I went out to one of my favorite spots to fish again a couple days ago and it was closed once more. I just don't get it. The water level is perfect, the flow of the Blanco was much slower than it was a few weeks ago, and yet the gates are closed! I was one of 10-15 cars/trucks driving by the park bewildered as to why the gates remained shut. It's a pity, now that they've put up "No Parking" signs all up and down Post Rd., that the one spot a normal person (someone who doesn't have a ritzy house overlooking the Blanco) can actually bank fish is closed so often. Also, a couple days before this visit, I saw the unbelievable presence of a Police Officer on a bicycle patrolling the park to make sure no one was using it. We can't even get a cop to sit on our dangerous feeder roads here in San Marcos to stop people from speeding but one can cruise a public park looking for an errant fisherman or two? What gives? Something stinks in Hays county, probably some housing developer is to blame.

Are the roads asphault?

If so, they have to let them dry for several weeks before letting vehicles drive on them.

Man 5-mile dam, many happy memories, some so good I can't even remember them. Is reefer rock still standing?

SWTSU, class of 86'

Go Bobcats.

Dave

Long live SWT!! Go Bobcats!!
I will never recognize the name change to Texas State. The students voted it down how ever many times only to have an end around pulled on them by the state legislature. I spent my whole college career as a student of SWTSU, only to have my diploma carry the name of a school that I quite literally did not go to and that, at the time, nobody had really heard of. I get the logic of the name change... in the big picture of the university. But as one of the guys who got caught up in the turmoil of the politics involved with it I can't call "MY" school by any another name but SWTSU.

Long live The Tavern, Sewell Park and Herbert's Taco Hut!!!

I'm happy to report that the park is open again, finally. BC Dave, the roads are asphault but they were never really under water, the flooding was not that bad the last time. I think the rapid closing of the parks and roads around here is due to the city (county?) trying to keep people safe because there are a few knuckleheads that will try to swim in floodwaters despite what commonsense says about the risk of dying. I'm with Darwin on this one, thin the herd! If you're dumb enough to swim in the Blanco or San Marcos when the water is a thundering, dangerous mess, then I say you deserve whatever happens to you. Also, these people who are rescued should foot the bill for their stupidity, pay up for the cost of pulling your dumb butt out of the river. An accident is one thing, like driving into a low water crossing at night unaware, but willfully getting into a potentially hazerdous situation is something different altogether.

As for "reefer rock," I'm sure it's still there, is that the one on the far side of the river that folks jump off of? The entire north side of the bank is closed to the public and is private hands, but that doesn't stop people from swimming across and using this rock as a diving board. I'm not a fan of privatizing an entire stretch of river like this in the first place.

On the topic of the name change, I agree with you. I just graduated with my MA from Texas State and I'm going back fro a second MA, then PhD next year. When I started, it was SWT, my ID still says it! The name change was to be more like UT, we now have branches everywhere (joy!), which is pathetic to begin with. I went through this same thing at Concordia during my undergrad. My diploma still says Concordia College, and not Concordia University or Concordia University at Austin or whatever they're calling themselves this week.

Back to the topic of fishing, where did you all fish around here? I've done the rivers, obviously, a community pond up in Buda, but that's about all I can find local. Any suggestions?

Fishstyx, sorry they cut off access to the other side of the river.
There was some neat hiking and rock climbing over there.

Fishing was tuff, took me a while to figure out the San Marcos river. A clear water cork and a fly, send it flying to the opposite bank. Spooky fish to say the least.

Canyon lake for the cats.

The Guadalupe for the trout in the winter.

Good luck.

fishstx is right about the culprit
and also attended the certification program at SWT Hobby school of public service (June 02 grad)

BC Dave,

That's sad to hear that there was some decent climbing on the opposite bank. I lived in Seattle for awhile and got used to climbing/bouldering on the weekends then came back to here where the scene is diminished at best. I was looking into a couple of places on the greenbelt in Austin, but I've heard these are closed down as well.

I was out at 5-mile today and the fishing was less than spectacular. I tried to fish cats, sunfish, and bass in various spots but the tubers and swimmers kept interupting the fun. I may be in a minority here but I like my fishing secluded, quiet, and focused. Having to pull in my line every other minute because a band of idiots is floating by asking the inevitable, "Are you catching anything?" gets old after awhile. I will return, though, after all of these vacationers have packed it in and gone home...then the river is mine!