Thursday, May 10, 2007
Be extra careful on the Smith River
Bill Cochran
Recent mail
BILL: Is it possible to drift the Smith River with a Cataraft? I am in a wheelchair and have fished the New and plan to fish the Watauga and South Holston. Just would like to drift the Smith.
JOHN BASS
JOHN: I asked Al Kittredge, a Smith River trout fishing guide, to answer your question. His reply:
The Smith River is driftable; however, the only time it is practical to drift is during or immediately after a generation flow from Philpott Dam. Otherwise the water level drops very rapidly and folks who miss the generation surge end up doing more walking and towing than drifting.
The water moves right along when they are generating and it is bone-chilling cold. It is not an overly wide stream, which makes for only one safe path at a couple of spots where it flows through rocky sections.
Anyone who drifts the Smith should do so with extreme caution. This would be especially true if you are physically disabled.
Having said all that, the local community recently has installed a few put-in and take-out points for use by kayak and canoes paddlers, and a local business has started kayak and canoe rental services.
BILL
BILL: When can fishermen start keeping striped bass caught in the Chesapeake Bay?
H.D.
H.D.: Virginia’s spring striped bass season in the Chesapeake Bay begins May 16 and continues through June 15. The daily limit is two. There is an 18-inch minimum size and 28-inch maximum size; however, one of two fish in possession may be 34 inches or longer.
BILL
