Semper on the Fly: Lower Rapidan Wild Section

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Lower Rapidan Wild Section

James and I decided to get a head start to the weekend and when we learned that Henry couldn't make the Gunpowder we decided on the lower portion of the upper Rapidan. The lower portion, in my reckoning, is the first section above the stalked section where there's cold enough water year round to harbor naturally reproducing brookies. My sense is that this begins where the Staunton River enters the Rapidan from the SouthWest (or left) a 12 minute walk up from the end of road cul-de-sac at the End of Graves Mill Road.

Here's where the Staunton comes in from the left we started fishing this pool immediately to the right, James with a 3-wt and I was armed with a heavier TFO 8' 2-wt up-gunned with new 3-wt line, and yes it cast like a dream. The sky was blue and the air temp would creep up from 48 when we started through 68 when we finished, the water flowed true at 48 all day. We fluttered our normal selection of dries and droppers and picked up a few, but the strike rate was low initially with the exception of little river shiners that inhabit these lower pools. The river, inhabiting a wider valley to start, was less channelized and generally shallower with less tree cover. It was drop dead gorgeous and we named new pools along the way...Long pool, Big Rock Pool, Hidden Pool,

Note: Shallow terrain (and river)

James works a cast up long pool

Standing just upstream of James' position in the Photo above was this large brookie finning in the cobble

See brookie dead center facing 1100

The fishing rate picked up as the sun rose in the sky prompting a small size 26 hatch of flies, as the elevation increased and pools deepened and when we decided to float elk hair caddis w/o droppers, this combinatyion of factors made the last 2 hours of fishing worth every advil. My goal for today was to make it to the Ford 13 minutes below junction pool and as we approached. Now for some brook-char.