Corpusfishing.com

[bulldog1935]

I'm one of those with loathing for current events fused into our forum here, which should be a respite from current events.
But this is worth posting.
Two weeks ago, while I was busy with work and plotting a weekend escape for some flats kayak fishing, most schools were in Spring Break.

We knew school lockdowns were coming, so I asked Dan Cone, GRTU VP Fisheries, to check with TPWD about extending our winter trout release permit so our Trout in the Classroom teachers could rescue and release their trout fry. A few of our 29 teachers had already been able to move their TIC aquariums to home.

For those not familiar with the program, we sponsor 29 classrooms with refrigerated aquariums, and delivered hatchery rainbow trout eggs in early January. We have a mix of elementary schools and high school aquatic science classes. The students raise the trout and release them in the Guadalupe tailwater near the end of the school year. We budget to add a few new schools every year, but that's also limited by footwork volunteers.


Turned out we had to file a new permit application, and happily, TPWD approved our application in just one week (normally six). We have a permit lasting to May 31, covering from yesterday's early release, and allowing our teachers who can take care of their tanks to still plan classroom outings through the end of May.
Half of our teachers successfully petitioned their principals to "pick the locks" yesterday morning. One teacher told me it was No Go until she shared my e-mail announcing Dan's successful Permit effort for yesterday's quickly planned early release.

As in past years, we converged on our gracious benefactor's beautiful home at mile 4 in the Guadalupe tailrace.
We released 2,035 1" to 2" rainbow fry, and reported our results to TPWD as required by our permit.

Austin teachers hard at work


Austin rainbows


Just downriver, we had had fly fishing neighbors


San Antonio and Austin teachers releasing their rainbow fry


Mike McKenna's well-traveled cooler and the catch of the day - four beer cans from the river bottom
(Brandeis HS was easy - Mike's the Principal)


Houston teachers arriving


Fat Houston rainbows


Trudging coolers to flowing water


Lining up to release


Our fly-fishing neighbor fighting an 18" rainbow


Get those fry in the river




Our Houston FFF compatriot, and Texas TIC co-sponsor, Matt Blyth and son


My last San Antonio teacher yesterday, Jason Brown, a former Alaska Hatcheries biologist -
- Jason said the last time he did this, he released 14 million salmon fry


My reward for this? The Sattler Lowe's Market was fully stocked with all but paper products, and I took home milk and eggs.

[Bloodhound]

Excellent thread Bulldog. Where are the tail waters? The only place I've heard of trout being released is below the dam for Canyon lake.

[bulldog1935]

Yes, there's a cold water tailrace below Canyon dam, and that's the water I'm talking about.
It's been cold since the dam was built in 1964. Many native species, such as white bass, can't reproduce over about a dozen miles of cold river.

We're listed in America's 100 Best Trout Streams (I fished with John Ross when he was here), and the top southern tailwater in 50 Best Tailwaters to Fly Fish.
GRTU was founded in 1970, and won Stakeholder status in GBRA in the late 1990s. I've been on the GRTU board since about then, and head up TIC for 12 years now, which began under my friend Karen G. 7 years before that.
Karen's still active, running Texas Women Flyfishers.


Even in drought years, we hold over trout below mile 7,


and in scattered cold springs down to mile 10.


Wild trout reproduction has been documented down to mile 10.


This little buck is wild-spawned, caught in September months before any stocking by anyone (guaranteed not a TIC trout, which are all diploid female from the hatchery).


In good years with Canyon Lake elevation guaranteeing summer flows, we can hold over 12 to 16 miles of trout.


My best Guadalupe rainbow is 27" and over 8 lbs.


I know of several over 10 llbs that have been caught, as far back as the '90s.

BTW, out of the 29, I still have at least 2 schools who will be able to run the course, and very likely plan class outings to the river to release their trout in May.

[bulldog1935]

Back to the river today. A teacher from Houston could only get in his school today.
Had his tanks on an auto feeder over spring break, and delivered 180 fat 3" rainbows.


I figured if he could drive 3 hours one way, I could drive a half-hour to meet him.


