Semper on the Fly: Shenandoah Afternoon

The north and south forks of the Shenandoah join around Strasburg, VA and form the Shenandoah river which flows 55 miles then lends its strength to the mighty Potomac in Harpers Ferry.

Shenandoah Ford West of Ashby Gap

The North and South Forks themselves are prime smallmouth waters, but today I decided to fish the main branch just north of Rt 50 west of Ashby Gap in the heart of Virginia's Horse Country. I've been reading about Bill Donovan of OSS fame and it turns out that he had a home just north of here in Berryville, VA and Gen. Patton had a home just east of here in Middleburg. I left the Pentagon at 1300, braved 66 West, turned north through gorgeous wine-country in Delaplane and then left/west on Rt 50 in The Hamlet of Paris.

1st bronzeback of the day on a green-sparkle bugger

I was on the water at 1430. I rigged my 5wt Access with a size 8 blue popper and grabbed a few buggers in case I needed to play under the water. Harry Murray's VA Smallmouth fishing report (a great resource) indicated the bronzebacks were hitting early and late on blue and white poppers so I stepped into the 100m wide Shenandoah with high hopes.

View from the bottom of the island looking north (oddly) downstream

This is also ground zero for Civil War aficionados and as stepped into he water I remembered that the shallow expanse in front of me was where General Jackson crossed his Brigade in the summer of 1861, boarded a train in DelaPlane and closed with the Gen Pope's union forces at the Battle of First Manassas. the water was clear and at optimal flow, I only found pan fish as I moved down to the island fishing the western bank.

Looking upstream island on right

I had forgotten how stiff my tip flex 6 wt is and it really needed to have 20 or more feet of line out (for the weight if the line) to begin to load the rod. For long casts this rod is great, but it lacks finesse for shorter and mid-length casts. I'll try a 6wt line on it next time. I picked up my first small smallie 1/2 way down the west channel of the island. The water was cool, clear and beautiful, but for some reason I don't have much luck on this western bank.

typical small smallie

I rounded the bottom of the island, walked through the shimmering grass and riffles and arrived at the wide section where you can cast 90 degrees into the shaded bank in 3-5 feet of water. The fish were holding in the shade along the bank and 50% of the casts (watch out for those guardian branches) into the shaded bank with a mend or two produced an aggressive strike. Every third fish was smallie and hand-size lunker sunfish hit both the popper and black bead-head bugger too. I had sorta forgotten how fun these summer smallies are until a 12" gave me an acrobatic display as I stripped him in.

Musta jumped 4-5 times! I'll take a river smallie any day over a largemouth. The bite slowed as the afternoon lengthened. My hot eastern bank was less and less shaded as the sun knelt to cast its last rays into its nooks. I suspect if I had stayed until the evening this stretch would have been red hot. See you on the water.