A true gem of the Texas Hill Country. The setting for our tours on the Blanco River is Cretaceous limestone surrounded by gently rolling hills and cliffs carved out by the river. The banks are lined with majestic Bald Cypress, Pecans, assorted Oaks and Sycamore trees. Junipers, sotols, yuccas and prickly pears establish themselves on the rugged cliffs with ferns growing out of seeps from the porous limestone.
There is an abundance of grasses and wildflowers that accent the scenery and make it even more picturesque. The river is FULL of hungry largemouths, smallies, Guadalupe, and hybrid bass along with abundant sunnies, cichlids, channel cats and spotted gar. {Day trips and overnighters}
Contents
Map of Blanco River Fishing
Fishing Guides in Blanco River
Hell ‘N Back Outfitters
(512) 940-5965
Hell ‘N Back offers fly fishing guide service on the many rivers of the Texas Hill Country in search of native fish species to be caught on a fly. We offer float trips, wade trips, fly casting lessons, and eco-tours. Whether it’s bass on the Blanco or rainbow trout on the beautiful Guadalupe, you’re sure to have a memorable experience with Hell ‘N Back Outfitters! – centraltexasflyfishing.com
Texas Flyfishing
TexasFlyFishing is dedicated to protecting the rivers and streams of the Texas Hill Country. I intend to donate half of all procedes to Texas Parks and Wildlife as soon as arrangements can be made for earmarking those funds. This site is also dedicated to generating interest towards fly fishing the Hill Country. If the our rivers can be made more valuable for fishing and recreation than developement, half of the battle is won. – texasflyfishing.com
Lone Star Fly Fishing LLC
Beautiful scenery and big Bass! We float stretches of the river near the towns of Blanco and Wimberley. Species include Largemouth Bass, Guadalupe Bass, Rio Grande Cichlid, Gar, Carp and Catfish on the fly. Clear water offers excellent sight fishing opportunities, high numbers of fish with the chance of a true Bucketmouth always a possibility. We provide all equipment including high quality fly rods, beverages on all trips and lunch on Full Days. – lonestarflyfishing.com
Hill Country Fly Fishers
(512) 589-3474
The Blanco offers some of the most productive Smallmouth Bass fishing in all of Texas. It is also one of the most difficult rivers to access in the Hill Country. The fishing here can be unbelievable in the spring and fall of the year, and even summer fishing can be outstanding, depending on the level of the river. As with most of my float trips, I try to limit them to between 4 and 6 miles per day so you can get the most fishing time in. Paddling is fun, but fishing is what you¹re here for. If you¹re interested in fishing the Blanco, I can tailor a trip to fit your needs. – hillcountryflyfishers.com
Reelfly Dishing Adventures
1642 FM-2673
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
(830) 964-4823
With shops located in Canyon Lake and Wimberley we are in very close proximity to some of the best fly fishing Texas has to offer! From Rainbow and Brown Trout, to picky Carp, chunky Largemouths, and our state fish the Guadalupe Bass, we are well diverse in our targetable species. We are able to accommodate groups of all sizes with our fleet of boats and experienced guide staff. Our trips include everything necessary for a day on the water (waders, boots, fly rod setups, tackle) as well as an ice chest with refreshments and a lunch for our full days. – reelfly.com
The Blanco Riverwalk development is located on a 238.29-acre site inclusive of 62 acres of park. It is located near San Marcos Texas on Interstate 35 with 5,000 feet of frontage on the southern frontage road and 5,000 feet of frontage on the Blanco River. The frontage on the Blanco River will be developed into a Riverwalk, which will allow access to the restaurants and retail stores in the development. There will also be a 5,000 seat Amphitheater for concerts, which will be a major draw for the regional lifestyle shopping center.
The property is presently zoned for a mixed use development to allow for a regional lifestyle shopping center, Class A offices, medical offices and a hospital, as well as residential condominium homes.
STRATEGIC LOCATION
San Marcos and Hays County, Texas are strategically located at the center of the Austin-San Antonio Growth Corridor. This location enables the citizens and corporate community to enjoy both small city convenience and big city connections. Austin, the Texas State Capital, is 26 miles north, while historic San Antonio is only 45 miles to the south. At this location, Interstate 35 has a traffic count of 135,000 cars per day along the development’s 5,000 feet of frontage.
San Marcos is also the gateway to the Texas Hill Country, a delightful resort area that provides year round recreation, dramatic scenery, and limitless water sports. San Marcos is at the heart of the Texas tourist region, which generates a potential tourism market of some 17 million people.
POPULATION
San Marcos, with an estimated 2004 population of 43,994, is the largest city in Hays County, which has an estimated population of 119,903. In addition, approximately 27,000 students attend Texas State University-San Marcos. Within a 50 mile radius of San Marcos there are 3.1 million people. There are approximately 45,000 new housing starts per year in the same area.
