If you’re looking for a new fishing rod and you fish the James River regularly, you’re in luck. The James River Association has partnered with Waynesboro-based Tycoon Tackle, Inc. to design, develop and produce a series of co-branded fishing rods, with a portion of the proceeds being dedicated to the protection and preservation of the James River.

“It is no secret that the angling community has long been represented by natural resource stewards. Fishermen seek waters that hold copious and healthy fish, while quality fisheries require clean water,” said Pat Calvert, Upper James Riverkeeper for the James River Association. “I consider ours a mutually beneficial partnership. Even better, Tycoon Tackle staff customized each of these four rods — 2 spinning rods and 2 fly rods — to specifically target the diversity of fish for which the James is known. Whether you’re seeking rockfish on a fly, smallmouth on a worm or shad on a dart, the experienced folks at Tycoon Tackle have created what you need to most effectively appreciate your favorite James River fishing holes.”

Four Tycoon Tackle rods specifically designed for Virginia waters, two spinning rods and two fly rods, are now available for purchase. Each will be a custom, built-to-order, co-branded rod appropriate for fishing sections of the James River.

Tycoon Tackle, Inc. is a Virginia-based angling outfitter that originated in Miami, Florida in 1935.  The company was on the scene in the formative years of big-game angling and at one time more than 95 percent of all world record fish were caught on the company’s fishing rods. Tim O’Brien, President and CEO of the company, said, “The company started as a one-man shop and in time grew to become a leader in the angling world, by not only making the best and most desirable fishing rods but by being a leader in promoting the catch and release of gamefish.”  The company is still family owned and committed to manufacturing its products in the United States of America.

The James River rod series will be available to purchase online at https://tycoonoutfitters.com/james-river-rods and at select outfitters throughout the state. For more information on this partnership, contact Ryan Corrigan, JRA’s Director of Marketing and Membership, at 804-788-8811, ext. 207 or rcorrigan@jrava.org.

Years ago, I wrote a column in the Times-Dispatch about Tuckahoe Creek on the Henrico/Goochland line, describing it as a hidden gem more accessible for wildlife than humans. Well, it looks like that could change, although luckily not too much.

The T-D’s Laura Kebede wrote in Wednesday’s paper that 26 years after it was approved in a bond referendum, Tuckahoe Creek Park soon will become a reality. Construction of the park, about 20 acres along the creek at the end of Ridgefield Parkway in western Henrico, is slated to start in December and be completed in April, Kebede wrote. Several attempts to develop a larger swath of land suitable for parking, access to the creek and other amenities failed, said Neil Luther, director of the Division of Recreation and Parks.

I remember seeing mallards, wood ducks and other waterfowl when I visited for my column back in 2009. And the landowner talked about the beaver dams in the area and bass fishing from the bank. The creek in that area is wide, shallow and marshy, creating incredible wildlife habitat. Only after rains is it navigable for canoes and kayaks, but when it’s up, it’s a gorgeous float, I was told.

Credit: Chris Siess

The dog days of summer are here and while the sun has been scorching of late, the fly fishing around Richmond and central Virginia has been hot too!

If you haven’t tried fishing the famous James River through downtown Richmond and the surrounding areas, you are certainly missing out! Despite its urban setting, the James is home to a variety of species of fish that are all able to be caught with a fly rod, including smallmouth and largemouth bass, sunfish, striped bass, largemouth bass, carp, catfish and gar.

These fish are easily targeted by any experienced or novice fly (or spin) angler. The gear needed for a fun afternoon on the water is minimal. Waders are not necessary in the summer weather, simply wear shorts and a shirt that can get wet and an old pair of sneakers to protect your feet on the river bottom. Five through seven weight fly rods loaded with a matching floating line will be perfect for any situation you encounter on the James. A small backpack or side bag for a fly box, spool of 12 pound tippet, pliers and a bottle of water and you are set! Don’t forget sunscreen, polarized glasses and a hat too.

Credit: Chris Siess

Most anglers tend to think of the best fishing times as early morning or late evening, which is true. However, the fishing on the James can be fantastic throughout the entire day, even in mid-afternoon. The warm weather and bright sun brings out the damselflies and dragon flies and our clients’ primary quarry, the smallmouth bass, can be seen leaping out of the water to snag them out of mid-air. Dead drifting poppers across the surface in these same areas often results in a voracious strike.

When the smallies aren’t looking up, they can be caught on quickly retrieved streamers or crayfish and hellgrammite patterns drifted down on the bottom. Catfish and stripers will also readily take streamers and carp are always finicky with their meal selection, but catchable when carefully presented with a small, buggy looking fly or crayfish pattern. Sunfish, often overlooked due to their diminutive size, are most certainly the best looking fish in the river and can be a day-saver when other species have a case of lockjaw.

