Austin, Tx Hill Country

[TroutBum4wt]

I just found out an old high school buddy is living in the Hill Country near Austin. In the area of Driftwood and Wimberly. He talked about the Llano River. I think this could be a new fly fishing place for me to visit.

My question: Is anyone familiar with this area's fisheries? Also any suggestions on good spots and flies. What kind of flies are used for gar?

Thanks

[JobyKSU]

My question: Is anyone familiar with this area's fisheries? Also any suggestions on good spots and flies. What kind of flies are used for gar?

I haven't chased anything in the Llano, but gar on the fly is a blast. I've chased them a bit at Rocky Ford in Manhattan, KS. I've found two good ways to get em to bite.

#1 - Good baitfish imitation (such as articulated shad or gummi minnows - it may be important to match the size of the naturals).

#2 - The tried and true bright-streamer-to-piss-them-off method. Guess how it works?

Mix your retrieve methods until you find one that works. I've had most success searching the slack water for them.

Don't even think about going out without toothy-critter or stainless steel leader. Also, bring a heavy glove or some other method to handle the fish. You'll know it when you get one. A good gar fight will give smallmouth enthusiasts something to wonder about.

Another thing to think about is what to do with the fish. In my experience, gar seem to be more willing to fight themselves to death than other fish. Consider taking a couple home, cleaning them, then pressure cooking or smoking them. Gar is light, white flesh and will hold the flavor of whatever you want. A lot of people don't know this, but imitation crab meat is often made of giant alligator gar caught from the reservoirs of Texas.

Addendum: Depending on the size of the fish, consider heavier gear. A 12 lb longnose gar will put a nice bend into an 8wt, I'm not sure how it would go with a 4 or 5 wt. Also, be ready for disappointment... gars get away.

Good luck and tight lines!

[tippet7]

Try this link

www.texasflyreport.com

[Dutch]

I have fished it without much success. It is supposed to have a bunch of Guadeloupe bass in it.

[Gavin]

The Hill County has some good fishing opps on the Llano & Blanco. Might check out a guide named Lefty Ray Chapa if your planning a visit to the area. Cheers.