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Frequently Asked ?'s... | ||||||||
| How long do our trips last? - Our full-day trips typically last at least 8 or more hours on the water. You will need to be in good, physical condition to best enjoy your trip. | |||||||||
| Do I Need a Fishing License? - Virginia residents and non-residents 16 and over must carry a valid VA fishing license on all trips. Virginia residents will need an in-state license, and non-residents can purchase a 1-day or 5-day, non-resident license. To purchase your license online, please visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Online Fishing License Application website. | |||||||||
| What Gear Should I Bring? - If you would like to bring your own rod and reel for your trip and have questions, please make sure to read Britt's setup recommendations by clicking here. Your guide will inspect your gear before we leave the boat ramp because we would hate for you to loose that trophy due to gear or tackle defects. | |||||||||
| What Baits and Flys are Working? - We provide top-of-the-line baits on our guided fishing trips. We carry a full tackle box and fish a variety of baits and flies on a daily basis. The New and James are constantly changing rivers, therefore, we are constantly fishing different presentations. | |||||||||
| What is Our Fishing Craft? - For all of our float trips, we guide you in self-bailing rafts with custom designed fishing frames and drop-stitched floors for stability. The frames are designed with very few add-ons to make sweet, comfortable fishing machines for both spin and fly clients. We also use other types of boats from time to time depending on water levels and conditions, so please make sure to ask when you call. | |||||||||
| What Should I Bring? - You are responsible for your lunch & license. In addition to any tackle that you bring, please make sure to dress accordingly. Rain gear is a MUST on ANY trip, ANY time of year. In the colder months, including the early-spring and late-fall, make sure to dress in multiple layers. Cotton is not a good layer. We suggest nylon, wool, and/or fleece. We carry dry bags so you can always pull off the layers. Appropriate head-gear and hand-gear is also tremendously important for those very cold and windy days. Also, please make sure to wear the appropriate footwear. There is always a possibility of splash in the boat and waterproof boots are recommended in the early-spring and late-fall. For the warmer months, make sure you dress comfortably. Nylon pants or swim shorts are good and shoes such as water sandals (no flip flops) or old tennis shoes work well. Always bring your sunscreen along, even on cloudy days, and polarized sunglasses are a must for seeing river structure during low, clear water conditions. Also, don't forget any medications or other personal items that you may need throughout the trip. | |||||||||
| How's the Weather/River? - Click here to visit our weather/river levels page. | |||||||||
| How's the Bite? - Spring (March through May) and fall (September through early-November) are excellent times for more experienced anglers who have previous bass fishing experience. For those wishing to pursue trophy fish, bad weather and long days are very common and not an issue. Trophy smallmouth fishing is not for the faint of heart or inexperienced angler but, the rewards can be great. Late-May through early-September is a better time for anglers of all experience levels. Numbers of fish are much more available (in addition to some big fish) and the weather is typically more stable making for a more relaxing time on the water. This is also a good time for those wishing to fly fish. Remember, it's fishing, not catching, and each day on the water is completely different. | |||||||||
| What's for Lunch? - Lunch is not included on our trips. We supply water & ice only. | |||||||||
| Catch, Photo, Release? - The 'ole bronzeback is a prized and special fish. Our guided smallmouth trips are strictly catch and release. We will measure and take pictures of your "trophies" so that you will have memories to last a lifetime. So, bring a camera with lots of room on your SD card. Click here to print out the VDGIF state citation form. | |||||||||
| When and Where Do We Meet? - Please call or email us no more than 2-3 days before your trip to CONFIRM meet time and location. We fish the entire New River in the state of Virginia and 60 miles of the James. All trip locations are determined by the guide. | |||||||||
| Are We Responsible for...? - Compensation for lost/broken lures and/or damaged rods/reels and/or damaged raft is at the guide's discretion. Sometimes they won't ask so please be respectful if you lose a numerous amount of lures (or an expensive one) or break a rod. They are responsible for having everything you need for your trip (& the next one). | |||||||||
| Gratuities? - A 15% to 20% gratuity is customary. | |||||||||
| GPS Units? - Handheld GPS units are NOT allowed on our guided fishing trips - NO exceptions! Our guided fishing trips focus on teaching our clients the techniques needed to pursue big, mature smallmouths. We are NOT in the business of teaching specific holes on the river! If you want to map the river, then we are not the guide service for you. (Note: This detail has been on our website WELL before smartphones and we still get a kick out of how many of our clients still mention this to us, so I'm leaving it on here.) | |||||||||
| What About Rain? - We can not control the weather and rain is a part of fishing. Please note that we DO fish in the rain. Please see "What Should I Bring" to be prepared for adverse conditions. | |||||||||
