Semper on the Fly: 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.