"Panning for Fish"

At Greg & Susan Russells’ 

Saturday, May 4, 2012 

Panfish that is!  Saturday, May 4, 2012 on Swift Creek Reservoir just a few minutes from the end of Powhite Pkwy in Chesterfield County. 

Greg & Susan Russell welcome all members of FFV to come to their property located at 15024 Crown Point Road in Moseley, Virginia (its right next to Woodlake!) on the upper Swift Creek Reservoir starting 9:00 AM thru 4:00 PM. 

Members may bring their kayaks, floats or wade the shoreline. Please bring your own PFD /life vests.. 

  Greg and Susan have graciously offered to provide for the participating club members hamburgers and hot dog cooked out on their dock.  Please bring what you wish to drink.  All they ask is that you to please sign a waiver releasing them from any liability from any possible injuries.  

What's there to catch?  Spawning crappies, bluegills, sonnies, and also bass and pickerel mixed in.  Catching these on a 3-5 weight line is great fun.  Wooly buggers, small leech imitation, wet flies and nymphs in sizes 8-12 should work well.  There are some caddis and mayfly hatches sporadically from April to October. 

HAPPY HOUR TROUT TRIPS

Ease in to the evening with some time on the water at the magic hours before dusk.

Evening can be one of the most productive times to fish a trout stream and these happy hour trips will put us on the new South River special regulation section just in time to take advantage of evening hatches and spinner falls.

The Happy Hour trips will be May 16, June 20, July 25 and August 15. We will meet at 4 p.m. in the parking lot in front of the Orvis store and carpool over to the stream. We should be on the water and fishing by about 5:30 and will fish until dark. We should be back in Richmond about 10 p.m.

Each trip is limited to 8 members or guests.

Southwest Virginia camping trip June 6 to June 10

Back by popular demand.

Experience some of the best fishing the Southeast has to offer on the South Holston River in Tennessee. Blanket sulfur hatches and willing trout can make for exciting times. Toss in the beauty of White Top Laurel, the big browns on Beaver Dam, green drakes, coffin flies and yellow sallies and you get four days of fun and memories.

This is a camping only trip and limited to 12 members. We will be camping at Beartree Campground, a National Forest site with showers.  The campground is about 13 miles from Damascus. Attendees will have to have a Virginia fishing license, trout stamp and National Forest Stamp. They will also need a non-resident 3-day Tennessee license.

Cost of the trip if fully attended is $75 per person. That includes camp site fees, 4 dinners, supplies, etc… Each attendee is responsible for their own breakfasts and lunches. Any excess funds will either be divided evenly among the participants or donated to the club. If fewer folks sign up the cost may change.  You will be signed up when your check is received.

FFV Shenandoah National Park Brook Trout Trip

                                    Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012

                    Trip Leader:  H. W. Leathers  

Meet: Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, VA at 9:00 AM for breakfast ($9.95 plus tax, plus tip-bring cash. For more info on Graves Mt Lodge you can go to  www.gravesmountain.com

There is no cost to attend (besides breakfast) and there is no limit on the number of FFV members who can go.

Most of the time, most of our group heads for the nearby Rapidan after breakfast. Rose River, White Oak Canyon and other streams are also available. Bring your own lunch and drinks.

Those of us who head to the Rapidan usually meet for lunch beside the stream. Fish for as long as you want and head home when you’re ready.

Basic dry flies should work in sizes 12 -18, but bring some nymphs in the same sizes. The road in to the Rapidan is fairly rough and a 4 wheel drive vehicle is a good idea. The fishing can require some climbing around and over boulders and rocks. Most of us fish the Rapidan in chest wader but hipper can work depending on the water levels. The temperature in the mountains can be warm and or real chilly in late April so check the weather and remember it can be 10 degrees colder than Richmond.

We need to give Graves Mountain Loge an accurate headcount for breakfast, so please sign up at the January or March dinner meetings or contact me at the above numbers or send me an e mail.