"Again, there are no bad trips on the Greenbrier River," he proclaimed. "A good trip is in our special regulation area from Caldwell to Ronceverte. It's a nice half-day float in the section with a 12- to 20-inch slot. We have several access sites along the river and anglers can just about find any length trip they desire. I would suggest the magazine's readers check out the Web site www.wvdnr. gov to find the specifics on the sites. Click on Main Page under Fishing."

The slot limit on the Caldwell to Ronceverte float requires that all black bass from 12 to 20 inches be returned to the water at once. A daily creel limit of one black bass over 20 inches is in effect. Black bass less than 12 inches may be kept as part of the daily creel limit of six.

Virgil Hanshaw told me that his three favorite floats on the Greenbrier are Caldwell to Ronceverte, Ronceverte to Fort Spring, and Fort Spring to Alderson. The reason, he said, is that as an entity, these 20.5 miles of river offer a dazzling variety of angling experiences. Long, deep pools, riffles and Class I rapids, eddies and current breaks all exist in good numbers, but there are also a few Class II rapids to spice up a float trip.

A good example of a major rapid, Hanshaw continued, is the Class II Big Rattlesnake, which looms on the Fort Spring to Alderson junket. Big Rattlesnake can metamorphose into a Class III at times, especially during the spring or at any other kind of high-water condition. The Fort Spring float sports swifter water than the other two getaways do.

Also, as a whole, the Fort Spring getaway flaunts 10 rapids, two of which are technical and require maneuvering. Big Rattlesnake is certainly an example of a technical rapid, as canoeists will have to make several quick midcourse adjustments in order to avoid slamming a boulder. Hanshaw urges paddlers to scout all of these rapids and to consider portaging.

The Caldwell to Ronceverte trek, Hanshaw continued, has the aforementioned slot limit to its credit. The outfitter wholeheartedly supports the DNR's decision to place a slot limit on this section, saying doing so was good for the smallmouth fishery. Another particular characteristic of this float is the existence of manmade islands. These islets were created in the middle of the river and provide valuable fish habitat. This float is known for producing 14- to 18-inch smallies.

Five rapids dot the Caldwell junket, all of which are Class Is and typically offer little difficulty. The exception, of course, would be during high-water conditions -- which on any river can play havoc with the normal degree of difficulty of rapids. The major rapid during high water is the Whitcomb, which can become a Class II. This rapid occurs at the C&O Railroad bridge.

When you near the Ronceverte take-out, which is at the town's Ronceverte Island Park, you must pass through a channel on far river left. This is because of the existence of a rock dam. The take-out lies on river right about one-fourth mile down from the dam.