Big Time on Big Run

Sun splattered Big Run Brookie

 I love the Rapidan River and sometimes I wonder why I would ever cheat on her, but the lure of Big Run has been enchanting me for a year or two.  Big Run drains a large watershed on the western slope of the Shenandoah ridge and is accessible to the bold.  Access from the Shenandoah Valley is problematic because of private land and access from Sky Line drive requires a knee busting 3+ mile Switchback descent forecasting pain for the the return climb. Standing at Big Run Overlook looking to the west, the Big Run valley-drainage is a gunsight taking aim on the southern prominence of Massanutten Mountain.

James and I began our journey at 0545, met Fritz in Midland, Va., piled into the van and headed down 29 to Ruckersville where we turned West on 33 entered SNP and turned south on skyline drive to Big Run Overlook at mile marker  81.5 to begin our adventure. We geared up each of us quietly measuring the heft of our packs against the age of our knees. Fritz had purchased a nice topo at the Loft Mtn sundry so we had some navigational confidence as we stepped off. 

We descended Big Run Loop Trail and three (long) medium-steep switchbacks until we began crossing unmarked, unnamed, spring-fed feeder streams and then intersected with Big Run Portal Trail.  We followed the portal trail for another 2 miles until we reached our planned bivouac site in the vicinity of the confluence of Big Run and Rocky Run.  Its true that a pack and a long march hardens character and builds camaraderie.

Headwaters of Big Run

 The sound of the water, the bounce of the moss, and the majesty of massive sentinel trees provided rich amusement along the way. Enroute to the bivouac we had several adventurous stream crossings: rock-hopping, tree bridges and then when Big Run got, ...well....to big we just took off our hikers and wet waded.  It was increasingly hard to bypass the beautiful pools and runs as we got lower and lower in the watershed especially when we began to see trout flittering in the dappled sunlight of the big pools. This place is really special, the kind of place I feel content and fulfilled by the beauty of the river

James Rock-Hopping over an unnamed tributary

In retrospect we need not have knee-busted all the way down to the Rocky Run as the best fishing (the kind I like) is in the section upstream from Rocky Run and down stream from where Eppert Hollow Creek joins Big Run. This section is very similar to the upper Rapidan with continuous plunges, pools, glides and riffles for more than a mile and a half.

Fritz spied a gorgeous camp site on the south side of the river and as the sun had disappeared and a warm, wet breeze was moving up the river-valley we made our camp quickly, finishing as the first drops of rain began splattering.  Armored in waders and wading jackets the rain didn't bother us at all.

with no way to stay dry we went barefoot through the cold water -- Fritz and James

James making his way across the 6th crossing

Fritz, rigged up with a 7'6" Orvis 4 wt pulled two brookies from the pool beside our camp with a size 12 brown wulff pattern followed three feet later by a prince nymph dropper.  His catches forecast a good start to the angling day.  James decided to fish the beautiful water in the immediate vicinity of the camp and Fritz and I elected to walk down-stream for 10 minutes and fish back up to camp. As we headed down stream (back again on the Big Run Portal Trail) we crossed rocky Run and then met two BassPro Shop-clad fellas with spinning rods heading up the trail.

Rocky Run (right) joins Big Run (left)

  We said hello to their beautiful brindle cane corso and found that they intended to camp above us and fish above us.   We expected to see them again but never did. Big Run below Rocky Run is truly big for a SNP stream and I confess I tried to force small stream, pocket water tactics in water that was just too strong and turbulent for my approach. Fritz on the other hand adapted better and with his dropper 3 feet below his dry he swept/swung his dry-dropper across the deeper pools allowing his dropper to sink in his targeted seams.  I think he had 8 trout to my one as we moved back up the river.

4-Star accommodations on the bank of Big Run

I had markedly better success upstream from the confluence of the Rocky Run where the flow was much more conducive to my tactics.  We fished beyond camp looking for James and I began to pick up trout on both dry and dropper.  We turned around 200 yds upstream of camp figuring that James had back-tracked to camp as the sun set quickly in the narrow valley.

Both a Baetis and Caddis hatch was coming off the water, this is
blue wing olive mayfly that had landed on the brim of my hat

We found James back at camp, he'd caught 5 in the vicinity of camp while we were downstream. As Fritz and James began meal preparations I crossed Big Run and waded into the smaller Rocky Run until I found a willing volunteer to grab my dry so I could say I caught a trout on Rocky Run too.   I returned to camp with a smile on my face having brought 10 trout to hand.   I suspect Fritz had quietly caught 16-18.

tired but happy

We enjoyed the simple pleasures of clean water, hot food, good company, motrin and a camp fire until rain started spitting at us at 2030. 2100 found James and I hammocked in sleeping bags and Fritz on a bed of pine needles hoping that any neighborhood bears would start with our garbage bag before nosing into our sleeping bags.  It spit throughout the night and we all tossed and turned, sore but happy.

Fritz caught the first brookie of the adventure in the campside pool

Frtiz targeting a likely seam w a stealthy approach

First light roused us around 0600 and a hot meal, coffee and a tooth paste had us ready to go again. We broke camp and decided that our general plan would be for Fritz and I to walk-fish up stream and meet James who would fish at the stream crossings. Fritz and I looked funny fishing fishing with full kits on our backs, but after we adjusted our balance we were soon catching fish in the likely spots.

Matt -- pack on -- fish on!

James corrals a brookie he'd been stalking -- great fish

Both a baetis and caddis hatch was coming off the river, the sun was drifting through the trees and the fish were aggressive ...heaven on earth. We kept this up until about 1030 when we decided to change over to hiking gear and tackle the climb-out. 

Fritz heavy pack fishing

Good conversation and water stops took our mind off our knees and broke up the hike and we were all glad to see the rock wall defining Skyline Drive welcome us back to the top of the ridge line.  All things considered the hike was a challenge, but not as challenging as we anticipated and the fishing, scenery and camaraderie was great.  I'll be back to Big Run.

Sun spears heaven