These words are not a promo or objective report for the 14th annual Virginia Fly-Fishing and Wine Fest (April 12/13), billed as the largest outdoor event of its kind. It’s simply a reflection of my wanderings through the first day of this two-day affair.
Generally speaking, I am not one to travel any distance to a fly-fishing show, but this extravaganza in Waynesboro happened to be in the neighborhood of my wanderings so I checked it out. Although one might consider the $20 entry fee and various prices a little steep, the whole experience of visiting the southern festival is a pleasant affair with potential for some real education.
The Waynesboro setting suffers a bit from Dupont-Investa factory pollution, but the otherwise lovely mountains of Virginia make it a grand walk through a park-like atmosphere. And through it all flows the South River, a tributary of the South Fork Shenandoah.
I didn’t yet mention the wine-tasting (free with entry) and micro-breweries, but suffice it to say that sampling the products of half-a-dozen local wineries helps to put a smile on your face and to interact with the hundreds of vendors and fly-fishing personalities under the big tent and among the smaller set-ups near the river bank.
Among the festival speakers, whose names I already recognized, were Beau Beasley, Ed
Jaworowski, Lefty Kreh, Tom Sadler, Tracy Stroup, Fishy Fullum, and Matt Supinski. There were numerous others representing the fly-fishing trade in its various aspects. Subjects covered were Fly-Fishing for Beginners, Fishing Tennessee’s South Holston River, Beginner Fly-Tying, Professional Casting, Women’s Group Casting, Tenkara, Kayak, Spey, and a whole lot more…
It was fun wandering around with my wife and son, getting a wine buzz with a soothing April sun on my back, conversing with tyers, suppliers, and guides, not buying much of anything, and just relaxing.
Recommended.
family matters w/wine
talkin’ with Lefty
Rivertop Rambles 
All festivals are better with a little bit of wine! Looks like fun.
I’ll drink to that, Denise! Thank you for commenting.
Fly fishing and wine, I like that combo. Looks like a fun time Walt.
Thanks Long. Fly-fishing and micro-breweries also works well, especially in an area like the Blue Ridge.
I love the advertising poster. I assume that it is by Michael Simon. I have one almost just like it, laying on the desk next to me, waiting to be framed.
It probably is by Simon, I wish I had caught the name when someone sitting next to the poster started telling me about the design but we got interrupted and I lost the thread. Thanks, and I’ll see if I can learn more.
I like that his brookies are so vivid. Such amazing fish. Anyway, I have to make it to the Waynesboro area one of these days.
Yeah the colors of the poster struck me right away, almost the way that colors of a live fish strike me when it comes to hand. Thanks–