On the Burners Ford float on the South Fork of the Shenandoah, Luray's Caleb Goebel shows off a fine redbreast he caught to his dad, Christian. The South Fork offers a number of family-friendly fishing trips. Photo by Bruce Ingram

Christian Goebel, his son Caleb and I hadn't been on the South Fork of the Shenandoah but a few minutes when the lad shouted that he had a "big one" on. Sure enough, the fish was, by all accounts, a very impressive one for its species -- an 8-inch redbreast sunfish. The panfish had come charging out from a rock and mauled a shallow-running crankbait. Caleb wrestled the fish aboard and we had our first "picture fish" of the day.

The three of us were floating from Burners Ford to Bentonville (7 miles), a junket that the elder Goebel considers one of the best on the waterway for sunfish. Indeed, perhaps no other western Virginia river sports such a superb sunfish fishery as this stream -- one that the Native Americans called Daughter of the Stars.

Parents who are looking for a family outdoors trip with their kids might well want to consider this junket, as well as several others, this year.

The Burners Ford float is especially appealing in that it only contains riffles and a few easy Class Is. At Burners Ford in Page County, the river-right put-in is off Route 664 via Route 340. The first mile features riffles, ledges, and plenty of backwaters -- the latter are often filled with redbreasts. Overall Eddy is the next major feature, and the shorelines in this area contain some jumbo sunnies. At about the two-mile point, you will drift through several Class Is; look for the sunfish to be well downstream from these drops.

At the three-mile point, you will come to Culler's Bottom, which has George Washington National Forest land on river left. Canoe camping is possible in this area should you wish to undertake a combo fishing and camping excursion with your loved ones.

Another easy Class I appears at the four-mile marker. The river dramatically slows for the rest of this excursion, which makes this stretch excellent for both numbers and size of sunfish. The take-out is on river left at Indian Hollow Road Bridge, a low water structure. Caution: Don't attempt to sail under this bridge.

The Bentonville to Karo junket (8 miles) is also a marvelous one for families. The first mile of this trip is ideal for sunfish fans. Fields and pastures characterize the shorelines, and the bank cover, which consists mostly of submerged brush and downed trees, is splendid sunfish habitat. In the second mile, the river's pace picks up, but no major rapids exist. Another major feature in the first half of this float is the Andy Guest State Park, which lies on river right. Families may want to combine a day on the water with a sojourn at this establishment.

At the five-mile point, you will come to a long Class I rapid and series of riffles, known as McCoy's Falls. Though this section is called a falls, this term is something of a misnomer as the stream bottom actually drops very little. A few Class Is and riffles characterize the rest of this float. The take-out is on river right at a gravel ramp on Gooney Run. Chapman Farm Road, via Route 340, leads to the access point.

The Karo to Front Royal (six miles) float is one I have taken numerous times. The Class II Karo Rapid lies at the very beginning of this trip and should be portaged on its right side. The South Fork meanders along very lazily for the next two miles, which means that the bank action for redbreasts can be outstanding. The occasional riffle and island can also indicate that sunfish are nearby downstream.

The next major feature is the half-mile-long Kings Eddy, another summertime sunfish hotspot. The only major rapid on the remainder of the junket is the Class I Three Chute Rapid; take the middle pathway. At Front Royal, the river-right take-out is at a concrete ramp off Criser Road, via Route 340.