It offers several advantages to a couple of retired archeologists who fly fish Central Texas, it’s relatively close, the wading isn’t particularly challenging, and the stream banks are fairly well wooded, producing shade. The latter is important for both the fish and fishermen when afternoon temperatures will be in the 100s for weeks on end. Some of our Central Texas streams specialize in rock for some distance from the water and are like ovens, even in the morning.




The divots in the limestone are eroded dinosaur trackways which are actually fairly common in this area. The rod—I know, not a great picture—is my 7 foot Sceptre.





I have yet to catch a fish in this water that can’t be handled by a three weight, and I had one in the truck. However, my Andy Manchester built Sceptre had been calling to me and that’s a call that I can seldom resist.

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

Billy Trimble grew up fishing the Lampasas.

The Lampasas is a great river with plenty of access points and not many anglers. Like mdwwhw said, there aren't many big fish but there are a lot of hungry bass and sunfish that are almost always willing to eat a fly. These shots were from this past July when I took a bit of time off work and took a little fishing road trip. Starting from Dallas, I caught largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass in the Blue River/Pennington Creek in Oklahoma and then the next day headed south to the northernmost Guadalupe bass fishery in Texas (the Lampasas) to finish off four species of bass in 24 hours. And while I don't know enough about archaeology to appreciate the river for that reason, I do appreciate the wild mustang grapes that grow throughout the system. They make a great snack when you need a little boost.
Lampasas River Guadalupe

Lampasas River Longear

All four bass species

My favorite flies for the Lampasas are a size 8 Carp-it bomb in olive and a size 12 or 14 damsel nymph in olive or black. The latter seems to have the widest appeal, from longears to Guads to drum to the very occasional 3-pound + largemouth. It's for sure 3-wt territory.

The Lampasas is the only Central Texas stream I am aware of that does not have introduced Redbreast sunfish.

Great info, H2O. Do you fish with a sinking or floating line?

I noticed a lot of small minnow in the pools, so I was fishing clousers and baitfish patterns on a sinking line.

I own just one sinking line, and it's an 8-wt.

Juvenile sunfish in season (now, probably) are a preferred food item for the bass. My go-to fly in that scenario is Bennett's Brunch Money or Lunch Money.

But due to the diversity of species in that river, I typically go with one of the above-mentioned flies.

More than once I've hooked up with largemouth and white bass (there are always a few resident year-round even though the nearest/only reservoir is 15-20 miles downstream) while targeting carp. They follow along foraging mud marlins in hopes of grabbing something (a crawfish, often) they kick up.

"If you don't tie your own, Living Waters in Round Rock may be able to sell you one or more of the patterns."

Don't forget bones72. I live in Killeen and can arrange on the water delivery tied to order. Haven't fished the Lampasas since I have been back in Texas but have had many a fun day on that river; also a scare or two; that river has gators in it (or at least used to) though never saw one over 7 ft. The biggest was just upriver from the bridge in Kempner laying on a muskrat lodge.

Where a T130 comes in handy is when you want to bottom bounce - I've seen so many bass slamming their heads into mudballs on the flagstone trying to eat the fly.
Particularly good in chutes in the summer, but I also fish riffles down-and-across with them.

Something else that happens this time of year is nickel-sized crayfish push themselves into the flow to spread downriver.

TXH20MAN-

Is that last fish a freshwater drum (sheepshead to those of us in the Great lakes region?)

I didnt know they had them down south. Although native, they are considered trash fish where I'm from. Nothing worse than thinking you have a 5lb smallmouth and it ends up being a sheepshead.

They do fight pretty hard. The pic stands out because it's the first time I've seen someone smiling while holding one lol. I think the nys record is somewhere around 30# give or take.

Very cool.