Nemesis Run – Texas River Bum

There’s a beautiful stretch of water on the Llano that just won’t let me fish her. It’s the kind of water you you hear the trees whisper, “we hide great fish here,” as you tube down the river. It’s full of structure and deep runs despite our low flows and dry weather this year.

When we first met it was October and I remember her well. I was at Oktoberfisch in Junction, Tx- a quiet sleepy town by all first impressions, but alive with opportunity for fun on the water. After participating in the first day’s events I was able to flirt with the water some. I wet a line, snapped a shot of a few small Guadalupe Bass, and walked away impatient for tomorrow.

After the second day with camp all packed up, Dave, Jason, and I took a float that has frustrated me since. It started off great. A tip from a local said our trip would be short, maybe a mile at best. For the short amount time we had to spend- it was going to work perfect. Float, fish, fun, fast… but that’s not what the Nemesis Run had in mind.

The first mile we fished everything we could hard and fast. When the day grew long and a sinking sense of unattended ‘”honey-do’s” set in- we kicked our flippers into full gear to head for the house. That’s when the heart ache kicked in.

All the water the mile before was a tease. The run we were pushing thru was where all the action was at.

Fast forward now to Easter and it was Dave’s birthday. After a false start Saturday and a switch to the Llano, I was one fly reel down but ready to fish. I hadn’t forgotten Nemesis Run and she didn’t forget me either. Knowing I had been on another river the day before she didn’t want to see me.

David, Jaz, and I worked our way down the river but pushed for the run. Jaz hooked up with a nice Catfish and caught a good fight. But I was waiting, pining, anticipating the water lying ahead.

That’s when the rain came.