Orvis Trout School on the Rose River

 Orvis Woodbridge hosted a one day Trout School on the Rose River this past Wednesday and I worked as the lead instructor & guide for the event.  Assisted by Trent Jones, the fishing manager from the Orvis Bethesda store, and John Ridley, a highly accomplished local trout fly fisherman, we instructed and guided 8 fly anglers for a day on the scenic Rose River.
The weather couldn't have been any nicer and with the Shenandoah Mountains in their full fall splendor, the setting was ideal for a terrific day on the water.

I had the pleasure of guiding for Bob B., Jim R., and Rick N., who all proved to be solid trout fishermen throughout the day.  We fished nymphs under an indicator, swung streamers down and across the stream, and drifted dry flies when we spotted some surface activity.  Everyone caught some beautiful rainbows.  Jim's top fly was a #6 copper on copper Kreelex I tied the night before, while Bob and Rick found success with a #14 Parachute Adams dry fly.  Check out some of their pics below.

Bob and Rick working the opposite bank for some holding rainbows.

Jim casting streamers down a swift moving riffle where he landed a couple of nice rainbows.

Fish on !
Rick with a nice hook up of a hard-fighting rainbow.

.... does it get any better? Rick holding a beautiful trout.

Bob was stalking a particular rising trout when it smacked his perfectly placed cast of a #14 Parachute Adams.

Rose River rainbows are hard fighting and beautiful as Bob discovered.







At the end of the day after the trout school was concluded, I grabbed my fly rod and went stalking of some big brook trout that I heard were in the river.  After finding a nice run that had trout rising to tiny mayflies, I tied on a #18 Parachute Adams and was rewarded this this beautiful male (notice the kype jaw) brook trout.

... what a great day!

... what a great sport!