The latest Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Outdoor Report has an item about a trout fisherman who, after catching his limit of stocked trout on Passage Creek, decided he wanted more. So he allegedly changed clothes and returned to the stream to catch more fish, thereby exceeding his daily limit and being charged with a violation of the state’s fishing laws.
If you want to fish Passage Creek and have never been there to do it (and will abide by the laws of the state), it’s a beautiful stream and worth checking out mid-week in the winter. Keep in mind that it is not managed like a wild trout stream. It is a put-and-take fishery, so the fish don’t last long… especially when people take more than their fair share. A good way to fish Passage Creek is to either park near the fish hatchery (see map below) and hike upstream, past the dam and into the deeper water. Another good option is to park at the Signal Knob parking area, cross the street towards the stream and fish upstream from there. I think that spot gets less pressure and I’ve caught what I believe are some wild rainbows in that stretch — I believe it because they were really tiny and they crashed a dry fly like eager brook trout. This was before last year’s long, dry summer so who knows what’s there now, and I haven’t been there since then.
