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Smith-Continued

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

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Al

If you can make one or all days to help it will be appreciated. I'll be there taking pictures and will try to keep folks updated as we go along. My skills posting from my dumbphone are limited so please don't be critical.

Dougfish

#2656
61

I had a landscape job to set up at SML, and since that is halfway to the river....

It was just a quick hit. 2 1/2 hrs in and out.
There was a 4 door silver F150 in the lot and I found him in the top of the lefthander's hole.
He was patiently waiting for risers to cast to.
I saw risers all the way down the river from the path.  :Dance
Ate a quick lunch, tied on and waded out.
Fishbug and I had been talking about how Smokejumpers might be the ticket.
John, .... not.
Puffdaddies were.

Keith's beavers are back.

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I had worked through the usual suspects and headed upstream.
Homie had boogied.

I ended up at Sally's and not much was going on.
Risers for the first 2 hours, nada after that.

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The flows be low.

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A dozen to hand.
: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

Al

This is my busy time of the year but I did write up a DWR Barge sample report which was sent to all on my SRTU list - I think it will also eventually be posted on DWR blog. Here is the bottom line from my report.....

"As a layman who has fished the Smith River for about 30 years it is my observation that there is no shortage of fish. We never used to see many of this year class of recently spawned brown trout at locations very far distance from Philpott Dam. They are now spawning throughout the river. Non-game or forage fish were almost nonexistent when I first started fishing the Smith. They appear to be making a comeback in the past few years.  George  Palmer the DWR biologist responsible for the Smith River will analyze the data and brief his findings at the SRTU meeting on Thursday, December 1, 2022 - 6:30 pm, Raina's Restaurant, Martinsville, VA. The meeting is open to the public."

creakycane

Today was more turbid than last week through town, though plenty fishable.   A week ago, found many more fish readily taking pheasant tails a foot or two under the surface.  Today, had to go deep to get them to bite.  With weighted nymphs.   Handful of browns in a couple of hours, didn't have much time.  Rain coming Friday, cooler weather next week.  Two rafts and a couple of fly guys, a couple of spinners.  Leaf color display largely done.  It's been a beautiful fall. 

Dougfish

64


Tied up some experimental #20 dries and headed down to try them out.
First really cold day. Started at 36, finished at 48.
First stocking hat day. Meh.

I had looked at the Philpott gauge and nothing was amiss.
Forgot to check Bassett. Opps.
That 3"+ of rain on Friday blew up Townes Ck.

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Water was back down, but still discolored.
A lot of wood, leaves, sediment and such had moved.
Woolly, you've been stumped!

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I started out streamering. I had a couple of quick bumps, then a strong grab.
Them one broke me off.
They must have put the word out, because that was it. Done.
Ate some lunch and a few dimples started showing.
Switched to the new fly and missed some, caught some, broke one off with too much pepper in the hook set.
7x.  b';

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Moved up and caught one more.
6 or 7 small feesh. They made me work for them.
I'll work some sunnier stretches later this week.

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 :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

Dougfish

65



"Ada don't talk about reasons why you don't want to talk about reasons why you don't wanna talk"

Like a glutton, I went back for more punishment.
Went upstream to escape Towne's mud.
Guess what, the water coming out of the lake is just as bad.  n!n

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Cleaning your fly was required on almost every other cast.

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A handful of the local residents cooperated.

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A good look at river levels.
80 cfs, 280, 600?

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Got home at a decent hour, lol.
: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

Al

Cut and paste from SRTU meeting announcement......

"A reminder that on December 1st we will be having our last chapter meeting of the year at Rania's Restaurant in Martinsville at 6:30.  George Palmer from the Virginia DWR will be our special guest speaker.   George will be proving us with an update on the health of the Smith River and its wild brown trout population. Please join us and invite your friends or family who may be interested."   

Woolly Bugger



I've made a few trips to the lower river and a couple more up to Bassett. Not much to report. The last two trips I mostly swung flies. I did hook a very nice brown that measures close to 16 inches. It manages to avoid being photographed as I find it difficult to net a fish on the spey pole. I moved around and had another decent fish on the line for a bit and that was it.

Yesterday, I went back and was gearing up when a local in a pick-up truck pulls up and ask, "Any luck?" "I'm just getting started." He then proceeded to grab his spinning rod and hit the run that I was planning to fish. "Well damn!" I grumbled and headed on downstream after rigging up. I caught nothing and I don't think he had any better luck, but what a dick!

I moved on up to another spot where I had some grabs the other day. A damn smithfly was floating through those runs. Well fuck!

