then rush back to inspect the fly again, but I could not elicit a strike. This went on and on. I tried many different proven local patterns, but got the same result.
Contemplating defeat and ready to move upriver, I noticed a smaller cichlid actively feeding along the base of another rock across the pool. This fish appeared to picking some form of small larvae off the sides of the stones. Looking through my box, I selected a tiny green/black nymph, a general attractor pattern that had been working well for me all summer for trout.
Employing the same tactic as before, I worked the little fly back to the boulder. As it sank, the fish rushed out but missed, and the tiny pattern settled in the silt on top of the ledge. The cichlid spun quickly and hovered above where the fly had disappeared. With a flutter of its fins, the fish flushed the debris from the fly and plucked it off the rock. As the colorful cichlid rushed from the cloud of silt and back to its hideout, I set the hook. The fight on my light-line fiberglass rod was just icing on the cake.
Sliding the hand-size panfish into my net, I realized that my patience had paid off, and that’s often the key to catching these exotic-looking fish. A close-up inspection of a Rio Grande cichlid reveals a startling and unique beauty. The long, flowing fins and the hundreds of tiny turquoise spots sprinkled over the black, green, and silver body remind me of a moonless night sky in the Texas backcountry. Combine their stunning appearance and propensity for being ultra-selective, and you can see why Rios have generated something of a cult following among fly anglers.
Rio Grande cichlids are just one of the many different species of fish that inhabit the San Gabriel River. Bluegills, along with longear, redbreast, and green sunfish, are plentiful; shellcrackers and warmouth are less common. The river’s sunfish are dazzlingly colorful, and they share the river with largemouth and Guadalupe bass, which terrorize the abundant baitfish.
Search for largemouth along the deeper, slower sections of the river and in the park areas where the river has been impounded, such as in San Gabriel Park in Georgetown. Work likely-looking areas with baitfish and crayfish imitations. Bass in the shallow and sometimes non-perennial upper reaches of the river are typically small.
Guadalupe bass prefer a bit of current, where they ambush prey by hiding along tight river bends and boulders—the same kind of water where you might find trout in a cold-water stream. In fact, fly anglers who consistently catch Guadalupe bass are well primed for high-country brookies and cutthroat. The San Gabriel’s Guadalupe bass are largely hybridized with spotted bass, and increasingly so as you progress down the river. Regardless of their genetics, they are a great sport fish, and what they may lack in size they make up for in aggressiveness.
Urban Fly Fishing
The San Gabriel River is located just minutes from downtown Austin and flows directly through the sprawling suburb of Georgetown. Accessing the stream sometimes means parking at shopping malls and along the edges of major roadways. You’ll probably incite surprised looks from people who see you stringing your fly rod as they search for a parking spot.
The hustle and bustle of city life seem to melt away once you reach the river. I have fished directly below Interstate 35 and found solitude and great fishing. And the South Fork San Gabriel offers even more solitude than the main stem and North Fork, because it flows through a shallow canyon where densely vegetated cliffs seem to absorb all of the surrounding noise. Plus, the San Gabriel is remarkably clean and clear, which also seems at odds with the urban setting, yet you can enjoy great fishing just minutes from a downtown hotel room.
Naturally, the farther you get away from easy access points, the better the fishing, especially because the fish tend to be a lot spookier in heavily fished areas. These fish have had everything from live night crawlers to Rat-L-Traps thrown at them, so wearing out some boot leather often greatly increases your success.
South Fork San Gabriel
The South Fork might well be one of the best places to take young anglers fishing, and it’s not all about the fish. The limestone bottom that makes the upper headwaters so clear is also pockmarked with dinosaur tracks—a real treat for visitors of all ages, but kids seem to really love exploring this paleontological wonderland. So, don’t be disappointed if the parking lot is full. Most of the cars carry families out sightseeing and looking for dino tracks.
One of the best places to view the tracks is upstream from the US Highway 183 crossing just south of Liberty Hill. A well-used parking area occupies the median just south of the bridge. Hike upriver about 400 yards to find a spot where it appears a large group of plant-eating sauropods crossed the river. Farther upriver, a three-toed, bipedal therapod left a trail of 10 or so tracks that disappear beneath a limestone ledge. Above this set of tracks, the river sees less recreational traffic from families and swimmers and therefore the fishing tends to get better.
The many pools of the upper river hold lots of eager panfish that are more than willing to smash small foam terrestrials and poppers. Who doesn’t enjoy good top-water action, especially with such colorful fish? It never gets old, especially when you can see the fish coming in the clear water. This section of the South Fork holds some of the river’s most colorful sunfish—some of the longears have a turquoise sheen.
In many areas you can find spring seeps that trickle from the rocks and provide refuge within their fern-filled banks for salamanders and leopard frogs. Flipping rocks can produce crayfish or even an ill-tempered hellgrammite. Pair the dinosaur tracks with clear, shallow water and good fishing and you can see why this would be a great place for a young angler to explore.
North Fork San Gabriel
The North Fork begins much like the South Fork, as a small, shallow, spring-fed, limestone-bottom Hill Country stream. However, the river is soon captured in a series of impoundments, the largest being 1,297-acre Lake Georgetown. During years with adequate flows, the North Fork draws an early-spring run of white bass out of Lake Georgetown. River flows determine how far the white bass can migrate upriver, as a series of small barriers can impede their progress. The spawning run often begins in February, as the smaller males head upstream. Larger females follow a few weeks later. The run timing is dependent upon many factors, but usually peaks in mid-March.
