The mountains of Virginia are blessed with brooks and rivers that harbor rainbows, browns, and brook trout. Larger waters are excellent smallmouth fisheries, and red-eye bass can also be taken. Fishing these waters can be tricky, though. The rocky substrate prevalent in this part of the country makes difficult wading, and the small streams are overhung with lush vegetation of the kind that seems intent on snatching dry flies off tippets.
Fishing the New River and the Shenandoah River
While both the New and Shenandoah Rivers hold abundant fish, especially smallmouth, the river beds are unusually difficult to wade. Rock ridges lie under the water, roughly perpendicular to the water’s flow. These ridges are separated by deep grooves, so that the difference in depth from one step to the next is often several feet. A fisherman can stand on a ridge and cast, but any attempt to move freely is likely to result in a slide down the side of a stony underwater ridge, and probably a banged-up shin. Local fishermen warn of the dangers of wading these rivers, where more than one angler has drowned. The best way to approach these waters is from a small boat, raft, or kayak. Experienced Virginia fishing guide John Tipton says, “The big smallmouth and redeye are in there. If you tie up and fish those ridges, you’ll really have a good time.”
Fishing Virginia’s Trout Streams
An excellent guide to fishing for trout and smallmouth in Virginia is Harry W. Murray’s Virginia Blue-Ribbon Streams, (Frank Amato Publications, Inc., 2000). Murray, the proprietor of Murray’s Fly Shop in Edinburg, Virginia, has fished these waters and taught many anglers in his fly-fishing classes over the years. His book gives detailed information on finding and fishing the state’s best streams. The book’s only drawback is the map of Virginia that shows stream locations. Numbered areas on the map do not coincide exactly with road maps of the state, so it takes a bit of figuring to locate the streams. However, once the angler finds the place and arrives at streamside, Murray’s descriptions and advice are priceless.
Take the Right Tackle
The New and the Shenandoah are wide and mostly shallow. There is ample room for casting, and the big smallmouth demand rods with plenty of backbone. Recommended flies include large topwater poppers and good-sized hellgrammites and Woolly Buggers. The small mountain trout streams require the opposite in terms of gear. The lighter the rod and the smaller the fly, the better. Anglers will be successful on these streams when they slip up to the pools quietly and place delicate casts that will drift well with little or no mending. Roll casts and short side casts are a must to keep flies from getting snagged on the overhanging trees. Streamside and stream beds are rough and rocky, so anglers should be prepared for some demanding climbing and scrambling in order to approach the trout-holding pools.
Although fishing Virginia’s streams and rivers is not the easiest angling around, it’s certainly among the most rewarding. These are some of the greatest scenic places in the country, with green mountains and clear waters. Wildlife is abundant there, and even when the fish aren’t cooperating, fisherman can hardly fail to enjoy the birds, frogs, and butterflies that inhabit the areas. Mountain vistas make the drives to and from the water glorious experiences in themselves. A large part of the appeal of fly fishing is enjoying the beauty of the natural environment where fish are found, and Virginia’s streams and rivers are rich with such natural beauty. Even if the fish happen not to be biting, angling in Virginia’s mountain streams and rivers is a delightful experience, and the challenge of this fishing only adds to the satisfaction felt when a fish lies shining in the net.
Brenda Layman - I grew up in eastern Kentucky in a family that hunted, fished, hiked, and camped regularly. Although I moved to Ohio to become a teacher ...
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