Rapidan Nymphomaniac

Mature brookie from a Rapidan Pool...the sharp prince bit me

"Now I'm very happy" James exalted with a warm laugh as he worked a lively 7 inch brookie to hand in a chilly pool on the Rapidan.  We'd been working prince nymphs under indicators all morning as it never warmed up enough for a winter hatch (as I thought it might).

Nymph of choice in sizes 14 and 18

We hit the water at the Ford downstream from Junction Pool at 0845.  With the air temp at 38 and the water at 43 it was slow fishing until a 90-min activity spike at 1000 which corresponded to the sun finally reaching the river as it penetrated the deep valley. We fished for 4 hours and made it almost back to Clifford as we concentrated our fishing on the deeper holes in this classic stretch.  The fish were wary but those that chose to play were beautiful several kype-jawed with deep rich color.  A great day on the river with  total of 15 brought to hand.

James Stalking a Pool

Sun shines on a cold little trophy

Prettiest brookie of the year

50/50 underwater pic

Icy cold beauty

Winter Nymphing on the Rapidan

Brilliant Colored Brookie

Fritz and I were determined to get out on the river and even though it was cold we (thankfully) were not dissuaded. We met in Calverton and rode Clifford out to Criglersville.

We drove all the way up the hollow to the cul-de-sac parking lot for the upper Rose River and then headed to the Rapidan.  We stopped at Junction pool and geared up as quickly as we could the temp was 35 and a might breeze was moving down from the ridge from Fork Mountain. Our plan was to reply on nymphs and Fritz started with a large dry as an indicator, I went straight to foam indicator and tandem nymph rig with both a bead-head hares ear trailed by a smaller prince nymph. 

Fritz stalks up a cold run

With many layers to keep us warm we headed down the horse trail for until we came to the ford.  Fritz worked the ford-pool while took and I checked the water; 43 degrees, just warm enough to be workable.  It had rained pretty significantly over the weekend, the water was clear but fishable as it tumbled down the mountain.

First Brookie of the Day 

Our plan was to target the back-eddies of the deeper pools knowing that the fish would be relatively dormant waiting for a meal to swirl in their direction.  We were challenged by the fast moving water which put a premium on good casts in order to keep our indicators in the backeddies lest they be washed quickly down stream and out of the strike zone.   We both broke out in big smiles when the first trout struck a dropper about 20-minutes into hypothermia.

Fritz works a small hideaway behind those rocks

 The fishing remained slow and steady as we rock-hopped the prettiest pools in the Shenandoah for about 4 hours.  We both missed strikes we were aware of and probably missed many more we couldn't sort out from the turbulence of the water. 

Prince Nymph Brookie

After bringing 10 fish to hand I got a rats nest knot and we decided to call it a day.   We had fished 3/4 of the way back to Clifford and enjoyed the heater when we returned. 

Brookie recovers on the cobble after being caught and released

Fish on for Fritz in typical pool

 

 

 

 

 

Hazel River

37 degree air temp doesn't bother trout much but its pretty tough on fisherman.  John Caldwell and I had planned to fish today and alittle cold wasn't going to dissuade us.  We certainly fished and explored the beautiful Hazel River, it was catching that eluded us. The Hazel is obviously named after someone's great aunt and is located about half way between Old Rag Mountain and Sperryville, VA just off Rt 231.

Driving over the Hazel on 231 it doesn't look impressive but looking West, there's enough depth to the hollow to know that there should be some trout up there. We suited up just off the corner of Rt 600 and Horseheads Ln and headed up the hikers easement/driveway to the SNP entrance.   This is beautiful country with small secluded streamside homes reached by wooden bridges over the river.  It was the kinda cold that makes knit tying a challenge and where an exposed hand quickly finds a fold in your shirt to get out of the biting wind.

The pools and runs were beautiful and we decided to walk upstream of Sams Run which follows in from the left before we approached our first hole.   John did a great job as he hadn't flexed a long rod in a long time a managed, cast, drift and line management very well, no easy task in the cold in this tight high gradient river.  Where we started, the Hazel has about as much flow as the upper Rapidan by the cabins with a bit more gradient.

In most situations we fished 'upstrairs' standing in one pool and casting into the one above.  I understand the trout population in the Hazel isn't what it is in the Rapidan but cold streak we're mired in kept them out of sight and inactive for the three hours we explored the river.

I'll come back here, hopefully John can come again, and fish this same section again and make sure I pull a few brookies from this beautiful stream.

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

Rapidan River: Ford to Junction Pool -- so good

I was reminded this weekend that it's important to smell the roses along the way and today's outing to the Rapidan was one of those days when the roses smelled really good.