White bass feed heavily on shad and other small baitfish throughout the year, so imitations in white, silver, and chartreuse are solid choices. Clouser Minnows and Micro Game Changers, fished deep, have been very productive for me. These patterns also catch the river’s resident largemouth. White bass are prolific and are great table fare, so don’t feel guilty over keeping a few.
Public access is plentiful on the North Fork’s reservoirs. While many sections are wadable, a kayak or float tube is advantageous, allowing you to fish prime water where the largest fish lurk. Search for largemouth bass around submerged rocks, fallen trees, and overgrown banks, but prospecting in open water can be productive as well, especially where the bottom drops off into the original river channel.
The Main Stem
The North and South Forks merge in the heart of Georgetown, at San Gabriel Park. Here, the river is dammed to form a half-mile-long impoundment. This is a great place foranglers with personal kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs), which allow excellent access to fish all the best water for large bass. The low-water crossing at the upper end of the narrow reservoir provides multiple launch sites.
A bulkhead runs the length of the north bank through the park, from the low-water crossing to the dam, providing lots of shore-fishing access. Consequently, this side of the lake sees considerably more fishing pressure, so if you have watercraft, focus your efforts along the south bank. Wading anglers can also fish the park section, as well as plenty of stretches on both forks of the river upstream from the reservoir. A paved trail follows the North Fork upstream from the park, providing even more access.
However, if you want catch Rio Grande cichlids, head down below the dam at San Gabriel Park and fish around big boulders. Shaded areas below overhanging trees are also prime spots. Below the park, kayakers and canoeists can float many miles of the river. Get a copy of Aaron Reed’s The Local Angler: Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas, an excellent, detailed guidebook covering central Texas that provides coordinates for all of the access points along the San Gabriel, and includes intriguing local history.
Flies and Guides
I like heavily weighted streamers for bass, and I often employ the tried-and-true tactic of sinking a heavy fly into deep holes and working it with a stop-and-go retrieve. Black/green or crawfish-colored jig-style streamers are especially effective for this technique. Baitfish patterns, such as Bennett’s Brunch Monkey and Micro Game Changers, are very effective as well, especially for white bass during the spring run. Largemouth bass are often mixed in with the white bass, so sometimes a big bucketmouth will attack your shad-imitating pattern.
Panfish are rarely super selective, but they can be especially easy targets if your flies match the insects you see along the banks. Grasshopper and caddisfly imitations are excellent for longear sunfish. Redbreast and green sunfish love small crawfish patterns, which also work well for Guadalupe bass and spotted bass.
For oft-tightlipped Rio Grande cichlids, it pays to carry an assortment of locally developed patterns. Bennett’s Rio Getter, designed by local professional tier Matt Bennett (@flygeekmatt), is one of my favorites, as is Johnson’s Rio Bandito. When Rios are exceedingly picky, switch to a beadhead annelid pattern in black, red, or green and, most importantly, fish stealthily.
If you are visiting the area or simply have a narrow time window, you can’t beat a guided outing on the San Gabriel (or other area waters, such as Brushy Creek) with one of the guides from Living Waters Fly Fishing, located in nearby Round Rock. Owner Chris Johnson is a skilled fly dresser who has designed many excellent patterns for local waters. Stop at the shop to stock up and to get the latest intel on the San Gabriel—a little slice of heaven amid urban sprawl.
S. Seth Davis is a Texas-based writer and photographer, and a regular contributor to American Fly Fishing magazine.
Bennett’s Brunch Monkey
Hook: Ahrex NS172, sizes 6‒8
Thread: White Veevus, 140-denier
Eyes: Small or extra-small black double-pupil lead eyes
Tail: White/yellow/olive Hareline Micro Groovy Bunny Zonker strip
Legs: Barred white Chicone Micro Crusher Legs
Head/body: White, silver minnow belly, lavender, yellow, and light olive Senyo’s Laser Dub
Shad spot: Black Sharpie marker
Bennett’s Rio Getter
Hook: Gamakatsu B10S, size 10
Eyes: Small black brass eyes
Thread: Brown Veevus, size 12/0
Tail/wing: Grizzly marabou or chickabou
Rib: Small chartreuse Ultra Wire
Dubbing: Sculpin olive Whitlock SLF Dubbing
Legs: Root beer Hareline Micro Legs
Head: Coat with UV resin
San Gabriel River
NOTEBOOK
When: March‒November. You can always walk and wade, but check river levels before floating. The white bass run begins in February and peaks mid-March. Rio Grande cichlid don’t like cold weather, so fishing is best mid-spring through mid-autumn.
Where: Central TX, just north of Austin.
Access: Lots of walk-and-wade fishing, along with excellent prospects by kayak/canoe/SUP.
Headquarters: Georgetown offers all services and amenities.
Appropriate gear: 2- to 5-wt. rods (depending on species), floating lines.
Useful fly patterns: Bass: Bennett’s Brunch Monkey, Micro Game Changer, micro crawfish patterns, small white/green Clouser Minnows. Sunfish/cichlids: Bennett’s Rio Getter, Johnson’s Rio Bandito, small poppers, hoppers, caddisfly patterns, small BH annelids (black, red, olive).
Necessary accessories: Sunscreen, wide-brimmed hat, face shield, lightweight clothes (camo helps), polarized sunglasses, sturdy wading boots or shoes.
Fly shops/guides: Round Rock: Living Waters Fly Fishing, (512) 828-3474, www.livingwatersflyfishing.com.
Nonresident license: $16/1 day, $58/annual.
Books: The Local Angler: Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas by Aaron Reed; Fly Fishing the Texas Hill Country by Kevin Hutchison.
