Several weeks ago I went on a delightful fishing trip on the New River just outside of Sparta. Jack Jezorek was our very knowledge host and Alex Ashton and I were the lucky guests. We barely found the time to discuss our land preservation work with the Guilford County Open Space Committee. Even though I have done a lot of lake, river, sound and backcountry fishing I had never wet a hook in the New River. I came away amazed at the very healthy population of smallmouth bass who cruse along the shady banks and stay tucked away under the many rock shelves waiting for food to float by in the mostly gentle current.
The water had just a little turbidity to keep the bass from being skittish. From either the canoe that held two of us or the kayak the water flow seemed to be perfect for our ten mile float trip on a sunny day without high humidity and with a gentle breeze.
Having spent most of my fishing time on a stable Florida Key’s flats boat or a bass boat this fishing from canoe, and later the kayak, initially felt a little unsteady but the river became a wonderful, embracing companion that pushed many smallmouth bass towards my four inch plastic worm. The canoe and kayak became stable with a little patience and practice.
The banks were alive the entire way with kingfishers, blackbirds, tons of magnificent song birds, duck, geese and at times grazing cattle. A few McMansions seized a high overview and one large development along the river looked like it had recently collided with the falling real estate market but for the most part that ancient river remains in the arms of pastoral landscape and forest.
At the end of the ten miles I had lucked upon around thirty-six bass who were all released back into the waters of the New River a few in the 16” and 17” category. I have at times beaten those numbers but I seldom enjoyed a fishing trip more. I’ll be back on that lovely water again.
