The rains came, the streams swelled, but that did not discourage our group of avid fly fishing campers. They spent every waking moment tying flies, setting up and taking down gear, loading gear, traveling, and FISHING! Lots of FISHING!
Learning to cast and practice, practice, practice makes for the best fly fishing success. Learning to set the hook and getting the fish to hand comes next. The best place to get that right is with pan fish in a farm pond. So that is the first place we go. And...it was a success. All of us caught fish. Since the rains had blown out the streams, we tried our luck for trout via kayak on a small lake, fun in and of itself.
As the high elevations streams rid their peaks of water, we decided to start at the top and fish for our endemic native brook trout. We landed a few fish and the falls, scenery, and rock climbing added to the wonders of the Blue Ridge and the sport of “bluelining”. This is the term used when we seek out the small blue lines of a map in search of elusive native fish.
Then there was the majestic New River. What a day we had. A vast 7-mile stretch of green water holding our prime target, the smallmouth bass. It was a long day but a productive one as multiple species of fish were landed; sunfish, bluegill, rock bass, and smallies all to the boat.
It was a fun and memorable experience where friends of years past were reacquainted and new ones made. We couldn’t have done it without the help of two wonderful guides that donated their time to these young men. Thank you to Matt Reilly and Joey Whisnant for your rafts, time, patience, and expertise!
