Milburnie Dam Removal

Only one dam remains to stop the run of striped bass and American shad to Falls Lake near Raleigh, NC. The previous dam was called Milburnie and it had been controversial for years. The dam was built around 1900 to power a paper mill. The dam has barely been used for decades. It never worked well and over the years it became less serviceable. The dam was a scenic landmark and a decent fishing spot but created several negative environmental impacts as well as safety issues. Many people died trying to swim near the dam. 

 A decision was made to tear the dam down and the deconstruction started last December. The site milburniedam.com is doing historical documentation of the deconstruction. They have drone footage and tons of photos. Watching the progress of the project is very interesting.

A primary problem with the dam was the sediment building behind it. The development around Raleigh has polluted the river and made sandy beaches where there shouldn't be any.

This is a view from behind the dam after it was turned off. you can see the island of sediment that was building up. 

It's strange to not see water coming over the dam.

You rarely could ever get this close to it.

You can see how the bottom of the river should be. Instead of sand it should be rocky like the features in front of the dam.

Hopefully years of the river running fast will redistribute sediment. I think the removal of the dam is a good thing but part of me has a hard time watching it be destroyed. 

Part of it is I appreciate the work it must of took to create this mass to hold back a river. This feature is truly a landmark and I'm sure people have lived a lifetime fishing, picnicking and swimming at the base of it. The next generation will never even know it existed. 

It's amazing how different the view looks every time a feature is removed.

You can see what actually starts to look like a fully connected river in the picture above.

It's really neat to see the progression. The dam is gone but development continues around Raleigh and personally I think that's a greater threat to the river than the dam ever was. It will be interesting to see the effect the dam removal has on wildlife and the fishery. There are native species that reside in this river and nowhere else in the world. I'm hoping the shad and striped bass return in greater numbers and the river heals itself. Only time will tell. 

You can learn more about the history of the dam and view all of the photos shared here plus more at https://milburniedam.com/

Possibly Making A Difference

What I was told which I don't know if it is fact or not is that white bass used to be taken to stock local farm ponds. There was no limit to the harvest because it was assumed it would be a one time thing. A angler would go to an area get a cooler or bucket full stock his pond and come back next year. That practice years later turned into people coming to the river to get their freezers stocked for spring. 

When I first started fly fishing in my area I went to a creek with a friend and hooked my first white bass. I was addicted to this species ever since. Every year before the run I'd tie flies and watch the weather with anticipation. The runs fluctuated with weather patterns but I noticed year after year more people seemed to be fishing the run and it was taking its toll. I tried telling whoever I could about this problem but I always wondered if my complaints fell on deaf ears.

Since there was no limit fishermen would take males and females no matter the size. In the last 5 years or so the run has tapered off quite a bit. No one wanted to admit that it's people causing the decline. Most blamed rain events or other environmental changes. We fish in a different world now. People used to use word of mouth to tell when the run was on and now all it takes is a cell phone call. The internet allows anglers to share reports to huge audiences and it gives others the resources to pin point where the fish are. It's amazing the fish have a chance to spawn at all.

I have a friend who works as a fisheries biologist and he would listen to my rants about white bass. He worked with the Wildlife Commission to do a study on white bass populations in the area. What they found was what I had feared. The over harvesting of white bass during spawn was eradicating the species. The consensus was that if things don't change there could possible be no more white bass in the area. A proposal was pushed and although I think it went a little too far the other direction I think it's for the best. Instead of a no limit any size regulation the limit now is 10 white bass that are 14" or larger.

The interesting thing about this will be enforcement, the 14 inch fish have been appearing less and less. There are going to be quite a few unhappy people this spring and such a change to a popular fishing event will not be met with enthusiasm. In the end though I feel it's a win for white bass and even though my rants and public outcry for changes may have had nothing to do with the change I like to think I had some small part in it. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

I've been asked to help with surveying the run this spring with the Wildlife Commision. I'll be sure to share the report of the experience.

Stay Tuned....

