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Blanco is Back
The beautiful Blanco River is back! One of the most scenic, and fishy, rivers in Central Texas had been reduced to pools and puddles during the recent drought. Over a foot of rain in the past five months has rejuvenated the river.
So the question on my mind, as I launched my KC Kayak into the clean green water this past week, did the fish survive? How can fish live through extreme heat, poor water quality, and predators? Those questions were answered in the first five minutes of fishing.
I tied on a popper dropper (#8 yellow popper and #18 nymph) and cast to a likely looking spot, just above a riffle. An eager and aggressive bluegill attacked the nymph. Meanwhile, an also hungry Guadalupe bass attacked the bluegill . . . . missed . . . . and then went after the popper that was jerking and jumping through the clear, cool water. For a short while both fish were hooked up until their violent thrashings freed them. Wow! What a show in just the first few minutes on the water.
Several healthy, fat, and egg laden female redbreast sunfish took the fly in the next couple of hours. Guadalupe bass, largemouth, and longear sunfish also bit the hook and paid me a short but happy visit in the kayak. I was amazed at the resilience of creation to sustain such a diverse and healthy ecosystem.
In other words, the Blanco is back.
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