Corpusfishing.com

[Digger0038]

In the next few months I am going to be moving from Northern California to San Antonio and I am worried about how the fishing compares. Here I'm about an hour from some of the best fly fishing in the state. 30 Minutes from Salmon, Steelhead and trout fishing in the American river. Striper fishing in the Sacramento river and 15 minutes from striper fishing in the San Juaquin Delta and a little over an hour from the Truckee River in the sierras. I guess I'm a little spoiled for fishing.

Now we are going to be moving to San Antonio and I am curious about how the fishing compares? Are there some decent spots to fish and what types of fish can you fly fish for there? I have 5 wt 6 wt and 8 wt rods will I need to purchase other equipment. I do lots of other fishing besides fly fishing but fly fishing is my favorite certain times of the year.
Thanks for your help.
Dave

[wcvickers]

Depending on where in San Antonio, you'll be 30 minutes to an hour from the southernmost rainbow trout fishery in the country. You may want to consider becoming a member of GRTU, Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited. Membership allows you access to some prime stretches of river where you can regularly catch 18"-22" rainbows. Check out GRTU.com. There are also several public access spots as well. You'll catch mostly 8"-10" stockers at these locations.

Besides that, fly fishing is currently exploding all along the Texas coast. You'll be a couple of hours from Corpus Christi. Check out a few maps and websites and you'll find places where you can drive up, wade out, and cast to speckled trout and redfish. You may want to consider hiring a guide who specializes in fly fishing to teach you the basics.

Good Luck, and welcome to Texas.

[captaintim]

I moved back here after 17 years in Alaska where I got hooked on flyfishing. It's going to be a huge change from what you are used to, no salmon or steelhead, unfortunately.

There are some beautiful waters in the hill country, and there is a rainbow trout fishery, sort of. Floating or wading the hill country streams for bass and bream is great fun, but, again, no steelhead. There are several guides and outfitters in the area that can get you started in the right direction. Also plenty of flyfishing clubs. It's mostly private property along the rivers, so it is important to know where you can and can't go.

Here on the coast we have some of the best flats fishing for redfish that you will find anywhere. A 28" red on your 8 weight rod in a foot of water will go a long way towards putting those steelies out of your mind.

Welcome to Texas!
_________________
Capt. Tim Duncan
Laguna Madre Charters
361-834-6305

[Digger0038]

Thank you for your responses. One of the first things I will do is hire a guide. I have been doing a little research about the redfishing and it sounds like a blast. If I'm moving to northeast San Antonio about how far are the redfish flat areas? Catching wild steelhead here is awesome on the fly. Hook into a 10lb wild steelhead and watch him jump out of the water 3 or 4 times before he comes in is a great experience. Fishing is a huge part of what I do out here and I hope I can continue it in Texas. I will check out the club also. that sounds like it might be a good idea just to get into some bigger fish.

Thanks Guys,
Dave

[Tyler]

Nothing like that Truckee or American River stuff but it there are a lot less crowds here and the prices are better.
I loved catching steelhead in Washington though you had to release all of them. They were really superior in my opinion to the hatchery stock.

You might also enjoy some offshore flyfishing for dorado or mahi mahi and Little Tunny.

Different from Northern CA but fun it its own way.

Try the Hybrids or Stripers in those lakes near San Antonio like Canyon.

Tyler

[Digger0038]

We have the hybrid stripers here also in a few of the lakes. Here you take your boat sit in the middle of the lake and wait till you see a boil=(stripers chasing the bait fish to the surface and going into a feeding frenzy) once you see that, motor on over as fast as you can and cast right into it and hold on to your rod. Well you have given me a few good ideas and I feel a little better about moving. Hope to see you on the water some time.

Dave

[Tropical Dillusion]

[Big John]

Book a fly fishing trip on PINS with Billy Sandifer and you learn all you need to keep your rod bent for a while, especially if he puts you on the Jack Crevalle. Lefty Ray can teach you all the back bay stuff for fly fishing.

Welcome to a hunter and / or fisherman's paradise!
_________________
GOBZA!!!
Save $$$ - Get Coupons local businesses today! - http://www.gobza.com/29472

[Tyler]

[Brett]

One of the reasons I moved here was for the fishing! I lived in CA for 25 years, including 6 in Sacramento. I worked at Kiene's Fly Shop as well. Stripers in the American, on the delta, New Hogan, steelhead on the American & the Yuba, trout in the sierras - what a great place to fish & hunt. Hard to compare or beat! That being said, TX is an amazing place to fly fish! The coastal waters are easily accessible from SA, and there are hundreds of miles of shallow flats to stalk reds, trout, etc. Oh yeah, don't forget the tarpon, and just offshore, little tunny, blackfin, sails, dorado, etc. Fresh water offers bass, stripers, whites & hybrids, small mouth, trout, and more! One of the big differences from TX VS. the western US is the access. CA has thousands of miles of open land and water -TX, well, it doesn't! You can still get there, it's just not as easy.
On a different note, I am a realtor here, so if you need some help finding a home, please let me know. You can PM me if you like.
Good fishing!
www.coolriverrealty.com

[Tailwalk watcher]

Dave, a belated welcome to San Antonio. I am about two months late on replying because I don't fly fish or usually check the threads on the fly fishing forum. Since you will be in northeast San Antonio you will be relatively close to Canyon Lake, Braunig Lake, and Calaveras Lake. Calaveras and Braunig are both stocked with redfish and striped bass. Here is a recent report by TPWD for the later two lakes mentioned just to give you an idea: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/action/reptmap.php?EcoRegion=ST

It is well worth the appox. two to three hour drive south to fish along the Gulf Coast area. There have been a lot of times my fishing brother and I have drove to Baffin Bay fished for about 8 hours then turned around and drove back to San Antonio with limits or close to limits of specks each. Again, welcome to Texas.
_________________
Become a part of the food chain, wade fish.

Native Texan for more than 5 decades, so not one of those Liberal "cactus huggers".

[FoldCatOne]

All I can say is that you are in for an eye opening experience fishing in the salt for reds, trout, spanish mackeral, ladyfish (if you think a steelhead jumps - get ready), and wait until you hook your first Jack Crevalle. You will think you have hooked a bus. That said, make sure you have one of the large arbor 8/9 wt reels with LOTS OF BACKING - You are going to need it. Nothing like having 75 plus yards of line ripped off the reel on the first run. Big reds (30-50 inch class) and big jacks eat the average trout for dinner.

[RPool]

You actually might consider hiring the guy that gave you some great free advice - Capt. Tim Duncan. He's done your kind of fishing and he's done this kind as well. Just a thought.