Note also that there will be some prescribed burns near Big Meadows and at the park headquarters on Rt. 211. This could affect things for you if you’re fishing places such as the upper Hughes River, upper Hazel River, the South Fork of Dry Run, Pass Run, Jeremy’s Run and possibly other places, all depending on the weather conditions. No word on when these burns will occur. Check www.nps.gov/shen or call (540) 999-3500 for more details.
A light week for stocked trout in Virginia. With all this great weather there may be more pressure on these streams than normal in February. Still, might be worth checking out Back Creek if you’re up for a drive…
President Hoover on a stream that is way too wide to be Little Hunting Creek.
On this Presidents Day holiday I tripped over this article about Trout Run, a property in the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland that is now for sale, $9 million asking price. This former presidential retreat and highfalutin “rustic hideaway” is very close to Camp David and was actually preferred by a few of our presidents due to its proximity to Little Hunting Creek.
Herbert Hoover, though he is known to have spent more time fishing at his camp on the Rapidan River in what is now Shenandoah National Park, was the first president to spend time here. Following him were Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower (although he reportedly preferred watercolor painting there more than fishing). Hoover, though, was the only real presidential fly fisherman to have visited:
He reported — “with a slight egotism!” — that only he, Teddy Roosevelt and Grover Cleveland “had been lifelong fly-fishermen before they went to the White House.”
I literally stumbled onto Trout Run last year on one of my Catoctin National Park area fishing explorations. I inadvertently followed Little Hunting Creek upstream until I was on the Trout Run property line, complete with a chain across the stream and a sign warning against further intrusion. I can tell you that even though I caught nothing there that day it’s a beautiful place. Is it worth the price? I have no idea, and fortunately that’s not relevant for a man of my means. But you — you may be more interested. Click on the first link above for more info…
Big big BIG week for trout stocking here in Virginia. Bullpasture, Jackson, Big Stony Creek, Passage Creek, Whitetop Laurel, North River… gives me goose bumps.
Albemarle Co.
Mint Springs Lake (Upper) (02/14)
Mint Springs Lake (Middle) (02/14)
Amherst Co.
Pedlar River (Below dam) (Delayed Harvest) (02/15)
I got out this weekend to one of my favorite streams in Shenandoah National Park. Since it was in the mid-fifties and has been for days, it seemed like it would be worth a shot to once again and per my standard practice SHUN NYMPHING and throw some dry flies, see how I’d do, then pick up some barbeque at Mr. B’s afterwards.
A trip like this involves quite a bit of traveling for the amount of fishing. I don’t live too far from the park but it was still nearly an hour drive each way for this stream. Part of that is due to the 35 mph speed limit on Skyline Drive and getting stuck behind weekenders there who dutifully obey it. Once I parked it was another 45 minute hike downhill and about an hour hike back out. So right off the bat, that’s nearly four hours out of the day just to travel to and from the water. I managed to fish it for about two hours. I could have stayed longer but had to get back home for some reason that seemed important then but I really can’t justify or even remember looking back now.
The fishing was awesome! Throwing dry flies and catching trout on the surface in the middle of winter is so much fun. I took a tip from my trip to Florida for redfish last month about sight fishing and decided to really try locating trout before just blindly casting to the seams and other good spots, like I typically do on small streams. I was pretty successful and managed to see many of the fish I caught before I even made the cast. This is a skill I’m going to try to make more of a habit, just slowing down a bit more and really trying to spot anything I can before making even that first cast.
So I fished two flies, both of which I tied in the past week. The first was a size 12 Adams “Wulff” I think I’ll call it. I am not a huge fan of tying feathers for wings on dry flies. It just seems like it’s not always necessary. I simply used some synthetic white yarn instead to make a split wing and wrapped it in a ton of brown and grizzly hackle. Seemed to float fine, cast well and fooled fish. Not sure I’ll go back to feathers for Adams style flies any time soon.
The hard working Patriot. Still looking pretty good after taking a couple fish.
After I caught a fish or two and the fly became soaked, I put aside my principles and drifted it under the surface. Yes, nymphing! I watched several fish rise off the bottom and slurp the waterlogged fly. The first few were with an Adams, the second batch with the soaked and slimed Patriot.
A note about wading in winter: I severely limited my wading in the stream on this trip, really just wading on the very edges of the water or on shelves of big rocks and boulders. I avoided walking on the gravel and free stone areas as completely as I could. The brook trout have just finished spawning and trampling through the streams, while never a good idea, is much worse of an idea at this time of year. If you do go be very careful. There are a lot of very small fish on the bottom and we don’t want to smush our future brook trout brood.
Nice pool in this stream, one of a bazillionThe release. Lovely colors on these fish!
My quest to catch at least one fish every month this year has begun. Preferably I’d like to catch a dozen fish each month. So far, I’m on track!
Hard to believe it’s January here in Virginia. Temps have been in the 50’s for days and the warm trend will persist well into next week. Last night I don’t think it dropped below the mid-forties. Go get ’em.
I would even be tempted to wet a line in the Shenandoah this weekend. It will not be fast fishing but with this long stretch of warmish weather it’s worth a shot in some of the deep holes with some heavy nymphs. It might be worth dead drifting a woolly bugger, or small Clouser minnow after this rain last night, too.
I am going out this weekend to catch my first fish of 2012. Only in the thirties for the highs this weekend? No problem. Like the Scandinavians say, “no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” And where to go? Might be Shenandoah National Park (and this weekend admission is free at all National Parks), might be near some power plant on a big river, or might be one of the places below.
This is a great time of year to fish for trout. Certainly the stocked fish are abundant (if you get there before they get taken) but also the trout are active so long as it’s not too cold. Murray’s Fly Shop reports hatches of midges coming off some streams this past week. Generally you can best find fish if you’re nymphing, a drawback bigger than the weather if you ask me, but it’s almost always effective. This cold snap is pretty new so our streams should still be above the dead cold that makes the fish really lethargic. And the best part is everyone else stays warm by staying home. I’ve often had entire streams to myself this time of year, depending on the stream. Notable exceptions like Passage Creek exist and will always have some folks fishing. I see a bunch below that are worth checking out…
Alexandria (City of)
Cook Lake (01/09)
Amherst Co.
Davis Mill Creek (01/11)
Pedlar River (Upper) (01/11)
Augusta Co.
North River (Upper) (01/10)
South River (Ridgview Park) (01/11)
Bath Co.
Jackson River (Hidden Valley) (01/09)
Bedford Co.
Liberty Lake (01/10)
Botetourt Co.
Roaring Run (01/11)
Dickenson Co.
Cranesnest River (01/10)
Pound River (Flannagan Dam) (01/10)
Russell Fork River (Haysi) (01/10)
Russell Fork River (Bartlick) (01/10)
Floyd Co.
Burkes Fork (01/11)
Fredericksburg (City of)
Old Cossey Pond (01/09)
Giles Co.
Big Stoney Creek (01/11)
Montgomery Co.
Craig Creek (01/12)
Poverty Creek (01/12)
Patrick Co.
Dan River (below Powerhouse) (01/10)
Prince William Co.
Locust Shade Park (01/09)
Rockbridge Co.
Irish Creek (01/12)
Rockingham Co.
South River (Grottoes) (01/11)
Scott Co.
Big Stony Creek(01/12)
Little Stony Creek (01/12)
Smyth Co.
Middle Fork Holston River (Marion/Chilhowie) (01/07)
See when the campgrounds, visitor centers and other facilities are opening this year at Shenandoah National Park.
