Took a break from pounding the rainbows in my local tailwater (which is still fishing great), to explore remote pools on the Frio River in the south Texas scrub with my buddies Rob and Ewell.
After driving 2 hours west, we headed south, twenty miles down dirt roads, and landed at Ewell's cousins' ranch, on a bluff over the Frio River, about 40 miles north of Mexico.
We were right below the aquifer recharge zone where, except in monsoon years, all the creeks and rivers for 50 miles in either direction are broken pools, with as much as quarter-mile trudge up the dry river sendero to find the next pool.
This river runs over hard limestone for 100 miles coming out of the hill country, then breaks up for about 10 miles, reappearing about 4 miles downriver from here.
Like I said, just a few photos of the trip - but each of us caught about 150 8-14" bass, and each of us broke off 2 to 3 8-10-lb. bass.
The best brought to hand was a 22" 5-lber, below.
We were fishing 5-wts. and 3x tippet, which made the little fish worthwhile.
This was all in one day. Great outing with two great friends.
BTW, there is cold fresh water flowing into the pools from the gravel - and back into the gravel.
and a couple of Rob's photos
and this electric-bright long-ear from Ewell's camera
