Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 19, 1993 TAG: 9304190263
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Is this not an important element of fly-fishing: being an intimate part of flowing water as it presses against your boots and tugs at your heart, appreciating the fact that trout are creatures of nature's purest and most beautiful habitat, having it all to yourself?
So Hiner, a Virginia Tech entomologist, wondered about his sanity when he rounded a bend at the Jackson River earlier this year. Illuminated by the stark sun that sifted through the stream-bank hardwoods were 22 fishermen, grouped within 100 yards or so in the Gathright Dam tailrace.
Opening day? Hardly. It was February. And these weren't just any anglers. They were fly fishermen, the kind who abhor crowds and competition.
Hiner, who bought his first fly rod as a schoolboy - a Ted Williams from Sears Town on Williamson Road - was awash with mixed feelings over what he saw. There was delight that so many people were interested in his favorite sport, embarrassment that too many had gathered in a single spot, disappointment that he would have to wade in well below where he'd planned to fish.
Not long ago, you might have been hard pressed to find 22 fly casters on a stream during an entire season. That kind of crowd remains a rarity, but fly-fishing quietly has been seeing steady growth.
"The thing is, now even women and children are getting into this," said Hiner.
The interest is being spurred by the new trout streams set aside for sport, not meat; by the modern fly shops that offer instruction; by the Trout Unlimited chapters (their number has grown to 16 in Virginia); by the TV exposure, from commercials to Saturday morning ESPN outdoor shows; by the movie "A River Runs Through It."
Add to that the fact that space-age tackle material has taken much of the humiliation out of the art of fly-casting, which long has been heavy on mystique. The sport is easier than ever to learn; yet, there is the fascination that "you go to the grave with more things to learn," said Hiner.
Then there's the natural resource, itself, the wildness, the beauty that you become a part of, linked to it with a long, slim rod and a delicate leader and the will to preserve it.
"I think the growth of the sport will continue and I think the reason that is the case, there is a greater appreciation of wild trout as a natural resource," said Jason Gray, an environmental biologist who is president of the Roanoke TU Chapter. "When you are trying to duplicate what the fish is eating, that certainly gives you a deeper appreciation of not only the trout, but the river the trout lives in."
Here's a look at some of the streams, the flies, the organizations and the fly shops that are a part of the what's happening in our region:
\ CLASSIC FLY FISHING STREAMS
CASCADES CREEK: This small, spring-fed stream erupts full blown out of the renowned Cascades Golf Course in Bath County and crashes through a gorge, making it enticing to the amateur and expert alike. The upper three miles is catch-and-release fishing for wild trout amid huge boulders and roaring waterfalls. The lower section is stocked and some fish may be kept.
Operated by The Homestead, there is a $20 daily fee for hotel guests, Cascades Inn guests and Trout Unlimited members. Others pay $24.
Eastern Mayflies and caddis flies are good pattern choices. High-floating flies such as the Wulff series and the Elk Wing Caddis are effective for the clear, tight, fast-flowing water. So are nymphs and streamers. Check with Beaver Shriver at the Outpost in Hot Springs for the latest information.
JACKSON RIVER (below Gathright): The river comes roaring out of the gates of Gathright Dam, near Covington, providing a large tailwater fishery by Virginia standards. Still new, the fishery is yet to reach its potential, but a few trends are becoming evident. For one, there is excellent fishing the first several hundred yards below the dam, where impressive numbers of black flies keep the trout fat and sassy. Tiny, black fly patterns work well. On downstream is Mayfly and caddis fly country.
Be aware that the river flows through sections of private property owned by some landowners who aren't excited about anglers being there. The George Washington National Forest maintains five access points, and the stretch immediately below the dam is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. All trout must be released.
JACKSON RIVER (Hidden Valley Gorge): This section flows through a remote chunk of George Washington National Forest which is ideal for get-away-from-the-crowds, backpack-type sport. Especially attractive to fly anglers is a 3-mile, special-regulations piece below U.S. 220 west of Warm Springs to the Hidden Valley area. On downstream is a fine stretch of meadow fishing near Warwickton, the mid-1800s mansion where "Sommersby" was filmed.
Productive fly patterns include the Quill Gordon, March Brown, Elk Wing Caddis and, during the warm-weather months, terrestrials. The stream moves rapidly, flowing through deep pools and long runs.
MOSSY CREEK: Fed by huge springs, this limestone stream meanders through pastoral farm country northwest of Waynesboro, and is open to fly-fishing only. Its long growing season and its rich habitat put rapid weight on wild browns. There is a minimum 20-inch size limit and one-per-day catch limit. The stream is on private property, and a free permit is required to fish it. Permits may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Route 6, Box 484A, Staunton 24401 (include names of the people in the party) or from Murray's Fly Shop in Edinburg.
Mossy is at its best during the summertime when there is an abundance of terrestrials - ants, beetles, bugs, hoppers, caterpillars, crickets - that tumble into the water.
