Killer Floods Affect the Guadalupe River, Texas Hill Country

While there are certainly some revered summertime hatches happening, water temperatures and trout survival are certainly happening once again leading to the usual summertime parade of hoot-owl restrictions. In the salt, the sight fishing for stripers on the New England flats is winding down, and for the most part, the big tarpon season has waned considerably down in the Florida Keys. 

So what’s a summertime fly angler to do? There’s certainly some good trout action to be found, either from blue-lining in the Appalachians, grabbing a seat in a raft on a southern tailwater renowned for big browns, or even smallmouths in the Great Lakes. 

In your own backyard, why not grab the 3-weight and a box of panfish bugs and go out for some summertime twilight action for bluegills? Or a deer hair popper cast into a late afternoon shady spot is another, a spot where a big old bass might lurk. 

Afterwards, sit back, grab a refreshing glass of iced tea, and check out the latest edition of Fly Fisherman magazine's news digest:

Killer Floods Affect the Guadalupe River, Texas Hill Country

As most everyone knows, the Texas Hill Country suffered a horrific flood event on the Fourth of July. As of this writing, 120 were confirmed dead–96 in Kerrville alone–and as many as 172 people remain missing in Kerr County alone. Scores of search and rescue teams descended upon the region after as much a 20-plus inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period, along with numerous relief efforts from corporations, sports franchises, and individuals. 

With the Hill Country home to some of the most underrated fly-fishing opportunities found anywhere, especially for the Texas state fish the Guadalupe bass, scores of Fly Fisherman readers have found their way to the unique Lone Star State region that is bucket list fly fishing kind of stuff. The reason mesmerized our late contributing editor Dave Whitlock, and the region's Llano River was described as a must visit place by the late author Chris Santella in his Fifty More Places to Fly Fish Before You Die.

If you'd like to help out with the relief efforts, these three are all possibilities. One is the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, organized by the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country which supports relief and rebuilding efforts after the July 4 flood in Kerrville and the surrounding region. Another is the Salvation Army's work in Kerrville, and also the work of Samaritan's Purse in the Central Texas region.

In the meantime, consider these words from Chris Johnson, owner and founder of the region's iconic fly shop, Living Waters Fly Shop. Johnson, who has guided and fished on the Guadalupe River and other Hill Country streams for more than two decades, summed up the feelings of many in a Facebook post:

"Water is a powerful force. Those of us in the fly fishing community know it most often as a source of great healing. As we saw last weekend, it can also be the source of great destruction.

"We have received many questions about water conditions in the area. The truth is that this flood was beyond anything our community has ever experienced. Many of our rivers have been completely re-shaped. Access points have been damaged or destroyed. Fish and other wildlife have been wasted or displaced. Much is still unknown, and it will take time to assess the true state of our fisheries. Every day we are getting a little clearer view, but we must rely on reports from our community (you) more than ever. 

"It is difficult to hold the desire to drop everything to help those who have lost so much together with the persistent, unavoidable responsibilities of everyday life. If you have time and ability to spare, we encourage you to lend a hand to your neighbors in need. There are many nearby who have been adversely affected by the floods, who have lost their homes and livelihoods, even loved ones. 

"If you need a respite, there are still places nearby to re-charge that are or will shortly be fishing well. The San Marcos River, Barton Creek, Bull Creek, and Lake Creek are all in great condition. Brushy Creek is only about a week away from being part of that list. Similarly, the Guadalupe River below Canyon Lake Dam will soon be clear and steady from dam releases.

"Please use caution and be respectful around public access parks and trails, as many are closed while crews evaluate and work through damage. Be advised that the Upper Guadalupe River, San Gabriel River, and any other watersheds that have experienced extreme levels of flooding should be avoided until further notice as bacteria, chemicals, and sewage have contaminated many water ways."

If you can help, consider doing so. And certainly, the residents of the devastated region need everyone's thoughts, prayers, and help. Stay tuned for more information out of the Hill Country in the coming weeks.

Weamer, Lily and Walton Inducted into Fly Fishing Hall of Fame

While newer fly anglers might not fully understand its importance, the Catskill region of New York is among the most significant regions in fly fishing history for North America, if not the world.

Located within easy driving distance of New York City, the Catskills and the region's collection of beautiful trout streams serves as the birthplace of American fly fishing, as well as being the place where the Catskill's dry fly patterns were originated, changing the trout fishing game almost everywhere.

So it's fitting that the region that gave us the Adam's dry fly and all of its regional fly pattern cousins is stepping into the spotlight again with the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum announcing its Class of 2025 for the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame. 

This year's list of inductees includes longtime Fly Fisherman contributor Paul Weamer and his extraordinary fly-tying and guiding skills, along with the legendary West Yellowstone fly shop owner Bud Lilly, and the long ago author of one of fly angling's most important texts, the legendary Izaak Walton, who authored The Compleat Angler, published in 1653. Also joining this year's class is Adriano Manocchia and Walt Carpenter.

"I am deeply honored to be included in the 2025 class of the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame housed at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum," Weamer posted on his Facebook page. 

Weamer then congratulated the other members of this year's HOF class, before adding: "A very long time ago, the hall of fame at the CFFCM was one of the first places I visited in the Catskills. It's difficult to believe that I'll now be a part of that history."

This year's HOF class will be inducted at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum on Saturday, Oct. 11. Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Speaking of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum...

In an event described as family friendly and one being held rain or shine, the 2025 version of the Catskill Fly Fishing Festival is being held next month from Aug. 2-3. 

This year's Festival will feature live music, local barbecue and beverages, fly casting demos, fly tying classes for youngsters, a vendor's market with a variety of angling gear and art, and raffles among other things. There is also "The Hardy Cup" casting competition for bamboo fly rod aficionados.

