We had a great time Saturday at the park pavilion and it sounds like it was a better day to tie flies and tell lies anyway Thanks go out to all of you who visited Nails Creek Park and the Fish Camp 2013..
Next up will be a kayak fishing clinic! One Feb 23 and another March 9th, We will leave from the Nails Creek boat ramp around 8am. But as always everything depends greatly on what the weather does...
Any vendors interested in bringing out some kayaks to showcase and demo? You will not be able to sell kayaks in the park but you can sure make some deals
Sounds like alot of fun, if I can Ill be there. The fly tying stuff seems like itll be neat, I just got started tying my own and could definitely use some schooln. It would be great to do some camping and stay out there more than a day. I was there yesterday and it was great, only regret was I had to leave.
As all of you already know kayaking has exploded in popularity over the last ten years and the Nails Creek Unit of Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway has a unique opportunity at present with the lake at 1.66 feet low. The upper end of the lake is very shallow where the Yegua and Nails creek enter from silting in over the last 40+ years. Although it is possible to get bigger boats up to and in the creek it takes some serious effort! Kayakers have no problem crossing the shallows and it is smooth paddling up the creek from there. All of this changes when the lake is at or above normal level allowing full access to the creeks and the Yegua gets pretty busy then!
On Saturday February 23rd and again on March 9th I'll be leading a kayak fishing tour up Yegua creek starting at 8am from the boat ramp at the Nails Creek Unit of Lake Somerville State Park & Trailway.
This is an open invite but some kayaking or paddling experience is very helpful and a decent level of fitness is required. It is nearly a mile of open shallow water paddling before we even get into the creek and depending on how far up the creek we go the whole paddle trail can be 12 miles or more.
Don't let the miles paddled scare you away because it can be much shorter and we have all day to do the trip. The section of the creek I've done the best fishing on lately is the last 2 miles anyway so there is no need to paddle way upstream to where the bank fisherman will be.
This is a kayak fishing "tour" of the Yegua and not so much designed to teach someone to fish. I'll lead kayakers to the creek and try to catch fish while sharing what I know about the sport. I can assist in many ways but mostly I do this to help the state park create programs that last by finding folks wanting to enjoy the outdoors and getting them into the park doing things they want to and will do again and again...
Google map to Nails Creek Unit. http://goo.gl/maps/Pbsc2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here's a quick report I did on another forum. It's a beautiful place to paddle and a fun adventure.
I popped into the lake at Nails Creek State Park late last week. Wanted to see if the new skiff could traverse the flats into the Yegua without too much grief. Curiosity and the adventure of it all; poling across the flats and motoring up the creek to try my luck at some whites was my main motivation. I knew from HL&S posts the yak was a shoe in for access but, something about not having to make that long paddle back was just too appealing not to launch the skiff. Fire up that little four stroke and high tail it out of there. However, I did do some paddling and poling but not much.
The bite was slow but the lake and creek gave the Solo Skiff a good work out. Didn't mark many fish but finding some deeper holes for next time should be helpful. Shot some video if you're interested. Should be uploaded by morning and I'll set up a link when it's finished. Here's the link to my first video. Please be kind. Video of Somerville Lake
The pitiful fish count was 3 hooked and two landed. The only female spit the hook before I could get my hands on her. Hope she spawns out well. Found a bunch of large carp on the flats and am contemplating a carp/fly trip if the whites don't run well this year.
Cool little boat, there werent many biting for me either but it looks like theres a good chance for rain out in them parts during the week, so with a little luck the fishinl be a bit better come the 23rd.
Once again I'm trying to meet my son-in-law in LA to pickup my TT. The plan is to meet early enough on 2/23 to make it back to Nails Creek to camp and fish. Hope to make it this time, had to cancel the previous two attemps. I may not get there in time to fish, but plan to fish Sunday and Monday morning.
Ben, my buddy and I will ride along on this trip on the 23rd looking forward to it...what do we need to bring?? And what's this dragging g your kayak I mud bottom that I keep hearing..
Ben is correct on his recommendations for the trip...especially on the need to be in somewhat good shape to paddle the distance.....personal experience. Although, my "slow" return trip when I went out with Ben was due to having left my catch in the water as I paddled all the way back....followed by major issues with my ray boots and the mud in the shallows....too much suction. If you have rubber waders, you might do better.
All that go on the trip will thoroughly enjoy the trip. Ben has a vast knowledge of the location and is willing to share it with those interested...quite commendable!
