Transcript: Central VA Fishing Report with TaleTellers Fly Shop
S5, Ep 133: Central Virginia Fishing Report with TaleTellers Fly Shop
2023, Marvin S. Cash
The Articulate Fly
http://www.thearticulatefly.com
Transcript
Marvin:
[0:04] Hey folks, it's Marvin Cash, the host of the Articulate Fly, and we're back with another Central Virginia fishing report with Ethan Martin at Telltale's Fly Shop. How you doing, Ethan?
Ethan:
[0:13] Doing good today.
Marvin:
[0:14] How are you doing? As always, just trying to stay out of trouble and, you know, we could certainly use some rain. That's been kind of the common refrain here in the Southeast.
Ethan:
[0:22] Oh yeah, yeah. I checked water levels right before we called and it's the lowest it's been in a year.
So it's definitely, we could use some rain, but sadly not really much rain in the forecast that's going to do anything. So it looks like it'll be dry and lots of leaves out on the rivers and creeks and whatnot.
So not the best fishing conditions, but you know, there's still water. Yeah.
Marvin:
[0:48] And I guess really the trick, right, we're kind of getting close to the brook trowel spawn. So, you know, you leave the native guys alone.
I would imagine maybe there's a little bit more water at the lower elevations.
Ethan:
[0:58] Yeah, some, I mean, if you're looking like bigger rivers, but even like our delayed harvest sections and just trout stock sections, those are still low as well.
So even if you're thinking, hey, let me go out and just try and pound a few stockers, they really are pretty much in the deepest holes that you can find, because that's the only place that they can survive. And that's where people stocking, you know, are gonna put them.
So definitely kind of tough conditions, just because of that lack of water.
And when it is low water, you're pretty much going to have everybody congregating around the same areas where the fish are.
So it makes it a little bit tough. But there are fish around.
And so to your point, if you are planning to go out looking for trout, I would focus more on some of those bigger rivers and avoid any of the fisheries where you can have brook trout that are spawning, Especially if you see fish spawning, don't mess with them because that's our fish for the future.
[1:56] So same thing with when you get down towards the James, same thing being it's just low and clear and lots of leaves.
And that's only going to get worse.
We've kind of just now hit peak, maybe towards the tail end of that, of the pretty colors and everything.
And so now they all fall and creates very large annoyances in the rivers, but if you're out looking for a smallmouth or muskies, it's gonna be mainly streamer game right now.
You can do it, it's just low and clear. So it's gonna be a little bit of luck and then a lot of perseverance.
Not crazy high numbers, but you can still have some pretty good days and some big fish to be found.
Marvin:
[2:41] Yeah, and I would imagine, right, you probably haven't been cold enough, long enough to really start moving those smallmouth kind of to their wintering locations yet, right?
Ethan:
[2:52] I mean, you think even this past Sunday was 80 degrees here in Lynchburg.
So it's been still pretty warm. Our overnight temps of course have dropped, which happens in the fall. And then, you know, today there's a cold front, which is still like fifties.
So it's not going to have them super, super deep and lethargic quite yet.
So you're still going to be looking at those areas where you can hit them with the fly and maybe a sinking line, maybe just like a clouser or something that's going to get down a little bit deeper than our typical summertime when we're using floating lines.
The only thing that's nice there is that it is so low, so it's kind of one of those...
If you have a floating line, you can make it happen with a clouser minnow or something like that, just because it is so low and you don't have to be crazy deep, but you know, it's a double-edged sword because it's low clear and they still are going to spook.
So longer casts are pretty much going to be necessary and then to make sure your cloud doesn't get caught up, you usually got to strip pretty quick and then kind of pause it in those deeper zones or like little pockets and stuff that you see.
But yeah, I mean, that's what I do. So, take that in mind.
Marvin:
[4:16] Yeah, and cover water too, right? I mean, that's the other trick this time of year. Yep.
Ethan:
[4:22] Yeah, it gives you a higher percentage rate. That's probably one of the harder things right now, because if you're just like going to Lynchburg trying to bait fish, I mean, you just got to keep moving.
Marvin:
[4:31] But if you can get on a boat or a kayak or raft or something or go on a guy trip, definitely your percentage is going to increase on just how many fish you're putting a fly in front of that are willing to eat.
Ethan:
[4:59] No. And so it's still just kind of cast as much as you can, target places where they like to hang out, the creek mouths, that sort of stuff.
And it's just going to be a lot of luck and a lot of casting.
And there are a decent amount of muskies to be found.
They're not as big from everybody I know that's been seeing them this fall so far, but it's not been like a completely void fall.
So I know a couple of people that have moved them or caught them.
So, um, definitely worth considering.
Um, but I still like small mouth.
Marvin:
[5:36] So, yeah, well, life gets infinitely better in the winter time when there's a little bit of stain in the water too.
I mean, it's just low and clear right now. I mean, it makes it tough kind of all the way around and, you know, when you're standing up in a boat, uh, rocking around, they know you're there for sure. Yeah.
Ethan:
[5:53] They're not stupid.
Marvin:
[5:54] Yeah. That's how they get to be so big. And you know, folks, we love questions at the articulate fly.
You can email them to us. You can DM us on social media, whatever's easiest for you.
And if we use your question, I will send you some articulate fly swag, and we're going to enter you in a drawing for something cool from the shop.
And that's actually going to happen on the next fishing report.
So folks, one last shot, you know, well, if you get one more question in, you have one more chance to win.
So Ethan, before I let you hop and go do the trick or treat thing, You want to let folks know shop location and hours and any kind of special events you guys have got going on?
Ethan:
[6:27] Yeah, so we've had a couple of fly time nights, uh past couple thursdays.
So if you just Look at our location in downtown lynchburg You can either stop in and ask when those are going to be or you can look online At telltale's va.com, and go to our calendar and that'll show you all the events Um, we've had a couple, you know fly time and also just like classes mike or any came in I think Matt Riley is coming in too.
So there's going to be a couple of cool things coming up. So keep your eyes peeled for that and RSVP online and we'd love to see you.
Marvin:
[7:00] Yeah, well, there you go. And you know, folks, fall is my favorite time of the year. Even if there isn't any water, yell it to yourself to get out there and catch a few.
Tight lines, everybody. Tight lines, Ethan.
Ethan:
[7:10] Tight lines.