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Llano River Paddle - 3/22/07

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:53 pm
by Mythman
On Thursday the 22nd, I met with PatMax, a Hill Country TKF’er and we paddled the Llano river. We put in off of Ranch Road 2389 and paddled to Simonsville Road bridge about a 5-6 mile paddle. The weather was cloudy and threatened rain all day but it didn’t dampen our sprits.

Here is PatMax at the launch.

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And I am ready to get started.

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When we launched we had a very small fast water to negotiate and then we hit a long, deep pool. There were high rock bluffs.


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We saw 6-10 houses over looking the water and here it one.

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After paddling about ¼ mile, we decided to swap kayaks as I wanted to try out the Prowler Big Game. Here is PatMax in my X-Factor.

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My evaluation of the PBG will have to be another post. We swaped back and here is PatMax in his PBG.

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Paddling a little farther we see a bunch of buzzards roosting in tree and rock ledges. How many can you find in this pic?

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Although fishing was not the primary objective of this paddle, we did throw a few arties……here is PatMax with a huge Llano river bass.


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I caught about three fish and PatMax caught about 6. None were keepers…..but like stated above, fishing wasn’t our objective.


As we were fishing, I thought I heard a goose. I thought it must be a domesticated goose but as we paddled down the river, a wild Canadian goose flew off of a point of land and landed on a rock in the middle of the river. Can you see her (about on line with the river bank)

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I paddled over to where the goose flew up and found her nest. The water was very deep at the end of this point of land so I had to sit in the kayak and hold my camera over my head to take a picture…..but here is a goose nest with a clutch of goose eggs. Can you see the down feathers lining the nest?

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As we paddled by the goose flew over us and back to her nest. This was amazing, I never imagined a Canadian goose nesting and raising a brood in the wild of the Hill Country of Texas.

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A little ways past the goose next we come to about a 40 foot drop with a very fast chute draining most of the river.

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We chose not to paddle down and found a shallow, skinny water down and walked our kayaks down. Soon after that we took a lunch break and here are the X & BG resting during lunch.

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After lunch, we paddled through some of the most beautiful part of the trip and I was in so much awe, that I didn’t take many pictures ( to be truthful it was thundering and I was paddling fast to get on down the river or to a place of safety). Here is one of a deer blind on the horizon.

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To me the most beautiful spot was where Panther Creek flowed into the Llano and you paddle past the HL Bluffs. The rock bluffs were a total catacomb of holes and crannies and you got the true idea of what an aquifer is.

Then we hit this long, deep pool and must have paddled ¾ of a mile in this pool. We past this house and later found out the original owner was the author of “Old Yeller”, the Disney movie of the yellow dog!

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About ¼ mile from the take out we pass this hill with the cross on it. I thought it was worth a picture.

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It took us 6 hours to paddle the 5-6 miles and I would guess we had skinny water maybe all total of a mile.
I am going to do the trip again and had a great time paddling with PaxMax and now I need to get him down to the coast to catch some big salt water fish.

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:19 pm
by Strider
Excellent report Mythman, and stunning pics. What a beautiful place! Wonder what kind of goose that was and why she was there? What a cool shot of the nest.

I was wondering what you had done this weekend. Was this your first river paddle?

Kim

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:23 pm
by aka_QueSun
Mike,

That is an awesome trip, thank you for sharing - I may try the area some time in the fall...

...QueSun

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:47 pm
by ShotMagnet
I have to ask how do you get to that spot?

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:59 pm
by Mythman
Strider, I am pretty sure that was a Canadian goose and why or how they mated and decided to nest in the Hill country is unexplainable, by me. That was my first river paddle and my second fresh water paddle. I was surprised that the rocks I scraped over did little or no damage to my yak......I will take the rocks over oyster shell any day.

Shotmagnet, this is between Fredericksburg and Mason, TX in Mason county. There are many ways to get there, but if you want specifics, PM me.

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 8:33 pm
by greyloon
Great picture, great fun. The Centex rivers are a pleasure to canoe/kayak, wade fish, or just sit beside enjoying the river music. Sounds like you guys had a great day. Score one for the over the hill gang (I'm one). :lol: :lol: :lol:

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:41 pm
by Electric Water Boy
why or how they mated and decided to nest in the Hill country is unexplainable


It's no where near as cold, and it's beautiful. Reason enough for me.

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:09 pm
by Spooled
Thanks for the pictures, and the descriptive post. I love that river, and most other hill country rivers, especially this time of year.

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:53 pm
by greyloon
Did you notice the canoe/kayak rack at that house? Those guys know how to enjoy the river or have a business.

Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:58 pm
by Beve
Thanks for the report Mythman. Those are some great pics, especially of that nest.

You paddled probably one of favorite day stretches of the Llano. We (my wife and her cousin) paddle near there almost once a month. I like it because it is peaceful and you rarely see others. We camp out on our cousin's land across from that tall house on the bluff at the put-in (the long pool). We like to jump off those bluffs at the end of that pool (your 6th pic)! There are soem huge flatheads on this stretch of the Llano. Next time you go, PM me and I'll tell you about some good cat holes!

And btw, that chute can be a doozy in high water. Our cousin cut some limbs of that tree a while back. The water used to send you right through the tree limbs.

Again love the wildlife shots!

llano

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:05 am
by goatman
Mythman - great pics and report.

Last time I floated - a couple of guys in our group started at our take out point, and waded upstream about 2 miles, fishing the whole way. They caught a bunch more fish than those of us who did the 6 mile float. I learned that if you want to catch fish - you have to really slow your float down and look for those drop offs and fishy spots and give them a little time. While wading, they could hit every hole and really wear em out, while we likely just floated right on by.

But either way, the scenery is awesome, and a fish here and there is a great bonus.

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:52 pm
by redneckyakclub01
A canadian nesting on the llano, that is something I'd never forget. Awesome pics and commentary, I felt like I was there.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:32 am
by WATER HOG
Great report . A great river trip & you even found your nest egg ! :roll: :D

Now ya see why I live here in the hill Country ! :D

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:00 am
by yak on flats
As always you provide us with great a post and Pic's. Looks like the kind of place to have a close encounter with God.

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:22 pm
by DaveC
Great pics & report!

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:48 pm
by Tee4Texas
mythman - thanks for taking the time to share the photos and trip details.....that is one of my fav parts of texas

Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 10:15 pm
by LUISJG
nice ...invite me!!

that pic of the malibu x rocks! that a huge kayak!


any livery service over there??

Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:13 pm
by coach_lancaster
Yak Swappin'!

Sickos!

:P