Non Kayak, Non CA, but with graphic picture guaranteed to make Mooch squeal !!!

I'm in Richmond Virginia this week. Stopped off at a tackle shop to get a 5 day non-resident Freshwater license, and a little bit of beta. Included in my questions was "anything to watch out for while fishing the banks, or wading? Answer was "maybe not a good idea to wade barefoot due to glass. Cool I thought, no mention of snapping turtles the size of manhole covers or leaches. However, not included in beta was that there are the below critters inside city limits. Found the two of them getting cozy under the big rock I'd jumped from to get down to the water.



Yet another reason why being a bankie sucks...

Anyway, fishing was bad, got the skunk. Am looking for better water tonight. Oh, and verified that in addition to the Moc's, there are Copperheads to avoid as well. Lovely. I really don't like pit vipers that don't give you a courtesy rattle.

Scott

Those things have good filets?   

You're the traveling man, Scott.  Better get back out here and get some salt on ya before you turn into a flat-lander.   

and a little bit of beta.

Scott-- are you a climber?  I haven't ever heard anyone but a climber use "beta"....

Awwww, water mocs. Nasty little creatures. I'm not a snake hater, by any means, but a classmate of mine was killed by water mocs when I was in the third grade in Maryland. I guess he went fishing with his father and wandered off. He was lifting up rocks and came across a nest of 'em and thought they were worms. When his dad heard him screaming he ran over and grabbed his son and got bit a few times himself. He was eventually OK (the father) but the son died awhile later in the hospital.

So BE CAREFUL!

Those things have good filets?   

You're the traveling man, Scott.  Better get back out here and get some salt on ya before you turn into a flat-lander.   

Well, we got all the way to Petaluma the Friday before the NorCal rockfish opener, before realizing the paddles were back in Auburn. That was the frosting on that particular cake...  I've been waiting for a combination of decent wind and decent viz before heading out, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen before the July Ab closure. But there's always Elk and Kodiak

Scott-- are you a climber?  I haven't ever heard anyone but a climber use "beta"....

Yep, 1990-2002. Mostly trad, a little sport, some mountaineering.



On to tonights report. I headed west out of Richmond to get away from the overly urban environment of the pony pasture. The VGDIF publishes river access information, with a one line description of the area. Generally meant for folks traveling between put-ins. Anyway, I headed out to a place called Carterville, where I found flat water, and no rocks. However, I did eventually spy some sunfish, so I put on a small grub, and proceeded to catch a few dink Smallmouth in the 5-8" range. This at least encouraged me, so I waded out to a submerged bar to see if I could get into deeper water where the bigger fish were. Sure enough, I got a couple grabs on a 4" Texas rigged Senko  (wacky style was out of the question, too many weeds in the water). I could see the occasional Smallie swim by, even a catfish once in a while. But no luck. Almost had a 30" or so gar swim between my legs, but it must have wised up to my presence, as it turned around just before I could get a picture. Pretty interesting looking critter. Anyway, I got my best grab of the evening while I'm fumbling for the camera. A swing and a miss.

Tomorrow's another day, but I"m thinking I'll hit a lake, instead of the James.

Scott

I got my best grab of the evening while I'm fumbling for the camera. A swing and a miss.

Don't blame it on me!   

 

The more I see fishing report pics with snakes in 'em....the more I think about moving to Hawaii.

.....there are NO SNAKES in Hawaii...there are NO SNAKES in Hawaii....there are no....

The more I see fishing report pics with snakes in 'em....the more I think about moving to Hawaii.

.....there are NO SNAKES in Hawaii...there are NO SNAKES in Hawaii....there are no....

On Land              rare but they do have these in the water

Scott, you made me squeal!!!

Rock Hoppers note is some scary stuff.  When I was a kid I fished in a pond close to our house in the Midwest for years & years.  I was always warned but never saw one.  One day I was walking down the path barefoot & lo & behold a big fat WM was laying right across the path, I was about 5 ft. from it & would have riled it up for sure.  I remember I didn't stop running for a good 5 minutes or so.

I hate water moc's!  Damn things have permanent mega-PMS...they'll bite you then bite again cuz you aren't dead yet.
 
I worked one summer in the Atchafalaya swamp in Louisiana and we'd encounter those things while a LONG ways from the boat (we were cutting survey trails through the swamp for oil exploration...I had the highly trained position of machete-swinger...that's not enough weapon to go up against an irate water moc).  I went to summer school from then on... 

I lived in Northern VA for two years with my wife (then girlfriend - moved in with her.......the beginning of the end) and did a lot of business trips to Richmond.  Some things to know:

 - James River - ugly scar on the local landscape.  Once did a triathlon there and swam through an old bridge abutment with rebar sticking out.  Not fun nor pretty.

 - Tobacco Company bar and restaurant.  Real southern ethnic food.  Great place. The old town district where the Tobacco Company is has Belgian block paved streets.  Really cool if you've never seen them. 

 - Richmond is the home of the "southern gentleman".  Nice friendly folk.  Just refer to the Civil War as the "War of Northern Aggression" and you may get a Bourbon out of the bartender. Being from Cali they won't take offence to you but someone like me, a bonafice Northerner, I was a "carpetbagger" and heard all the atrocities committed on their ancestors.......

 - Charlottesville, west of Richmond is beautiful country.  That's where UVA (University of VA) is and it's a great college town with great bars and eats.  Pretty southern girls too, but I'm hozed, read above why I was living in VA.

That's it.  It's humid and hot (not a place to wear dress shirts and ties - big pit stains) but nice none the less.

Have fun and good luck.

rob
jrsyboy