¾ The Details Top Three Flies: For summertime smallmouths, Revercomb recommends Size 8 hellgrammites, Size 6 Clouser streamers, and Size 6 grasshopper patterns. Interesting Birds: Tom Beaman, sales associate for Lee Hartman & Sons, says the uncommon black-crowned night heron can sometimes be spotted on this float. Canada geese and mallards are quite common. Access Points: Put in is on river left in Smith Park off Wiley Drive. Take out is in Vinton at the river left Tinker Creek Third Street concrete ramp. SMITH PARK TO TINKER CREEK (6.1 miles) The Smith Park excursion could not be more different from the Rotary one. "This is an urban float," says Revercomb. "You'll see the Roanoke Star, Roanoke Memorial Hospital, and quite a bit of the city. Yet the smallmouth bass fishing is very good. The Smith Park trip is also ideal for beginning paddlers with just riffles and a few easy Class I rapids." The Roanoke River Greenway offers access as well to those individuals who might want to come to the waterway to wade fish. Also, make sure you put in below or portage around the low-water bridges at Smith Park. CONTACTS: Deaddriftva.com Roanokemountainadventures.com VC&NS: vacanals.org LifeOutsideMag.com // Summer 2018 21http://www.Deaddriftva.com http://www.Roanokemountainadventures.com http://www.vacanals.org http://naturalbridgezoo.com http://www.LifeOutsideMag.com