Noli/Rocky Fork 7.25.09

[WoodrowCall]

My friend and I got the chance to float the Noli this week. While we didn't do as well I had hoped, it was a pretty good day. We got on the water at about 9, putting in at Johnny's Hostel, who set up our shuttle. I didn't even bring my fly rod on this trip; I was worried that we would end up swimming a rapid and I didn't want to lose it. I got a couple early strikes with my Spook puppy, but they missed 
We went through most of the day with me fishing top water, and occasionally switching to a diving lure, and my friend using a grub the whole time. I ended up catching 5, all of them smallies and all of them small. I hooked a good-sized smallie on the puppy that would have gone 2-3 lbs, but he jumped and came back down without my hook  o-o
My friend caught 5 too, but definitely got the big fish of the day with his largemouth, which he caught on his grub. He put up a great fight on the light outfit he was using.
We took out at Big Rocks, which, in reflection, was probably too much water. It was about 10 miles, and we got off the water at about 8, but I never felt like we got the chance to focus and really hit a stretch of water.
The next day, we went to Rocky Fork, which was full of fish. It must have just been stocked, so if anyone wants to catch some fish in the area, it would be a great place. I never got any good-sized fish to bite, as they were really spooky, but I caught a couple small ones on a pheasant tail and a copper john.
Saturday we went back to Big Rocks and were jumping off the rocks and swimming the rapid when some bikers there told us that a guy had 7 beers before noon that morning and then went off and drowned. Apparently, he got caught in an undercurrent and got pushed under a ledge...about 5 ft. from a spot where we were scouting. It was sobering, but we just stayed away from the spot and had fun swimming the rapid. A six pack and pushy water just don't mix.
All in all, it was a great weekend, but I wish that we had fished a shorter stretch and pounded a few runs a lot more. I'm looking at going after smallies again, this time with my fly rod, on the FB; those fish are fun when they're on the hook, even the small ones!

[Woolly Bugger]

sounds like a decent exploratory run, Kyle knows where the big boys are. 

When spinning for smallies, I've always found the Rebel Craw to be effective :)

[kylemc]

Water was a little stained. We fished ALOT lower than you did and did pretty good. The water you were on has wading access the whole way down. The people that fish it are not exactly catch and release fisherman ::) The rebel craw is a killer with spin outfit. I read in the paper about the guy drowning.

http://greenevillesun.com/story/304891

Oh yeah..If you were catching stockers in RF..you were not exactly in RF

[WoodrowCall]

Yeah, there was a video up on the tri-cities website. It was crazy because he was recovered literally 3 ft. from a spot I was standing in. I know that rapid has a lot of pushy water, but I really think that the 7 beers before noon had more to do with the drowning than the current did.

[WoodrowCall]

Here are a couple pics from the trip.

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[WoodrowCall]

Water was a little stained. We fished ALOT lower than you did and did pretty good. The water you were on has wading access the whole way down. The people that fish it are not exactly catch and release fisherman ::) The rebel craw is a killer with spin outfit. I read in the paper about the guy drowning.

http://greenevillesun.com/story/304891

Oh yeah..If you were catching stockers in RF..you were not exactly in RF

I'll have to try that rebel craw next time.  I'm not sure what you mean about RF... It was full o' fish and the pic I took is of RF falls, right? Feel free to PM me if it's something discrete...