Sheri Wren Haymore

FISHIN'

When I was a little girl, my daddy was my fishin' buddy. At that time, there were several secret farm ponds on and around the property that is now Cross Creek Country Club. Daddy would set me up in a likely spot on the bank of a pond, armed with my own rod and reel, redstriped bobber, and a can of worms. Meanwhile, Daddy would work the pond with a fly rod, casting for bass. When I’d pull in six or eight hand-sized bream, and Daddy would show me one nice bass, I thought I was a fishing star! Getting bait for my endeavor was no problem—we had a little worm farm in the backyard. When he wanted larger worms, Daddy rigged up a contraption that shocked night crawlers right out of the ground.

One pond was so secret that it was difficult to access and nearly impossible to fish from the bank, but Daddy was certain that the largest bass were surely hiding in its depths. Determined to find out, he set about to build a collapsible plywood boat—with my help, of course. The thing folded up on hinges, small enough for him to tote on a bushwhack to the pond. I followed, carrying a sheet of plastic and a bag of essential hardware. Once we arrived, the plywood was laid out onto the plastic, unfolded into a boat shape, secured with wingnuts, and the plastic was wrapped over the sides to be held in place with butterfly clips. Yes, it floated, propelled by a trolling motor which I operated while Daddy fished. At the time, I didn’t see anything unusual about this; now, however, I marvel that my mother allowed her daughter on such a death-defying adventure. A few years later, bored with ponds, Daddy set his sights on Virginia’s Claytor Lake. This time, he built a pontoon boat. It had fifty-gallon drums for pontoons, plywood deck, benches for storage and seating, conduit pipe sides, canvas top, center console. Picture my family on the lake: my fancily attired mama chilling under the canopy; Daddy steering the boat shirtless with sun-burned shoulders; my older sister, ever vigilant, hanging onto my baby sister; me and a friend or two dangling off the sides vying for who could get the wettest. I thought it was quite normal to jump into cold, deep, water with no life jacket, alongside a father who built his family a boat. Fishing and boating in Surry County may look a bit different today than in the 1960s, but there are numerous opportunities to enjoy either. For a fishing experience that’s easily accessible from the bank or pier, try the Tumbling Rock Reservoir in Mt. Airy’s Westwood Park. Fishing is free, and kids fifteen and under don’t need a license. Through the NC Wildlife’s Community Fishing program, the pond is stocked with channel catfish, largemouth bass, sunfish, and bluegill. Surry County boasts abundant trout waters with Delayed Harvest and Hatchery Supported sections. There are four stocked rivers—Ararat, Fisher, Mitchell, and Yadkin Rivers, plus three smaller waterways—Big Elkin, Lovill’s, and Paul’s Creeks. A helpful pair of maps showing the trout sections and access points can be found online under the Parks and Recreation department at https://www.co.surry.nc.us/ For useful information, including license requirements, maps, stream conditions, safety tips, seasons, and more, go to https://www.ncwildlife.org/ In addition, there are several pay fishing carp ponds in our area for a fun family outing. Remember our local small businesses for your fishing gear. Robby’s Sales in Mt. Airy carries tackle; Feed Saks in Dobson features tackle and live worms; Rick’s Reloading & Tackle in Ararat is nicely stocked with rods and reels plus Zoom baits; and The Rock Bait & Tackle in Flat Rock is home for all your fishing needs, including fly rods, live minnows, and the all-important fishing advice! These days, it’s not necessary to build a boat like my daddy did; you can rent a canoe or kayak from a local outfitter. Here are a few: Yadkin River Adventures in Rockford; Rocky Forest River Run in Elkin; or in Jonesville, choose Hometown River Company or Jonesville Kayak and Tube. If you have your own small watercraft, remember to look for the river access points shown on the Surry County Parks and Recreation map mentioned above. In 2008, after my father had returned home following a long stint in a nursing home, I took a newly purchased fly rod to him. “Show me how to use this thing, Daddy,” I said. Sitting in a wheelchair on my parents’ front lawn, he demonstrated, his arm as smooth and voice as sure as ever. I never did get the hang of it, but with determination, I stood in the middle of the New River and whipped a fly around until I managed to hook a little Smallmouth, just so I could call him and report, “Daddy, I caught a fish!”

