It was June of 1987 and my wife, Elaine, and I were on our first excursion to northern Virginia's Rappahannock River. At the time, we had two children, both of whom were too young to bring on an overnight float trip -- combining diaper changing and camping out were not something we were ready for. Still, we were curious about how such a family fishing affair might unfold, so it was only natural that when we happened to drift by a Boy Scout leader and his son, Elaine and I observed closely how the man and his offspring were making do.

As matters evolved, our respective groups even managed to share a campsite that night. And the scout leader told us that every year he and some other parents took the Boy Scouts on a two-day float down the Rappahannock, giving the youngsters a chance to experience the wilderness that defines the upper river and the opportunity to earn a number of merit badges.

That encounter was inspiring to Elaine and me, for as the years passed by and our former toddlers became old enough to go float-fishing, our daughter, Sarah, annually went to "canoe camps" on the James and New rivers, and our son, Mark, accompanied me on a trip to the Rappahannock, as well as on treks to the James and other state rivers and lakes.

Virginia features a number of family-friendly fishing opportunities on its upland and tidal rivers, major and minor impoundments and trout streams. Here are some possible destinations for you and yours.

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) biologist John Odenkirk has good news concerning the upper Rappahannock. First, the 2004 year-class of smallmouths was epic in its abundance and the biologist expresses great optimism for a major improvement in the fishery in the near future. Second, the elimination of Embrey Dam several years ago should continue to be a major plus.

"The removal of Embrey could not have come at a more opportune time, as the additional clupeid forage should boost the biomass and growth rates to new heights," Odenkirk said. "We have not directly monitored post-dam removal growth rates yet. We have a nice pre-data set but want to wait for several years before fully assessing the impacts of the dam's demise."

The removal of Embrey Dam is a real boon for parents and their children. Mark and I once portaged around this obstruction and it was a long and arduous affair for the youngster and me.

Peter Pfotenhauer, a public school teacher and angler from Fredericksburg, agrees with Odenkirk about the positive effects of Embrey's demise.

"Removing Embrey Dam returned the Rappahannock to its natural free-flowing state," he said. "What used to be two rivers in a biological sense is now one, as species such as hickory shad, American shad, herring and striped bass now can return to their historical spawning areas. The extra biomass the shad fry will create will add significantly to the forage base for smallmouths.

"Already gizzard shad are much more plentiful above the dam site than previously, and the smallies seem to be taking advantage of the extra food. In the past, smallmouth growth on the Rappahannock was the slowest of any major river in Virginia, and the lack of forage was the prime reason. Now, with new potential food sources, biologists hope the smallmouths will show faster growth."