The Federation of Fly Fishers emphasizes several conservation programs including conserving our native fishes, adopting a stream in your area, and recycling fishing line.

The San Gabriel Fly Fishers has adopted a portion of the San Gabriel River between Lake Georgetown and San Gabriel Park. We have a bronze plaque announcing our adopt-a-stream program, and the City of Georgetown and the San Gabriel Fly Fishers have installed this plaque on a limestone pedestal near the river. The city hiking trail crosses the river on a footbridge a little upstream (toward Lake Georgetown) from Rivery Park; this same footbridge is a little downstream (toward San Gabriel Park) from Chandler Park by Country Club Road. The plaque was placed by this footbridge.

Planned Events

Previous Conservation outings

Tuesday June 23, 2011 - Cleanup Berry Springs Pond - Don Johnson

Susan Blackledge, who manages Berry Springs Park and Preserve for Williamson County, asked that we help her net some fish from the Berry Springs Park lake before it dries up completely, so a group from the San Gabriel Fly Fishers went over to help out. As the photos show, the pond is almost completely dry, with only a few feet of water left in the deepest section. There were many dead fish floating on the surface and a few nearly dead fish, carp and catfish, slowly swimming around. We scooped up the dead fish so Susan could dispose of them in a way that didn’t stink up the park. We put the live fish we were able to catch into aerated water buckets so Susan could move them to nearby Berry Creek.

The county plans to take advantage of the drought to make repairs to the pond’s dam, which was blown out by the recent flood. After the dam is repaired and the pond refills, the county hopes to use water from a recently drilled well to keep the pond from drying up in future droughts. With luck the pond can become the excellent fishing spot it was when the park first opened.

Saturday April 9, 2011 - Cleanup of the San Gabriel River - Bruce Moring

On Saturday, April 9th, some 16 intrepid souls from the SGFF and my son gathered along the banks of the North San Gabriel River for our annual river clean up. We split into three groups and each group covered a different stretch of river that totaled several miles of the North San Gabriel from just below Lake Georgetown Dam to Austin Avenue. Members waded in and along the banks picking up any and all trash that included your ever-present beer and soda bottles/cans, golf balls, tires, plastic trash bags, and pipe. All of us left sweat and some left blood along the river as we had to bushwhack our way through green briar to get to trash that had washed over-bank during higher flows. Each group spent about two hours on the river, and afterwards, we all gathered back at Booty's Park to compare scares and brag about who “caught” the biggest and “best” trash! Thanks to everyone who pitched in to continue our pledge to “protect, maintain, and respect these waters” as enscribed on our plaque that sits along the N San Gab about mid way along our adopted river reach.

Saturday May 2 - 2009 - Cleanup of he San Gabriel River - Bruce Moring

Seventeen SGFF's, one member’s daughter, and another member’s son gathered on Saturday, May 2nd at Booty's Road Park near the Lake Georgetown Dam to clean up a little over 3 miles of the North San Gabriel River from D.B. Wood Road to Austin Avenue. River trash included an abundance of golf balls below Georgetown CC, more Keystone beer cans than an other brand, old tires, and plenty of discarded plastic grocery bags. The North San Gabriel was a mere trickle making the clean up much easier. Nineteen volunteers split into three groups with each group covering a mile or more of river. Members left dozens of bags of trash and larger items that would not fit in bag along the trail next to the river, and the City Parks and Recreation Dept. agreed to pick up the trash.

Members spent about 2-3 hours cleaning up the river, and gathered afterwards in the pavilion at Booty’s Rd Park for some BBQ. Thanks to all who gave up their Saturday morning for a worthy cause and some good company while wading our adopted reach of the North San Gabriel River.

Saturday, May 24, 2008 - Cleanup of the San Gabriel River

About twelve of our members gathered at Chandler Park, where Country Club Road crosses the North Fork of the San Gabriel River, on Saturday morning. We divided into two groups. One group entered the river at Chandler Park to clean trash out of the river downstream to Rivery Park, a distance of about one river mile. The other group drove down to the foot bridge at the upper end of San Gabriel Park and cleaned the North Fork upstream to Rivery Park, also a distance of about one river mile. The people working in the river carried bags of trash and larger items, like lumber, sections of PVC pipe, bicycle wheels, etc, up to the hiking trail. The Georgetown Parks and Recreation department came by later and hauled the trash away. The Georgetown Country Club graciously loaned us one of their utility vehicles, which we drove along the hiking trail delivering extra water and trash bags to the workers down in the river.

Placing our Adopt-a-Stream plaque, November 17, 2007

The San Gabriel Fly Fishers gathered where hiking trail crosses the river a little upstream from Rivery Park for the dedication of our Adopt-a-steam plaque. Bruce made a nice dedication speech outlining our plans for cleaning, monitoring, and improving this portion of the San Gabriel River.

Devils River Outing, April 2007

Bruce arranged for some club members to visit the Nature Conservancy camp on the Devil’s River at Dolan Falls to learn about the Nature Conservancy's mission, and, of course, to fish. See the trip report for details.

San Gabriel Cleanup, August 5, 2006

Cleanup of a portion of the San Gabriel's North Fork August 5, 2006

Electrofishing population survey, April 8, 2006

Electrofishing population survey April 8, 2006

Know your Stream outing, October 2005

Several SGFF members gathered streamside on the North San Gabriel in October, 2005 to get to know the stream a little better. We spent several hours seining fish, collecting aquatic insects, and sloshing about in the stream.