The Day of the Blue Heron at Weldon, NC

I chuckled, as I listened to my 42 year old son Elliot’s response to my talk about aging and at some point changing his lifestyle. Sympathetic and kind, Elliot replied, “Aunty Sandra and you make it sound so depressing.”

When I reflected on my son's statement, particularly the term “depressing” I thought about it and concluded that it was not my intent to make aging sound depressing because at least for me. My former and present life experiences are far from depressing, and if anything, I start each day excited about another opportunity to enjoy an abundant life and anticipate, what I call, new unexpected experiences.

During my younger years I aggressively anticipated and created new exciting experiences but today, I allow the unexpected experiences to excite me.

Never in my young wildest dreams (which I had many in my youth) did I think that I would be interested in photographing wildlife or even charmed into watching and taking pictures of rarely seen birds, such as the Blue Heron.

Most of my experiences with taking photos of the gawky looking Blue Heron had always been at a distance until one day, this shy bird made a visit, approximately 20 feet from where I stood on the Roanoke River Dock.

It was midday, close to 90 degrees and the day promised a long humid sticky day of fishing, as I planned to take my usual bike ride to the Roanoke River with three fishing rods in one hand, tightly grasping the handle bars, a pail on the other side on the handle bars for balance and with a tackle bag and cameras strapped to a rear rack.

Routinely, I’d go to the river to relax or fish for Striped Bass and talk with residents and tourists. But today was unusual because all I could think about and wanted to do was to catch a bucket full of big heavy weight Catfish. The more I thought about the unbearable heat, humidity and especially the Roanoke River’s slippery, muddy shore where I’d have to fish for catfish and finding my way down a deep sloping path.

The more I thought about my age and the possibility of slipping and falling or being confronted by snakes.

Nor would I be fishing from the safety of fishing from the dock where I’d stand in direct sunlight and bake for as long as I could take it and drinking gallons of water to fight off dehydration. No, today I was heading for the slippery, muddy, bug and snake infested dark hidden Roanoke River shoreline, where the big catfish hid under fallen trees and huge rocky crevices.

Cutoff from all the usual and expected noise of people, cars and freight trains blasting its horn as it pass through the small town of Weldon, and it was here on the river’s dark hidden shoreline that the unexpected happened for the second time.

The shy elusive Blue Heron, seemingly visited with me once again, after he posed momentarily for a picture at the rivers dock. Sure fishing for catfish was a success.

But it got better; because this time I had time to video the Blue Heron feeding on small fish just a few feet from where I quietly crouched to enjoy yet another unexpected life experience. I felt like a little boy exploring in the woods, searching and discovering a  new type of bug under leaves and rocks. Adrenalin pumped fiercely through my veins as I used every inch of discipline to observe the unexpected unfold before my eyes. Watch the video below.

As an ethnography researcher, it's my job to collect data over a period of time by a method called observation/participation in order to understand and write about how and why or if Weldon's culture is changing as a result of the town's community development program. Effective community development provides ethnographers the  opportunity to use bragging rights to help brand, promote and market every community activity that will attract people to the community. 

Weldon offers many different experiences such as the Blue Heron for tourist to enjoy and it is conveniently and strategically located five minutes off I-95 for families, sports fisherman, historical buffs, canoe and Kyack enthusiast to take time to smell the roses, and experience the unexpected from “The Rockfish Capital of the World.”

Bending Rods and Tight Fishing Lines Weldon, NC

Bending rods, tight fishing lines on and off the Roanoke River, boating, canoeing and happy family faces are crowding the Weldon's spacious River Park and easy access boating dock in Weldon, North Carolina.   




Watch videos below to experience the opening season at The Rockfish Capital of the World. And for all you serious anglers read the Striped Bass aka Rockfish fishing report from last year and predictions for this year.

Fishing Reports Courtesy of Tar Pam Guide
Winter Striper Report from Lower Roanoke River and Spring Forecast for Weldon
February 24, 2012

With this unusually warm winter, the striper fishing on the Lower Roanoke has been way different than last year.  I will try to give my opinion on how the fishing compares to last year and what this means for this year and some of our upcoming charters.

LAST YEAR:  With water temps holding steady in the low 40′s, massive schools of stripers were holding relatively tight in deeper water in the river channels and began to show a little movement by the second week of March when water temps began to climb into the mid-high 40′s.  We had many triple digit days and a slow day would have been 25 or 30 fish. The fish were easy to find and easy to catch because they were in large schools and in predictable locations, as they didn’t do too much moving around.

THIS YEAR:  Water temps have barely reached 46 degrees (only on the very coldest nights when overnight lows reached the 30′s and below).  Yesterday, I saw 57 degree water in some of the creeks and 52 degree water during the middle part of the day in the main channels of the river.  I even saw jumping mullets all the way up to Broad/Cow Creek just downriver from Jamesville.

In Broad Creek, there were massive schools of mullet on the lower end.  I’ve never seen mullet up the river that far may be indicitive of low flows from the upper river and some hard east winds over the past few weeks. I’m surprised no one had been in there strike netting, LOL. They would have been if they were speckled trout instead of mullet.  Oh never mind, no one ever strike nets in inland waters (which is illegal) because our law enforcement is so on top of this.

All anecdotes aside, what does this mean for our fishing the rest of the season?

We will still be looking for schools in the channels and along the ledges as we have been and jigging for them with our Z-Man soft plastics, but we will also have increased opportunities for topwater fishing in the early mornings, late afternoons, and on overcast days in the stump fields and along the banks outside the mouths of the river.

Topwater striper fishing is my absolute favorite, and I hope we will have some spectacular fishing in the month of March.  I am expecting the fish to arrive in Weldon a little early this year, as water temps will get probably get right for the spawn sooner this year, so think now about booking your Weldon trip.