ROARING FORK IN TAZEWELL COUNTY
Another stream located in a wilderness area is Roaring Fork in Tazewell County. In this case, the 6,375-acre Beartown Wilderness Area, which is part of the Jefferson National Forest, is the home of Roaring Fork. The segment of the stream under special regulations is that portion upstream from the southwest boundary of the wilderness area.

Potential visitors should note that Roaring Fork has suffered from acidity, which has obviously negatively impacted the native brook trout fishery. The stream is now under catch-and-release regulations, and only single-hook, artificial lures are permitted. The creek is located near the town of Tazewell.

EAST FORK OF CHESTNUT CREEK IN GRAYSON AND CARROLL COUNTIES
Travelers to the East Fork of Chestnut Creek in Grayson and Carroll counties can be forgiven if they ask for directions to the stream in the many small communities that rest near it. That's because locally the stream is known as Farmer's Creek. And residents of far western Virginia can be forgiven that they know of Chestnut Creek only as a tributary of the New River, a rather slow-moving stream where it enters the New near Fries Junction.

But upstream, the East Fork of Chestnut is very much a typical highlands trout rill. A sharp gradient and native brook trout from 8 to 13 inches characterize the upper reaches, as do rhododendron and alder copses. Similar size brookies live in the lower reaches, as the stream becomes deeper with rocky pools.

The portion of the stream under special regulations is that section and its tributaries upstream from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The East Fork is catch-and-release only, and only single-hook, artificial lures are permitted.

NORTH FORK BUFFALO RIVER IN AMHERST COUNTY
Certain names seem to characterize streams in Virginia; many creeks seem to be named after elk, deer, bear and laurel. Add to that list the word buffalo in the form of the North Fork Buffalo River in Amherst County. The Buffalo is a typical George Washington National Forest stream with its large boulders, deep pools, and heavily forested banks. Add native brook trout in the 8- to 10-inch range to the stream's calling cards.

All of the North Fork and its tributaries that course through the national forest come under the special regulations designation. The regulations are the same as those on Little Stony Creek. Sportsmen in the Lynchburg area will find the North Fork to be a relatively close destination.

LITTLE STONY CREEK IN SHENANDOAH COUNTY
The lower section of Little Stony Creek in Shenandoah County is certainly not an unknown waterway, as it is quite popular with northern Virginia anglers. That section below where Forest Service Road 92 crosses the stream unquestionably can experience fair numbers of anglers, particularly on warm spring weekends.

For a more aesthetic experience, consider hiking to the upper reaches of Little Stony. The stream is noticeably smaller in its headwaters, and only a foot trail winds along it. The portion of Little Stony that lies within the George Washington falls under special regulations, which are a 9-inch minimum and the requirement that only single-hook, artificial lures be used. The stream itself lies near Woodstock.

Until I sat down to write this article, years had passed since I thought of my old girlfriend Jane. I seriously doubt that she married a fisherman or that she has ever returned to Little Stony Creek in Giles County or even been once to Little Stony in Shenandoah County for that matter. And readers of this article are not likely to meet Jane or as many other anglers on the streams mentioned here as compared to the anglers they might encounter on the state's better-known trout rivers and creeks.