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WILL APPALACHIAN TRAIL RECORD FALL?
Liz Anjos, 34, of Portland, Ore., is averaging 48 miles a day as she attempts to complete the Appalachian Trail in a women’s record. She started on July 7 and came through Sky Meadows State Park last week. The women’s record is 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes by Jennifer Pharr Davis in 2011, so Anjos is on pace.
SPORTS WWW.FAUQUIER.COM
Fauquier Times | August 5, 2020
MORE THAN ONE WAY TO CATCH A FISH IN FAUQUIER COUNTY One fisherwoman’s tale of two excursions By Rita Rowand
Special to the Times
Riverside Preserve in Northern Fauquier County offers a great place to put a line in the Rappahannock River. Nestled off Leeds Manor Road near Orlean, the preserve is donated land now managed by Fauquier Parks and Recreation and is the only county park with access to the Rappahannock. Knowing it’s open from dawn till dusk, I set out after supper for some quiet fishing. Arriving past 7 p.m. on a recent weeknight, there were no other cars in the parking lot closest to the river. I was looking for a large rocky outcropping I’d spotted on an earlier visit. A 20-minute walk along a wellmarked path got me to an attractive point where I could cast my line. The Rappahannock offers many species for the freshwater angler to enjoy, including blue catfish, largemouth bass, striped bass and more. After about 15 minutes I hooked a small fish that got away. My fly rod had not seen action for a couple of years and needed some adjustments. I lost one fly and replaced it with an elk-hair caddis with a gold bead. That seemed to do the trick, as I caught a modest crappie shortly thereafter. Soon, movement caught my eye. Something was approaching in the
About Riverside Preserve
A weekday access permit is normally required for Riverside Preserve, but it has been waived for now. Normal permit costs are $50 (six months) and $75 (year). “We have 2.86 miles of trails for people to walk on. Lots of trees, plants, wildflowers and wildlife viewing opportunities,” said Gary Rzepecki, director of Fauquier County Parks and Rec. “It’s a great place to enjoy nature, with a river, and almost 200 acres of forest.” water: a large beaver swimming toward me. His legs paddled quietly upriver while his tail swung back and forth under the water. No sooner had he passed when a second beaver glided past, presumably searching for fish. Equally sizable, this one was possibly the mate. Beavers live 90% of their lives in the water, and I was lucky to observe these two, as they can be reclusive. Pleased with my Riverside trip, I talked with local angler David Frezza, who suggested I join him at a private pond in Orlean where he fishes. Frezza told me he enjoys friendly relationships with landowners who let him fish their ponds. “The key to fishing in Fauquier County is to connect with landowners, friends or neighbors who have ponds and then
PHOTO BY RITA ROWAND
“This is the biggest I’ve caught,” said Orlean resident David Frezza of the 22-inch bass weighing about 5 pounds he got in a local pond.
Fishing license required
Virginia requires a fishing license for all anglers over age 16. Licenses may be purchased online at dgif.virginia.gov/licenses. get their permission to fish in them. There are a plethora of fish just waiting to be caught,” he said. Without disclosing our location (sorry, folks!), I can report we recently pulled a few bass, with David landing a whopping 22-inch largemouth weighing about 5 pounds, while I only landed a smaller version of bass. “That was a thunder hit. It was a ball pulling that thing in,” said David. He said he tried half a dozen lures before using a gig with a black and yellow plastic frog to land his huge bass. David said he filleted the fish and
‘I LIKE A BIT OF CHAOS’
Coaches wonder how their sports will play out By Fred Hodge
Special to the Times
Headlines were made last month when football was banned this fall by the Virginia High School League. Also cut out and moved to a window from Feb. 15-May 1 were volleyball, field hockey, cross country, golf, competition and sideline cheerleading, which account for more total athletes. While most football coaches say they will continue to train and keep their players motivated, some volleyball coaches worry that they may not get their athletes back. “There may be people who want to focus on (preparing for) a spring sport,” said Fauquier High volleyball coach Diana Story. “There are so many variables to this. There are going to be things we will have to change...when and how.” The summer has always allowed fall coaches the unique ability to
conduct preseason conditioning and skill exercises over six weeks or more. Now, many players will be coming from basketball, swimming, winter track and wrestling seasons. Kettle Run volleyball coach Mike Howard said he’s worried about a player being hurt coming off a winter sport, since those are still planned for December. He also cited the possibility of insufficient time for players to be fit due to the lack of preseason work, especially with only two weeks before the first game. “This will be a big adjustment for me,” Howard admitted. “It will be harder to get to know the players the way you can in the summer.” Howard said he uses the summer to focus on team concepts. Now, he has only 14 days for tryouts, conditioning and installing the system. Weather could be more of a larger factor than usual for field hockey, cross country and football. Many
FILE PHOTO
With field hockey slated for early February, Kettle Run coach Beth Todd knows her players are going to have to be mentally tough to handle the cold. of the area’s largest snowfalls have come in mid to late February, so a large snow could leave the fields unusable for a week or more. “I’d prefer playing in the cold than the heat,” Fauquier hockey coach Brooke Settle said, pointing to many years when preseason practices and even games were canceled or postponed by high heat warnings. “In cold, you can wrap yourself up. When it’s that hot, there’s not much you can do,” she said. She laughed about an assistant coach saying “long
split the filets with the owner of the pond. “There are better eating fish than bass, but to catch it right out of the water and cook it the same day just tastes great,” he said. While pond fishing is different from river fishing in approach and water movement, the outcome is hopefully the same: a creel full of edible fish. Local ponds in this area may have bluegill, largemouth bass, catfish and pan fish of several varieties. As I walked back to the car, the frogs were singing their summer song, and the fireflies twinkled. There was no place else I’d rather be. underwear” might play a role. Kettle Run field hockey coach Beth Todd sees chilly weather as a wild card. “I actually like a little bit of chaos,” she said. “The athletes will always remember that year they played in the winter,” she said, recalling an all-state selection game in the snow when she was in high school. “The ball hurt to hit, but it was so fun.” Liberty field hockey coach Katie Norman says her veteran squad will be ready to play after the long break. “I really think we’ll make anything work. They’ll have a new perspective, a new appreciation for sports,” said Norman, whose squad had a breakout 18-win year in 2019 and went to states for the first time since 2005. She stressed 75% of her girls had their 2020 spring seasons canceled by the pandemic, and they are hungry. “Our team is ready for whatever is thrown at us,” Norman said. Kettle Run’s Todd agreed. “The hurdle will only make us stronger and appreciate the time we have together more. Sometimes it takes deprivation for us to appreciate all that we have.”
