Reservations can be made beginning January 2, 2002
1-877-RIO-RAFT
The event will last all day Friday and Saturday and a
half day Sunday. Of course, if you want to come earlier
and/or stay later, you're more than welcome to. There
will be a time on Saturday afternoon for barbeque and
games. I bet we'll also be doing some evening fly tying
and lie swapping.
The Central Texas Fly Fishers (CTFF) will show up
and be available for advice and guidance on everything,
but until then, discuss this event
here!
I took a drive down to New Braunfels and out to Rio
(as we call this place around here) to look at this
site and some of the other potential sites. This was
the only one that met all of my specifications. I
looked at all of the available cottages and they are
nice. The pictures on the
website are accurate and all of the cottages are
at least that nice. If you haven't checked out the site yet, please do.
There are plenty of RV and tent sites available and
they are on nice flat ground. The only bad thing I can
think of to say is that there isn't much shade for
tents. . .unless you want to pitch without water or
electricity. Then you have plenty of shady options.
A nice meeting room is available for $100/day (for
all day or less for half-a-day) that would be great for
us to get together in and share a meal. There is catering
available too. Whether to reserve this or not will need
to be decided among those who decide they want to come.
CTFF also has a big tent we maybe could pitch.
The Guadalupe River is close (your back porch). It has
fish. . .all kinds of bass, crappie, sunfish, catfish,
carp and rainbow trout. There are many other rivers and
fisheries within an hour's drive. I will put together
an exhaustive list of access points and suggestions
before long.
Rio has raft, kayak, tube rentals available for good
prices and offer 3 different float trips. Depending
on the flows these could range from 3 hours to 6 or
7 hours just floating. Stopping to fish you'd be on
a whole other timetable. If you already have flotation,
then there are even more options open to you.
Austin is 55 miles and San Antonio is 45 miles from the
resort. The Airports are actually about equidistant, so
either one would be fine. Sattler (the closest town) has
a grocery store and other signs of civilization, and New
Braunfels is 16 miles away with everything else you might
need. Gruene Outfitters (http://www.grueneoutfitters.com/)
is your one stop shop for all things fly-fishing and tying
including the latest reports on what's biting what and where.
Suggested flies
- Size 8 - 12 Olive or Black Woolybuggers (for the fresh stockers)
- Size 16 - 22 Brassies
- Size 14 - 20 Caddis of various flavors
- Size 14 - 20 Phesant Tail nymphs
- Size 16 - 20 Prince Nymphs
- Size 18 - 22 Scuds Size 18 - 24 BWOs
- Size 18 - 24 Parachute Adams
- Size 6 - 8 Hexegenia
- Size 14 - 18 A&W (a nymph from the Little Missouri)
- Size 16-20 Soft Hackles
Local species guide
Fish Species Guide, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/species/fishgrup.htm
Poisonous Snakes (We have several and you should know them)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/adv/kidspage/snakes/psnakes.htm
Area Guide
New Braunfels/Gruene www.texasoutside.com/braunfelsmap.htm
Gruene http://www.gruene.net/
Gruene Handbook www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/GG/hng38.php
Maps, Outfitters, Guides
Gruene Outfitters www.grueneoutfitters.com
Orvis and others in Texas www.orvis.com/searchmap_results.asp?subject=2&State=TX&Country=US
Austin Angler www.austinangler.com/
Hill Country Outfitters http://www.hillcountryoutfitters.com/
More maps
www.texasflyfishing.com/rivers/guadalupe.htm
Other Free Access Points www.tpwd.state.tx.us/texaswater/rivers/comalaccess.htm
Map of Sattler (The "Fourth Crossing" is where Rio is)
www.infospace.com/mapredir.htm?op=MoveMap&lat=29.8478&long
=-98.1753&QC=Sattler&QS=TX&QO=US&mq=CITY&d=2&s=3
Texas Rules and Regulations
There are game wardens in Texas and they don't play around!
General Regulations (Everything you need to know and more)
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/infish/regulate/regs.htm.
Special Regulations:
Exceptions for Guadalupe River:
In the Guadalupe River in Comal County from the second
bridge crossing on River Road upstream to the
easternmost bridge crossing on FM Road 306, rainbow
and brown trout may not be retained when taken by any
method except artificial lures. Artificial lures
cannot contain or have attached either whole or portions,
living or dead, of organisms such as fish, crayfish,
insects (grubs, larvae or adults) or worms, any other
animal or vegetable material, or synthetic scented
materials. This does not prohibit the use of artificial
lures that contain components of hair or feathers. It
is an offense to possess rainbow or brown trout while
fishing with any other device in that part of the
Guadalupe River defined in this paragraph. For rainbow
and brown trout, Minimum Length Limit= 18 inches and
daily bag=1 fish.
Other Stuff
One thing I want to make sure of for this event is options.
I definitely want to keep as many open for people as possible.
The accommodations are near enough to the activity so that
no one has to drive an hour to fish or eat or take (send)
the kids or wife shopping. You don't want to HAVE to have
flotation, but there will be some available for use (as
well as rentals) and for those who already have some to
have plenty of places to use it. You don't have to hire
guides, but you can get one if you would prefer.
I foresee nothing but fishing for those who want to, but
we'll be staying at a place that not everyone has to go
fishing. I will schedule some fun and games for those
that want to participate on Saturday after the barbeque.
I hope to be able to all come together and eat meals, tie,
swap, gloat, envy, lie and tell stories or whatever. But
feel free to hide in your rooms/tents/whatevers if you
want to.
I'm looking forward to meeting everyone - great to put faces
on names. Y'all come! ~ FreebirdsWB
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