Exploring my home river (lots of pics; one fish pic)

Conan The Librarian wrote:
ROFFians,

Took off early Saturday to do some exploring on the Pedernales.
snip
Sweet, Chuck. Nice photos, too - I especially liked the cypress burls.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Tim J. wrote:

snip
Sweet, Chuck. Nice photos, too - I especially liked the cypress burls.

Thanks, Tim (and Big Dale). Woodworking is my first hobby, and I
was thinking of all the cool things I could make with those burls.

Of course, since they prohibit even gathering firewood in the park,
they might not take too kindly to me going out there with a chainsaw and
hacking off parts of their trees. ;-)


Chuck Vance (not that I would do that sort of thing anyway)

Tim J. wrote:

snip
Sweet, Chuck. Nice photos, too - I especially liked the cypress burls.

Thanks, Tim (and Big Dale). Woodworking is my first hobby, and I
was thinking of all the cool things I could make with those burls.

Of course, since they prohibit even gathering firewood in the park,
they might not take too kindly to me going out there with a chainsaw and
hacking off parts of their trees. ;-)


Chuck Vance (not that I would do that sort of thing anyway)

Conan The Librarian wrote:

ROFFians,

Took off early Saturday to do some exploring on the Pedernales.


Lots like a cool river. Are those Guadalope Bass a separate species? Can
you get access in any less heavily used areas or is access difficult in
Texas?

Willi

Conan The Librarian wrote:

ROFFians,

Took off early Saturday to do some exploring on the Pedernales.


Lots like a cool river. Are those Guadalope Bass a separate species? Can
you get access in any less heavily used areas or is access difficult in
Texas?

Willi

Willi & Sue wrote:


Lots like a cool river.

It really is a nice area, and some stretches don't look at all like
what you'd expect in a Texas river. It has survived some pretty severe
droughts and floods since I first started going there (1981?). This
year was probably the best in recent memory as far as having decent
rainfall spread out enough to keep water levels at decent levels
(without flooding).

Are those Guadalope Bass a separate species?

They are Micropterus treculi:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/inf...es/gdb/gdb.htm

Can
you get access in any less heavily used areas or is access difficult in
Texas?

Access is extremely difficult on most streams in Texas. Land-owners
are very protective and aren't shy about using guns. Even though the
law states that the stream bottom (up to the high-water marks on the
bank) is public on any navigable stream, land-owners don't always agree,
and have been known to threaten folks wading through stretches of
"their" water. And the water that isn't private is owned by watersports
businesses for the most part.

State parks are about the only way to get (almost) free access to
extensive stretches of water (aside from river crossings which are
public).

The park where I go (Pedernales Falls State Park) is heavily used,
but you can get away from folks pretty easily. All you have to do is be
willing to hike a mile or two. Strangely, most of the folks who use the
river park their cars, walk down to the river and don't move more than a
couple hundred yards in either direction.

My mistake on Saturday was that my hiking took me past a camping
area, so when I re-traced my steps I was getting closer and closer to a
heavily-used area. I'll fish that stretch again, but probably only
during the week or early in the day.


Chuck Vance

Willi & Sue wrote:


Lots like a cool river.

It really is a nice area, and some stretches don't look at all like
what you'd expect in a Texas river. It has survived some pretty severe
droughts and floods since I first started going there (1981?). This
year was probably the best in recent memory as far as having decent
rainfall spread out enough to keep water levels at decent levels
(without flooding).

Are those Guadalope Bass a separate species?

They are Micropterus treculi:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/inf...es/gdb/gdb.htm

Can
you get access in any less heavily used areas or is access difficult in
Texas?

Access is extremely difficult on most streams in Texas. Land-owners
are very protective and aren't shy about using guns. Even though the
law states that the stream bottom (up to the high-water marks on the
bank) is public on any navigable stream, land-owners don't always agree,
and have been known to threaten folks wading through stretches of
"their" water. And the water that isn't private is owned by watersports
businesses for the most part.

State parks are about the only way to get (almost) free access to
extensive stretches of water (aside from river crossings which are
public).

The park where I go (Pedernales Falls State Park) is heavily used,
but you can get away from folks pretty easily. All you have to do is be
willing to hike a mile or two. Strangely, most of the folks who use the
river park their cars, walk down to the river and don't move more than a
couple hundred yards in either direction.

My mistake on Saturday was that my hiking took me past a camping
area, so when I re-traced my steps I was getting closer and closer to a
heavily-used area. I'll fish that stretch again, but probably only
during the week or early in the day.


Chuck Vance

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
om...
ROFFians,

Took off early Saturday to do some exploring on the Pedernales.
Chuck Vance

Hi Chuck,
Thanks for the report. My living in Texas didn't quite look like your area.
Heh . . .heh . . .when I lived in El Paso for a few years in the '80s I only
fished in New Mexico or Arizona.
I like the burl pics. When I've always seen them, I always like to pick
out "faces" of people or creatures. They seem to be able to give that
perspective in my mind. Saw a few in your pics. Thanks.
DaveMohnsen
Denver

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
om...
ROFFians,

Took off early Saturday to do some exploring on the Pedernales.
Chuck Vance

Hi Chuck,
Thanks for the report. My living in Texas didn't quite look like your area.
Heh . . .heh . . .when I lived in El Paso for a few years in the '80s I only
fished in New Mexico or Arizona.
I like the burl pics. When I've always seen them, I always like to pick
out "faces" of people or creatures. They seem to be able to give that
perspective in my mind. Saw a few in your pics. Thanks.
DaveMohnsen
Denver

DaveMohnsen wrote:

Hi Chuck,
Thanks for the report. My living in Texas didn't quite look like your area.
Heh . . .heh . . .when I lived in El Paso for a few years in the '80s I only
fished in New Mexico or Arizona.
I like the burl pics. When I've always seen them, I always like to pick
out "faces" of people or creatures. They seem to be able to give that
perspective in my mind. Saw a few in your pics. Thanks.

Dave,

Glad you enjoyed the report. As for the burls -- that was exactly
what struck me about them. And they would make lovely carvings using
the burl's shape as a basis for the creature/person.


Chuck Vance