South Fork Smallies

We were rigged and ready by 0920 and couldn't wait to get in the water

After decades in prison for some Nancy Reagan drug violation Norman Brown was pardoned by President OBama and reflected, "Now I want to do the small things that just mean so much. Like look at trees."   With good friends along, creaky knees and reminders of the fragility of life all around I slowed down and appreciated the trees, as I enjoyed my latest fishing adventure to the South Fork of the Shenandoah.

The Water was high, the center channel of the first rapid is usually more defined

gives a good idea about the river being full

The water was summer-warm, 5" higher than normal and discolored as we dipped into the rapids just downstream from Newport, VA.  For James and I the flow quickly crested our knees and pressed our legs making the footing sketchy and threatening a dunk downstream. Paul made peace with the current more easily with his fishing tube and soon we were catching smallies in the shadow of pyramid rock.   

No better lunch buffet on the River -- Dos Equis Amber for hydration of course

standard 9 inch smallmouths feel like bruisers as they fight in the heavy water

James: fish-on ~ smile-on

With an assortment of rods jutting at odd angles and a canoe-tube tether arrangement (not sure how I allowed Paul to talk me into that) we must have appeared an odd looking barge to the bald eagles marking our progress as we made our way through the lake portion to the second rapids where the fishing picks up.  

Paul, happy in his tube, got to lots of water

James throws a nice loop back toward some neighbors

Paul loves the right side pocket water just down from these cliffs

We weren't alone on the river, but the Doah has broad shoulders and is loaded with smallies so there's room for everyone and once in awhile we either paused or pushed through other anglers.  I really enjoy fishing with Paul and James as the wonder of a strike, hook-up and fight transports them both back to childhood wonderment.    I think they like catching fish as much as I do (well almost).

 

A Medalist 1496 from my Grandfather Jack Livingston

An upstream vista shows the pockets and runs of the middle section

James surveys a flow

We were catching smallies at a decent, steady rate in the rapids and on the shoulders of the flows.   Paul was also employing his tried and true, flip, sink and wait technique and began nailing bronzebacks in the pools and eddies off the main flow.   Curse me for fly fishing heresy, but the most effective "fly" was a 2" smoke-sparkle tube bait on a 1/32oz jig head, with this rig (even while appreciating the trees, eagles and grandeur of this river) we caught just over 200 smallies. This smoke sparkle-rig was outperforming my tried and true golden retriever on the order of 2:1!   I need to remember that in order to make actual fly-rod casts with a 1/32 jig head-rig I need to use 6wt line or better to account for its weight, my Access 5wt, while great for streamers, was just a bit light for my smallie-slaying redneckery. 

Paul fish-on, one of many for him in this rapids stretch at the bottom of the float

nice smallie in the fast water for brings out a great smile for  Paul

We moved down the river fishing within catch-admiring distance of one another and each had points where we caught a half dozen fish in 10 casts followed by slow portions that we quickly pushed through. 

We slowed down when we hit the rapids in the final 3/4 mile of the float and we were all glad to have saved some time to savor this last section which we frequently gloss over at the end of this float.  The smallies were thick as thieves in the shallow but broad rapids and there were several points where we were three abreast across the river all fish-on at the same time.   It was amazing.  Paul and James both caught several +13" hefty smallies and Paul took the largest fish of the day from a seemingly non-descript, but very productive center flow.   I had a devil of a time fishing downstream in this section, the water-sodden canoe tethered to my belt kept pulling we towards the next shoal and interfered exasperatingly with downstream casts but I still caught my fair share + a few for Scott, Fritz, Jacob, Bryan, Henry and my new philosophical mentor Norman Brown. 

Thanks for looking -- catch you later