The Confluence

Game on

For my first smallie trip of the season I decided to head to the confluence to swing some streamers for my 2nd favorite quarry.   James was happy see new water and we headed out at 0645.  After a mountain bike approach I stood with my left foot in the Rappahanock and my right in the Rapidan and surveyed the fish-playground of the confluence in front of me. The sun was high and hot, the water was running low and we found that the smallies were holding almost exclusively in the deeper pools and moving current.  I wish it were cloudier both for myself and the fishing (catching).  I fished with my tip-flex Access 6wt and re-reminded myself that I need to use a 6wt line with this stick as it needs some weight well beyond the tip to really load the rod.   It's really much more pleasant to cast this rod over 35 feet than it is closer-in. We fished counter-clockwise, across the Rapidan, down to the power lines, across to the north side of the Rappahanock and back to the camp site. I ended the day with 6 smallies but none longer than 10 inches, James caught a similar amount but had one beauty over a foot who jumped and ran on him and and put a smile on his face till his next trip.

The confluence as seen from the tip of the camp site.   Rapidan enters on the right, Rappahanock on the left.

At least these are fun to catch!

The real quarry -- a smallie takes a weighted streamer from Murray's Fly Shop

James with the confluence campsite on the point directly behind him

Smallies are great fighters -- Floyd Mayweather could learn something from them 

Tip Flex -- Fish on!