Jazzi and I headed up to the New River again this weekend to get away while Crystal was doing an Ameyuss Faith Walk Retreat. It was nice to feel the cool of Fall sinking in. The gusts of wind were chilly, the squirrels were racing through the timber, the deer were out actively grazing, and the leaves were just starting to show the yellows and oranges…letting me know summer is gone.
Conditions for fishing were a little tougher than times past when I’ve fished here. Steady 15mph winds kept me busy managing my boat as the current also drifted me at odd angles. It was harder to get a visual on the fish due to strong glare and a chalky stain from the 30,000cfsflows about 2 weeks before. Still, it was a peaceful weekend where I just about had the entire river to myself, and remained surrounded by beauty.
Had a fish swipe and miss this black Slowie Sam spinner, then later, when I eased back up, the same fish annihilated this propbait on the surface. I lost him after 2 headshakes.
Found these wadeable shoals at Ripplemeade, where a gravel road runs beside the river for a couple miles.
Day Two:
Launched and had the entire river to myself---I love when fall football season clears away the river brigades.
A ballsy smallie bit this Giant Flatstick.
As I drifted a 6 mile float, and cast every bait imaginable, the only success I was having was on the Flies, as I would occaisionally see a lazy follow. Had a few fish appear and nip the fly, but not pursue for a chase.
I was about to lose hope, but then the wind calmed for a bit. On the glassy water, I sank my fly down to the branches of a deep tree. As I stripped it in, I could see a nice musky in hot pursuit…surely coming in for the kill. As he neared the boat, he veered off suddenly…as if frightened off by danger—I thought somehow I had spooked the fish.
Then she came in----A fat big jawed musky came barreling out from my blind left side under the trolling motor to grab the fly-- just a rod’s length away. It was amazing to see this bigger fish dominate and intimidate the smaller fish away. It was also cool to see a standoff between two fish coming at my fly.
The battle ensued and I was watched this beautiful fish head shaking and bull-dogging my towards the sunken wood. Not too long later, I curled the fish into my net.
I raced over to the bank, and hopped out into knee deep in the mud, keeping the fish in the water for quick photos and the challenging task of unhooking.
She took the whole fly in and two of the three(8-0 and 3-0) hooks got her behind the first row of teeth—this fish had some serious daggers. If I didn’t have the boga, jaw-spreaders, and super long needle nose pliers, I would never have gotten the hooks out. The hooks curled out clean with no tears or bleeding.
I extended out the tape measure as best as possible, and I estimated the fish at 48”. She revived quickly and was soon cruising back to the deep water. This was an awesome day.
Drifted on, and I dragged the boat to avoid some rapids. Glad I did, because I saw some smallmouth canoers capsize and lose a GLoomis rod—poor fellow was quite upset—I could hear him griping about it on the calmer water at the end of the float. Jazzi and I fished into dark toward the takeout, enjoying the evening, raising only one more aggressive following fish.
Day Three: My brother joined me. Windy day again, cloudy and slow fishing. We raised a couple fish, and Jay saw his first nice muskie swim a circle around his bait. I think once this fall weather has sunk in, and the skies and waters clear, these fish will really turn on.
Jay caught a smallie on a musky bait:
Hope everyone else is having great fishing this Fall.
Travis
