McCommas Bluffs

 

If you drive down 12 E in South Dallas and look North you'll see the Trinity, tame, running through an engineered flood plain. Then look right and there it is, the Trinity untamed. Keep driving East, turn right on Longbranch and keep driving.

You'll end up at the Riverwood overlook at McCommas Bluff. Pull over, think yourself lucky you've got a sturdy truck, and walk up to the bluffs and stare out at the river, winding wide through the Trinity forest. Look down and pick up a few spent cartridge cases by way of souvenirs, then clamber down the bluff to the river.

Conservationists are angry about the City reinforcing the bluffs with wire and rock but maybe this is no bad thing and stops the banks from collapsing. Regardless, the reinforcement's pretty minimal and there's plenty of original limestone standing tall above the river.

And there you are, looking out at the Trinity. It has a primeval aspect, at least to me, and can't be so very different from the way it looked when the pioneers arrived; what, 170 years or so ago? Reverie over, clamber about the banks and look out at the fast-flowing river.

Are there fish to be had? Most definitely, though I didn't bring a rod. Next time, and again it was good to be out in the country even though this was in Dallas.

Tight Lines,

LSP

McCommas Bluff

The Mystery of the Trinity

You get a glimpse of beckoning potential mystery as you look downstream on the Trinity river from the Santa Fe trestle and its peculiar Standing Wave. Dallas before Dallas, sort of thing. According to early surveyors the area was remarkably rich in wildlife of all kinds. Danger too, from hostile Indians. Here's part of Warren Ferris' account of Dallas in the 1840s.

Everywhere deer, turkeys and prairie chickens were as thick as ants on a hill, with bear, panthers, wolves and wildcats keeping in the daytime to the river and creek bottoms, but after dark issuing forth to ravage the plains and startle the night with uncouth shadows, and hideous screaming and howling.

I saw in the picturesque regions there much of the wild soul-stirring scenes with which I had been so familiar in the Mountains. Thousands of buffalo and wild horses were everywhere to be met with. Deer and turkeys always in view and occasional bear would sometimes cross our path. Wolves and buzzards became our familiar acquaintances and in the river we found abundance of fish from minnows to 8 footers. The prairies are boundless and present a most beautiful appearance being extremely fertile and crowned with flowers of every hue.

The Trinity Rolls On

With Ferris' words in mind, I drove to McCommas Bluffs, overlooking the Trinity as it flows through its forest. You get there from Riverwood Road off of Loop 12 but be careful, the road dead ends at the Bluffs and is, or was, a dumping ground for stolen vehicles and worse. I didn't see any of that and rambled down the newly reinforced Bluff to the river, rod in hand.

View from the Bluffs

Looking downstream you can see the remains of a dam that was built at the turn of the last century with a view to making the Trinity an industrially navigable river. Its reverted to nature and I had fun casting into the rapids upstream of the structure. It was tantalizing to see big fish hanging in the current, ignoring my bait, but fun trying to change their attitude. I'll return with a different set of tactics.

Upstream

As it began to rain I headed back along the base of the limestone bluffs, stopping for an occasional cast and reflection on the history of the place. Not that long ago, easily within living memory of World War I, the spot I was standing on was pretty much unexplored wilderness. 

Downstream

It has something of that feel today and if you stay quiet and still for long enough, chances are you'll be rewarded with the sight of a great Gar rolling up midstream in the slow moving bend of the Trinity river as it flows beneath the Bluffs and the trees.

Big thanks to the excellent Trinity Trails blog for the inspiration.

Word to the wise, if you go exploring in South Dallas mind how you go; perhaps invest in a CHL, or go with armed friends, or something.

God bless,

LSP