I was there a few days ago and we paddled up it then on the way back we cut across dragging our boats, it was definitely easier just paddling around imo.
Euphobia wrote:I was there a few days ago and we paddled up it then on the way back we cut across dragging our boats, it was definitely easier just paddling around imo.
I take it that you're implying that it was a lot easier paddling through and out the mouth instead of dragging the kayak over land the 'relatively' short distance through Ben's short cut, right?
I finally got my Lowrance Endura coordinates, from the Nails Creek boat ramp, to river mouth and then up along the meanders of Yegua Creek, set up into a "Route." BTW all, on that trip with Ben, we ventured up to the Wolf Pond Camp Site (Lake Somerville) vicinity, where there is a 180 degree bend in the creek..that was our last stopping point.
The navigated distance was 2.0 miles. I admit that there is a bit of error involved in that I only pinged the center of bends and curves in the creek. Nonetheless, it's close enough.
I would have thought that it was much further. Distance from boat ramp to river mouth is 0.8 miles
Ken, thank you so much for the trip..you know what you were doing and showing these new noob the yegua..sometime I enjoy just peddling in the creek look at other stuff than fishing..love to do it again and next time ill be more prepare.. Thanks again
Glad to hear / see that you had a great turn out, Ben. I can certainly attest to the joy of simply being out in that marvelous serenity that nature provides.
I'm considering heading up to Whitney dam Saturday March 2, hopefully launch around 8am. We would fish down about two or three miles then paddle back up to take out around 4 or 5pm. Other options would be to float/fish/paddle the entire way to Dick's Outpost 8 miles down river and shuttle back up. Most often we just paddle down and back up to the dam with no shuttle being necessary.
Things to consider when kayaking the Brazos:
Water level.. Lake Whitney is currently about 8.5 feet low, with virtually no release from the dam (25CFS) so the river is low too. If and when they generate power the river will rise quickly making for some tough potentially dangerous kayaking. Twice we went down river under dropping low water only to have them start generating about the time we were heading back.. Wear your damn PFD! We already lost one fisherman to the river and don't want to do that ever again...
The normal trip up to the Brazos we are draggin' yak & wade fishing at least as much as paddling. There are long shallow sections of the river followed by deeper pools so finding the fish can be tricky.
The Wind
The river runs north to south and tends to channel and focus the wind. I've only been there when the southern wind was blowing. Once when we did the whole 8 miles down to Dick's & the last half was into a 20+ MPH headwind.. 12 hours on the water was some tough fun especially the last four. I won't do that again if I can help it.. A wind-assist back up to the dam is nice though!
The Fish
The Brazos river below Lake Whitney probably offers the greatest variety of species to fish for of any river in Texas. Every type of catfish, bass, gar, carp, & panfish including crappie and sunfish are swimming in that river.
The Fly fishers will love this river as it offers access to open river bed with clear flowing water to float your fly and hungry bass to take it!
Finally made to Nails Creek SP after dark on Saturday. Long day, started at 3:30 am and drove to Lafayete, LA before driving to Nails Creek.
Hit the water about 9:30 am on Sunday. Wind was a factor getting to the creek and back, but do able. I was really surprized at how shallow the whole expanse of water was. Found myself polling with the paddle a few times. I took the shortcut (thanks Ben) but it was almost too much for me, so I used the mouth of the creek coming back.
The fishing was off, only had two bites and one small crappie. The FF showed several good groups of fish. They were all at bends of the creek where the depth dropped off. I ran into another boat and kayak, they had nothing either.
I don't get that warm fuzzy feeling about the fishing prospects this weekend. Clear, cool and coming off the full moon won't put many fish in the boat during the daylight hours... best time seems to be about dark-30 and that ain't no time to be on the water in a yak.. still considering a run up to Lake Whitney to fish below the dam and downriver a bit... anyone want to join me on the Brazos?
I've run out of fishing funds again eek so I'm staying close to home this Saturday.. probably fish lake Bryan in the early AM to check on the crappie.. then put in the garden for the year.
March 9th is the next tour of the Yegua and maybe the last until it rains. The lake has dropped another inch or two making getting into the Yegua tricky. I can do it but it's like threading a needle... a muddy needle.. The fishing really needs to improve too or you will find me fishing elsewhere...
Thanks go out to all of you who visited Nails Creek Park and the Fish Camp 2013.. 
