Recap: Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival

Last weekend, BRDC staff attended the 24th annual Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival.

Each year, this convention brings together avid and beginner fly fishers alike and provides a place to learn about some of the great organizations and opportunities from around the state and even some international representation! All the while, attendees can enjoy tastings from Virginia wineries, breweries, and distilleries.

BRDC staff manned a booth representing Fish the Blue Ridge. This guide, put together by four counties in Southwest Virginia (Wythe, Smyth, Grayson, and Washington), puts SWVA on the map as a fly fishing destination. It highlights just a few great public access fishing locations across the four counties, what you might expect to see at each, and some fun attractions nearby besides fishing.

While here, BRDC also did some outreach to gauge interest for upcoming fly fishing programs led by BRDC staff. The last weekend of April, we are hosting a Women’s Fly Fishing Weekend, hopefully the first of many! This group will be approachable for both beginning and experienced anglers and will cover skills from basic casting up to tying your own flies and reading water- all while building a community of passionate outdoorswomen. 

If you’re an avid fly fisher, or a curious beginner who wants to get into fly fishing this year, be sure to visit Fish the Blue Ridge online and check out the guide below. It’s a great free resource to getting started fishing in Southwest Virginia!