Week 1. Beau Beasley: Fly Fishing the Mid Atlantic
If you’re going to launch a website about hunting and fishing in the mid-Atlantic, there’s probably no better place to start than with outdoor writer Beau Beasley.
In many ways, 52 Week Season is following in the footsteps of Beau’s research and writing, including his two books, Fly Fishing Virginia and Fly Fishing the Mid-Atlantic. Beau has been fishing the mid-Atlantic region for decades, and when he’s not out on the water, writing, or speaking, he’s organizing and running the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival.
In short, Beau is a pillar of the Virginia fly-fishing community.
What might be less known about Beau is his record of service. He volunteers with Project Healing Waters and is currently writing a book about those veterans and their experiences finding peace and physical rehabilitation with a fly rod.
Beau retired after 30 years of service as Captain from the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in 2014, and his last assignment was as the senior paramedic and shift leader assigned to Engine 427 in West Springfield, Virginia.
It was actually his life as a first-responder that led him to fly-fishing. In the last '80s, he was responding to a 911 call on Burke Lake for an elderly gentleman who had had a dangerous reaction to a bee sting. It turns out that fellow was fly angler Bob Guess, creator of the Mr. Bob’s Lucky Day Popper.
Unknown to Beau, Mr. Bob was one of the most popular makers of popping bugs in the country. Beau likens this to someone that just happens to be on the golf course and has some guy named Tiger Woods ask if you want help with your swing.
Bob offered to teach Beau how to fly-fish, and Beau in turn has now passed on his passion to thousands of anglers through his books and speaking.
Beau has caught browns in Montana, big brook trout in Canada, and multiple species of salmon in Alaska, but he says there’s no place he’d rather be than catching Virginia farm-pond bluegills on a popper.
I talked with Beau on a sweltering Friday afternoon in late July recently about his work with veterans, his favorite fall fishing run, and the secret life of bluegills.
My questions are in bold below, followed by his responses.
Beau, you’re incredibly productive on and off the water. What are you working on recently when not catching fish?
I’ve been working for a few years on a book about Project Healing Waters. While I thought I knew what the organization was about, it wasn't until I delved into this project that I found out just how important their work really is. I'd hoped to finish the book in about 18 months, but it has taken me much longer than I had thought, and it has been quite a labor of love. I hope to turn out a great book but it is still very much a work in progress. One thing I have discovered is that the average American doesn't have a real concept of the sacrifices that our military make. Only 1% of Americans serve and they are the true 1% — the 1% that keeps us safe.
The book is going to be about Project Healing Waters, but more about the veterans themselves and about their lives, and telling their stories.
Beau with a bruiser Beaver Creek bow
I also work a lot with the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival and am proud that it’s become a huge hit, and not just with fly anglers. Last year we added a big kayak section, and this year I plan on having even more stuff for kids. When all is said and done, it should be the largest fly fishing event in the country, second only to Somerset, New Jersey. Next year's festival will be held April 8-9 and we're going to host a cool festival after-party on the grounds.
While I get a lot of credit, I'd have to say it would be impossible to pull off without the support of many great volunteers who help each year. We also really appreciate the support of our sponsors like Orvis, Temple Fork Outfitters, Green Top, Harmon's Cabins, Sweetwater, and of course the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. The festival would simply be impossible to pull off without major sponsorship support.
You’ve been fishing all over the region and the nation. What would you say are your “home waters”?
Of all the places I've fished, I'd have to say I still love fishing local farm ponds with popping bugs. I learned to fish at Burke Lake in Fairfax County from Bob Guess -- namesake of Mr. Bob’s Lucky Day Lures.
I'd responded to a 911 call of an elderly gentleman who had been stung by a bee and had a bad reaction. He'd been walking around the lake when he was stung. On the way to the hospital, I asked if he was fishing? He said no, but that he fished there all the time. We got to talking and Bob offered to teach me to fly-fish the lake.
As we made our way to the hospital in the ambulance, he asked me something I thought was odd. “There’s just one thing,” Bob said. “Do you golf?”
No, I said.
“Good, because you can’t afford to golf and fly fish.”
That was the start of me fly-fishing, and Bob taught me a lot. I was working for the fire department at the time, and it really helped me deal with some of the things I saw at work. As a fire fighter and paramedic, we see a lot of heavy things. One day we might be at a fire, the next at a suicide or murder scene, not to mention just the day-to-day grind of car wrecks, and people just being sick. Being able to fly-fish allowed me to focus on something else and understand that no matter how bad things got, I could steal a few moments to fly fish, and that did seem to make things better. It also introduced me to some of the greatest folks in the world. After all this time, I still love going out on a farm-pond with a popping bug in the summer.
