travbass2 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2003 New to this board and I like what I see. I registered for the fly game and decided to look aroiund while it loaded up and like this forum. A little about me.... I live in a small town near the campus of Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!!!) in Christiansburg, VA. I moved here from living all over. I began guiding in eastern NC after several years of tournament fishing all over the southeast. Targeting tarpon, drum, specks, flounder, stripers, and largemouth, I was having a ball until I got the opportunity to head west. I was out in Colorado guiding for a few years, initially for an outfitter service that hunted for Elk, Mulies, and Lions and I was hired as the trout guide. I fishnished there to guide and teach flyfishing in the Aspen Valley while rowing drift boats down the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers and waded in the Frying Pan and high altitude streams and lakes. I tied for a couple shops before I burned out and now tie for myself and friends. I have been flyfishing for 18 years now and tying almost as long. To dater I have caught all of the bass species except Neosho smallmouth and soon that will be done. I've fished at least once in each of the lower 48 states, some much more extensively, been to Canada, Europe, and Central America to fish. I'm originally from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay where I come from a long line of watermen and civil servants and I recieved a healthy dosage of the fishing genes in my family tree and fishing and everything to do with, under, and around water is my passion. It is all i know in life and all I care to know. I was in the Navy for a while and now am married with no kiddies yet. While working at a trout hatchery during the off season on the western slope of CO, I injured my dominant hand and don't get to flyfish very much now. I sustained nerve damage during a surgery and have been in a bad way, with my hand dictating when I can and can't fish which is frustrating. I enjoy diving in my home river, the New river which i have fished on and off for 11 years. Right now I'm 5 miles from the river and fish it weekly. This has been one of the best years for numbers and big fish in a long time or maybe I'm learning something. I have a goal to catch 20 smallies over 20" and am up to 17 so far. Still have a few months as I fish all year long and winter is my best time for big bites. I fish out of an Old Towne 160K Discovery Rowing version canoe andlove it. I have a Prijion Hurricane C-1 that I play in and have two bigger boats. A 16ft 1955 mahogahny runabout made here locally mated with a 1958 Mercury Mark 75 straight 6 that I'm restorign to show. I have a 17ft center console that I have stripped and and re-doing, called the Travisboat because no manufacturer was on the title. It is in it's final stages of finishing and will become a great inshore tarpon chaser. it has a great little flaired bow that can handle rough wat6er and a spacious interior with a big forward casting/fighting deck and the rear features a couple bait/live wells and a pol9ng platform to see the silver kings form a distance. As you may have gotten, I have strong roots in saltwater being raised on blue crabs, yellow/white perch, ducks, and oysters, it's hard to stay away from the estuaries for too long. My former guide/tournament partner/ mentor still guides in Oriental, NC and can be reached on www.pamlicoguide.com He's a master of eastern NC rivers and the virtualy untapped tarpon fishery annually yeilding fish over 200lbs that usually break every kind of gear we throw at them. My personal best is a 126lber that measured almost 6'. My biggest overall fish is a 10' Blacktipreef shark caught at night in the Keys. In freshwater, my biggest bass are a 13lb 5oz largemouth (NC)and an 8lb smallie(VA). Trout: 35" cutthroat, 29" brown, 9lb rainbow all from Colorado Catfish: 76lb flathead, 35lb channel both from santee copper Gar: 6' longnose eastern NC Sturgeon: 203lb 9' from Devil's Canyon Salmon: 37lb King from Lake Michigan Striper, 38lb coastal NC Red Drum: 56lb Pamlico sound Speck sea Trout: 8lbs Pamlico sound Bluefin Tuna: 308lb from the Gulf Stream off NC Blue marlin: 250lb, striped 134, and white 89lbs, again Gulf stream False Albecore: 14lbs on 9wt My favorite rod is my custom self-made Scott 904, 9' 4wt. I chse everything with it. a great trout, smallie, and inshore rod with a 27lb red drum as my biggest fish whipped with it. My other fav rod is my "big stik" a 9' 6wt. Fenwick HMG. Good for bigger flies that the little guy can't quite throw. Also have a custom native brookie rod, a 5' 0wt which i love to tangle with decent bass with it! So much fun. I'm a stealth believer and go camo all the way to stalk fish. You should see my canoe!!! Feel free to talk with me anytime at [email protected] I'm looking forward to joining this forum!