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Smith-Continued

Started by 5xTippett, June 17, 2012, 16:15:23 PM

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Woolly Bugger

Quote from: streamereater_101691 on March 05, 2023, 10:29:01 AMWhat a cluster fuck. It wont be a float or wade friendly schedule if they pulse 2 generators all the time off and on. It'll be right back to 6" fish within 3 years.

We've all become accustomed to the the steady flows and it has improved the environment for the fish, but we knew it wouldn't last forever. It's a challenging game to play to be able to hit the river during the low flows and I hate how they invariably generate over the sulfur hatches, with few exceptions.

All I can say is fish it while you can and make the most of it. I don't look forward to fishing it at 60 cfs again.
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

Trout Maharishi

Robert was the long time Orvis rep for the Southeast US. He's from Martinsville, nice guy. Last time I talked to him he said he had been working there part time since he retired. Like I said I hate it for the person doing the presentation, but it's always good for the ones who do attend.
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski

JCB3

Quote from: Trout Maharishi on March 05, 2023, 16:54:23 PMRobert was the long time Orvis rep for the Southeast US. He's from Martinsville, nice guy. Last time I talked to him he said he had been working there part time since he retired. Like I said I hate it for the person doing the presentation, but it's always good for the ones who do attend.

He's hardly in there anymore.

streamereater_101691

Quote from: JCB3 on March 05, 2023, 20:35:18 PM
Quote from: Trout Maharishi on March 05, 2023, 16:54:23 PMRobert was the long time Orvis rep for the Southeast US. He's from Martinsville, nice guy. Last time I talked to him he said he had been working there part time since he retired. Like I said I hate it for the person doing the presentation, but it's always good for the ones who do attend.

He's hardly in there anymore.

Heck of a nice guy and good friend of mine. We fish together a few times a year. I can confirm he helps out in the store only in emergency situations. Happily retired.

Trout Maharishi

Robert was very helpful to me a couple of times when there was really nothing to be gained from his end. I'll never forget those acts of kindness.
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski

trout-r-us

Used to be a Bryant's store in Martinsville with a fly shop  ~ 40 yrs ago. I think it may have been Robert that did an episode with Franc White of Southern Sportsman fame where they fished the Smith River.
I still have some old tying materials laying around from that store. High dollar but the only game nearby.

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
― Heraclitus

Trout Maharishi

#2736
Metz capes for $19.95 and I remember bitching about that price b';
"We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing."
― Charles Bukowski

creakycane

Quote from: Woolly Bugger on March 05, 2023, 12:04:48 PM
Quote from: streamereater_101691 on March 05, 2023, 10:29:01 AMWhat a cluster fuck. It wont be a float or wade friendly schedule if they pulse 2 generators all the time off and on. It'll be right back to 6" fish within 3 years.

We've all become accustomed to the the steady flows and it has improved the environment for the fish, but we knew it wouldn't last forever. It's a challenging game to play to be able to hit the river during the low flows and I hate how they invariably generate over the sulfur hatches, with few exceptions.

All I can say is fish it while you can and make the most of it. I don't look forward to fishing it at 60 cfs again.

The better conditions for fish growth have certainly benefited the fishery.  Whether the elimination of the very low flows, or the shorter periods of scouring high/transient flows, has had the most impact, I am not sure.  Don't know about bug sampling, either.  I haven't seem good fall olive hatches in a number of years, though spring sulphur types have been OK. Not great, but ok.  Tailwaters do change slowly even if releases remain the same over years. 

Going back to a variation on the low flows early in the day, and releases in the afternoon, may benefit the lower river in peak thermal stress periods.   Maybe the stretch below Mville May be better off? 

While the very low flows do make fishing difficult, weeks at 600 cfs limit realistic areas to fish for the wader.   Both are less than ideal.   Would be great if a higher minimum flow could be maintained.   Probably just a dream.

Woolly Bugger

It looks like they're going to be dumping water for another 7 to 10 days although they may reduce the flow  somewhat
ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

creakycane

Quote from: Woolly Bugger on March 07, 2023, 16:03:01 PMIt looks like they're going to be dumping water for another 7 to 10 days although they may reduce the flow  somewhat

Yep, one of the many periods in recent times that would have been better for fly fishermen with the old high-low pattern ( and watching the daily up down).

streamereater_101691

Quote from: creakycane on March 07, 2023, 16:33:34 PM
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on March 07, 2023, 16:03:01 PMIt looks like they're going to be dumping water for another 7 to 10 days although they may reduce the flow  somewhat

Yep, one of the many periods in recent times that would have been better for fly fishermen with the old high-low pattern ( and watching the daily up down).

Not necessarily. Knowing the coe and dominion, they would run 2 generators for 24hrs until the lake got back down below guide curve anticipating it shooting back up again when back to 75cfs..

