Short stay on the Smith

Started by 5xTippett, April 10, 2011, 22:13:48 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

5xTippett

After watching the weatherman change his mind daily the entire week, he finally settled on something I could live with.  40% chance of showers and light winds.  He got the wind right anyway.  I wasn't in a major hurry so I slept late.  I figured I would fish until dark so no big deal.  I arrived at the Sheetz station at about 1:30, filled up with gas and headed on to Bassett.  I had called Dean (Flyrod) on the way and he had informed me that they had major thunderstorms the night before.  I checked the first bridge in Bassett and the water was heavily stained, so I kept rolling on up.  When I got close to where I wanted to go I saw a guy derigging by the side of the road.  He was from Roanoke and was heading home.  He said he had caught a couple on streamers earlier.  He also mentioned he had fished the spot I was heading to.  Swell, I was going to be fishing behind at least one guy.  I rode by one of my honey holes and nobody was in it.  If nothing was happening where I was heading I would stop there on the way home.  I arrived where I was going and there was a car parked in my spot.  I recognised the license plate as matching the description of the one Beetle had seen there a few weeks ago.  I walked to the pool and there was nobody in sight.  I assumed he was way on upstream.  I hopped in the water and started fishing.  Shortly thereafter I saw somebody pop into the pool from downstream.  OK,  I headed on upstream to give him some room.  I could see fish moving upstream anyway! -0-    It took me a about 30 minutes of changing flies before I could get wired in.  When I figured it out I started connecting.  I was hooking up fairly regularly when I started hearing this noise.  I hopped on the bank to thaw my feet out when I realized it was thunder.  I hauled buggy to the car and headed home.  I had been in the water an hour and a half.  I drove 3 1/2 hours to get there to fish an hour and a half.  I should have been ill but I wasn't.  For the first time this year I had gotten wired in to those those Smith browns and I was glad to be back.  I had caught a few on my last trip in the middle of March, but not consistantly.  I didn't catch a bunch of fish, but the last thirty minutes was worth the trip.  I then drove the 3 1/2 hour drive home, except it took 5 hours because it rained like a son of a gun the whole way home.

Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login

Al

You're a glutton for punishment Ben!  But sometimes it's worth it - (Well maybe not, now that gas is going through the roof b';)

Woolly Bugger

Wast that Saturday? I hit the Smith on Sunday and it was still stained....
I don't have a VA trout stamp so I didn't fish up stream of Townes Creek



When I left home I was thinking BWOs as it was cool with a thick cloud cover. When I arrived at the river the first thing I noticed was the mud. We hadn't had any rain in 36 hours, but they must have gotten hammered up here. Then the sun came out. I through some streamers for a while, might have gotten one grab.
Saw a few big sulfurs popping off. Nobody was looking up through the mud.
Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


Guests are not allowed to view images in posts, please Register or Login


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!

diaz dassie

Nicely done Ben, now did you use garlic or lemon butter? :P

5xTippett

Keith, it was Saturday afternoon.  I am glad you saw some sulphers.  I caught one on a sulpher cripple I was using as an indicator.  That explains that one!  The rest were on a midge.  The only bugs I saw were midges.  I am ready for the sulphers. 

gamatt53

I was downstream of you throwing streamers in the mud. Sketchy wading with the didymo and not being able to see bottom but I managed to do pretty good. I had planned on hitting all sorts of bluelines this spring but with gas prices I believe you will see me up there just about every weekend. Good news on the Sulphers!

benben reincarnated

Nice stuff.     'c;

Hell it takes me an hour and a half to get rigged up and put my damn waders on. 

So what's the logic on not being able to keep a trout over a given size?  I don't keep any fish, but was just wondering what the intentions are with those types of regulations. 

Woolly Bugger

they want the number of small fish to be reduced, so they there will be more food for those left behind to grow into the slot...
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!

croaker

The bigger Brown Trout are best left as brood stock.  That's why only one over slot Brown Trout per limit... 
-you can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.  Robert A. Heinlein.

Fin

#9
Bugman help...I was wondering if what Woolly might have seen hatching on the Smith is what Blane Chocklett used to call the Smith River Hendrickson.  About a size 14-16, dun wings, and more of an amber colored body.  I saw some on the Smith a couple of weeks ago but they drifted by totally unmolested.  What exactly is this critter? 

Holmes

5x, dats some dedication right there... ha lord bd;0