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Virginia Trout Video

I am not so sure whether it is trout that I love so much, or the places trout live. I never get bored fly fishing for trout, because they always seem to live in the most interesting places and no two places are ever the same. When I arrived in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia, I knew I was in trout country. Giant waterfalls poured off of rock cliffs as I weaved my through the mountains. It’s hard to explain, but I could just feel it in my bones and I just knew I was surrounded by trout. It had been some time since I had trout fished on smaller creeks and rivers. Most of the waters I fish in Maine are big and rugged, and I had almost forgotten about the sense of mystery and adventure that accompanies smaller mountainous trout streams. I arrived to the river and it was as though I arrived at the pearly heaven gates. It has been a long and cold winter in Maine. Steelhead fishing offers no real comfort and it had been a long time since I had wet waded while casting dry flies to rising trout. I threw on my boots, rigged up my fly rod and starting my way upstream. As I ventured further and further upstream I became more engulfed by my surroundings, less troubled by all of the day-to-day things that were on my mind only hours before and more curious as to what might be waiting around the next corner. I was never disappointed. Beautiful waterfalls that cascaded into aqua blue plunge pools and wild rainbow trout with colors and markings that not even the best artist could replicate. I was in

trout heaven. I spent my time fly fishing all sorts of water and catching rainbow trout of all sizes. I micro managed the little river and had to unlearn all of my big water habits. I was amazed to find fish sipping dry flies in the most obscure and hard to get to places and equally amazed to pick fish out of riffles that, upon first glance, seemed insignificant. I realized quickly that a rising trout was very easily spooked by any vibrations in the water or any change in the small and quite environment. And, I was equally amazed to catch some relatively big fish for these small environments. I spent my time getting burned by many picky trout and scratching my head wondering why 6x tippet and tiny midges were not working. I also felt a huge sense of accomplishment after having one trout in particular refuse everything in my box, until finally I waited him out and tricked him with an emerger. The trout streams of Virginia truly rejuvenated the very core of my fly fishing being, because they brought back the mystery and the wonderment and all of the elements of fly fishing that got me hooked in the first place. So, if you ever find yourself growing tired of the same-old-same-old and feel as though the rivers that you know so well have lost their luster; consider exploring some new smaller mountain streams. You might find, as I did, that wondering what’s around the next bend or if their might be a trout in the next plunge pool is the very thing you need to refresh your fly fishing spirit.