Held at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, the event's activities and access are completely free of charge according to an Instagram post. 

Orvis Hit With More Layoffs, Closing of Chicago Store

After laying off 8 percent of its workforce last year and doing away with the company's beloved mail-order catalogs, the Vermont-based fly-fishing equipment manufacturer Orvis has announced more bottom-line cost trimming.

This time, the workforce reduction by year’s end will be 4 percent according to a statement by company president Simon Perkins, a figure that will total about 50 employees.

"Tariffs disrupted our business model in ways we haven’t faced before and have exposed a clear path to solidifying our long-term future,” Perkins said in a statement to VTDigger, among others. “Moving forward, Orvis will be returning to our roots and shifting our entire focus to the core strengths of our business—the fly fishing and wingshooting pursuits that have guided our company for nearly 170 years and inspire our customers in unique and powerful ways.”

Perkins dove even deeper in a statement published by the website shop-eat-surf-outdoor.com.

"The first half of 2025 has presented unprecedented challenges that few retailers could have predicted even six months ago," he said. "While the retail environment has been turbulent this year, we have seen real areas of strength and differentiation in the areas of our business that make Orvis unique and special: fly fishing and wingshooting, and the products and experiences essential and adjacent to these activities that lie at the core of our brand."

Perkins promised a deeper focus on those core strengths going forward this year. He also acknowledged that such moves are done with the full knowledge that they will impact the lives of both the associates facing layoffs, as well as the communities that such moves take place in.

"While this period has introduced challenges unlike any we have seen in our history, it has also strongly reinforced the true reason why Orvis plays such an important and meaningful role in the lives of our customers," Perkins added. "We are unwavering in our commitment to being the leader in providing the very best gear, apparel and experiences that enable the adventure and wonder of a life lived on the water and in the field. I look forward to detailing our vision for the future soon."

While a separate news item, but still one related to the downturn in Orvis' bottom line, the 170-year old company has also taken a hit in the Midwest where the Chicago Orvis store location closed its Magnificent Mile location after more than two decades of operation. 

"Due to the changing retail landscape on the Magnificent Mile, Orvis has made the difficult decision to close our Chicago location,” Orvis said in a statement to Crain's. “We are grateful for the support of our associates, customers and the local community over the years.”

Wyoming Tiger Trout Record Set...Again

Remember that old saying about how records are made to be broken? Well, they really believe that in Wyoming.

Just ask Shelby Holder, a fly angler from Kemmerer, who set a new Wyoming state record for tiger trout (For the record, Wyoming Game & Fish Department [WGFD] says that a tiger trout is "...a sterile hybrid produced by crossing a female brown trout with a male brook trout.”) 

Holder's big tiger trout, which weighed 15-pounds, 15.2-ounces when it was caught on June 6 at Hams Fork River, was 31.2 inches long and had a girth of 19 inches. If that sounds challenging enough, WGFD notes that it was caught with a 1-weight fly rod as Holder fished with a Woolly Bugger.

Familiar with the river's tiger trout population—WGFD first stocked tiger trout at Viva Naughton in 2014—Holder knew just what to do when he spied the fish appearing suddenly behind some rainbow trout.

"I thought I would cast at him," the new record holder told the WGFD. "He rolled on the fly, I set the hook and that fly rod was bent in a ‘U.’ I knew I had to take my time if I hoped to land it. I had all evening so that’s what I did. It’s spectacular and awesome. I never thought I would hook into something that big.”

With his lightweight rod—which Holder plans to retire along with getting the fish mounted—and an 8-pound leader, the half-hour long battle was tense. But in the end, Holder's new state record is the third such record tiger trout in as many years. Last year, Jaxon Krall set the record with a 12.77 pounds catch at Viva Naughton Reservoir. And the year before, Owen Schaad set the record with an 11.93 pound tiger trout caught at Viva Naughton.

“The performance of tiger trout stocked in Viva Naughton has undoubtedly exceeded our expectations,” said Jessica Lockwood, Green River Fisheries Biologist, in the WGFD news release. “As we hoped, tiger trout keying into the abundant Utah chub population has produced some exceptional-sized fish.”

CPW Finds Trout Life in New River Channel

There's some good news out of Colorado where the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) noted an increase in native fish population numbers in the recently completed Colorado River Connectivity Channel (CRCC) project.

Even more encouraging, those higher than anticipated numbers came at a quicker than anticipated pace at Windy Gap Reservoir near Granby, Colorado.

All told, CPW biologists observed ack in May—after their first-ever raft electrofishing survey to estimate the trout population in the CRCC project—that there were approximately 848 brown trout along with 221 rainbow trout, all more than 6-inches in length, in the one-mile reach of the one-mile river channel freshly constructed.

"It was very exciting to see a healthy number of adult trout occupying all of this new habitat," said Jon Ewert, CPW Hot Sulphur Springs Area Aquatic Biologist, in a CPW news release about the findings. "Especially considering that we have not stocked a single fish into the channel.” 

Believe it or not, this was actually the second time that CPW biologists have discovered positive signs of native fish repopulation in the CRCC since an increase in sculpin numbers has also been previously noted. In terms of trout, the numerical increase stems from improved habitat, as trout from the connected river sections both upstream and downstream have been able to respond and re-establish in the newly created section of the famed Colorado River. 

Also, CPW biologists observed plenty of brown trout spawning activity in the CRCC last fall, along with moderate rainbow trout spawning activity this spring.

In the end, it's just one survey effort in some freshly created habitat, but the signs are encouraging for the future.

“Seeing such positive results with water flowing through this new river section for just over a year, we anticipate that this fish population will continue to grow,” said Ewert.

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