A Waste; Why Waterfalls Fuck People Up (tR)

[Dee-Vo]

A creek that I've heard positive things about had finally rolled around on my agenda. This was quite a drive (2 hours 13 minutes, 101 miles). Said my goodbyes to the fam, promised my two year old I'd take him fishing this week since he couldn't go this time, and kicked up dust.

A large elevation increase brought on a much cooler temperature.

Elevation of target - App. 4000'.

Temperature decrease - 15 degrees. Once I had arrived, temperature was 54*. Right on.

Geared up, and took off up the holler. Fished quite a few pools with nothing to show. Discovered a large and deep pool below a sheer 40' rock face cascade. I switched from the small pheasant tail nymph to a larger heavier woolly bugger. A few casts and a trout darts from beneath a rock, grabs the fly, but I fail to connect. Either the fish didn't have the hook or I wasn't  quick enough. Result was the same. No trout.

While studying on how to get around this obstacle, I wade around the edges of said pool and locate a trail. Covering more ground. The trail is steep and rooted out as hell. Damp roots running downhill are real assbusters. Traveling far enough to gain access to fishable water was easier said than done. I slid back down into the creek. A few casts later and a god awful racquet behind me had me twirling around like a top. Sliding, swimming, wading, stomping, here they came. Oh. This is nice. A group of at least 5 or 6 teenage/low twenty range kids came toward me in the creek I had driven over two hours to fish.

We looked each other up and down. They awkwardly turned and retreated. No words exchanged, only body languages here. The creek was royally fukked. Pissed, I stood there like what am I to do now. Dark was somewhat near, and I had no other plans made for fishing.

As I made my way all the way back to the large rock face with the deep pool, I thought about fishing it again. Cast, cast, and there they are again. The bastards are now at the top of the rock face trying to slide down a vertical rock above my fishing location. Foreseeing an imminent injury, and me being the only one with a vehicle close by, I grit my teeth, took one more glance at the foolish juveniles, and made tracks back to my truck. Never heard from them again.









My initial attempt at fishing the large hole.




My second attempt. With dumbasses at the top.






Note #1 - I may return at some point if I find myself in the area. I'd love to explore further.

Note #2 - Two of the young'uns had fluffy ponytail type man buns.


Until next time.

[Grannyknot]

dang that looks like a trickle

[Big J]

4,000 ft? Good chance you weren't in VA.

[Onslow]

I wonder if the  Brookies  are already bedding.being it's been so damned cold, particularly there.

[Dee-Vo]

I wonder if the  Brookies  are already bedding.being it's been so damned cold, particularly there.

I have no evidence for yes or no. Maybe someone will chime in with more viable information.  It's got to be getting close.

4,000 ft? Good chance you weren't in VA.

Correct.

dang that looks like a trickle

Correct. That's what I said when I first arrived.

[driver]

Water levels should be nice this weekend.

[Dee-Vo]

4,000 ft? Good chance you weren't in VA.

I've fished several areas in that elevation range and higher in VA. You no go?

[Dougfish]

4,000 ft? Good chance you weren't in VA.

I've fished several areas in that elevation range and higher in VA. You no go?

4000' streams in VA are rare. I've only fished 2 or 3.
Consider that we only have 5 peaks over 5K. Only 100 more over 4K.
Where NC has 49 over 6K and about 150 more over 5K.

[Dee-Vo]

Pretty much common knowledge.

You can get up there in either state iffin' ya wanna.

Today was a planned WV creek fishing day. Weather has shat me out of going. Long drive again. Not taking chances this time with multiple hour drives and a hurricane on the loose.

[Big J]

Honestly, I don't think I've caught a brookie at or above 4,000 ft in Virginia.  I've fished 1 stream to knowledge that might have brookies up to 4,500 ft, but I stopped fishing well before 4,000 ft and that was close to NC/VA line.  Get outside of the NC/VA line, you are hard pressed to show me a trout stream that holds a decent population of brookies above 4,000 ft. 

[Grannyknot]

Honestly, I don't think I've caught a brookie at or above 4,000 ft in Virginia.  I've fished 1 stream to knowledge that might have brookies up to 4,500 ft, but I stopped fishing well before 4,000 ft and that was close to NC/VA line.  Get outside of the NC/VA line, you are hard pressed to show me a trout stream that holds a decent population of brookies above 4,000 ft.

You obviously didn't win the great brookie challenge of 2010

[Dougfish]

Pretty much common knowledge.

You can get up there in either state iffin' ya wanna.

[Dee-Vo]

As long as you cross into Virginia, you're in Virginia, no? The fact that you don't travel a great distance into another state doesn't really mean you're not there fishing, right? Or?

4000' streams in VA are rare. I've only fished 2 or 3.

It sounds as if you're confident in saying that since you've only fished 2 or 3 that there musn't be more. No way, no how!

Oh, and Doug. Cute cartoon.

[Dougfish]

I'm out.
Should have kept my mouth shut. No need to feed all those 4000' hot spotters.

[Big J]

You obviously didn't win the great brookie challenge of 2010

#elevationallychallenged

It sounds as if you're confident in saying that since you've only fished 2 or 3 that there musn't be more. No way, no how!

You are missing the point.  There is one small geographic area in VA that has 4,000 ft trout.  Of that area, maybe 2 are even worth fishing.  Most people fishing 4,000 ft plus streams on the east coast are not doing it in VA.  That is the point.