Good For Entertainment, Bad for Fly Fishing

Pic taken from #CheekyFlyfishing

If you follow any popular fly fishermen on Instagram you'll see epic catch after epic catch. We live in a world where awesome moments can be shown at the click of a button. If you compared your fishing prowess to what you see on social media you probably feel pretty inept. What you never see on those popular accounts are the skunk, line caught in trees, losing fly-boxes or net, falling in water days. You only see the awesome and the real fishing days are swept under the rug because of course those don't get any "likes." I often wonder how this pressure of being "liked" can prevent newbies from ever trying fly fishing. It has to come down to are you fishing to impress others or make yourself happy?

I'm being hypocritical if I say I've never gotten caught up in the social media tornado. It can really gain momentum if you work at it. That's the key to is working at it. That's why I respect the people who put in the time and effort to make what they post entertaining and attractive. I just wish there was more about the not so awesome times as well as the awesome ones. I think they'd gain more of an audience that way. It's this way of thinking that probably has me still having to work a day job instead living off the subscribes and likes.

Listen But Don't Listen

New year and pretty much the same outlook on life. Try to survive, provide for the family, and find a little happiness sprinkled in here and there. Fishing took a real hit last year and I can't really say why exactly. What I do know is that I didn't go fishing for the wrong reasons. The excuses are the usual kids sports, family obligations, weather, vacations, not wanting to drive far. In the past none of these would have deterred me from fishing and it shouldn't have now. The other thing was hearing bad fishing reports from places I was thinking about hitting. I realized that was the part I regret the most. Fishing is such a fickle thing that the reports almost don't matter. The next day could be the exact opposite of the day before and results could be from how a person is fishing or their location. There's so many factors involved. My advice is to listen but don't listen. If someone tells you a fishing report of a place you're thinking about trying don't take it at face value. Go verify for yourself. You might regret the decision or it might be the best fishing day of your life. If you've fished long enough you know that's basically how it goes.

My tying last year was pathetic. I tied maybe five flies. My attitude about the importance of what fly fishing means to me really was re-prioritized. At one point I even tried to sell all of my fly tying materials. It was my video on the Eno that really brought things back into perspective. I could tell in the video I really was genuinely happy and I need more of that in my life.

Fuster Cluck

A Fuster Cluck is a funny way of saying a phrase that describes a rather unfavorable situation. You could say that situation has been my life the last month or so. I can't complain too much. My kids are fine, my job situation seems secure for the moment and for the most part life is chugging a long. My family went to Branson, MO for vacation in July. We had a great time tubing on the river and reconnecting with family we haven't seen in years. The last day my wife decided to take one last shot at wake boarding. It was just like all the stories you've heard the last time anything happens there's a 50/50 chance something bad happens. This went the bad way and my wife ended up breaking her femur. It was in the most freakish unlucky way. She wasn't landing any crazy jumps or doing anything severely dangerous. She was laying in the water, the boat took off, she went to get up and felt a pop. She knew something was seriously wrong right then. She even said, "I think I broke my leg." We were all in disbelief because what she did before hand wasn't very violent. Sure enough at the hospital, they gave us the bad news.

While the X-ray tech was filling us in on what was about to take place my only thought was how the hell are we going to get home? We were driving a small sedan and the doctors were talking about her possibly having a cast up to her hip. We couldn't worry about that at the time and my wife had surgery the next morning.

After an hour of surgery and one steel rod later my wife's leg looked like this.

At least it was straight but the fracture was so bad she still a month later can't put more than 25% of her weight on the leg. A family member let us borrow a van for the drive from Missouri back to North Carolina. Luckily it was an uneventful trip and we made it home without incident. 

It's been slow going and I've been stretched pretty thin doing all she did at home as well as working. Family support has been huge in helping with the kids and helping out with her care at home. You really realize how many people care about you when things like this happen. 

Needless to say, I haven't been fishing much. I did get out while we were on vacation a little but I wouldn't consider what I did fishing by any extent. I caught some bluegill on poppers and that was about it. Other than that my fishing life has been pretty stale. I'm hoping to go on a trout trip next month. It all depends on how my wife is healing and what else is going on. 