Today's starting point the Ford below Junction pool

As chilly, windy and dour as it was yesterday, today the wind was mild the late fall sun warmed your back and the November colors on the river were splendid.  Bryan and I met along 28 and arrived at Junction pool at 0830.   My favortite stream was running low so instead of heading upstream to my normal stomping grounds we parked at Junction pool and headed 13 minutes down the horsetrail to the ford. 

Bryan works one of the beautiful pools

Scott and I had only fished this section once together and I was curious to get back.   The larger pools in this section are worth the walk if you're just looking for beauty...and who isn't looking for beauty coming from
NOVA traffic jams.  We began fishing at 0900, the water was 48 degrees and chilly from the night, but as the sun rose it warmed the top layer and the bite improved. As Bryan and I leapfrog-fished we made some interesting observations.  

Does it get much prettier than this?

The fish were dispersed in the relatively low, cold water instead of stationing themselves in the more oxygenated runs as they do when the water is warmer and consequently holding less oxygen.  The trout, and there were alot of them visible today, rose slowly from the bottom and then slurped the dries at about 45 degree angle to the surface, there were very few aggressive side-strikes. 

Gin clear water let us see many of the trout we caught like this one for Bryan

This made it very hard to hook these brookies as more often than not we'd pull the fly from the trout's mouth rather than relying on the trout's 'turn' to help set the hook in its jaw.  This sort of slurp-take Bryan found reminiscent of PA trout hitting sulphurs...that same sort of very gentle strike.

I began fishing a dry-dropper tandem but after only catching one trout on the dropper I followed Bryan's lead and went with a solo dry.  Grey and purple parachute adams as well as #16 elk hair caddis all produced equally well. The key to catching today was patience and high-sticking to facilitate an unencumbered drift in the deeper still water.  If you could keep your fly dragless -- the brookies, large or small would eventually slurp. In keeping with the best of days I caught my biggest brookie an 11-12 incher in the upper part of Junction Pool with my last cast of the day.  My total to hand today was 19 and I suspect Bryan caught about the same.  A great day on the water.   Fritz, Jacob, Scott and James I wish you had been here too.

Typical small brookie for today

Camouflaged in the fall leaves

Bryan with a nice broookie in gorgeous pool

OK -- so this one was small but I needed a picture!

#16 Elk Hair Caddis was a winner today

 

 

Trout Scout Fish Kill Creek, Ithaca, NY

I threw both my 7wt switch and 3 wt in the van when I packed for Emma's unofficial trip to Cornell this past weekend hoping that I'd get a chance to wet a line in either Fall Creek as it cut through Ithaca or Enfield Creek just south of the Ithaca on Route 13.  After a long but great day I lay my weary head to sleep in Horseheads, NY and I didn't think that I'd be up for fishing in the morning. I had to be back at Cornell for a meeting at 1100, but as morning dawned my spirits were rejuvenated and I was off.   I'd checked out Fall Creek the day before and didn't see any anglers which told me that the river-sized creek (and gorge) was GORGEOUS, but hadn't been stocked recently.  

I set my sights on Enfield Creek which my e-snooping indicated was stocked with browns and rainbows and may have brookies in its upper reaches.   Finding Enfield Creek was easy, its located in Robert Newman Park on Rt 13 just inside the Ithaca town line.  Enfield Creek looked promising, rocky bottom with a decent flow as it cut through the bedrock so I pulled into the ranger station for free advice.   The ranger, knowledgeable and happy company,  let me know that they'd recently done a water survey and hadn't found any brookies in Enfield Creek but that there were both stocked and hold-over browns and rainbows.  Normally I would have tried my luck for either, but as I'd brought up brookies he showed me a feeder creek (Fish Kill Creek) he thought held brookies in its upper reaches.  With good directions and a fresh cup of coffee I made my way to 'Lucifer Falls' where Fish Kill Creek joins Enfield Creek with directions to hike up a trail astride Fish Kill Creek for .5 miles before I started prospecting for brookies.  Problem: Lucifer Falls (the bottom of Fish Kill Creek) was too beautiful to pass up so I spent my 45-minutes fishing time working the lower portion of the creek, scaling mid-sized waterfalls and looking for pools.  

