For the next month or two, about the only fish biting in the surf in Virginia and North Carolina will be dogfish. Small sharks. Atlantic spiny dogfish to be exact. And there are no shortages of these bait snatchers. While there is little or no consumer or sporting interest in dogfish in the United States - they are considered trash fish - they are prized in Europe for their use in the classic … [Read more...]
Rhett’s is Back
Rhett’s Bar & Grill is now open in their new Spring Creek location and is once again dishing out great food.Cville Buzz contributor, Sherman Shifflett, was assigned to take Ava Pippin out to eat there and give a full report. His report below was very good. Many remember dining at Rhett’s on Rt 29N in Charlottesville, VA, near the Rivanna River. My clan enjoyed many meals there, … [Read more...]
A Hatch To Remember
(A Jim Brewer article from Virginia Outdoor Weekly, May 13, 1994) If you hit it just right, there is a hatch of Green Drakes on the Shavers Fork in West Virginia so prolific that nothing else compares. I hit it once while fishing with my good buddy Dave Gladwell. Every trout in the river was feeding in the surface. Squadron after squadron of big, fat mayflies attacked the water. … [Read more...]
Kauai: Primitive Splendor
As we approached the island on Thursday morning, we were greeted with jutting cliffs, a full palette of emerald green and angry shorelines of black and rust. I fully expected to see a dinosaur feeding in a grove of bamboo. This is Kauai, a place of extreme beauty and primitive splendor. This is the island movie producers chose to film Jurassic Park, South Pacific and Raiders of the Lost Ark. For … [Read more...]
Oh Christmas Tree
Christmas is over. It’s time to un-decorate the tree, drag it out to the curb and let the trash guys do their thing. But not so fast! A Christmas tree has many uses after the holiday season is over. For one, it makes ideal cover for small birds as they face the coming winter. On a few occasions, I have convinced my wife to let me drag the tree to my vegetable garden and remain there … [Read more...]
A Citation Brook Trout
It was no April Fool’s joke when 12-year-old Zain Rehman from Ashburn in Northern Virginia, called out to his Dad, Fazal, “I think I got a big one!” Indeed he did - a citation 18 ¾-inch brook trout caught in the Rose River directly in front of Graves Mountain Lodge where he was fishing with 200 other youngsters at the annual Trout Heritage Kids Fishing Day. It was an exciting day for Zain as … [Read more...]
Action Heating Up
By Dr. Ken Neill, III Flounder have started to bite behind the barrier islands of the Eastern Shore and some have been caught inside of Back River. Rod and reel croaker catches are being made from the fishing piers and in the rivers. So far, the best bay bite has been tautog. These structure-oriented fish have entered their spring feeding frenzy. The fishing will be great through … [Read more...]
Hard To Swallow
If you live long enough, you’ll see some strange things. One of the strangest things I’ve seen in the outdoors happened about 20 years ago on the Jackson River in the upper Hidden Valley area. I had been invited on a shocking expedition with the Game Department. For several years, I had urged the state to make that area catch-and-release, but they wanted to know if trout would hold over before … [Read more...]
South River Update
From Tommy Lawhorne Fishing has been steady on the South River with caddis and midges hatching most days. Lots of nice trout are being caught on the Catch and Release Area near Downtown Waynesboro. The Missing Link caddis dry and the amber Arlies' Gnarly Larva have been go to patterns. Above is a picture of Ian Hall with nice Rainbow from Downtown this week. Water levels continue … [Read more...]
A Hatch To Remember
(A Jim Brewer article from Virginia Outdoor Weekly, May13, 1994) If you hit it just right, there is a hatch of Green Drakes on the Shavers Fork in West Virginia so prolific that nothing else compares. I hit it once while fishing with my good buddy Dave Gladwell. Every trout in the river was feeding in the surface. Squadron after squadron of big, fat mayflies attacked the water. … [Read more...]