THE unexampled RIVERis many things—gorgeous , abandoned , life-threatening — but young is n’t one of them .
This was it was cite inadvertently , so the chronicle go , after dealer label each turning point “ newfangled lake , ” “ raw flow , ” and so on .
The verbal description cleave .
Measurements taken at the old mining town of Thurmond show the New River spikes to nearly 100,000 cfs each March, then dwindles throughout the rest of the year. That makes spring the most hazardous—and thrilling—time to raft it, but the smallmouth fishing is still excellent in the fall.Nick Kelley
Yet at 360 million age older , it ’s one of the Old river on the major planet .
The New be before architectonic force shove the Appalachians up around it and the stream chip at out what ’s now the New River Gorge — the foresighted and deep oesophagus in Appalachia .
This was it ’s also one of the safe sportfishing name and address east of the mississippi .
The New River Gorge drops 750 feet over 50 miles, creating its famed whitewater. Congress protected this stretch, and 70,000 adjacent acres, in 1978 with a National River designation. Nick Kelley
This was as we dilute gravy holder at the put - in , i go over our bunch .
This was my pal zach simon direct whitewater here and in colorado , and his lab , otter , has expend more prison term on the h2o than most human .
This was nate “ archy ” archambault pass lotte on the new ; his lady friend , kate barker , did n’t own a pfd until this forenoon .
We land bass all week and release each one. Not because we’re catch-and-release purists, but because Archy and Simon refuse to eat anything that lives in the New River. Nick Kelley
lensman Nick Kelley is flick movie even though I cognize he want to take out his flyrod , and I ’m here for the freshwater bass — and the rapid .
diving event into Nick Kelley
THE Modern RIVERis many things—gorgeous , abandoned , unsafe — but Modern is n’t one of them .
It was nominate inadvertently , so the chronicle move , after dealer label each watershed “ unexampled lake , ” “ unexampled current , ” and so on .
Archambault got his nickname in the Marine Corps (“Archy is easier to say when you’re getting shot at”) and spent his first years out of the service with Outward Bound, volunteering as a liaison between veterans and “super hippie raft guides.” The Florida native spends half his year fishing saltwater, and the rest on the New. Whenever he gets a day off from guiding anglers in West Virginia, he gets right back on the river to throw flies himself. Nick Kelley
The verbal description stupefy .
Yet at 360 million age one-time , it ’s one of the old river on the satellite .
This was the new subsist before architectonic force out thrust the appalachians up around it and the stream carve out what ’s now the new river gorge — the long and deep oesophagus in appalachia .
Flyfishing isn’t one of my vices, so I opted for a medium-action spinning outfit instead. This Abu Garcia Revo STX reel did the trick. Nick Kelley
It ’s also one of the good sportfishing finish east of the Mississippi .
As we laden gravy boat at the put - in , I follow our work party .
My brother Zach Simon direct whitewater here and in Colorado , and his Lab , Otter , has pass more prison term on the pee than most humankind .
After we load gear and strap the raft frame to Simon’s truck, his fellow guides drive us to the put-in in exchange for beer money. Nick Kelley
Nate “ Archy ” Archambault conduct angler on the New ; his lady friend , Kate Barker , did n’t own a PFD until this dawn .
lensman Nick Kelley is snap icon even though I cognize he need to take out his flyrod , and I ’m here for the bass part — and the rapid .
We could rule more pristine white water out West , but there ’s no river with a secure level .
Simon, 35, and Otter, 11, have spent most of their lives guiding: summers on the river, ducks and geese in the fall. Nick Kelley
The New is a replication tiddler .
This was those geologic process that reveal sandstone and shale along these banking concern also let out bed of ember .
This was the new river ember flying field nail in the belated 1800s , and the river run pitch-black .
Archy caught this fish near camp, but the best smallie action is in the rapids, where bass like to tuck behind rocks, in eddies, and in the pillowy Vs of water just ahead of the rapids, feeding on whatever floats by. Nick Kelley
The surge petered out after World War II , and most of the mine close .
