Anything but a Dry River

Brookie au natural @ Dry River

Scott had explored Dry River several times, so on our way to West Virginia we decided to hit it together for a few hours.  Dry River is located a stretch west of Harrisonburg alongside Rt 33 in the George Washington National Forest before it ascends the first mountain ridge into West Virginia.  Where we fished it it’s actually a tail-water providing a baseline cold flow year-round. We fished a ½ mile in an upper section but there was at least another mile upstream of where we exited (towards the dam) and our suspicion is that that area (owing to its relative inaccessibility) must be great fishing.  We parked at one of the many cutouts off 33, Scott rigged his Orvis Superfine 7'6" 1 wt and I rigged my 2 wt rod and we trekked 100 yards through the woods to a marshy section.  Even though the surrounding forest was soggy, the stream was well defined and downed trees and heavy cover made for small pools and protected runs requiring planned approaches and delicate casts. 
We had fish on within the first 5 minutes.

The Dry at this point is not a Shenandoah style plunge-pool stream, but a heavily forested, gentle gradient stream 10-15 feet wide and 6-18 inches deep.   Throwing small dries and tiny droppers we began to pick up small, gorgeous, hungry native Brook Trout immediately. 

After experimenting, the best set-up was a size 16 Purple Parachute Adams with a  trailer 18 inches behind of a size 20 pheasant tail nymph.  Most of these water-color beautiful brookies were in the 3-5 inch range, but as we leapfroged upstream scouting for each other we  found larger brookies waiting in ambush. At one point as we stealthfully cast from bent knee I caught a 3-inch brook which was ambushed by a 12-13 inch brookie who materialized 5 feet in front of  me.  Scott and I both witnessed the splashing melee and will remember it as a treat worth the drive!  Throughout our 3 hours on the Dry we had multiple doubles and marveled at each turn as yet another pool or run awaited our flies.  Not sure when – but we’ll be sure to come back.

Without overstating the fact, the Dry River is one of Virginia's top native brook trout waters.