Hughes River Run

To lay claim to Brook Trout Water credibility (I’m working on it) in the Old Dominion State you have to have experience on a number of the better fished SNP blue lines.  Though I often find my way back to my comforting home waters of the Rapidan and Rose, I feel the need to explore and catch a brookie on the Hughes, Hazel and Moormans to feel better about myself (at least that's what I've told Jennifer). 

Looking Down the Hughes from the first crossing

With that in mind I was determined to out-hike pressure on the Hughes River and catch a brookie in its upper reaches on Veterans Day.   Other blog-posts and the recommendation from Mark at Orvis Woodbridge  were consistent…pass up the early water and just keep hiking!  James set out with me and we reached the lower parking lot for Old Rag off Rt 600 at 0830.  

We hiked up 65 minutes before starting to fish

 It was Veteran’s day so SNP access was free.  We walked .3 uphill towards the upper (old) lot, until we entered Nicholson Hollow Trail on the right. Entering the trail you’re on private property for .4 miles and quickly rock-hop across Brokenback Run then the Hughes a 100 yds further before entering SNP. Nicholson Hollow Trail then follows the East bank of the Hughes for a long way!   We climbed on the blue-hashed, well-marked and maintained trail for 2 Miles until it was joined by Hannah Run which enters from the right and drains the eastern face of Pinnacle Ridge. 

Suited up and ready to go

Others described Hannah Run as “pathetic”, but it’s dispersed in three branches as it enters the Hughes and I believe upstream, once it gets channelized, it might harbor deep enough pools to hold trout…a subject for a different adventure. We walked .3 miles above Hannah Run to the “No camping” post between the trail and river and made our camp.  The walk to this point had taken us 65 minutes.  

The Hughes here at 1250’ begins to be significantly pinched between competing ridges and is classic high-gradient, tight-quarters, boulder-strewn, run & pool SNP Brookie-habitat.  The wind was light, the weather sunny and 57.  The creek was flowing clear at mid-low pool at 48.  Perfect.  James and I both began fishing with 7’6” 3 wts drifting parachute adams trailed by size #18 bead-head droppers. 

I walked downstream to hit a few pools and promptly lost a fly to a branch snag before my first cast but this was a blessing.  As I re-tied streamside a flickering caught my attention. I looked down and saw a green, white and orange brookie finning on a cobble bed 3 feet to my right … a beautiful reminder to be respectful of the spawning beds in the Fall.  

My first brookie slurped my dropper on my 6^th cast.  James meanwhile had not yet begun fishing as he found a picture perfect pool and wanted to show it to me before he worked through it.  We continued leapfrogging up stream for the next 4 hours.   The fishing was steady but not fast, 80% of the trout brought to hand were caught on dropper-nymphs, very few top-water takes and even those were gently slurped from below rather than attacked from the top.  

Keep-em in the water all you can!

Both prince and hares-ear bead-heads in size 18 produced well.   At 1100 a light hatch of very tiny >24 flies broke out on the surface so I switched to size #18 pink attractor parachute with a #20 green zebra midge and had luck with that too.  At 1200 we reached a lovely pool above a ford where Nicholson Hollow Trail crosses to the West/ Left hand side of the Hughes.  At 1245 we decided to each catch one more fish and begin our walk back to Clifford. 

James at typically gorgeous Hughes River Pool

Deep pools even far up the river -- there's plenty of water up there

This actually worked well as we’d reached the top of (at least this) the channelized section and the river above had less big pools and a more dispersed flow than the section we’d just fished.  Our knees weary, but our spirits high, we walked 13 minutes downstream to our camp, changed over to hiking gear and walked another 50 minutes back to the hardtop. 

Matt at last major pool of the day...caught a nice brookie under log mid-pool left

At the bottom, working the returning Old Rag hikers was ‘Jumping Joe’ a local character-hippie selling hot apple cider and homemade jam so we filled up to end a great day on the river.  Bottomline: Great river if you have the patience to walk up and fish upstream of Hannah Run.   

Doesn't get prettier than this -- so get out and wet a line -- this brookie is waiting for you