Semper on the Fly: Pohick and North Fork Weekend

The Brown water should have been my first clue!

My brother-in-law Henry was visiting with his family and we were determined to fish both Thursday and Friday. I planned on fishing for bucketmouths on the Pohick Thursday and smallies on Friday. We staged the jeep at Pohick Regional Park and as we slid the canoe in the upper Pohick it became apparent to me that I had miscalculated and the rain we received Wednesday afternoon had added 6 inches to the flow and clouded up the normally crystal flow. If the wind had been blowing we might have given up right there and gone for a sail but

with the air still we slid the canoe into the river with the hope that the water would clear downstream. This didn't seem like a problem as I was planning to begin fishing at about the half way point, but it did turn into an issue as we still had to walk the canoe down much of the river and, as those of you know who have fished the Upper Pohick, those stumps, deadfall and drop-offs are a menace when you cant see them! I won't count our misadventures and twisted limbs, but suffice to say I will NEVER walk down this river again when the water is soupy-tan

I think this is a wild vine-hibiscus

and high. The fish were also turned off and Henry ended up catching a sunfish and nice catfish in the snake-pool about 60% of the way down. We did find this gorgeous flower alone in a field of green on the bluff leading to the campsite. We floated from end of the snake pool to out to Pohick Bay and the water did clear up enough to let Henry stand in the bow and try to try to sight fish but the fish did not cooperate and we were soon in the hydrilla chocked bay heading back to the van. I have never seen the bay as chocked as it was Thursday and we had a rough time pulling our way through the high weed. I may hit the Pohick again this summer but I'll make sure that its clear and I have a plan to get out once I hit the bay.

Fortunately Friday was another story...once bitten thrice shy, I began the day checking the river gauges on the Shenandoah, they were a tick high, but stable and in the low range so we headed west to Edinburg in a light rain. My plan was to fish the North Fork off Palymyra Chirch Road but we decided to stop in Murray's Fly shop and I'm glad we did. Note: Always take local knowledge and if your in this neighborhood Murray is always happy to give it away free of charge. Murray suggested that we fish downstream from our planned put-in at the Hollings

standard shenandoah smallmpouth

worth Bridge in Woodstock, he said that if we did, the river wold be a few degrees cooler with the input of both Narrow Passage Creek and Little Stoneyman and this would make a difference. He also suggested that I swing dumbbell streamers down and across instead of going with my standard hopper-dropper combination. He said I needed to get deeper than the popper-dropper would allow. He was right. We put in as he suggested off East Reservoir road in Woodstock walked down a 100 yards and began to catch fish.

don't discount the river chubs!

Henry was armed with a light spinning rod and beetle-spin and I worked a 6wt and a selection of the Murray recommended flies I bought to thank him for his advice (support your local fly-shop). We fished down about .5 miles (not far) hitting pools, rapids, shady banks and all the likely spot. Any place with a cobble or rock bottom more than 3 feet deep held smallies as did the deep seams on the sides of outflows from riffles and rapids. We didn't count fish but we caught them steadily and the the majority of them were smallies with only the occasional sunfish and chub.

long casts needed or you'll be getting wet to reach the bank

We waited expectantly for a large bronzeback to bend our poles but it never happened, but the day was filled with those great moments when your best served to slow down and enjoy the river, the smallmouth and the company. We had a great time and I'll be back to this put in again.