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 16, 2003 WOW I have fished the New several times in the WV section and it has to be one of the greatest Smallie rivers anywhere! It is amazing to see someone who has been able to travel and fish the waters that you have had the opportunity to be a part of. Welcome to the forum, and we hope that you stick around and come by often. P.S. What kind of flies have you been using for Smallies in your area? I'm gonna try some winter smallie fly fishing this year, any suggestions on flies to use during that time of year? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 16, 2003 Nice to see ypu've joined the sight Trav. I'm new here myself. Several years ago I tore the rotator cuff in my right shoulder. That put a crimp in my fly fishing for awhile. I was going to give it up. Instead, I opted to try learning to cast with my left hand. It took a bit of practice, but I got to where I could cast reasonably well and it didn't take that much effort. Now I have a tear in both shoulders. I've rehab them to a point were I can fly fish without much pain. The problem is that they tire easily. Being able to cast with either hand, I can rest my dominant right one and still keep on fishing. The ability to cast with my off hand also allows me to make casts to certain lies that I might not otherwise be able to get to from where I am standing in the stream. This is an advantage that has rewarded me with several nice trout. I hope your hand heals soon. Until then, try the other one. Once you get it working you'll wonder why you never tried it before. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 16, 2003 well, well, well, another VA boy!!! That ought to make DFix happy. Grew up on the Ky/VA line. Spent a lot of time in Wise and Dickenson Counties growing up. Jump in the drink and hang on, things get moving pretty quick around here. Glad to have you aboard!!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
travbass2 0 Report post Posted October 16, 2003 Thanks for the welcome guys! As far as flies for the New river are concerned....I fish upstream from you. I have fisherd the entire New but much prefer the VA portion. I stay up and downstream of Claytor dam mostly. There is some awesome smallie fishing up here. I like to fish a pattern called a Clawdad tied by a local tier, Chuck Craft. I modified a version to suit my tastes and colors. I fish alot of clouser type flies so I naturally like the Clawdad. I have been friends fro a few years with Roanoke shop owner, Blane Chocklett, of Blure ridge Flyfishers and he let me in on a pattern made with siliskin, basically a scilicone type material on a sheet with a glue backing. I make a neat little minnow calleed a Gummy Minnow. I make larger versions for saltwater and have been trying different sizes with smallies. I do fish left handed as I have been forced to become ambedexterous but am extremely right handed and get frustrated when I have to make precise casts in less than ideal conditions with my left hand. I just rather fish with my spinning rods and baitcasters. I like this site because it is very much like riversmallies, a site I have been increasingly involved with, writing articles and posting frequently. I gotta post alot to get away from this title of "Bait fisherman"--what's that all about??? I haven't fished with bait for years and when I did it was for catfish! Well, I soon leave that behind me. Talk to yall soon! Travis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 16, 2003 The "Bait Fisherman" status is our little joke we play on the newbies. Gotta get over 10 post before that goes away! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
travbass2 0 Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Now I get it. Thanks. Hey I was trying to set up my avitar and have had no success. If I sent you a pic, do you think you could make it work?? I'd be so grateful!! Thanks alot!! Travis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Guest_J. Johnson Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Welcome aboard ! We certainly have a diverse culture of tiers on the site. I have kin on the SE shore of VA. They live off the James river in a town called Achilles. Got pounded by Isabel ! All big waterman ! Pound nets, crabin, oysters to name a few. Nothing better than going down for a Thanksgiving feast ! Corn bread, greens, dumplin, and butter beans. God I love going down to visit. Hope to go down soon for some Duck hunting, like to add a few more feathers to my desk. Impressive list of fish you have caught! If you have any photos, add them to the photo gallery. Again, welcome. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted October 17, 2003 Welcome to the forum. Just watch out for all the nuts Tight Lines, Fatman Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
