Now is the time to get out there and fish for Rainbows, Tigers and Gold.
There has yet to be a year where I have been more excited to go fishing. After a long and cold Winter and an even longer quarantine, there has been nothing I have looked forward to more than standing under the sun in wild and wonderful West Virginia and casting in a line. It seems everything is falling into place for a spectacular fishing season, especially when it comes to trout.
This year, West Virginia stocked more trout and in more places than previous years, giving anglers something to look forward to and a reason to leave the house. Gold Rush, the time of year where thousands of golden rainbow trout are stocked daily across West Virginia, went to bigger heights, including 100 tagged fish that could win the angler who caught them a big prize. On top of that, for the first time in decades, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is stocking Tiger Trout throughout the state, a rare trout species known for its beautiful markings. And, as we all know, cicadas are coming back this year, along with some pretty big Mayfly hatches to drive the trout into a feeding frenzy. All in all, it is the year to throw a line in for some trout, and that is exactly what I did.
Over the weekend, I went for a two night stay at Mineral Springs Motel in Webster Spring, West Virginia, the place I rested my head after long days of fishing the Elk River. Other anglers from all over traveled along the same country road, pulling over to gravel spots and hiking down the bank when they spotted some deep green water. Only the lucky ones were able to reel in one of the thousands of trout lurking beneath.
Webster Springs is known for the water flowing through it, creating peaceful scenery that has the ability to make you forget all your worries as you spend the day fishing along the river. Many choose to float fish, using trout bait such as salmon eggs and letting it float along the running water, hoping a trout will come up and take it. I prefer a more active form of fishing, choosing a spinner blade that I can cast out and reel in dozens of times before moving on down the road. The flash of the blade attracts the trout, and I was able to catch two rainbows and one golden rainbow (too bad Gold Rush is over). Sadly, the Tiger Trout remained an elusive catch.
To me, there is nothing more relaxing or fun than fishing, and it is something so easy to try here in West Virginia. Before Mayfly hatches begin — the hatching of an aquatic bug that makes trout go into a feeding frenzy — consider getting your fishing license and trout stamp on the WVDNR website and heading out to one of the nearby lakes or streams. Even if you are not from West Virginia, but are a full-time student, you can get your license for the same price as a West Virginia resident.
What are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and
the thrill of a nice catch!
About the Author
with a dual emphasis in creative writing and professional writing and editing. Alex
is and has always been obsessed with reading and writing and is hoping to become
an editor and a published author one day. Since coming to WVU, she has been involved
each year in the Calliope Undergraduate Literary Magazine, and recently has begun
focusing on writing about the wildness and wonder of West Virginia.