RiverGirl Guide Trip Report

Patti Edwards - 2026-06-14

TFF member Patti Edwards’ introduction to fishing began when she and her sister fished with their dad at Big Lake in Northern, AZ. As preschoolers, the sisters fished with pink Zebco spin rods. After starting her own family, she and her husband, (TFF member Gary Edwards) continued spin fishing with their kids.

Patti’s good luck with fishing also began early. For instance, at Big Lake the sisters hauls were impressive after neighbors fishing nearby added fish to the stringers they carried. On another occasion her son said, “Hey dad the guys with the fly rods are catching more fish than we are,” prompting the family to switch from spin to fly rods. And most recently, Patti won the bid for the RiverGirl guide trip at TFF’s November 2025 Auction!

RiverGirl Fishing Company was founded by fisheries biologist Kelly McCoy and is located in a historic train depot in Todd, NC near Boone. Patti chose this trip because she wanted to fish with a female guide and also explore a new area she had not fished before. Patti and Gary fished the South Fork of the New River with Kelly this past April. The day was cool but sunny and they had plenty of crystal clear water.

Among the many highlights of the trip the ones that stand out for Patti include:

• Enjoying fishing with Kelly. “Kelly was so fun to fish with. She knew where the fish were and had an extensive knowledge of all the plants and bugs.”

• Learning how to “crab walk” across the river to make her wading easier and more secure.

• Learning the Bow and Arrow cast which enabled her to cast beneath low-hanging brush and catch her best fish of the trip.

• Catching “lots of fish”, including rainbow and brook trout, small mouth and rock bass, and sunfish.

• And her best catch of the day—a fish within a fish—a small mouth bass that had swallowed a chub.

Patti’s advice: “Whether you’re a beginning or seasoned angler, female or male, individual or group, child or adult, Kelly McCoy would be an excellent guide to fish with!”