Jackson River VA Fly Fishing Report (In Pictures)

 

 

 

I thought I would share a few pictures from my first trip to the Jackson River, VA.  The Jackson is considered among some of the best streams in the state for trout with plenty of deep runs, pools, riffles, and flat sections to allow fly anglers to experiment with a wide variety of techniques.  It also helps that the Jackson is stocked regularly and boasts a population of larger lake-run browns, bows, and even steel head cultivated through a special state management program.

Having heard about the Jackson from a friend and then doing a little research online, I decided to organize a trip to scout the area with several guys who might be willing to brave the elements.  As it turned out, the weather cooperated nicely and the conditions seemed pretty favorable, although we did have some wind and the fish didn't seem to be interested in our offerings.  The water was quite clear and took on a blue green color in the deeper runs, which looked awesome.  We even saw a hatch in the early afternoon of March Browns and Hendrix, which completed the quintessential fly fishing backdrop. 

When I consider the general lack of productivity on the trip, I have to sum it up to a lack of experience, although we did manage to land a few fish.  All in, it was an awesome trip with great company, plenty of fresh air, good food, and a campfire under a sky full of stars.

- SRM

Family Camping Trip to Pocahontas State Park

  

Fire on the Mountain

The Boys in the Woods (aka BITW) took a little overnight pilgrimage back to our old camp grounds deep in the hills of Talladega, Alabama to unplug and unwind.  Up here, there's no cell phone reception, no electricity, no running water, no streets, and no stress for miles.  We shoot guns, we eat meat, and tell a lot of funny stories.  It's good times.

RC Cola was first developed in Columbus, GA (my hometown) back in 1905 and is known as the cola of choice for real Southern folks (not rednecks - I think they drink Mountain Dew). Little known fact, Columbus is the same town where a man named John Pemberton first developed the formula for a drink that would later be called Coca Cola.

View from the campsite...used to be able to see the foothills of the Appalachian but it's grown up some.

My friend of 29 years and neighbor since childhood, Larry "Tad" Bailey.

My friend of 29 years and best man, Jason "Dirty" Duncan.  I laugh about him being a "Dirty" cop.

Childhood friend since I can remember and outdoorsman extraordinaire, Shannon Litton. 

That's a WWII 7.62 mauser (complete with bayonet) firing full metal jacket rounds.

That, my friend, is a 16oz hand cut fillet crusted in black pepper and kosher salt then seared over hot coals in a cast iron skillet that was passed down by my great aunt.

Spiders.  Yes, there are lot's of them in the woods, Sissy.

The BITW...order from shortest to tallest is purely coincidental.

Fire on the Mountain.

Late Season VA Beach Vacation for $200

With the long holiday weekend, I decided to take advantage of the weather and the time for a little family get-away.  After researching some low budget options, we found this incredible deal at the VA Beach KOA Campground.  I am totally willing to admit that we totally lucked up on this deal.  During the off season, you can go online and reserve your stay under the "Hot Deal" tab where you pay for one night and get the second night free.  As luck would have it, the campground has brand new studio cabins which are fully furnished with queen sized bed, full bath, kitchenette, small dining table, bunk beds, A/C and Heat, gas grills, etc. 

So how much to rent one of these cabins?  Well, the total with tax came out to $112.99.  If I add in a tank of gas and the food for our two night stay, I'm pretty sure we managed to get a nice little mini vacation for about $200.  How crazy is that?!  This time of year (late Sep/ early Oct) is probably the best time to go to VA Beach for a number of reasons.  First the weather is still warm enough so you can get in the water without freezing.  Second, school is back in session so the crowd is light.  Also, the shops are still open and off peak prices have kicked in. 

There is plenty to do in the area with a number of historic sites, shops, restaurants, and the VA Beach Aquarium.  We enjoyed our little stay so much, we are going back with some of our family in a few weeks.  We plan to do more now that we know more of what to expect and know where things are.  So next time you look at taking a mini vacation on a reduced budget, don't overlook your local KOA.  I'm here to testify, you might be pleasantly surprised.