Choose Well. Choose Northern.

Northern Cardiology Welcomes

NATHAN D. MCGEATHY,

Cardiology Nurse Practitioner

Nathan D. McGeathy, FNP-C, has joined the clinical care team of Northern Cardiology, a division of Northern Regional Hospital that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with both acute and chronic heart conditions, including chest pain, arrhythmias, palpitations, heart failure, valvular disease, and other forms of minor and major cardiac complications. McGeathy worked previously as a Nurse Practitioner for Novant Health Cardiology.

The 33-year-old cardiac specialist – who has years of experience assessing and responding to patients’ needs in such high-stress/high-tech clinical environments as emergency departments, critical-care, and cardiology units – is eager to bring his energy and expertise to Northern and its cardiology clinic. “I’ve always had a passion for cardiology and a personal goal to be an advocate for patients,” said McGeathy. “I enjoy taking time with my patients to explain the complexities of their particular problem, and then offer appropriate medical interventions that can help them feel better and extend or save their lives.”

McGeathy’s motivation for pursuing a lifelong career in nursing was seeded while he was still a child, living with his parents and teenage sister. “My father was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer when I was 10 years old; and that was my blunt introduction to healthcare,” he recalls. “I remember being scared, in shock, and confused. It was a year-long battle – with my father in and out of the hospital and eventually in hospice care – but I also recall the friendliness and compassion of the doctors and nurses, who lifted us up every day. Their care and concern for my father and our family had a lifelong effect on me – and I thought, ‘I want to be that rock for someone else someday’ … and nursing became my path to achieve that goal.”

“I developed my passion for cardiology during my Nurse Practitioner training – when I had the opportunity to work in a really rural area of North Carolina, where many of my patients had received little to no medical care throughout their lives,” explained McGeathy. “I was able to diagnose chronic conditions that

they had endured for many years or decades, and work with them to implement a medical regimen that, within as little as six months, typically resulted in a very positive improvement in their physical health, energy, and outlook on life. It was very rewarding to watch this kind of positive transformation occur.”

While acknowledging that each patient must be treated individually, McGeathy said that his philosophy to patient care is based on building trust, and includes many elements that apply to all patients. “I believe in educating the patient and family on their healthcare condition, providing them with recommended treatment guidelines, and then making decisions together on how to proceed,” he said. “When patients understand their disease process and are informed of the things that can be done to either modify or stop that disease progression, it’s more likely to result in long-term positive change.”

“I also believe that patients ‘know’ their own bodies – so it’s important to listen carefully to what they say,” he added.

As a Nurse Practitioner with the cardiology team, McGeathy explains that he will “see patients in the hospital for acute problems such as chest pain, atrial fib, and heart failure; and also see patients at the outpatient clinic for routine follow-up, medication management, and diagnosis and treatment.” Given Northern’s extensive diagnostic capabilities – including heart ultrasound, detailed imaging, and cardiac stress testing -- McGeathy hopes to enhance the inhouse management of cardiac patients rather than transferring them to another facility farther away from their homes and families. “When medically appropriate, we can keep patients in their own community – so they’re closer to their families and friends,” he explains.

During his non-nursing hours, McGeathy admits he’s “an avid hunter and fisher, specifically trout and bass. My wife Kristina [who will graduate from nursing school in May] and I enjoy hiking, working out, traveling and visiting family.” Indoor activities, he says, may involve listening to Texas-style country music, watching action movies, listening to podcasts, and reading military books – with a current favorite being Unbroken – which, he says, is “a World War II book about survival and resilience.”

To schedule an appointment with Nathan McGeathy, FNP-C please call Northern Cardiology at 336-786-6146; visit the office at 708 S. South Street, Suite 200 Mount Airy, NC www.choosenorthern.org