North Fork of the Shenandoah Morning Adventure

Fritz and Jacob heading up from the Van to the put in ...Jacob's getting tall.

Thank goodness fishing is about more than catching, because there wasn't a lot of that Saturday morning on the North Fork of the Shenandoah, but it didn't matter in the least. The weather was crisp and cool in the Shenandoah Valley. The river was spectacular running clear at low pool and compared to the air warm, releasing a white blanket of mist which filled the tree-lined chunnel of the North Fork.  I was chilly when we rigged up so I stepped into my chest waders while Fritz and Jacob elected to wet wade.

a casting lesson...Jacob doesn't need much instruction!

The North Fork off Palmyra Church Road is clear and deceptively deep, beckoning another step as you attempt to cast to the far bank.  All three of us found that one more step....just another 6 inches....dropped off a foot soaking us and protecting the far bank from all but the best crafted casts.   I fished with a stiff 6wt to try to hit that far bank and Jacob and Fritz alternated between a medium spinning rod and Fritz' first fly rod a 9' 5wt which, with its medium flex, lent itself to a graceful casts.  Jacob has a really developed a nice stroke. 

Thankfully we ran into a school of these aggressive little fellas

I really enjoyed listening to the good natured banter as we chased sunfish and ungracefully stepped into deep holes searching for smallmouth.    Jacob and I finally found a bend which produced 7 small smallies in 10 cast and that was the bronzeback action for the day.  Interestingly, we tried all manner of presentations and the only fly to incite a strike was a brown bead-head bugger like the one on this picture.   We fished down to the low water bridge, around the island, along the cow field on the eastern bank and walked back up the muddy jeep trail to end a great morning.  On the way home we drove up Rt 11 to Strasburg soaking in the beauty of the valley and thinking about our trip to the Salmon river next Month....Bill get ready for us.