RAPIDAN RIVER: This freestone stream tumbles out of the mountains of the Shenandoah National Park in Madison County and is open to single-hook, artificial-lures fishing only. All trout must be released alive. President Herbert Hoover's summertime fishing cabin is nearby. The most popular early season pattern is Mr. Rapidan Dry, developed by Harry Murray. Choose sizes 12 and 14 now, and a 16 later in the season. Summertime fishing with terrestrials can bring strikes.
Many anglers think the three-hour drive from Roanoke is well worth the effort. Other smaller streams flow from park property and offer Virginia's best strongholds of native brook trout.
SINKING CREEK: This is one of the newest additions to Virginia's special-regulations streams. Browns and rainbows are stocked annually, and the sport is restricted to fly-fishing only.
Two sections, both flowing through private property, are open, one in Giles County, the other in Craig. A permit is required, and may be obtained from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries office in Vinton or at Twin Oaks Grocery on Virginia 42 in Craig County and Super Value Grocery in Newport.
Steve Hiner recommends Olive and Green Drake patterns early on, then terrestrials as warm weather develops. Directions to the two sections are listed in the 1993 fishing law digest, available at license agents.
SMITH RIVER: Dashing frigid and clear out of the depths of Philpott Dam, this stream has been Virginia's top producer of wild browns for fly anglers. Only the developing fishery of the Jackson River tailrace has a chance of knocking the Smith off as the place in Virginia to catch a big one.
The Smith is known for its huge hatches in May and June, when suddenly millions of insects appear, and you can count a dozen or so trout breaking in every pool. Often anglers have to choose extremely small flies - 20s and 24s - which can be a challenge to present. The Adams, in sizes 14 to 18, is the universal choice. A 3-mile section in Henry County from Towne Creek downstream is open to single-hook, artificial-lure fishing only.
\ TACKLE
RODS: An 8-foot graphite rod of 4 or 5 weight can be a prudent choice for the one-rod angler. Some may want to select a 7 1/2- or 8 1/2-foot rod, depending on the size of the water to be fished. Shorter rods work well on small streams such as Cascades Creek, while larger rods are preferred on big water, such as the Jackson River. After you have fished awhile, you will want more than one rod.
The line size must match the rod. If it doesn't, the rod won't function properly. Reels for trout fishing do little more than hold the line, until you hook a big fish and need a drag system. The more money you spend, the better the drag.
FLIES: There are hundreds of fly patterns, and anglers tend to develop their own favorites. A starter list could include: Dry flies such as the Quill Gordon, March Brown, Adams, Blue-Winged Olive, Light Cahill, Royal and White Wulff, Elk Wing Caddis, Griffith's Gnat, Dark Hendrickson, Royal Coachman and Henryville Special; nymphs such as the Hair's Ear, Pheasant Tail, Tellico; streamers such as the Wooly Bugger, Muddler Minnow; and terrestrials such as ants (black and cinnamon), hoppers, crickets, beetles. Sizes should vary from 12 to 18. Leaders should be 9 feet and range from 3X to 6X.
ACCESSORIES: A vest with plenty of pockets is ideal for carrying flies and other equipment. Some type of waders (hip or chest) are required.
\ TROUT UNLIMITED CHAPTERS
CLINCH VALLEY: Charles "Jake" Crocket, Tazewell, 703-988-5016.
MOUNT ROGERS: Bob Stetler, Galax, 703,236-5704.
NEW RIVER: Miller Williams, Newport, 703-544-7792.
ROANOKE: Jason Gray, Roanoke, 344-9053.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY: DuBose Egleston, Waynesboro, 703-943-2138.
SMITH RIVER: Robert Bryant, Martinsville, 703-632-7051.
VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN LAUREL: David Werth, Meadowview, 703-944-5586.
\ FLY SHOPS
MURRAY'S FLY SHOP, Edinburg, 703-984-4212. Harry Murray started selling fly tackle out of the back of his People's Drug on Main Street Edinburg in 1970, now the tackle business is bigger than the drug business. Murray has the largest fly-fishing speciality mail order business on the East Coast (catalog available by writing P.O. Box 156, Edinburg 22824.) A prolific writer on trout and bass fishing, Murray offers instruction and fly-tying classes, and is a source of information on the Rapidan River and Mossy Creek.
ORVIS ROANOKE, 19 Campbell Ave., 345-3635. This Vermont-headquartered business usually establishes its stores in locations like New York, San Franciso and Chicago, but Roanoke has one, too, next to Center in the Square. Orvis gives the lunch-hour patron a chance to dream or find everything a fly angler needs, from tackle to tips from an expert, like Robert Bryant, store manager and authority on the Smith River. Schools and guide services are available.
THE OUTPOST, 2 Cottage Row, Hot Springs, 703-839-5442. B.R. Shriver III - everybody calls him Beaver - opened this shop in an old guest cottage at The Homestead in 1984. It is in the center of some of Virginia's top fly-fishing opportunities, with Cascades Creek and the Jackson River nearby.
The Outpost offers tackle, including a wide selection of fly patterns. Fishing classes range from one hour to three days. Guide service is available. Shriver is a good source of information on fishing opportunities in the Alleghany-Bath-Highland area.
by CNB