RETAIL SHOPPING
With more than two hundred stores, the Tanger Outlet Center, ten minutes to the south of the Blanco Riverwalk site and Prime Outlets, ten minutes to the south of the Blanco Riverwalk site are the third most visited destination in Texas with over 9 million shoppers per year. The combined centers have gross sales in excess of $450 Million per year.
A Cabela’s retail store, is located just off I-35 between Austin and San Marcos in the town of Buda and ten minutes to the north of the Blanco Riverwalk site. In addition to offering quality outdoor merchandise, the 185,000 sq. ft. showroom is an educational and entertainment attraction, featuring a décor of museum-quality animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations of their natural habitats. Cabela’s’s draws some 6 million shoppers per year.
CENTRAL TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER
Serving San Marcos and the neighboring areas, Central Texas Medical Center is committed to having the latest available medical services, a highly skilled physician staff and a dedicated team of professionals to provide state–of–the–art health care to more than 200,000 persons within San Marcos and the surrounding areas.
CTMC is a 113 bed acute care hospital housing over thirty medical service departments: cardiopulmonary and respiratory care, emergency care, out-patient geri-psych, intensive-critical care, laboratory, maternal and child health, pediatrics, cardiology, physical therapy, overnight and outpatient surgery and medical imaging. CTMC also offers social services and Home Health & Hospice of Central Texas.
AIRPORTS
The San Marcos Municipal Airport is fully instrumented with four asphalt runways, each more than a mile long. Several industrial properties are available on site, both within and outside the Foreign Trade Zone. Austin’s Bergstrom International Airport is 35 minutes by road to the north and San Antonio International Airport is 45 minutes to the south, both accessible by Interstate 35 from San Marcos.
Austin’s Bergstrom International Airport was carefully designed to meet the needs of Central Texans well into the 21st Century. A multi-use facility, the airport serves general aviation, commercial aviation, the State Aircraft Pooling Board and the Texas National Guard. Bergstrom has 21,000 feet of runway to better accommodate its pilots and customers.
EDUCATION
The San Marcos area benefits from its close association with Texas State University-San Marcos, the sixth largest university in the state, with 26,000 students. In addition to Texas State, the region is rich in educational opportunities. Twenty-four other colleges and universities are within a 50-mile radius of San Marcos.
San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, (SMCISD), is the local San Marcos school district. Other districts serving Hays County are the Hays, Wimberley, and Dripping Springs ISD’s.
QUALITY OF LIFE
San Marcos is a warm and welcoming community that provides a wonderful environment in which to work and play. From cultural, civic and sporting events to tree-shaded parks along the banks of the remarkable spring fed river, the city offers numerous opportunities for natives and newcomers alike.
LABOR FORCE
The work force in San Marcos is bicultural, multi-skilled, and drawn from a region-wide labor pool. Workers of all skill levels commute to San Marcos from eight surrounding counties, a radius of approximately 50 miles. Manufactures in San Marcos say local employees are quickly trained and eager to work. Turnover is minimal. Texas State University provides a bonus of an enthusiastic student workforce with flexible hours.
TECHNICAL TRAINING
Industrial start-up recruitment and training of skilled employees are readily available in San Marcos. Through cooperative efforts of many agencies and training centers, including Texas State University’s Applied Arts and technology Department, and coordinated by Texas State’s Continuing Education, a firm can begin operations with personnel trained to the company’s specifications.
RIGHT TO WORK
Texas is a right-to-work state. Only four other states have lower union activity. There has been no work stoppage or union recruitment in San Marcos in recent years.
UTILITIES
San Marcos’ utility rates are very competitive, partially due to publicly owned electric, water, and wastewater services.
The San Marcos Electric Utility, owned by the City of San Marcos, carries a 99.99% reliability rating. Pedernales Electric and Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative provide service within Hays County beyond the SMEU service area.
The Edwards Underground Aquifer and Canyon Lake are the sources of the water supply for the city and county.
The major supplier of natural gas is Centerpoint Energy.
Telecommunication providers are:
• CenturyTel of San Marcos, Inc.
• Grande Communications, Inc.
• Time Warner Cable
INCENTIVES
The City of San Marcos and Hays County are committed to the promotion of quality development. Leaders are eager to fast track projects to ensure timely start-up.
The following incentive programs are among those offered to help offset the cost of relocation or expansion:
• Tax Abatement & Economic Development Incentives.
• Reinvestment Zone Designation
• Staff Assistance in Economic Development Process
• Development Grants and Alternative Financing
• Main Street program
• Small Business Incubator.