West Virginia...the heart of Appalachia, with its people, culture, history, and contradiction; tied together by ridge-top and stream.
Author: Blaine Emery
I have spent my life seeking the old ways where things are pure and unspoiled. As much as life allows, you will not find me unless you look on a hidden mountain stream in West Virginia or on some desolate mountain in Wyoming. You can also follow some of my exploits on Twitter @WVPackHunter
Moments
Wild Trout Stream, West Virginia There is a scene in Peaky Blinders when Thomas says “There is nothing wrong with me...this is just me having a conversation about myself with myself.” A wonderful verbalization of the inability to get out of one’s own head. To turn the noise of the world off; To not think. …
Rainbows in Winter
Wild West Virginia Rainbow The Rainbow - the symbol renewal; The promise of change and hope. In the grey depths of winter, in the shadows of worry and fear, through the heavy burden of difficulty; what could be more fitting? And so from the chill we emerge, and we return to wild places, to unspoiled …
Seasons
I haven’t fished in over twelve weeks... not since my son (and fishing partner) left for the Army, and my life quickly filled with work obligations, home chores, and hunting seasons. As late summer changed to fall, I was forced to choose between pursuing brook trout or pursuing meat for my freezer. The deeper I …
Sunset on many trout streams.
There are moments in life where we pause and we take it all in. Those times where we sit down on the tailgate after removing our boots, pour a lid of luke-warm coffee from this morning’s thermos, and for a moment we just consider the day. I had one of those moments last October. Standing …
…beside the still waters
Sometimes it is only when we look back that we fully understand. It is only the perspective of “the rest of the story...” that allows us to fully appreciate the Hand of God in our lives. And so it was for me this summer. I spent the better part of June and half of July …
Always look up…
Grant County, WV Always look up, or you will have nothing but snags. Trout in the morning sunlight Slow down and be willing to wait for clarity, or you will have wasted effort. North Mountain, Pendleton County, WV Every part of the stream is different, yet connected, so be willing to adapt, but never abandon …
Blue Line Sanctuary
The more I seek out new brook trout streams, the more I am amazed at the beauty of these places. The best places are often not ones you find on state game and fish websites or that you hear people talk about. They certainly are not the ones where you see half a dozen cars …
What we gain…
Loon Lake, Adirondack Park Having just returned from a week mostly isolated from the world in the Adirondacks, I have given considerable thought to the fish I did not catch. We got skunked on the West Branch of the AuSable, I caught what seemed to be the only brook trout in the upper East Branch …
North Country Radio
East Fork Sacandaga River, NY Driving down a country road in the Adirondacks, window down, seventy degrees, North Country Public Radio in the speakers, listening the the Dean’s List radio show playing some old school acoustic indie-rock style music... I felt like I had traveled back in time. I love moments like that. I had …
Transitions
As I reflect over the last ten days, the common theme is the transitions that life requires us to make as we travel along our path. 2020 has been a bizarre year, but history is full of years and periods of years much more tumultuous than ours. The key is how we navigate these waters. …
“Why do you like to fish so much?”
Stillness During a week where I failed to land a trout on two different outings, my sister’s question regarding why I am infatuated with fishing caused me a moment of pause and reflection. Her entire life she has known me as her brother who loves to hunt, so why this devotion to fly fishing as …
40 Mile Trout
Here I was on a trout stream no one had told me about, that wasn’t a special regulation stream, that wasn’t stocked... looking at a native trout taken on a dry fly I had tied that wasn’t likely to catch a fish...
An evening on Cheat
I never dreamed I would make it fishing on a Sunday evening after fishing all day on Saturday, but like the weather, sometimes and rarely things come together. So my son Sam and I made the 45 minute drive up Cheat Mountain to see what we could do. It had been a hot May afternoon, …
Come Hell or High Water
Fly fishing for wild trout in West Virginia.
Three miles in…
After last weekend, we were on a mission to find trout water unspoiled by people and we were willing to walk to find it. We successfully walked; trout, not so much. Otter Creek is a restoration project of the WV DNR. I can’t say how the fishing is on the lower end of this watershed, …
Don’t Fish Here.
the frustration of fly fishing for native trout during a Pandemic
The ides of March
North Fork Mountain, WV I am thankful that regardless of the turmoil we encounter in life, there is always solace to be found on a trout stream. Church being cancelled today made fishing on Sunday morning guilt-free. Driving back country roads listening to all music and no news, with the sun shining through the March …
Return to South Branch
1996 “Turn left at Seneca Rocks, drive north to Cabins, just before Cabins cross bridge to gravel road. Go up gravel road 3.6 miles. Park on right; trail on left goes down mountain to river.” Those were the instructions written on the back of a napkin while at a family reunion where one of my …
Sometimes it’s just the thought of fishing…
After three weeks of perpetual rain, we finally had a weekend of blue skies and sunshine. Since there was no way to get on the water, I spent my free time in February doing what most of us do this time of year: splitting firewood and tying flies. Tungsten Missiles, Hot Head nymphs, Guide’s Favorite …
Continue reading Sometimes it’s just the thought of fishing…
Appalachian Mountain Brookies 