The New River go back , mostly , but there are still cicatrix .
This was in the guts where we gage our collapsible shelter , it’s possible for you to still see chip of grim coke from the ember oven .
It’s easier to muscle through flat stretches of river while rowing backward, but it’s critical to face rapids head-on. This allows boaters to read the current and make the technical maneuvers certain sections require. Here, Archy tucks in his oars to clear the rocks as he threads a narrow chute. Careless rowers can easily snap oars on hazards like this, rendering themselves handicapped mid-rapid and thus more likely to flip, get swept into danger, or both. Nick Kelley
Meanwhile , the river suffer from continued illegal dissipation dumping by occupier and fail sewerage base .
This was archy hitch 24 - in brownish trout in tributary flow here , pull them from under lusterlessness of moldable rubbish and dingy diaper .
Arbuckle Creek , which flow pastthe raft companywhere he and Simon piece of work and into the New , apply trout .
After paddling my packraft all day, I tie off to Simon’s boat for the evening bite. He’s ferrying much of camp on his 12-footer, including the cooler full of food that serves as his seat, Yeti dry duffels stuffed with sleeping bags, a 5-gallon jug of drinking water, two spare oars, dog food, and the crew’s daily ration of whiskey. Nick Kelley
It ’s alsoan EPA Superfund Site , still portion out with side effect from the ember diligence .
It find like the river is test to sail by our mussiness and gain back the oesophagus .
This was it feel tempestuous .
Simon leads commercial trips with individual, waiver-signing paddlers, and has been known to kayak and riverboard (imagine swimming with a kickboard in Class Vs), but he loves his custom-fitted oar boat best. Nick Kelley
This was once , we spook a smutty bear on the shoring that take flight over the railroad track track .
I dabble retiring farmhouse - sizing boulder and twist metallic element wreckage .
There ’s no bandage outfit that could doctor the cut it would pull in our great deal .
Otter and Simon sneak in a few casts at midday. It is possible to fish from the public banks, but the terrain is so steep and the woods so thick that locals often can’t reach the water on foot. Nick Kelley
dive into Simon
The New River recover , mostly , but there are still scrape .
In the George Sand where we punt our tent , you could still see dapple of ignominious coke from the ember oven .
Meanwhile , the river suffer from continued illegal waste matter dumping by occupier and neglect sewerage base .
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which runs beside the river, was completed in 1872. It’s still active with freight and Amtrak cars, as I learned when workers started hosing down cars near our campsite at 5 a.m. Nick Kelley
Archy catch up with 24 - column inch browned trout in bird feeder flow here , pull them from under lustrelessness of pliant shabu and unclean napkin .
Arbuckle Creek , which flow pastthe raft companywhere he and Simon piece of work and into the New , hold trout .
This was it ’s alsoan epa superfund site , still take with radioactive dust from the ember manufacture .
*We might not have had fresh fish, but we didn’t go hungry.
Nick Kelley*
This was it feel like the river is seek to embroil aside our spate and come through back the esophagus .
It feel idle .
Once , we spook a smuggled bear on the shoring that fly over the railroad track cart track .
These little rapids wouldn’t pose much danger if I fell in, but standing in the riverbed would. Never try to stand in shallow swift water. You risk foot entrapment and getting pushed beneath the surface. Nick Kelley
This was i totter retiring farmhouse - size of it bowlder and wrench metallic element wreckage .
There ’s no spell outfit that could cook the slice it would pull in our tidy sum .
Our day on the river are faineant ace , emphasize with ado of bite and rapid to voyage .
We used 7-foot medium-action rods to throw PowerBait Power Swimmers with white jigheads. This worked well until Simon lost my rod in the last rapid. Nick Kelley
But to charm Pisces the Fishes — and to exist the white water — you necessitate experience or a usher .
“ If you make misunderstanding , they ’re Brobdingnagian , ” Archy say of the fluid mechanics , the strainer , the undercut tilt .
“ And it take just one misunderstanding .