I also like fishing for smallmouth bass along the James and Shenandoah Rivers. I particularly like fishing for them with poppers -- as like most anglers I like the top water action.
How do your fishing techniques change by season? What are you going for each of the four seasons and where -- and how to you change up your flies/approach/etc..?
Spring
Spring, I do a lot of fly-fishing for shad. Using small bright flies because their mouths are small, like Tommys torpedoes.
I really like fishing the Rapp for shad, but you gotta be careful when wading — it's constantly changing and it’s not set. You gotta be careful because the river bottom shifts all the time.
One rule of thumb is that when the cherry trees are blooming, the fish are in the river — I’ve never seen a time when the cherry trees were blooming when they weren't in the river. Also seeing robins for the first time in my yard each spring lets me know that the spring fishing season is about to begin. I love seeing those robins!
Late spring, I like the Pennsylvania streams too and the hatches up there are pretty good. They have a lot of options for trout anglers, and those that chase steelhead.
You mentioned your love for fishing bluegills — I was fishing a buddy’s farm pond in early July and the bluegills were guarding their nests and aggressively hitting any poppers near it. I couldn’t believe how late that post-spawn action was — I always thought that was late spring.
What most people don’t know about bluegills is if we have a long hot dry summer, bluegills can spawn up to three times in a year.
They’re fun, aggressive fish — I always say if bluegills got big as a big bass we’d be scared to go in the river!
Beau gettin on some hefty reds with Captain Gary Dubiel of Spec Fever Guide Services on the Neuse River in Oriental, North Carolina
Summer
As spring goes into summer, I fish the surface a lot and use Walt’s poppers and other top-water patterns.
I like fishing the Shenandoah then, and the James again with popping bugs.
Fall
Poppers can be used a lot in the fall too, especially early in the morning, and late in the afternoon.
Fishing for stripers with streamers is also a great deal of fun. My friend Tommy Mattioli who is a great fly tier in Richmond took me fishing for stripers when he was a guide and I really enjoyed it. Tommy's patterns are featured prominently in Orvis stores throughout the state and Green Top has a huge selection on hand -- when they aren't sold out!
One of my favorite things to do is fish for false albacore by Cape Lookout and Harpers Island, North Carolina. When they’re running down there in the fall, there isn’t anything more fun. Every October I try to attend the Cape Lookout False Albacore Festival, near Harker's Island. It's a great fund raiser and lots of well-known fly anglers attend each year.
Late Fall, Early Winter
A lot of more trout fishing this time of year with all of the hatches that come along, using nymphs and stoneflies. You need to be a lot more careful about not stepping through their beds when their spawning but the fishing can be good.
There’s steelhead fishing and salmon, using a lot of egg patterns.
This is also really time to find some good muskie on the James and especially the New, and actually also some in the Shenandoah.
Winter
In winter I actually don’t fish a lot — though occasionally I'll get layered up and try for some steelhead.
Any other all-around tips of techniques? I know you say any time is a good time to fish, and the trick is just getting out there and seeing what works.
That’s right, you need to learn through experience and trial and error. I tell people don't be under the impression that you can tell the fish when they’re biting.
Also people don’t have to get caught up in one pattern for one time of year -- crayfish for example you can use nearly all year.
Other great patterns in Virginia that I really like were created by Chuck Kraft, arguably the most famous fly-fishing guide in Virginia. I love his Kreelex patterns that can be used for anything from false albacore to brown trout, smallmouth, even shad.
I also like the patterns tied by William Heresniak of Eastern Trophy Adventures. William always seems to be trying something new, and his streamers are simply killer.
Finally, I'm a big fan of the cool flies turned out by Flymen Fishing Company. They've just come out with some new Double Barrel Poppers that I'm eager to try out. Their Forage Fish flies have also been a proven pattern for me.
What are some of your favorite annual fishing traditions?
I like fishing for false albacore in North Carolina in the fall when they’re aggressive.
Also I like attending the Project Healing Waters two-fly tournament and the Mossy Creek Invitational. There are a few events when you can only see these guys a couple of times per year, and I very much enjoy catching up with them.
~ 52 Week Season ~
