I've lived most of my adult life within the watershed of Onion Creek--a pretty good sized stream by dry Texas standards. Thirty years ago it was rural and
spring fed throughout almost all of its run, with deep pools of clear water separated by limestone and chalk rifles. I'd ride my mare to a deep pool in
the summers and we'd go for a swim. Overuse of the aquifer, extensive development, and an "exceptional drought" have rendered much of it an
algae choked trickle and I had limited hopes when the Scout Troop with which I'm a leader decided to camp on a ranch holding a part of Onion Creek. But
there was a small artificial lake on the place, so load the fly rods and the canoes, even though a cold front had come through the day before, the sky was
cloudless and the wind was blowing 20-30 mph.
No, there are still some nice spots and the fish decided to be hungry anyway:
I took somewhere between 20 and 30 fish in 2.5 hours between where I'm standing and the bridge in the background; bluegill heaven, just beginning to show their colors, the female bass on their nests and left untrouble, but the males were fair game, even some green sunfish. So I stuffed my camera in my waders, didn't even take a canoe out.
The cypress are just begining to show green, and of course, it dropped to the upper 20's Saturday night. I was pretty creaky this morning. Much of the cypress along the hill country streams was timbered out in the 1870-90 period for shingles and water tank lumber and is only beginning to look good again. The water is very clear, this stretch still being spring fed.
The rod is a Southbend Outdoorsman 6 wt. that I got for less than the cost of shipping you know where and rebuilt. It was the first time I'd fished it and I was well rewarded, it fishes well with a couple of added guides. The flies are Bulldog's Cat Whisker's, posted elsewhere on this site. It's my go to streamer in the Hill County, followed by his Whistler.
No, there are still some nice spots and the fish decided to be hungry anyway:
I took somewhere between 20 and 30 fish in 2.5 hours between where I'm standing and the bridge in the background; bluegill heaven, just beginning to show their colors, the female bass on their nests and left untrouble, but the males were fair game, even some green sunfish. So I stuffed my camera in my waders, didn't even take a canoe out.
The cypress are just begining to show green, and of course, it dropped to the upper 20's Saturday night. I was pretty creaky this morning. Much of the cypress along the hill country streams was timbered out in the 1870-90 period for shingles and water tank lumber and is only beginning to look good again. The water is very clear, this stretch still being spring fed.
The rod is a Southbend Outdoorsman 6 wt. that I got for less than the cost of shipping you know where and rebuilt. It was the first time I'd fished it and I was well rewarded, it fishes well with a couple of added guides. The flies are Bulldog's Cat Whisker's, posted elsewhere on this site. It's my go to streamer in the Hill County, followed by his Whistler.