I found my first trout in a 20x30 plunge pool as a small fella came up and swirled on my 16 Adams, but never struck.  I suspect it might have been a brown as I couldn't cajole another strike pool after repeated good-presentations.  I continued upstream and found a half dozen trout ranging from 5-7 inches in a long 2-4" deep cut-bank-hole, but as I spooked them and their lair was protected by a cast-catching overhang I couldn't get them interested in my offerings.  With time expiring and Emma waiting for me I turned tail to get back to Cornell.  There are obviously fish here, brookies I suspect, and if and when we come back to the area I'll hit this again.  Next time I'll walk up the Finger Lakes Trail which starts on the backside of the Old Mill and begin fishing the first pool where we I had a strike them prospect upstream from there.

First Trout of the Season on Dry River

Fall Colors compliment a Dry River Brookie

After being thwarted fish-wise in our annual expedition to the Salmon River I was itching to get back on the river and actually bring a fish to hand.  I might have been able to get one more trip smallmouth trip in but the crisp mornings and changing colors beckoned me towards my favorite quarry, native brook trout. 

We started out Dry

Since Scott introduced be to Dry River in 2012 I've fished it 5 times and have always enjoyed myself.  In terms of trout population and accessibility if there's a better stream in Virginia I haven't found it yet.  To recap, Dry River has its humble beginnings as tailwater discharge called Skidmore Fork from Switzer lake high up in the George Washington National Forest on the VA/ WV state line just south-west of Rt 33 about 20 miles west of Harrisburg, VA.  Its fishable for more than a dozen miles from the dam-spillway through Rawley Springs before it disappears into an aquifer (hence its name "Dry River") and then re-emerges and is known Beaver Creek West of Harrisonburg, VA. 

Juvenile Brookie in his element

 The Dry (Skidmore Fork) has some steep(er) gradient as it falls from the dam but by the time it parallels route 33 which it does for the majority of its easily accessible flow, its reminiscent of a Pennsylvania valley stream rather than a Blue-ridge-type high gradient plunge pool run. My favorite place to fish Dry River is parallel to the last straightway on Rt 33 before the first switch back as 33 begins its climb into the GW Forest.  James and I each took a day of leave and headed out the well-worn trail, 234 to 66 to I-81at 0545.  We arrived around 0820, sandwiches packed and ready to for a full day on the river. 

James working a small tail run

 It was rainy and blustery as the first copper-colored leaves floated down around us.  I was VERY happy to see that we were the only ones in the area as I was fearful that we might find hunting season in full swing. James chose his 3wt 3-Forks (a great value small stream rod) while I test drove a new 3/4 wt fiberglass rod from Eagle-Claw.  I tried to buy a Cabelas CGR, as I'd read great things about its full flex/slow action, but I couldn't find one other than on eBay which sold for 4 times its list price.   This rod got good reviews and for 30.00 it was worth a shot.  We walked east down 33 picking up some garbage and dodging traffic and turned into the forest about 200 yards East of where Scott and I had turned in on our first trip.  

All trout returned to be admired again

After some challenges in the briers we found the Dry River running at very low pool even though it was raining quite hard at the time.  The Dry here is characterized by a small central channel with much of the upstream flow dispersed by a bog-forest.  There are many down trees and it's not uncommon to hide behind a tree and snap-flick a fly into a small pool or run.   We had a few fry hit in the bog, but it took till the stream defined itself upstream of the bog for James to land the first trout of the season in a pool nestled in a undercut bank.  The smile on James face was worth the trip as he brought the feisty little brookie to hand.  We continued leap-frog fishing and I began to pick up small brookies along the way.   

Hot hole for James against far bank on left

All the action seemed to be on the surface so we removed our nymph-droppers as the tiny trout battled the rain drops to hit our drys with abandon.   My catch rate was probably 1 out of 5 strikes...lots of fun but relatively low catch rate.  After a period James changed over from his standard tan caddis to a # 16 Parachute adams and his strike rate improved as well.  Lots of rain, not driving but steady and a sandwich later found us ducking under the make-shift bridge around 'Dry River Road' and at the lake pool which in my mind begins the next segment of the Dry before tapers off to the right and the main flow continues to the left (Skidmore Fork).  James Concentrated on the lake while I fished upstream making long slow casts into the defined channel on the left before the next set of riffles.  The Lake was very good to James as he caught a half dozen brookies lurking in the 4-foot deep pool along the bank.  Each was a jolt of joy as it rose to the surface and slapped his adams on the surface.  At one point James yelled up to me, "Hey, this trout fishing is fun".  We continued up the Dry for another 2 hours and the strikes slowed to a trickle I think I caught 4 more.  Wet, tired but happy we bushwhacked back to Dry Rover Road and Clifford to end the day.

Kyped jawed brookie

Fall Colors on the Dry River

Cold, wet, tired......Fish on!.... he's content

20+ trout later...If you can buy one fly ...let it be this one