There are plenty of access points to the James including downtown just below the walkover bridge to Belle Isle on the city side, all around Belle Isle, Texas Beach, Pony Pasture, Huguenot Flat Water, and several other public points west of Richmond all the way to Scottsville. The further west you go, the less people you will see and less pressure the fish receive. Taking a drive to a spot further up river can make for a very nice Saturday or Sunday spent away from the crowds around Richmond. If you do fish downtown, week days are recommended as it can be hard to catch fish when the city’s residents also use the same fishing spots as a swimming hole.

Credit: Chris Siess

If floating the river and fishing is your game, you can always do a short afternoon trip from Pony Pasture to Reedy Creek. This should take about 4-5 hours if you fish it well. Be wary of the lower water levels later in summer as you may have to drag your kayak or canoe across some of the more shallow areas.

The James can be a difficult river to wade for beginners due to the uneven bottom, occasional strong currents and deeper holes that can catch a casually wading angler by surprise. The Rivanna River, which runs through Charlottesville and south through Palmyra, is a great spot within an hour drive of Richmond for a beginner to “get their feet wet” and catch some fish. It provides several public access points and a soft gravel and sand bottom that makes for easy wading. Most of the fish are small, but don’t be surprised to see two foot long gar, large carp and smallmouth bass in the trophy range that you can cast to. The big fish live in the smaller waters as well!

If you haven’t had the chance to try your hand at fly fishing the local central Virginia waters yet, now is the time to do it! The fish will still be active through fall and a day spent on the water is much better than any day at work, doing chores or watching TV!

Knot the Reel World Fly Fishing offers guided wading trips in the James and Rivanna rivers, kayaking trips on Chickahominy Reservoir and the Chesapeake Bay, as well as fly fishing lessons in and around Richmond. They also sell custom, hand-tied flies, shirts and hats. Advice is always available for free as well! For fly fishing tackle, check out Green Top in Ashland, VA.

If you’re a James River Park System user, you might already know about the Friends of the James River Park and the regular newsletter they send out. It’s full of valuable information and volunteer opportunities for park lovers. I wanted to highlight the lead item in their most recent newsletter because it offers some updates on a topic I’ve covered before.

Volunteers from the James River Hikers at the new Texas Beach boardwalk in the JRPS. Credit: Dennis Bussey

Back in early September, I wrote about the sky-high usage numbers that park Superintendent Nathan Burrell found when he pulled the data from the newly-installed infrared and electronic counters. “Up through July,” Burrell said at the time, “we were at 500,000+ visitors. That’s May through July. And we only have counters at seven locations right now.”

Well, now the Friends of the JRP newsletter is reporting that the park saw “795,117 visitors from May 2014 until the end of October 2014.” Extrapolating from that now rather large data set suggests that by May 2015 the JRPS will see well over 1 million users and probably closer to 1.5 million.

Here’s some perspective: In February the Times-Dispatch reported that Maymont was the “most-visited place in the Richmond area,” with 527,153 visitors in 2013. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was second with 479,907 visitors. Rounding out the top five were the Children’s Museum of Richmond with 393,529 visitors; Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with 339,139 visitors; and Henrico’s Three Lakes Nature Center and Aquarium with 304,621 visitors.

The Washington Redskins training camp brought in 164,789 visitors this year. Needless to say, the Redskins, with their tax breaks and sweetheart deals, don’t offer the city what the JRPS does in one or two summer months.

The James River Park has always been a popular place. We now know how popular.

And keep this in mind too, as I wrote in September, “The JRPS with it’s 1 million or more visitors a year is maintained by four full-time employees (including Burrell), two seasonal employees and one part-timer.” Note to the mayor and city council: That’s crazy!

And the Friends’ newsletter also reports that the park “provides a huge economic benefit to the City. Using the $16 per day per user estimate for park economic impact numbers from the 2014 edition of the Virginia Outdoors Plan, JRPS right now, provides a $12,721,872 economic impact directly to the City and local businesses.”

This time of year, sometimes I look at the calendar and wonder how much sleep Sports Backers employees get.

The Tour of Richmond returns for the third year this weekend. Credit: Sports Backers

Back in late August, the group helped put on the growing Patrick Henry Half-Marathon in Ashland. Then last Friday and Saturday the Maymont X-Country Festival offered local runners a 5K on the Maymont grounds and an 8-miler on the trails of the James River Park System. This Saturday the 3rd annual Martin’s Tour of Richmond — bike rides of 101, 78, 59 and 29 miles around the Richmond region — rolls into Richmond International Raceway. Online registration is closed, but you can still do walk-up registration at RIR on Saturday morning at RIR if you want to participate.

