September 17 & 18

There was nothing hardcore about these last two days of fishing.  Granny and I weren’t sure what to do with our days off so based on a forecast of back to back 80° days, we opted to do and overnight float trip.  It was about swimming, camping, eating and relaxing.  It’s a river we were 90% sure we wouldn’t see another soul.  Its exactly the kind of trip I needed to continue to get through losing my friend Sammy.

I packed rods but it’s too warm to musky fish and the smallmouth bass haven’t been hot to trot on this meandering river since early August.  Regardless, we had a smallie rod rigged and Granny hucked it a few times yesterday and early this morning.  She moved only a couple smallies but hooked a musky in a spot that we see them every time.  I thought these particular muskies were too genius to ever eat because everyone who fishes here sees them and tries for them.  But I guess every hungry animal makes mistakes.  Fortunately, Granny was a little weak on her hookset so the long toothy fish came unbuttoned without a struggle.  It was good also because we probably would have lost our bass bug being we had no wire to the fly.

Fish that don’t care about the heat are the colorful varieties of local redhorse suckers you see as you drift along.  I rigged my 6-weight Winston specifically to tangle with the finicky bottom dwellers on nymphs.  Evolution didn’t exactly design redhorse for fly fishing but I enjoy trying.  Last year I had two successful days out of about five.  On one outing I landed five.  But these last two days, I’m sorry to say I worked hard at them and got completely blanked.  This is the second spanking the redhorse have delivered to me this summer.

Granny and I easily nabbed our favorite campsite and pulled off the river around 4 PM.  As expected, we saw no one in two days of floating.  When we arrived at camp it was still scorching.  After we set up the tent and cooking gear, Granny grabbed a Yeti chair and a beer and sat in the water in front of camp.  I swam then of course, tried another hour or two for redhorse.  I hate to get skunked!

Things cooled beautifully at night.  We had one of Granny’s amazing camp dinners along with beers and wine.  Croaking frogs and crickets filled the air.  In the distance across the river there were two whippoorwills sounding off as they do.  Then all night long we listened to the fantastic calls of barred owls.

We may not have caught any memorable fish these past two days but it was just what the doctor ordered.  No internet, no phone service and no other people.  Just two days to clear the mind with my lady.

I’m off to Richmond, Virginia tomorrow to deliver a full day seminar for the Fly Fishers of VA on Friday.  I’ll even hit the water early Friday beforehand with local guide, Reid Parker.  Reid says heavy rains recently messed the water up Richmond waters but we’ll give it a try.  My response was simple, “They don’t call me Monsoon Currier for nothing.  It will be a blast no matter what.”

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing