By: Todd Fleming
Vice President – Alamo Fly Fishers
Devil's RiverThere are several fly fishing trips that I have been researching in the last couple of years. One of those is to float the Devil’s River, North of Del Rio above Lake Amistad. This river is reported to have some of the clearest water in the country, and is surrounded by some very harsh West Texas terrain. Access is limited and difficult, and the adjacent landowners have a reputation for being very protective. I’ve read where the river conditions will demand tedious planning, and the endurance of an athlete. That may be why this river has so few visitors, and remains relatively pristine. The Devil’s River is an untarnished jewel in the wilds of Texas outdoors, and I don’t think it gets a lot of fishing pressure. I hope to make the journey while I still can.
Our meeting speaker this month is Kevin Stubbs, and Kevin has learned the secrets of the Devil’s River, made friends with some of the adjacent landowners, and successfully managed to provide a guide service for expeditions to points down stream. I am anxious to see his pictures and hear some more of his tales. Kevin told me, there are no routine trips on the Devil’s River.
Portage at Dolan FallsKevin’s outdoor guiding experience goes back over 20 years, and he has worked in several outdoor fields. He ran guide boats in the Laguna Madre, Baffin Bay, and offshore of Port Aransas. He learned to guide fly fishing trips while working on a ranch that fronted the Roaring Fork River between Aspen and Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Kevin took a break from guiding and moved to Seattle a few years ago where he was able to put his guiding experiences to use in the outdoor media and advertising business. He handled TV properties on ESPN 2, Outdoor Channel and OLN, including Orvis Sporting Lives, Fly Fish TV, Sportsman's Travel Guide and others. After gaining experience with the outdoor media business, 3M Scientific Anglers hired him as a marketing guy. Kevin’s office handled the advertising and PR functions for the fly fishing brand.
Kevin left Scientific Anglers 6 years ago to escape the office and return to guiding. Today he is currently working as a manufacturer’s rep for several fly fishing brands, and also guides in Montana, and the spring-fed rivers of Texas. The Texas Rivers he spends time on the most are: The upper and lower Guadalupe, San Marcos, Llano, Blanco, and the Devil's River. Kevin’s presentation to the Alamo Fly Fishers on Tuesday November 21st will feature the Devil’s River. I’m certain he will share some of the beauty and the dangers of this desert guarded river. Visit Kevin’s website at www.expedition-outfitters.net for more information about his guided fishing trips.