At the close of online registration yesterday, a total of 1,150 riders were signed up, breaking the previous record of 1,105 riders in 2013. The event kicks off with the pre-ride party on October 3rd at the Richmond Raceway Complex from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with food and beer for sale, along with live music, vendors, and sponsors. Registered riders also will be able to pick up their participant packets for Saturday’s ride at the party.

But it’s not just a good weekend for bike riders. On Saturday morning, road runners have their pick of two local 5Ks: the 5K Eagle Challenge in Bon Air and the Mustangs 5K in Midlothian. And on Sunday trail runners will head out to Bear Creek Lake State Park 45 minutes west of Chesterfield County for the mostly flat but challenging Cumberland Multi-Use Trail Half-Marathon.

Bass fishing great Mike Iaconelli will meet the public at Green Top on Sunday afternoon.

With the weather starting to slowly turn to fall, area anglers are heading out to our many waterways to catch fish moving into their fall patterns. But for those who won’t be on the water on Sunday afternoon, here’s a great Plan B: Bass angling legend Mike Iaconelli will be at Green Top on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. signing autographs and chatting with the public. This is a really cool chance to pick the brain of a former Bassmaster Classic champion and B.A.S.S. angler of the year. Very cool stuff.

Back in late May, I reported on the installation of counters — vehicle and infrared — at seven different units of the James River Park. The counters were made possible by a $2,000 gift from the Friends of the James River Park and the James River Outdoor Coalition. The idea with the counters was, for the first time, to acquire actual usage numbers for the 20-parcel, 550-acre park that runs through the heart of Richmond. Up until then, usage surveys were conducted and visitation estimates were extrapolated from there.

Infrared counters are used to count people at a couple of park locations.

With the heavy summer park-use season now over, I spoke with Nathan Burrell, JRPS superintendent, to see how much mounting those counters did. The results were pretty astounding.

“Up through July we were at 500,000+ visitors,” he said. “That’s May through July. And we only have counters at seven locations right now.”

Burrell said he’ll be getting the August numbers by the end of the week, and he expects them to be somewhere north of 100,000 visitors but probably less than July’s 160,000 tally. June had 141,000.

Burrell explained that they use a conservative coefficient to account for the fact that many of the cars that arrive at the park have multiple people in them and some people use the park more than one time a day.

“We’re missing some people there, but we thought it was a safe number. We wanted to be conservative. The last thing I wanted is to be wildly high and then people just disregard them.”

To put these numbers in perspective, in February the Times-Dispatch reported that Maymont was the “most-visited place in the Richmond area,” with 527,153 visitors in 2013. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was second in the region with 479,907 visitors. Rounding out the top five were the Children’s Museum of Richmond with 393,529 visitors; Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with 339,139 visitors; and Three Lakes Nature Center and Aquarium with 304,621 visitors.

The James River Park has always been a popular place. We now know how popular. Credit: Richmond.com

The Washington Redskins training camp brought in 164,789 visitors this year.

Burrell said that in 2012, the park system conducted a survey of usage from which they extrapolated a year-long visitation number: that number was between 500,000 and 1.5 million. “We’re going to be close to that million mark (when 2014 is over),” Burrell said.

Here’s some more perspective that city council and the mayor should take note of for future budgets. The JRPS with it’s 1 million or more visitors a year is maintained by four full-time employees (including Burrell), two seasonal employees and one part-timer. That’s something to keep in mind when proposals for $250,000 Carytown signs and redundant, million-dollar bridges over the Haxall Canal come up for debate.

Balazik (left) with an Atlantic sturgeon netted last fall in the James.

I’m not sure you could find two people that know the tidal James River better than Mike Ostrander and Matt Balazik. Ostrander, owner of Discover The James, offers guided catfishing, eagle watching and history trips on the river. Balazik is a fish biologist with VCU and one of the leading Atlantic sturgeon researchers in the country. I don’t know how you’d begin to estimate the number of hours these two have spent on that stretch of water in their lives.

Next Thursday (Sept. 4th), for the second year in a row, Balazik and Ostrander are teaming up to offer their first sturgeon watching tour of the tidal James. The tours will continue every Thursday evening in September.

Endangered Atlantic sturgeon are living fossils that have been swimming in the waters now known as the James River for 100 million years, and according to Ostrander, “the stretch of river between Westover Plantation and Presquile National Wildlife Refuge is a prime area to see breaching Atlantic sturgeon.”

Balazik’s research over the past decade has shown that the late summer/early fall, as they prepare for their fall spawn, is the best time of year to see them breach (leap completely out of the water). They remain in the James through September and into October.

