yoderjac
Well-Known Member
I'm preparing for the next step in retirement. Soon our retirement home will be built and I'll have a lot more free time (I hope). When I was young, I was an avid fisherman. When I was 10, I graduated from the spinning rod to a flyrod and began flyfishing for trout with my dad and started tying my own flies. In the western PA, most of the trout fishing was put-and-take in stocked streams. When I went to Penn State, I fell in love with trout fishing. I couldn't drive 25 minutes in any direction without crossing one of the top limestone streams in the east!
When I eventually moved to Northern VA, I tried to take up warm water fishing again. I got a bass boat and fished the Potomac and Lake Anna for bass. There were no limestone streams and even the freestone streams cold enough for trout were several hours drive through traffic. I eventually found Quantico MCB for hunting. I eventually replaced my spring trout fishing with spring gobbler hunting there. Our use of the bass boat became more and more infrequent and I eventually I gave it to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who had kids of the right age for boating. I kind of gave up fishing after that and focused on hunting and wildlife management.
Well, now that I'm retired, I think I'll take it up again. Cold water trout streams are still a bit of a drive up into the mountains, but there are a lot of small warm water rivers near by with smallmouth bass. My plan is to start with smallmouth nearby and then eventually see if flyfishing is worth the drive.
To that end, some friends invited me on a kayaking float on the Rivanna river nearby. Most of my fishing tackle had been given away over time, so I ran to Walmart and grabbed a $20 ultra-lite rod and reel combo and a handfull of lures. I struggled with the kayak. My back and hips were quite uncomfortable in that position. I struggled paddling against the current. I eventually fell behind the group. I could not fish while trying to control the kayak either. I eventually found eddies where I could beach the end of the kayak and fish. I loved fishing again. I caught a few smallmouth of no size to speak of, but I got the bug again!
So, I just ordered a on man raft with a frame. It is an NRS Approach 100. It is small enough that I should be able to carry it in the bed of my pickup. With a cart, I should be able to handle it myself. I ordered a Minn Kota Edge bow mount foot controlled trolling motor. I'll need to modify the frame to mount the trolling motor bracket. I ordered a Humminbird Helix DI GPS G3 fish finder for it as well. I also ordered a 10lb Tornado Anchor for it. I'll probably build a cart for it myself. I've also ordered a good rod and reel for smallmouth. The reel is a Shimano Vanford FA 2500HG with some flurocarbon line. The rod is a St. Crois Physyx series 6' 3" medium light extra fast. I was lucky and caught a 4th of July sale on the rod and reel and some lures.
It will probably be a couple weeks until all the stuff arrives and I can get it put together. I'll post some pictures once it arrives and update this thread as the new adventure unfolds.
When I eventually moved to Northern VA, I tried to take up warm water fishing again. I got a bass boat and fished the Potomac and Lake Anna for bass. There were no limestone streams and even the freestone streams cold enough for trout were several hours drive through traffic. I eventually found Quantico MCB for hunting. I eventually replaced my spring trout fishing with spring gobbler hunting there. Our use of the bass boat became more and more infrequent and I eventually I gave it to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law who had kids of the right age for boating. I kind of gave up fishing after that and focused on hunting and wildlife management.
Well, now that I'm retired, I think I'll take it up again. Cold water trout streams are still a bit of a drive up into the mountains, but there are a lot of small warm water rivers near by with smallmouth bass. My plan is to start with smallmouth nearby and then eventually see if flyfishing is worth the drive.
To that end, some friends invited me on a kayaking float on the Rivanna river nearby. Most of my fishing tackle had been given away over time, so I ran to Walmart and grabbed a $20 ultra-lite rod and reel combo and a handfull of lures. I struggled with the kayak. My back and hips were quite uncomfortable in that position. I struggled paddling against the current. I eventually fell behind the group. I could not fish while trying to control the kayak either. I eventually found eddies where I could beach the end of the kayak and fish. I loved fishing again. I caught a few smallmouth of no size to speak of, but I got the bug again!
So, I just ordered a on man raft with a frame. It is an NRS Approach 100. It is small enough that I should be able to carry it in the bed of my pickup. With a cart, I should be able to handle it myself. I ordered a Minn Kota Edge bow mount foot controlled trolling motor. I'll need to modify the frame to mount the trolling motor bracket. I ordered a Humminbird Helix DI GPS G3 fish finder for it as well. I also ordered a 10lb Tornado Anchor for it. I'll probably build a cart for it myself. I've also ordered a good rod and reel for smallmouth. The reel is a Shimano Vanford FA 2500HG with some flurocarbon line. The rod is a St. Crois Physyx series 6' 3" medium light extra fast. I was lucky and caught a 4th of July sale on the rod and reel and some lures.
It will probably be a couple weeks until all the stuff arrives and I can get it put together. I'll post some pictures once it arrives and update this thread as the new adventure unfolds.
