It’s getting close to that time of year when heat and drought reduce our mighty rivers to rocks and pools. With plenty of overhead sunshine, low turbidity making the waters clearer and greener, fish clustering in the few deep holes, August into October is the perfect time to snorkel Virginia’s rivers. Barring big ocean storms or heavy rains in the mountains, the next two to three months should be snorkeling perfect.

On Wednesday afternoons, I work with a great group of kids attending Elk Hill Summer Camp, helping them to safely discover the wonderful attributes of the James River in Richmond. Last week, while floating and swimming upstream of Texas Beach, I introduced the snorkel. Not everyone took a shine to having their face covered up with a mask or breathing through a tube, but for those who did, it was like Christmas. Marlin put his masked face underwater for about two minutes of silence, then jumped straight up, “I saw a fish! I saw a fish!” He was dancing. With that discovery, the big guys followed suit. Oh, the magic of discovery.

We didn’t see any river giants that afternoon, but in the James River during September and early October, I’ve seen large catfish - Blues and Channel - stacked in holes east of the Pipeline Rapids, gar and eel upstream just east of Williams Dam, and startled large fish hiding under rock overhangs. I've also seen found golf balls and a dry suit, tickled a few crabs, and released a couple of fish entangled in hooks - lines cut from their captor’s rod and reel. Not only are the animal sightings a treat, but the wavy river grasses as well.