“(You can) scan the river and watch as these ancient behemoths breach while Dr. Balazik shares information from his research on the sturgeon of the James River,” Ostrander explained. “We are incredibly lucky to have a spawning population of Atlantic sturgeon here on the James River, and this tour is a great way for you and your friends to come out, have an excellent chance at seeing them and learn from the James River’s top sturgeon researcher.”

This 2.5-hour tour will depart from Jordan Point Marina at 5 p.m. and return at approximately 7:30 p.m. You’ll ride aboard the Spirit of the James, a 40-foot, fully covered pontoon boat owned by the James River Association and used as an educational vessel for 1000’s of youths each year. The cost is $55 per person.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the wonders of the James River. Click here to learn more or to book a spot on one of this year’s sturgeon tours.

Kayakers navigate Taskinas Creek in York River State Park. Credit: Virginia State Parks

Last time our Summer Roadtrip Series took us to The Falls of the Nottoway River, a sweet natural rock slide and swimming hole destination about an hour southwest of Richmond. This Saturday we’ll be taking a roadtrip to York River State Park for their annual Estuaries Day.

If you’ve never been to the 2,500-acre York River SP, you’re missing out. It sits in a beautiful spot at the confluence of Taskinas Creek and the York River. It has well-built beginner/intermediate mountain biking trails; a fun fishing pond for kids; a nature center and a couple of great put-ins for flatwater kayaking. And, like the Falls of the Nottoway, it’s less than an hour from Richmond — an easy drive down I-64 toward Williamsburg. You don’t even need directions; you’ll see the signs on the interstate.

On Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Estuaries Day will draw attention to the park’s Taskinas Creek area with a day of water-based activities including canoeing, kayaking, fossil hikes, fishing programs and more. There will be special displays and activities from partner organizations, such as the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, the Mattaponi-Pamunkey Rivers Association and Master Naturalists. A 5K run sponsored by the Colonial Road Runners will benefit the Lafayette High School Cross Country Team and Friends of York River State Park.

Horse back riding is also popular on the wide trails at York River State Park. Credit: Virginia State Parks

“(The) event is a fun way to get kids immersed in the outdoors, environmental science and history before the school year begins,” said Jon Tustin, York River State Park Manager.

Estuaries Day is free and parking is $4 per car. There is no charge for the kayak and canoe trips, but registration on the day of the event is first come, first served.

An excavator with a special “concrete muncher” attachment went to work on the Harvell Dam two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago I posted some pictures of work progressing on the removal of the Harvell Dam. At that time a “concrete muncher” was munching away on a section of dam, but the river was so low from lack of rain that no water was flowing through the growing breach.

Well, last Wednesday the construction crew broke all the way through, and the Appomattox River flowed freely in this area where it forms the border between Colonial Heights and Petersburg for the first time in over 80 years. As Alan Weaver, the fish passage coordinator for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, wrote in an email: “A River Runs Through It. They opened up the north end late yesterday afternoon. They will now just be working their way south out of the river and doing the shoreline work.”

Click here to see what this means for anadromous fish on the Appomattox. And here to see what the dam looked like before removal proceedings began.

A river, the Appomattox, runs through the old Harvell Dam.

When Jon Billman was in town two summers ago to write the Outside Magazine cover story on Richmond, Chris Hull, Pat Calvert and I took him down to the Pipeline to spend some quality time on the mighty James. We fished and snorkeled mostly, and Billman had a blast (at least based on the writeup).

Cheasapeak Bay blue crabs really do swim up the James to Richmond in mid-late summer. Credit: Chris Hull

I’ll never forget, when the fishing wasn’t going so well, Hull diving into the shallows along the Pipeline with a jagged spear he’d fashioned from a stick and coming up with a Chesapeake Bay blue crab for us to use as bait. The scene taught me two things: 1) There is an amazing abundance of life on and in the James in downtown Richmond — even life, like the blue crab, that most people have no idea is there; and 2) Chris Hull is the ultimate river rat.

The former James River Outdoor Coalition president is an avid kayaker. He regularly posts paddle flicks of himself, his son and others on regionals creeks and rivers shot with his trusty GoPro. Hull shot the above video over the weekend in that same Pipeline area, the highlight reel from a few hours of snorkeling. He shot it using a GoPro Hero3+. He said the ideal time to snorkel the slow-water sections of the river (underneath the Nickel Bridge, around The Wetlands, the islands across from Pipeline, etc.) is when the high in the sky. The direct light allows you to see farther into the water. Any old snorkel setup will do, he said. But, he cautioned, if you choose the Pipeline area, “You ought to be a pretty good swimmer before you try it.”

Anyway, enjoy the video. And, FYI: Those are flathead catfish he comes right up to and, right on cue, a blue crab seen scurrying along the bottom at the end of the clip.