Tom leaves hunter jilted at the altar

At the first light of morning, birds begin to communicate. Their lovely warbles and chirps are cer-tainly soothing to human ears, but bird-talk serves a more important purpose: to determine the whereabouts of fellow birds. If a pair of doves loses contact while flying to the roost, for example, they call to each other the next morning, when all is quiet in the woods.

"I'm over here," one will coo to the other. It's the same with turkeys.

A hen's clucking reveals her position if she's still interested in the mating process and the gobble of a male turkey proclaims his presence as well as a warning to other tom turkeys, which might encroach on his territory. A younger turkey, for example, can tell by the deep gobble of a dominant male that he had better try his luck with the ladies in a different part of the woods.

Last weekend in Bath County, I was up and at 'em at oh-dark-thirty with spring gobblers on my mind. At 5:45, there was a deafening silence in the forest. Then the little birds began their chatter, followed by crows and then a lonely owl. I heard the first gobbler right after the owl call, but he was so far away I would have needed a pack team and extra provisions to get there. Around 6 a.m., I decided to participate in the morning talk show for birds and cut a few clucks on my box call.

Immediately, a gobbler answered, and not too far away. I waited a minute and called again. An-other gobble. Then he clammed up. Maybe he's coming I thought. Then I hunkered down at the base of a tree.

Bad plan. The gobbler was coming, but he stayed up on the ridge. He called again, a little closer, but wouldn't come down to where I had anchored myself. By this time, he had likely picked up a live harem and my calls were in vain.

In all, I heard four birds, and had an intimate conversation with one. So it was not a waste of time, but an inspiring morning, talking and listening to the birds and enjoying the beauty of Bath County in spring.

Trout Time

The hatchery trucks are on the move and water conditions are excellent across the state. But the trouble with fishing public waters is that if you're not Johnny-on-the-spot, most of the trout have vacated the premises by the time you arrive -- the legions of truck followers have beaten you to it.

Here's an option to consider for those whose time is valuable or for those with youngsters who would like to be assured of catching a few trout.

My friend, Lance Lyons of Hunters Paradise, stocks about a mile of Stewarts Creek, a mountain stream which flows through part of his 2,400-acre preserve. He also has a beautiful spring fed trout pond, so anglers have a couple of choices and are all but assured of catching trout.

There are very few streams that I'm aware of where anglers can catch trout and keep them. There are a number of streams available to fly fishermen who must release their fish, but trout are pretty good to eat and kids, in particular, like to catch a few fish and take them home to show off and have for dinner.

Lance charges $40 for the right to fish either the stream, the pond or a combination. Anglers can keep five trout, no matter the size, and he has some huge fish -- both golden trout and rainbows. Kids under 12 do not have to pay, but must include their catch as part of the paying adult's creel limit. If fishermen wish to catch more than five, Lance charges a set fee for each additional fish.

Stewarts Creek is a freestone stream with cold springs feeding it along the way. There are several large pools and runs where most trout end up. Anglers must use single hooks, not trebles, but can use either bait or lures. Trout Magnets work like a charm for the artificial buffs and Power Bait and corn are staples for the bait fishermen.

Hunters Paradise, in Milboro, is about 45 minutes west of Staunton. For those who would like to spend a night or two, Lance has several cabins and a country farmhouse for lodging. Inquire about his cabin and fishing specials.

If you go to Hunters Paradise and catch some trout, here's a tip for cooking: Clean the fish and leave the heads on. Wipe dry with a paper towel, and then dredge them through a mixture of butter, lemon juice and mustard. Cook over slow coals on the grill, turning only once. If you try this recipe, you'll understand why lots of people like to take trout home for dinner.

For directions and information, call Hunters Paradise at 540-969-6561 or e-mail at hunterspara-dise@tds.net.