“You may boat brown trout, rainbow trout, walleye, you may boat a few fallfish… You may boat rock bass and bluegill. You may catch five or six different species and that’s one of the most beautiful things about boating the Gauley.” – Larry Nibert

Everything Larry Nibert knows he learned from his father and his father learned from his grandfather. When you hop in the boat with Larry on the Top Gauley, you’re fishing with three generations of knowledge wrapped up in a guy whose only goal is to show people a good time—and catch some really nice fish.

From its headwaters, the Top Gauley has 40-45 miles of navigable, floatable—and fishable—waters. But the free-flowing section is dependent on snow and rain, so it’s not there every day, and when it is, anglers need the skills to navigate its rapids and the patience and respect for its surroundings. With all that, you’ll have the opportunity to present lures to fish that see lures fewer than 30 days a year. “That’s a diamond in a mine full of coal,” says Larry.

This is Larry Nibert and the Top Gauley his home run.

Editor’s Note: Watch the full My Home Run series on YouTube.