Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Getting Access to Private Water

Just got back from a three day fishing/camping trip with a group of guys.  I'll eventually get around to putting up pictures and commentary from the whole trip, but thought I'd share this neat story first.

Saturday I fished solo.  Had a few small small streams I wanted to check out in the area.  One of the streams was posted all the way up and veered through someone's property up a mountain.  I saw an older gentlemen out splitting wood and thought I'd get out and chat with him to see what he knew about the area.  Come to find out he owned the property that was posted along the stream next to the road and the property blocking access to the stream when it goes up the mountain.  I could tell right away he didn't want me to fish it and we began talking about the area and other brookie streams near by.  After about 20 minutes of talking, the guy's son came up the road and he waved him over telling me that his son works for VDGIF and he's the one I need to talk too.  So we all talk for another 20 minutes on the area streams and out of no where the old timer asked "do you keep the fish you catch?"  I told him no and about how the guys I was camping with bust my chops about me never eating a wild brookie.  He than thought a second and said "I reckon you can fish the stream than."  He told me it's been over 13 years since it's been fished and there he's seen some good sized rainbows and brookies in there.  He was having a few trees cut behind his property and he didn't want me up the mountain, but gave me a 150 yard stretch to fish.  It was by far the most fun stream I have fished to date.  Mainly for the cool factor of catching a trout that probably has never seen a fly in their whole life.  It was a tiny little trickle of a stream and I have never caught the average size fish I was catching in a stream so small.  The owner came down in his gator a couple times to check how I was doing.  The last time he came down he told me I was welcome back anytime and I could fish the whole thing if I desired.  Here are the pictures from the stream.




My First Double.  Brookie took the dry, Rainbow took the dropper.











After I fished the stream, I left a note on the owner's vehicle and called it a day.  It is a stream that will not be forgotten and that I hope to visit again in the future.

3 comments:

  1. Its amazing what a friendly conversation will grant you access to! Great story and I can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip.

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  2. Thanks Bill. It was good to just talk to the guy and learn about the area, the access was just an added bonus. A big bonus.

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