Adding river water and 20 minutes to kill




Chris is a zoologist, former zookeeper before HS aquatic science teacher.
He raised brine shrimp in his class to help stoke those trout - amazing his students
He's a fly fisherman, fly tier, and about to move to VA and take up glass fly rods...

Pouring them in




A beautiful day, and more success in all this.

[RPool]

Exemplary stewardship and mentoring. Hats off to you and your associates.

[bulldog1935]

We had a celebration today.
Only four of 29 teachers in the TIC program had access to their classrooms to "run the course" and today, trout fry from our last two aquariums this year were released in the Guadalupe.
Fourth grade students, teachers and parents from New Braunfels Christian Academy made their annual pilgrimage this morning.
The school is open this week, but I understand only for year-end celebration activities, and this definitely counts.


They brought 87 rainbow fry


Though they prayed over the fish for them to find their place in this coldwater ecosystem


we looked more like a convention of Future Bandits of America


We weren't alone at the river - he's on a good run


The students lined up to take their turn releasing their 4 trout each into the river








Who says you can't see big grins through face masks.
On the right is Ms. McCarthy - her father Hylmar Karbach was a GRTU founder.


Our neighbor, a good GRTU steward, caught a fish and brought it over for the kids to see


While the fourth graders straggled a bit, Ms. Meyer from Center Point HS Ag Sciences brought all her babies, including her older daughter.


She didn't have a count, guessed 60 fish, so we had to count them on the fly to report to TPWD, in accordance with our Permit.


She under-guessed, we counted 111 trout


Pouring the last six rainbows for the year into the river.


...forgot to mention, while the fish were acclimating in their cooler with fresh river water, gave my obligatory speech to the kids about why releasing aquarium fish into native water is never a good idea.
I explained why our contained cold water ecosystem is special, how it already changes the native fish population, and why we're able to obtain a TWPD Permit for this activity.

Also, turning rocks, picked up one with a half-dozen BWO nymphs scurrying about.
We also had really good complex hatches, from our size 40 midges (70% of the river biomass) to May's strong damselfly hatch.

[deputydawg]

Awesome program and pictures! I especially like that kids are actually out and able to do something right now! Well done and thanks for sharing!

[bulldog1935]

Thanks friend - it began as a little cat-herding, and you could tell the kids had been inside for 6 weeks.
But they settled right into business as soon as we aimed their cooler toward the river.

If there's somebody in Corpus who can find a classroom, with a teacher who wants to drive a cooler of fish to Sattler in May - probably best HS Aquatic Sciences - and volunteers himself to do the footwork, we fund all or part of the equipment - chiller (biggest part) tank and filter.
The footwork mostly entails meeting in January to deliver trout eggs to the school. The good thing about HS Aquatic Science, the teachers are "wet-thumbers" and know what to do with their tanks.
Ms Meyer at Center Point - this was her first year.
Of course Kate Mc is an old pro at this.

While I'm at it, also need to share credit with Houston Fly Fishers (FFF) and my friend Matt, who fund and run this program in all of greater Houston.

[Tyler]

What an incredible program and story! Thank you Bulldog.
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[BayFly]

I always enjoy Bulldog's input, and especially in this case! Great job Bulldog, and keep up the good work!

[bulldog1935]

thanks guys - from 5000 trout eggs in January, we released 3000 rainbow fry into the Guadalupe - not at all bad result for this peculiar year.

Of course this isn't about trout - what we hope to raise are conservationists.

[BayFly]

Just for Bulldog:https://www.chonday.com/40281/restocking-a-lake-with-trout/

[bulldog1935]

Thanks, bro, but here's my favorite fish in Texas
A-strain endemic Guadalupe bass - there are only two wild A-strains left, in Johnson Creek above a waterfall, and in Cibolo Creek above the aquifer recharge.


They occupy the same niche in warmwater that trout do in cold.
Our endemic bass is the only bass species that can retreat into the aquifer to survive our our droughts.

I caught a would-be state record in 2005, at a bat-cave vent just below Mueller falls. She no doubt got this big eating the baby bats that fell in.
Rather than kill her for the required liver biopsy then, sent her back with "go breed"


this one's a smallmouth hybrid - the copper sheen gives it away