Mudwall Gatewood 3.0

Quote from: Woolly Bugger on March 05, 2023, 12:04:48 PMAll I can say is fish it while you can and make the most of it. I don't look forward to fishing it at 60 cfs again.

I remember those low flow days ......... vividly!

Plopping beetles along the banks, hooking casts under overhanging vegetation, and waiting for the dimple surface take.  Or changing to a black or red balsa wood ant on the really picky top feeders.  Or finding a pod of midstream browns surface feeding on obscure minutiae, replacing tippet with the 8 or 9x Racine Tortue the French suckered me into purchasing, scrambling through fly boxes for something the size of a speck of dust, finding nothing, settling for my smallest, and then having a 7" brown thumb their nose.

Am I the only one here that enjoyed the hell out that fishing?   
"Enjoy every sandwich."  Warren Zevon

creakycane

Quote from: Mudwall Gatewood 3.0 on March 08, 2023, 13:36:47 PM
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on March 05, 2023, 12:04:48 PMAll I can say is fish it while you can and make the most of it. I don't look forward to fishing it at 60 cfs again.

I remember those low flow days ......... vividly!

Plopping beetles along the banks, hooking casts under overhanging vegetation, and waiting for the dimple surface take.  Or changing to a black or red balsa wood ant on the really picky top feeders.  Or finding a pod of midstream browns surface feeding on obscure minutiae, replacing tippet with the 8 or 9x Racine Tortue the French suckered me into purchasing, scrambling through fly boxes for something the size of a speck of dust, finding nothing, settling for my smallest, and then having a 7" brown thumb their nose.

Am I the only one here that enjoyed the hell out that fishing?   


Yep, 25 years of doing just that for me before the demise of the plant.   I'm game for a bit of those days again.

Dougfish

15

Headed down on Monday. 260cfs when I left the house.
Hiked in and Chuck from Raleigh/Blacksburg was fishing the head of the run where I had planned on starting.
Cracked the early beer and waded out to wave at him.
Rigged up and noticed he was wadding across and down. He went around the bend.
I headed down, euro rod in hand.

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I crossed over and realized it was extra pushy. Got down to the starting point and spotted Chuck just 100 feet below me.
Well shit. Walked down the bank to gauge his strategy. He was continuing a bit further down before starting.
Gave me the go ahead to fish the run above him. He was euroing, too.
Waded out. Yeah, pushy. Stained, too. Fun wading.
Slowly got into fish.

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Got to the top with only 5 to hand. he had gone around me and was fishing upstream at this point.
Sat and watched him fish as i had lunch. Bobby showed up and reported limited success, also.
Chuck joined us and we solved no problems of the world. 5 -6 fish each was the tally.

All of us started back on the river. I found that pushy had become stupid. The spots I wanted to go were up 6-9".
Got in a good spot to check the phone and found the gauge at 480cfs. Struggled to shore and started out.

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Found Chuck at his truck and said our goodbyes.
Talked to Bobby later to find he survived.
Just another day on the Smiff.

 :cheers

"Why don't you knock it off with them negative waves? Why don't you dig how beautiful it is out here?
 Why don't you say something righteous and hopeful for a change? "
Kelly's Heroes,1970

"I don't wanna go to hell,
But if I do,
It'll be 'cause of you..."
Strange Desire, The Black Keys, 2006

Woolly Bugger

#2744

#23 16

Doesn't anybody work anymore?

Its Thursday, and for sure the weather was nice, but seriously three vehicles in the lot? One guy was leaving, said I was smart for arriving at noon, he had ice in the guides when he started.

I checked out sally's first, there were some caddis, stones, bwos and lots of midges in the air but I didn't see any risers. I swung a soft hackle for a bit and then spied one of the other anglers moving up in in the flats below. I moved on down around him and checked out the left handed pool.

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Noting happening there, so I went further down and waited for some surface action.

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Despite no visable surface action, I started working the water. As I got out I saw the other angler coming up from the lower reaches of the river. He stopped along the bank and ate a streamside lunch.

I worked up a couple of punes and lost a fly to an overhanging branch. The flymph that I tied on was getting a lot of attention, but not so many hook ups. After swinging through the run, I took a break.

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After resting the water I swung my way through again.

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I kept staring at the green plastic bottles that had collected in the eddy across the street river and since the fishing was slow I decided to cross the run and pick up the trash. I stashed  my rod with my cooler and made my way across. As soon as I started, fish started to rise right in front of of me. That figures!

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I filled up my vest carred the rest in my net and took it back across the river.

I rested the water for a bit, hoping the risers would return.

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I caught another handful of punes and them moved upstream.

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The trout lilies are almost all gone now but the bluebells and mayapples are coming along.







ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!