PM on the Paluxy

With the Trout Derby this weekend at the Blue and my aversion to crowds when fishing, I opted for a little Friday afternoon fishing down on the Paluxy River.  One of the hidden gems of Texas rivers, the Paluxy holds numerous species of fish.  Black and Spotted Bass, Perch, Pumkinseeds, Bream, Gar, Catfish and Carp are all occupants of this pretty piece of water.

My agenda for the day was to scout for some Carp in the waters an hour and half from my house.  As I parked in the new and very nice Glen Rose Park, I was excited with my five weight in hand to see if I could chase some "freshwater bonefish".  As I eased to the water what I found was an aquarium of shallow water Perch and Bass.  The Bass were picky but the Perch and Pumkinseeds proceeded to hammer the Miss Prissy.  Over and over again.  Alot of fun, unless you are holding a five weight expecting a fight with a Carp, but tugs nonetheless.   I did have get a couple of small bass to cooperate like the one below.



I eased down the road to find some shade because it was down right hot.  About 82-85 degrees and no wind, I was looking to keep the temps feeling springlike.  Headed to a piece of secret water, got a couple more perch to hand and found a hole I had not discovered before.  This moss hideout held no less than six 2-3 lb Bass.  Been a while since I have been this frustrated as time and time again one of those picky Bass would swim up the the bug, look it in the eye, and never eat. 



               

 

What a nice afternoon to spend some time on a pretty river.  The big Bass did not cooperate and I failed in my mission to find some carp water, but I really enjoyed the time getting a little warmwater fishing in. 

The hot day finally cooled as I eased home with Coors Banquet.  

   Thanks Mr and Mrs Perch.  

You made the day a blast.

Good Fishing Everyone and Cheers,

Merc

A Pristine River

Leave it to old man winter to make you feel like you're going back in time.  This is how I felt yesterday riding into the C&R.  I have never seen the river so beautiful.  Yes, she is still a little low, but with the snow on the banks and animal tracks everywhere and none of a human,  I felt like this was a river that never had been fished.

With the snow and ice over the last two weeks, the middle section of the C&R showed no evidence of human history.  I thought of Matt Gamble as I have never seen so many ducks.  Multiple species just sitting there in a couple of my fishing holes as if they had never seen a person.  They would always be around after I jumped them, flying overhead and making soft landings all day long.

It seemed as if the fish took some time off too as fishing was tough.  The water was cold as I made a smart move wearing base layer and fleece under my waders.  Lack of tugs did not worry me, as this was a blue bird winter day.  Just before lunch, I had just landed the first five fish of the day.  Some in the channel pocket water and a couple in the deeper water down from the falls.  Something just told me the fish were sluggish, so I took a water temp.  38 degrees. Yes 38 degrees.  That my friends is cold as the San Juan in the winter has never been below 42 on my thermometer. As I put up the rod for a little cold fried chicken by the river, I had five fish to hand courtesy of the jig.

The sun sure felt great on the bank and I saw a spin caster catch and release a fish.  Until then I had the Blue to myself.  I then saw a couple more gentlemen head to the upper section and not another soul the rest of the day.  The day heated up as I finally found the bugs the fish wanted.  The Prince Nymph, Zebra Midge and some Baetis nymphs were the ticket as I quit counting around 25.   At long last the tugs were plentiful and made the cold water bearable.  It was also nice to see some fish back in a couple of my favorite spots for the first time this year.

The good news is I thought the river was up a bit.  It sure looked like it.  The water is still low, but it seems old man winter has helped a bit.  Boy what a couple of inches of rain would do over the next couple of weeks.  The delayed harvest is around the corner so get out there and enjoy this place.  What a great day it was to be alive.

Good fishing everyone !

Cheers,

Merc