Fly Fishing Virginia. Beau Beasley

       Foreword

      The first things I noticed about Beau Beasley when he introduced himself to me almost 15 years ago were his firm handshake and sincere eye contact when he spoke and listened. It was at a small fishing show in Fairfax County, and this young fireman/paramedic clutched several popper bodies in his other hand. He asked what I thought about the closed-cell foam bodies, and I told him they seemed a little heavy, but I’d be glad to give them a try once they were tied.

      Beau has fished most of his life while growing up in the Old Dominion, but it was these poppers, designed by a fine Virginia gentleman by the name of Bob Guess, that introduced him to the world of fly fishing. Mr. Bob’s Poppers soon became my go to popper/slider for largemouth and smallmouth bass and for sunfishes when they were tied in the smaller sizes. Beau actively marketed the poppers, which did well for several years until the popper body supplier priced himself out of contention in a competitive world. I still have some Mr. Bob’s Poppers and still hook a lot of bass with them. And, most important, they helped Beau Beasley get hooked on fly fishing.

      Beau became an enthusiastic student and practitioner of fly fishing and quickly established a solid reputation in the fly angling community. He worked as a tackle representative for several fly fishing companies and traveled around the state selling their wares while sampling the many waters Virginia has to offer. He successfully promoted The Old Dominion Fly Fishing Show and eventually sold it. He is the director of the popular Virginia Fly Fishing Festival in Waynesboro, and is active in conservation efforts throughout the state. And with my support and encouragement—Beau is a born story-teller—he became a fine outdoor writer and photographer with credits in many national, regional and state publications.

      In this, his first, book, Beau shares with us some of his favorite waters in the Commonwealth including trout streams, bass haunts, and saltwater spots. We are blessed with an abundance of trout streams, almost 3,000 miles of them, from rivers to small mountain brooks. Our bass lakes, reservoirs, ponds and rivers provide some of the best largemouth and smallmouth fishing in the nation. And the Virginia waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers are home to a variety of desirable game fishes such as striped bass, bluefish, various sea trouts, and others.

      Fly Fishing Virginia: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters is nicely written and photographed and well-researched by its author. The maps are invaluable, and Beau has checked each one on the ground and on the water. Follow these maps from where you are to where you want to be, and once at the chosen location, tie on one of the flies that Beau recommends. Many of the flies noted in the guide are Virginia originals and proven fish-catchers.

      Thanks to Beau’s diligence and ability to communicate clearly and concisely, this guide book puts you onto some of the finest fly fishing in the Old Dominion. Beau has accomplished all the hard work. All you need to do is follow his lead, and catch (and release) fish.

      —King Montgomery

      Outdoor Writer/Photographer

      Burke, Virginia