Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 21, 1993 TAG: 9310210013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Officials of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries say they are having to ease into the stocking slowly since many streams are flowing low because of dry weather. It is going to take significant rain before the program is fully cranked up, said Gary Martel, assistant chief of the department's fish division.
"Stockings will be carried out only during periods of acceptable flow," he said.
Unlike spring releases, details of the fall stocking won't be released, other than 80,000 trout are scheduled to be put into streams and impoundments in 30 counties between now and Dec. 31.
Lacking heavy rain, look for hatchery trucks to head for impoundments first, then larger streams and, lastly, to medium-to-small streams.
Most of the trout are rainbows, but there will be more browns than in the past, Martel said. The size of the fish will vary. Hot, dry weather has resulted in poor rearing conditions, but there should be enough 2-year-old fish to add some drama to the sport.
"Fall trout fishing has proven to be very popular," said Martel.
Crowds are down; the scenery can be spectacular and you can combine fishing with hunting, hiking and other autumn outdoor pursuits.
A list of streams scheduled to get fish is at the end of this column.
\ TOURNAMENTS: Robert Vander of Goodview and Darryl Hall of Roanoke teamed up to win the Southwest Virginia Boat Dealers Association Tournament on Smith Mountain Lake. Their one-day catch weighed 18.52 pounds.
The second-place team of Lynn Tatum of Roanoke and Trevis Towe of Salem registered 17.52 pounds, including the tournament lunker, a 5.68-pound largemouth.
A striper tournament at Smith Mountain Lake turned up some hefty catches, including a 26 1/2-pound trophy for the winner, Thomas Wright of Roanoke.
Dwayne Lamb of Moneta took second and third with fish weighing 24 and 21 pounds.
Tournament fishermen reported catching most of their fish while trolling spoons.
The 30 fishermen scheduled to compete next week in the Operation Bass Red Man Regional Championship on Lake Seminole, Ga., include several local anglers who earned their way through six qualifying events. Second in the rankings is Vic Hamblett of Roanoke, behind David Wright of Lexington, N.C.
Other qualifiers from this region are Monte Atkins, Greenville; James Dudley, Lynchburg; Curtis Talbott, Forest; Dennis Hill, Vinton; William Dritto, Stuarts Draft; John Mullins, Vinton; Robert Price, Vinton; and Bill Horne, Penhook.
Mike Fosbre of Roanoke and Chuck Cassell of Blue Ridge finished third in the two-day ABA National Team Tournament in Ohio. A decent second-day catch helped them leap from 68th spot. First and second places were taken by teams from Kentucky.
A number of filleted striped bass carcasses were observed near Hales Ford Bridge after a striped bass tournament at Smith Mountain Lake.
"It wasn't very good publicity for a striper tournament," said Lt. Karl Martin, after state game wardens were called to investigate.
\ STOCKING SCHEDULE: The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has announced the fall trout stocking schedule:
ALBEMARLE COUNTY: Sugar Hollow Reservoir.
ALLEGHANY COUNTY: Clifton Forge Reservoir.
AMHERST COUNTY: Pedlar River (below Panther Falls).
AUGUSTA COUNTY: Braley Pond, Elkhorn Lake, Hearthstone Lake, Upper Sherando Lake, Lower Sherando Lake, South River (delayed harvest area), North River (delayed harvest area).
BATH COUNTY: Bullpasture River, Douthat Lake, Back Creek (including delayed harvest area), Jackson River (Hidden Valley, Virginia 623 and special regulations area).
BUCHANAN COUNTY: Dismal River.
CARROLL COUNTY: Laurel Fork Creek, Little Reed Island Creek.
CRAIG COUNTY: Potts Creek.
DICKENSON COUNTY: Russell Fork (Bartlick and Breaks Park), Pound River.
FLOYD COUNTY: Burkes Fork, Little River.
FREDERICK COUNTY: Cedar Creek, Clearbrook Lake, Winchester Park Lake.
GILES COUNTY: Big Stoney Creek.
GREEN COUNTY: South River.
GRAYSON COUNTY: Hales Lake, Elk Creek.
HENRY COUNTY: Smith River (dam and lower).
HIGHLAND COUNTY: Bullpasture River (gorge)
LEE COUNTY: Martins Creek.
MADISON COUNTY: Hughes River.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY: South Fork Roanoke River.
NELSON COUNTY: Tye River.
PATRICK COUNTY: Dan River.
ROANOKE AREA: Glade Creek, Tinker Creek, Roanoke River, (Roanoke and Salem).
ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY: Mill Creek, South River, Maury River (Goshen Pass).
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY: Hone Quarry Lake, North Fork Shenandoah River, Briery Lake.
RUSSELL COUNTY: Big Cedar Creek.
SCOTT COUNTY: Bark Camp Lake.
SHENANDOAH COUNTY: Big Stoney Creek, Tomahawk Pound, Passage Creek.
SMYTH COUNTY: South Fork Holston River (lower).
TAZEWELL COUNTY: Lake Whitten.
WASHINGTON COUNTY: Whitetop Laurel (lower) and Beartree Lake.
by CNB