Learn to Fly Fish! Sugar Hollow / Moormans River

OVERVIEW

Heyyyodiddlybop!

Ever been interested in learning to fly fish? Or just fishing in general? In short, we’ll be doin a little bit of hiking and then we’ll try throwing some flying things at some swimming things. It’s just as cool as it sounds.

Jokes aside, showers on Friday should have stream levels across VA in prime conditions by Sunday afternoon, and I love sharing this passion of mine with new folks! I was lucky enough to be taught by my dad when I was 10, and have been doing my best to keep at it since then. Going back and getting lost in the woods, catching lots of beautiful little brook trout who’s ancestors have been proliferating in these mountain streams for thousands and thousands of years has always been a really cathartic and beautiful experience for me. Come see for yourself!

Logistics:
This time of year the fishing tends to be best around the warmest parts of the day, so we’ll plan to meet at Echols at 10:30am and be on the road shortly after. Unless conditions change significantly, we’ll plan to head up to the Moormans River up by Sugar Hollow, which is right around a half hour drive. From the parking lots we’ll probably walk upstream for 20 minutes or so and start learning / fishing around 11:30, fish until we’re ready for lunch probably around 12:30, then keep on fishing until 2:30 or so. At that point, we’ll break down our fishing rods and hike back down to the car, and we should be getting back to grounds no later than 4pm with plenty of time to get any weekend schoolwork you’ll have done.

*IMPORTANT* – Legally speaking, a freshwater fishing licence that costs $23 annually is required to fish, but that said, I have never been asked to show my license in several years of fishing since I tend to stick to less trafficked areas, so I will not require attendees to have one. I think that it is a great investment and that the funds go to really important conservation efforts if you do choose to invest, but, just know that in the unlikely event that you are asked to show a licence, you assume full responsibility for any fine you may receive for choosing to fish without one.

What you need:
-sturdy shoes and clothes to hike in (you hopefully won’t need to get wet)
-packed lunch/ snacks/ 1L+ of water
-fly fishing rod and flies (the club has all of this, I can bring for you if needed!)
-good tude and eagerness to learn