I moved on to another spot and got one grab. I tried some other spots and caught nothing. I even bobbered some stoneflies and still not a nibble.

I feel like I've lost my mojo.




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

#2663
Quote from: Woolly Bugger on November 29, 2022, 13:56:20 PM


I've made a few trips to the lower river and a couple more up to Bassett. Not much to report. The last two trips I mostly swung flies. I did hook a very nice brown that measures close to 16 inches. It manages to avoid being photographed as I find it difficult to net a fish on the spey pole. I moved around and had another decent fish on the line for a bit and that was it.

Yesterday, I went back and was gearing up when a local in a pick-up truck pulls up and ask, "Any luck?" "I'm just getting started." He then proceeded to grab his spinning rod and hit the run that I was planning to fish. "Well damn!" I grumbled and headed on downstream after rigging up. I caught nothing and I don't think he had any better luck, but what a dick!

I moved on up to another spot where I had some grabs the other day. A damn smithfly was floating through those runs. Well fuck!

I moved on to another spot and got one grab. I tried some other spots and caught nothing. I even bobbered some stoneflies and still not a nibble.

I feel like I've lost my mojo.






Very similar experiences for me since the temps dropped below average around mid Nov.  Hit a few leftover stockers and a couple of stocky browns 13" or so downstream, but the usually productive runs and glides through most of the system have been slow for me as of late.  Past experience shows this is expected, and at the same time, this can be a great time to stumble on a big fish, but it can be a long time between tugs.  Been watching for olives in the pm, but have not seen good hatches yet.  Got to work on dialing back my expectations this time of year!

trout-r-us

Quote from: Al on November 25, 2022, 08:55:44 AMCut and paste from SRTU meeting announcement......

"A reminder that on December 1st we will be having our last chapter meeting of the year at Rania's Restaurant in Martinsville at 6:30.  George Palmer from the Virginia DWR will be our special guest speaker.  George will be proving us with an update on the health of the Smith River and its wild brown trout population. Please join us and invite your friends or family who may be interested."

Hopefully someone will post a video of the presentation.
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."
― Heraclitus

Woolly Bugger

Quote from: trout-r-us on December 01, 2022, 09:24:20 AMHopefully someone will post a video of the presentation.

In the past George has shared his PowerPoint and I've posted it here...


somebody get on it....
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!

Woolly Bugger

#2666

Trying to get back into the swing of things again, I drove up to Bassett the other day and hit a run with the spay pole with a small streamer. With the flow back up to "high normal" I had hoped for a bigger brown. This first run was all snap-t casting and I feel like im in better control spey casting. I had a few bumps and had a "world class" (read 12") brown on the line for a bit. After several more bumps I got into a few pune over achievers (future world class fish) in the 4-5" range. I was going to move on down but there were a pair of spinners that had come in from the other side.  I drove around and found more anglers in other locations. Who would have thought on a dreary chilly Monday so many people would be out fishing. A caught a few more punes at the second location and then ended the day east of town in a decent run where I like to swing flies. Bump, bump, grab. I eventually caught a couple of 12" stockbows. It was getting late and I need to remember gloves and electric socks for the next outing.

Note: I haven't taken a fishing photo since the end of September.

Q? If this is sush a "World Class" fishery, why do they stock it?


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!

Onslow

Quote from: Woolly Bugger on December 06, 2022, 11:01:12 AM



Q? If this is sush a "World Class" fishery, why do they stock it?


That is what VA does.  If it can be reached by a truck, it will likely get stocked.  Remember, it is a classy river :laugh:

Honestly, this is why I rarely fish designated water north of the border. Finding stocked fingerlings in the wild section of Crooked or the SFH pisses me off. Won't be back. Probably won't be renewing license next year. Heading to SC for more bass, carp, and striper.

Onslow

How to manage a wild trout stream in VA and WV?  Introduce otter snacks and bait for tailpipe sniffers (stocking truck chasers).

Mudwall Gatewood 3.0

Planting trout in waters where they should not be planted is certainly an issue that merits discussion.

In my neck of the woods the concern is trout stocking by private landowners.  There is a major watershed nearby with wild brookies in the main stem plus several tribs with brookies.  Some landowners have stocked browns and rainbows in the main stem.  From my point of view, outside looking in, this should not be allowed.  I have no idea of the permitting process required to stock fish in Virginia.

However, I do snap back to truth when I consider some of the self-sustaining nonnatives (browns, rainbows, carp, etc.) we chase were first planted by some entity.  In many ways we are a selfish bunch. 
"Enjoy every sandwich."  Warren Zevon