Smith River Fest & a little fishing.

My wife and I made the 147 mile drive to our "get away" place in one of my favorite parts of the Southeast which is less then a mile from my favorite trout stream the Smith River . This trip was especially rewarding because it was the first time my wife, who was recently very ill, has felt up to venturing that far from home. We try to spur the local economy by eating at least one meal out and doing a little shopping. In addition to those activities we helped out in a booth set up by Smith River Trout Unlimited at the annual Smith River Fest. Topped the whole thing off by doing a little fishing Sunday morning while my wife slept in. Yes, I guess you could say "Life is Good"



The trip was a success in more ways as well. We always enjoy the wildlife that never fails to entertain us, Deer, turkeys, groundhogs, raccoon and once in awhile a black bear all grace the edge of our lawn.




We had 2-3 new volunteers manning the booth this year - always a good sign that SRTU is moving in the right direction. We tied flies, did some casting demonstrations / instruction, talked fishing and invited folks to attend our meetings. Good write up about the Smith River Fest in the Martinsville Bulletin http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=34249 As I told anyone who would listen, "No need to join, just come come to a couple meetings - it is up to us to keep you coming back. If you like what you hear and the folks you meet share your common interests then we would like you to join". Highlight of the day was a visit by Congressman Morgan Griffith who lingered at our booth while we bent his ear about gaining congressional support for changes to the structure and operation of Philpott Dam which many experts feel would improve the fishery and the overall recreational value of the river. Congressman Griffith invited me to provide him with my long term history of involvement, frustrations and recommendations. I will be doing that through Smith River TU.



Sunday morning I fished for a couple hours downstream of Bassett. Took awhile to get into them but started off with a nice Smith River Brown. Being as this was in the old "put and take" section of the river this one would have made a nice addition to someone's stringer but he is now well within the protected slot. Maybe he will add an inch or so over the next year.



Caught a few more just a bit smaller then that one - then added a couple rainbows. Nice to see some of them made it that far downstream away from the bridges. All that fast water when they were making repairs at the dam helped spread the fish out. Be nice if DGIF took our recommendation and coordinated stocking with generation. Better yet, let us know when they are coming and we could form a bucket brigade to help with the stocking. Bet we could even get some of those fellows who follow the stock truck to tote a bucket. It is certainly worth a try and if it doesn't work - not a whole lot lost. Folks sometimes just need to be asked.



Here is one reason we should not tolerate trash in or near our waterways. What you're looking at is a 8-9 inch brown trout that sometime in the past was rooting around on the bottom and slipped his head into the bottom half of the metal band which stays on a bottle when you twist the top off. The bottle probably broke when it was thrown in the water and the ring slid free. The fish has grown since becoming adorned with this necklace which will eventually kill it. This is the second time I have caught a fish such as this which makes me believe this occurs more then you might think. Maybe someone knows one of the local judges who hear littering cases in the Martinsville / Henry County courthouse. Feel free to copy and forward this photo to them.

Good weekend. Spent some quality time with my wife and also with lots of friends and associates who share a common interest which includes a love of the river and surrounding area.