Great way to start off the New Year. I had never fished Big Stony Creek, near Edinburg, Virginia. I headed out there late in the morning and drove all over the place. There are several stocked sections that are signed, but much of the stream was iced over and actually looked a little low to me. I parked several miles upstream from I-81 at one of the stocked sections and spent a couple hours trying everything except dry flies — bead head nymphs, a BWO emerger, even a black woolly bugger. I even swam the bugger under the sheet ice through what looked like some pretty deep holes. I saw nothing. After enough of that I decided to head back.
After driving for a little while I passed a fishy looking spot further downstream and on a whim decided to give it a try. I caught this guy dead drifting a Copper John through a deep run. Only fish of the day, but a pretty one. Made it all worthwhile.
