Fishing the New River Valley: An Angler's Guide [Paperback]

M. W. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2002

"Care not, I, to fish in seas
Fresh rivers best my mind to please
Whose sweet calm course I contemplate
And seek in life to imitate."
-- Izaak Walton

With Walton's lines as inspiration, M. W. Smith launches us on an informative journey to the best fishing spots in and around the New River Valley. Covering a wide range of prime fishing territory across western Virginia, Smith's guidebook explores techniques designed to increase the day's catch and locations certain to enhance an angler's enjoyment of the region's natural beauty.

Fishing the New River Valley includes lists of stocked trout streams, tips for successful wintertime fishing, live bait approaches, and spinning and fly-fishing suggestions. Smith offers helpful tips on fishing Claytor Lake for striped bass and walleye during cold-weather months and for smallmouth bass during the spring, summer, and fall. He also provides excellent information on float trips, wading, and fishing from boats at key points along the New River.

The book features a comprehensive map of New River Valley streams and specific fishing locations along with extensive listings of local guide services, tackle shops, rod and reel repair shops, boat dealers, and more. Whether you are a novice or professional angler, a visitor or a longtime resident of western Virginia, Fishing the New River Valley will tell you where, when, and how to catch more fish.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

M. W. Smith is Associate Professor of English at Bluefield State College and the author of Reading Simulacra: Fatal Theories for Postmodernity. He is the proprietor of Greasy Creek Outfitters, a fishing guide service based in Floyd, Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 94 pages
• Publisher: University of Virginia Press (March 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813920981
• ISBN-13: 978-0813920986
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,192,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Nothing New on the New: Big Fish On!", June 8, 2002

By 

William Deaver (Savannah, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fishing the New River Valley: An Angler's Guide (Paperback)

Mike Smith provides informative tips for fishing the New River, its tributaries, and Claytor Lake in this delightfully concise book that should fit into a tackle box, glove box, or back pocket when folded up. He tackles times of year, water conditions, bait selection, lure presentation, and methodology (whether wading or paddling a canoe) to help readers make a more informed decision about where and how to fish in order to change the act of fishing into the action of catching. Moreover, Smith goes into species specific strategies as well as more general tactics called "Big Fish Tips" such as my two favorites from the book, which are found on pages 32 and 57: "Practice stealth" and "One word--topwater." You can tell that Smith knows his fish and his prose flows effortlessly and steadily like the river he details. From time to time, he punctuates his tactics with anecdotes that range from nostalgic musings about trips with his grandfather to more recent waxings on conservation and the plight of trout and smallmouth as civilization encroaches on their habitat. I read this book on a flight from Atlanta to Lexington, KY and was impressed with the scope of Smith's knowledge in such a brief work. It really made me homesick for Virginia and a float down the New where I have seen and caught some of the big fish for which Smith gives his expert tips. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fishing and more particularly to anyone who will be fishing in southwestern Virginia.

4.0 out of 5 stars A guide book obviously by a guide..., February 26, 2011

By 

David - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fishing the New River Valley: An Angler's Guide (Paperback)

This guide to the NRV is a quick easy read, partially due to the fact that the books only around 80 pages of content and furthered by wide margins and deep line spacing; but also because it is quick to get to the point and moves from one location to the next rather quickly. I recommend a highlighter and a few hours and you can be through this read easily and have good notes ready as you need them.

All in all, I think this is a well written and accurate guide book. Smith's knowledge is apparent and his experience as a guide shows throughout the pages. For me, the guide mentality was too much at times. I got the feeling that sometimes it was more about where they launch at and what rapids to play with instead of focusing more on the actual fishing. This was definitely well keyed for a canoeist or rafters; but if you spend your time in a nice wide flat bottom boat or bank fishing much of the content is lost...

For the complete review, please visit FishingtheNRV.com where there is an official review here: [...].

Thanks,
David