[mikedameron]

Wife and I were on Philpott Res. yesterday with our kayaks. We paddled about 9 miles on the upper reaches of the impoundment and up the Smith River. The water was clean, the morning cool, and the bass were hitting on the surface. It's got to be one of the most relaxing places to paddle and fish. We basically had the place to ourselves, but did take out about noon when the "Boatniks" started showing up...but it was getting warm anyway. We were surprised by a mature bald eagle flying about 30 feet above the water.
I highly recommend the upper areas of Philpott for paddlers. The launch is off Union Bridge Road north of Fairystone State Park, west of Bassett, Va. It's free with plenty of parking. The area is to the right after the second bridge.