New River Valley Trout Unlimited

Orvis Friday Film Festival

Noah — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:50:05 +0000

Every Friday, Orvisnews.com posts the Friday Film Festival. It’s a weekly collection of fly fishing videos from around the web. Orvis does all the searching for you, so you can just catch the highlights. Kind of like Sportscenter for fly fishing videos. Ryan Peterson’s “One In Winter” was my favorite from this week. Reminds me of my days in Oregon. Check out the full Friday Film Festival for 2/17.

One in Winter from ryan peterson on Vimeo.

Tying the Mega Prince

Noah — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 04:24:31 +0000

If you ever take a fishing trip out to Oregon, this fly catches fish all over the state, any time of year, on any stream. I’ve been experimenting out here with it and have some good results lately. I like it in a size 8 or 10 as the top fly on a 2-nymph rig. I also change it up with a rainbow bead and with various ice dub colors, although peacock never fails. It’s pretty much just an oversized prince nymph with rubber legs all over the place…but all the motion they create drives fish crazy. For even more action go with white rubber legs instead of goose biots on top. Give it a try. Thanks to the guys at The Caddis Fly in Eugene, OR for the video.

Radford Meetings to Help Gather Public Input for 2013 Virginia Outdoors Plan

Noah — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:42:17 +0000

Planners with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation will hold two public meetings Feb. 7 in Radford to gather regional input for the 2013 Virginia Outdoors Plan.

Meetings will be at 3 and 7 p.m., at the New River Valley Competitiveness Center, New River Room, 6580 Valley Center Drive, Radford. Residents are invited to share their thoughts on the area’s outdoor recreation and land conservation needs, including:

Expansion of New River Trail State Park
Expansion of the Huckleberry Trail
Increased public access points on the New River
Further development of local parks such as Whitt-Riverbend in Giles County and Bissett Park in Radford
Expansion of partnerships and collaborative efforts to connect the region’s natural, historic and recreational resources
Cooperation with watershed-focused groups on outdoor education and stewardship programsRecommendations for scenic rivers and byways

The Virginia Outdoors Plan is the state’s comprehensive plan for meeting outdoor recreation, land conservation and open space needs. Established in 1965, the plan provides guidance for all levels of government and the private sector. In addition, it assists the state in prioritizing projects and allocating funds for outdoor recreation and land conservation. The plan was last developed in 2007.

“The Virginia Outdoors Plan serves as the guide for increasing and enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for all Virginians, as well as our many visitors and tourists,” said Danette Poole, DCR’s director of planning and recreation resources. “We look forward to gathering feedback from communities across the state so that the upcoming plan continues to reflect the needs of citizens.”

The Radford meetings are part of a series of public-input sessions scheduled statewide. Anyone who cannot attend either meeting may submit written comments. Email comments to janit.llewellyn@dcr.virginia.gov, or write to: VOP Comments, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 203 Governor St., Suite 326, Richmond, VA 23219.

View the 2007 Virginia Outdoors Plan.

New Issue of Catch Magazine

Noah — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:44:13 +0000

Issue #21 of Catch Magazine is now online and has some absolutely amazing photographs (as usual). If you’re stuck at work or school and need a quick break to satisfy your craving to fish…this is about as close as it gets to the real thing. Enjoy.

Slow Fishing on Big Stony

Noah — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:10:49 +0000

I spent Friday afternoon on Big Stony but didn’t have much luck. I got one nice rainbow on a prince nymph but other than that the fishing was slow. Still nice to be out there though. Ryan Coe also sent in the report below from his last trip.

-NS

Like a number of anglers, I took advantage of the warmer weather this week to get in some fishing. I fished Big Stony on Wednesday afternoon, with air temperatures in the 50s for the 2nd consecutive day. Any weekday afternoon spent out of the office and on the water is a delight, but the fishing was rather slow. Maybe the fish had already satisfied themselves the day before. Fortunately for me, a couple of Browns and this small Rainbow were willing to give a red copper john some action.

-Ryan Coe

February Chapter Meeting

Noah — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:15:37 +0000

The February Chapter Meeting will be on Wednesday, 2/1 at 7:00pm. As usual we’ll be at the Montgomery County Government Center, 755 Roanoke Street in Christiansburg. Join us at Due South BBQ at 6:00pm to share fish stories and discuss the upcoming Spring Thaw-Out banquet.

Wesley Hodges, a member of the Virginia Tech Student Veterans Association and a special events coordinator for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF), will give a presentation about Project Healing Waters – a national program dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education. He will also discuss his current efforts to develop a fly fishing education program aimed at Virginia Tech’s student veterans.

After serving three tours of active duty with the 82nd Airborne in Iraq, Wesley returned to the states and is currently pursuing a degree in International Studies at Virginia Tech. He has been fly fishing since a young age and shares his knowledge of the sport through numerous education and outreach programs. He was an assistant to Project Healing Waters founder Ed Nicholson and helped establish and run the Salem VA medical center Project Healing Waters program. Wes is a self-described big streamer addict; when not studying he can be found inside a midge hatch double-hauling meat whistles to monster browns on the Jackson River, or tying flies at the Roanoke Orvis retail shop.

Learn more at www.projecthealingwaters.org

Aquatic Invasive Species Survey

Noah — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:28:26 +0000

From troutunlimitedblog.com - The spreading of existing aquatic invasive species (AIS), along with new AIS invasions and climate change is expected to have significant negative impact on TU’s efforts to conserve and protect native species across the country.

AIS impacts can be devastating — invasive lake trout and whirling disease have combined to cause a 90 percent decline in Yellowstone Lake’s Yellowstone cutthroat trout population — the world’s largest refuge of native Yellowstone cutts.

TU’s AIS Program Director Dave Kumlien and researchers from Illinois State University have developed an aquatic invasive species survey. The survey will help TU identify priorities and develop AIS policy.

The survey asks a few questions about how AIS have affected your favorite places to fish, and some questions about your fishing habits. No personal information is collected, and your participation is very important.

Know of a fellow TU member or trout angler who would be interested? Be sure to tell them about the survey.

Mossy Creek Report

Noah — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:51:40 +0000

I was craving some streamer action so I took a trip up to Mossy Creek after a big rain last week. I missed the big fish of the day (of course) but got a good look at him, and still managed to net a few nice little browns. Mossy got the best of me this time, but I spotted several large fish so I’ll definitely be back again soon to settle the score. Be sure to stop in at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing and pick up some Kreelex and local knowledge from the guys there. -NS

Wilderness First Aid Certification Course

Noah — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:16:59 +0000

Blue Ridge Mountain Sports is sponsoring a Wilderness First Aid Certification Course in Blacksburg on February 25-26. The course is led by Instructor Matthew Rosefsky, Wilderness EMT. This is a great opportunity to better prepare yourself to deal with emergencies while out on the river (or anywhere else). Register and get all the details at www.solowfa.com.

Fly Fishing Film Tour 2012

Noah — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:47:55 +0000

The Fly Fishing Film Tour is back with a new batch of short films to get you pumped for spring and summer fishing. The tour will be coming through Charlotte on March 14th and Asheville on April 6th. You can get all the details at Flyfilmtour.com. Here’s a sneak peek at one of the films, Sipping Dry, by Sharptail Media.

“Sipping Dry” trailer – by Sharptail Media | Fly Fishing Movie from The Fly Fishing Film Tour on Vimeo.