The Virginia Creeper Trail

Way up in the southwest corner of Virginia lies a gem for anyone interested in hiking, biking or fishing. It's called the Virginia Creeper trail and it runs from the top of Whitetop to the quaint town of Damascus. The trail is 17miles from Whitetop to Damascus and it's downhill the whole way. I have been wanting to do this ride with my family for years and last week we finally did it. 

The trail is dirt but very flat and almost as smooth as a paved road for the most of it. It is fairly steep in the beginning but it turns into a slow dropping grade after about 3 miles.

The views are amazing and change from farmland to forest. There are several places to stop, picnic, use the restroom or even buy lunch.

The highlight for me was Whitetop Laurel Creek. It runs next to the trail the whole way. You cross the creek several times over wooden bridges.

It was hard passing up so many good fishing holes along the way. The water looked amazing and every turn lent itself to more beautiful pools and riffles.

My kids had a blast on the ride and we stopped several times to enjoy the views and play in the water. The trail becomes part of the Appalachian Trail and it's common to see several AT hikers. We went during the week to avoid the big crowds. It was rumored that this trail is crazy in the summer and on weekends. After experiencing the ride I can see why. Everyone needs to try it at least once. 

Damascus is a neat little town and there is trout water in every direction. You can't go a half mile without crossing a trout stream. I spent a few days fishing the area. I had hooked and lost more fish than I ever had before. I chalk it up to rust and lack of knowing the area. I was able to bring a few to hand.

With all the changes going on with technology and society it's nice to know some things stay the same. Wherever I fish I seem to have success using the same techniques. It's nice to just not think about what line you have or rod you're using. Just tie on a wooly bugger and let it fly.

Tennesee is less than 3miles from Damascus. We checked out a place called Backbone Rock. 

It's a pretty cool site to see and you can hike to the top.

You can see the stream flowing near the road at the bottom. It was one of the prettiest streams I have seen in awhile. I didn't fish it but I wish I had.

Backbone falls is a short hike nearby and it's definitely worth seeing if you're in the area.

It was great having hikes the kids could enjoy and the views are worth the effort.

If you're looking for a family vacation and want some place for fishing, hiking, and biking. I can't think of a better place than Damascus, VA. It has a little something for everyone. 

Life Stuff

It's been forever in a day since my last post. So long that I actually had a fellow blogger reach out and make sure I still had the ability to type words and think up full sentences. I turned 40 this year and I'd love to say I am wiser but if I've learned anything it's that I have a lot to learn. This year more than others has taught me to appreciate friends, cherish family, and make my health a priority.

My fly tying skills have gone to crap. I tied my first fly in months last night with a tying group. My clouser was pretty embarrassing. I think it might have been worse than the very first clouser I ever tied. I struggled with remembering how to tie patterns and relearning techniques. While talking to others in the group I was reminded of why I go to these things. It's the fellowship and the constant reminder that in all of life's craziness fishing has brought us together. Some of the news was sad and some funny but all of it was enriching and it really kickstarted my fly fishing engine. Which is most likely the reason I'm writing this today.

Why such a long hiatus from my last post?

I really don't have a good answer. I'd like to say it was the kids, family obligations or work that kept me away but that would just be an excuse. Truth be told I've been getting into mountain biking, playing video games and I guess the kids are taking up more free time. Fishing has taken a lower number on my list of priorities. There has been a lot of thought over the direction of this blog. I've thought about starting a vblog on youtube about fly fishing my local waters. I've also tried to refocus what this blog means to me and why I have it. In the end, I decided to stop thinking about things and get out and fish. My big plan for this year is to get my daughter out on the water. I plan to share the experiences with all of you.

I did make it out to wet a line last weekend. I was skunked but I was able to explore new water and make a friend. I've tried for a long time to get recognition for my fly fishing prowess. It wasn't until recently that I realized I care more about what my friends and family think of me. If at the end of the day I've made more friends than fish I caught I'll be happy.

Tight lines my friends.