1. What are arrival and departure
times for Rivenridge?
All
overnight bookings are for 24-hour periods with two
choices:
9am - 9 am or
6 pm to 6 pm
The first client to book the lodge for available date(s) may choose which
check-in time they prefer.
2. Can we fish an extra day?
Each overnight includes a full day of fishing. As explained above it is either
the day before or the day after your arrival--not noon to noon. If you would like to
fish an extra day (ie., two overnights and three days of fishing), and you
have four or more fishing, then you
may add an extra day of fishing to your overnight for $75 per person for a day pass. The minimum charge for this extra
day of fishing without an overnight is $200 for the group.
People often ask us "Why not noon to noon?" The
reason is simple: This is small stream fishing and if someone fishes
the stream during a morning, then the fishing on those waters is not as good
the rest of the day until the fish can settle down. You would not want
to check in at noon and fish waters which have already been fished over!
Guests checking in ~ 9am are the first to fish the stream of for the day.
Guests checking in at 6 pm know the waters may have been fished already day
of check-in, but just before a cocktail or dinner in the beauty of
Rivenridge, you are in a relaxed mood anyway; waters will settle down
overnight and you will be the first to fish them the next day.
3a. What type of licenses do we
need?
Virginia residents 16 and over need a valid Va freshwater fishing
license and a National Forest Permit. Non-Virginia residents 12 and
over need a valid Virginia freshwater fishing license and a National Forest
Permit. If you are over the age of 65 you do not need a national
forest permit but still need a Va fishing license. (Note: You do not need a Va Trout license to fish
Rivenridge but the moment you leave our property upstream on the South Fork,
or if you fish the Piney proper (aka Big Piney) then you do need a Va Trout
license between October 1 and June 15. The South Fork and Piney
River proper are designated,[aka state-stocked] trout waters beyond our
property. Most clients never leave our property.)
3b. Can we keep fish? Can we spin fish?
No, Rivenridge is fly fishing only,
catch and release! As Tom says, we do not like to kill our business associates.
4a.
What are the borders of Rivenridge?
Rivenridge property includes ~ 3/4 mile on the South Fork and ~
1.25 miles on the North Fork of the Piney, and borders are as follows:
Upstream on the South Fork the National Forest is our border, and is noted
by red paint on trees and a string of our posted signs. Upstream on the
North Fork the National Forest is our border at confluences of Louisa
Springs branch, and is noted by red paint on trees; our posted signs appear
in the stream here facing upstream. The confluence of the North Fork
and South Fork is our border on the downstream or southeast side. Do
not fish on the Piney River proper (river below the confluence of the
South Fork and North Fork) between our property and the state stocked water.
4b. Will we see anyone else on the property?
If you book Rivenridge overnight for a party of four
or more then we do not allow another fishing party. Of course you may
see a Rivenridge owner or Angler's Lane associate doing maintenance there or
traversing the property, but such sightings are rare.
Your privacy is important, so if you see anybody fishing on property who
does not have written permission, contact us immediately:
434-385-0200
If you book for day passes fewer than four rods, then we may place another rod on the stream.
If you are an overnight guest then we will contact you before doing so.
Overnight guests have first
choice of where to fish.
5. What do we do about meals?
Rivenridge operates like a house at the beach. We
have a gas stove and gas burners as well as a grill outside for you to cook
your meals. Plenty of utensils, plates, spices etc.
There are several country stores and restaurants within 20 minutes of the
lodge from which to choose if you prefer to eat out:
Sit-down with take-out of full meals
if you call in: Lovingston Cafe (434) 263-8000
165 Front St
Lovingston
(25 min) The Briar Patch (434) 946-2249 883
S Main St
Amherst
(30 min) The Filling Station
(434) 381-2051 102 Lexington Turnpike Amherst
(34 min) Devil's
Backbone Brewery (434) 361-1101 200 Mosbys Run
Roseland, VA 22967 (35 min)
Take out only:
Riverview Market in Lowesville
434-277-5022 hot dogs, hamburgers, country store.
Thai Sam on Rte 56 just west of Rte 29 - 56 Intersection (434) 263-8577.
Reportedly excellent Thai food.
Effective 4/1/2017 Mountainview Market on 778
Lowesville Rd, 2 miles south of Riverview Market, will open again for meals
on the weekends, after a 2-yr hiatus. Very Good takeout and room to eat in as well. 18 minutes
from Rivenridge.
6. What about linens, towels etc?
We have a cleaning service who ensures that you have clean sheets and
towels
upon check in and they clean up towels and linens afterwards. The
neater you can leave it the better, but don't make up your bed the last
day--make it obvious where you have slept.
7. How clean can we
expect the lodge to be upon arrival? In the spectrum between the Ritz
and a fishing shack where is Rivenridge? While we have a cleaning service,
Rivenridge is clearly a mountain cabin and as such you may encounter
small wildlife which you would expect in the mountains, so don't freak out.
In early spring we
have a week or so of lady bugs. Almost any time you may see a an occasional ant
or similar under the bed, usually deceased. We try to keep the lodge
very clean for you upon arrival
but as a mountain cabin it will not be perfectly void of any sign of life.
8. In counting group size do you distinguish between
fishing and non-fishing clients?
No. (Most clients find it impossible to resist the urge to fish.)
9.
What are the best times of year to fish? One can fish
Rivenridge from late February - late November so long as the water level is
sufficient. If the
USGS Piney River gauge is over 20 cfs and under 400 cfs the Piney is
fishable, with 20 - 39 cfs being ok, 40cfs to 50cfs being good and 50 cfs - 200 cfs our
ideal range. (We have fished it above 400 cfs with sink tips.) Typically March - June and late September - early
November are best for these water levels. In fall we have fished
as low as 15 cfs if water temps are mid-60s (F) or cooler. If this
doesn't make sense, please call Anglers Lane and we'll review.
10.
Billing - what is deposit & cancellation policy? At
time of booking we require a 50% deposit for single overnights and/or guided
trips a 1/3 deposit for longer trips; once you make deposit your room is
reserved. Balance due first day of your stay. (Store is located
away from lodge and is not open Sundays.) If you have to reschedule we
work with you with sufficient notice to reschedule. As a policy we do
not provide outright refunds because, like airline flights, we cannot resell
these days as we get closer to the event without taking a bath.
12.
How do we get into the lodge? A day
before your stay ask Angler's Lane
for (a) combo to gates and (b) location of house key.
The first gate has two combo locks; use the bronze one as in picture D below.
See pic below for correct method of locking 2nd gate (the one at the
crossing 15' from the South Fork of the Piney after you ford the stream) and
for inserting combo in correct row.
13.
What type of trout can we expect to catch?
Native brook trout in both the South Fork and North Fork
of the Piney River are the feature of Rivenridge. Also in the South Fork you
may occasionally catch a wild brown trout which took after the state ceased
stocking browns in the Piney. Although we stock the South Fork frequently
and generously with 12' - 19" Labrador brook trout, do not expect the
stocked brooks in this section to behave the way they do at lower gradient
stocked streams where you may fish! The behavior of stocked fish
differs in high-gradient streams. Otter, American eels, and other predators
will work them over if they "sit" in the middle of the stream in highly
visible locations. Just because you do not see stocked fish does not
mean they are not there--you simply have to work for them! This
effort, plus the chance to catch native brook trout, the occasional wild
brown trout, big rainbows and browns in the pond, plus pristine waters and
scenery second to none--all these factors combine to offer a unique fishery
which year after year brings back folks to Rivenridge.
|
|