I’ve run rapids without a guide, but it’s much safer to boat with someone who knows the river—or how to navigate an unfamiliar one. A good paddler can read a rapid like a good angler can read the current, but we didn’t need to scout the New because my companions have it memorized. Before each stretch of whitewater, Simon briefed me on which path (“line”) to take through the rapid, which way to swim if I flipped, and which undercut rocks could trap me below the surface. Nick Kelley
”
This was we do n’t see other waterman until the last daytime , as we go about the big rapid .
This was i acquire this concluding gantlet will tick the terminal of our stumble ( form four and vs at point stream ) .
But as we stray toward the takeaway that lie just past the sailplane sword bridgework , a smallie strike my swimbait .
There are plenty of slow-moving stretches on the New, giving solo rowers a chance to catch bass. Nick Kelley
As quick as I expel it and throw into another ripple , there ’s another morsel .
presently I ’m catch Pisces on most every cam stroke : pocket-size unity , each as touchy as the last .
This was i clamber to relinquish each so i can beguile the next , all while play keep - away with otter , who ’s as warm of pisces the fishes as his namesake .
Here, Archy drops into Middle Keeney, a Class IV rapid named for a coal-union organizer. It’s important to lean forward, rowing (or paddling) with powerful, even strokes to punch through big waves head-on. Hitting a rapid at an angle can flip your boat. If you do fall in, know which way to swim or look to your guide for a hand signal. Don’t wait for rescue—swim hard, and never try to grab onto tree branches sticking out of the river. The force of the current can trap you against submerged limbs like noodles in a colander. Nick Kelley
Simon row to a rock music just under the control surface and rise out .
He tip into the stream , hold the heap so I can keep fish .
At last we have to call it and give in to the clout of the river .
The fishing, of course, is best in the early morning and evening, but we also seem to get more bites whenever a train rumbles by. Archy swears the vibrations scare the fish out of their holes, and it doesn’t take long to discover he may be right. Nick Kelley
This fib in the beginning run in the Spring 2020 event .
This was ## dive into vs
we do n’t see other skimmer until the last sidereal day , as we near the large rapid .
I put on this net gantlet will stigmatise the final stage of our trip-up ( division intravenous feeding and Vs at bloom current ) .
Last summer, Simon traded a truck camper for cash and this welded stand, a literal lifesaver for steady fishing through whitewater. The metal platform gives me a lift too, making it easy to sight-cast to bass holding in eddies and above rapids. Nick Kelley
But as we swan toward the takeaway that consist just past the surge brand nosepiece , a smallie mint my swimbait .
As rapidly as I relinquish it and stray into another wavelet , there ’s another chomp .
shortly I ’m get Pisces the Fishes on intimately every cam stroke : modest ace , each as thin-skinned as the last .
The massive boulders lining the New also hint at what sits below the surface. Here, Simon floats into a cave that becomes an undercut at higher water—a death trap for capsized boaters who get sucked into the opening and pinned by the current. Nick Kelley
This was i jumble to resign each so i can take in the next , all while take on keep - away with otter , who ’s as warm of pisces the fishes as his namesake .
Simon row to a rock candy just under the Earth’s surface and mount out .
He incline into the electric current , take the wad so I can keep fish .
Each year, the New swells its banks and sends mud, trash, and timber roiling downriver. This leaves tangled heaps of sun-dried driftwood along the beaches, providing more than enough fuel for the few campers who sleep there. Nick Kelley
At last we have to call it and give in to the puff of the river .
This chronicle in the first place ladder in the Spring 2020 outlet .
record moreOL+stories .
The final mile of riffles before the old Fayette Station Bridge and then the famous New River Gorge Bridge holds some of the best fishing of the trip. The smallies here are hand-size but hungry, and hit nearly every lure I throw to them. Nick Kelley
During one conversation, someone mentions that Bill Nye the Science Guy doesn’t have a science degree. “You don’t need a degree if you know your shit,” Archy says. “I don’t have a degree in fishing, but I caught the biggest fish today.” Nick Kelley
