My wife and I finally had a chance to meet up with her sister, Ginny, and her husband, Art, to fish the Shenandoah Valley. We try to make the trip at least once a year, and our original date was in early June. Bad weather in the valley forced us to cancel that date, and tight schedules prevented us from traveling until the first week in August. The weather forecast for the day we were going to be on the creek was light rain, followed by heavy rain. But, it was now or never. We couldn’t reschedule again, so off we went and hoped for the best. I will never complain about time on the water, but best never showed up. You’ll soon see why.
When fishing the Shenandoah Valley there are several options for the type of water to fish. Mountain streams are close by so you can fish for brook trout. If someone is after smallmouth and largemouth bass there are several warm water rivers that hold some large fish. But if you want to challenge your skills, fish in beautiful surroundings with the opportunity to catch brown or rainbow trout, then you want to fish a spring creek. In the valley, Mossy Creek is the premier spring creek. Usually in early August you can have a lot of fun fishing terrestrials. Hoppers, beetles, and ants are the meal ticket to some great topwater action. However, our day on the water was anything but usual.
This a stretch of Mossy Creek that shows the channeling that will test your presentation skills.
(Click on image for a larger view.)
The day before we were to fish we arrived in Harrisonburg, VA late afternoon, and drove out to the public stretch of Mossy Creek. The creek is only eight miles long, and runs through pastureland. As you can see from the photos, in some spots Mossy is not very wide. Based on the sections I’ve fished, a cast directly across the creek will be no longer than 20’, give or take a few feet. Hero casts are not required, but bring your accuracy. I was able to fish about a hundred yard stretch, and I was tested on every cast. Truth be told, I’m used to the rivers of northeast Ohio, wide with a lot of room to make a backcast. Put me on small water with streamside vegetation taller than I am and I fold like a bad poker hand.
Not very wide at this point. The thick vegetation helps keep the creek cool and clear.
Mossy Creek’s water maintains an even temperature even through the hottest summers, as the spring continually supplies refreshingly cool and clear water. The thick riparian zone helps to protect the creek. The landowners have to be recognized for working with local groups and Trout Unlimited to maintain the streamside vegetation, and of course, allow access.
Another thing visible from the pictures is the vegetation in the water. Spring creeks are so nutrient-rich that vegetation grows quickly. It’s one of the characteristics that give spring creeks their charm, and forces a fly fisherman to bring their “A” game. The trout will sit in the channels or at the edge of the vegetation waiting for food to drift their way. But, the vegetation and current make it difficult to get a good drift. Attempting a cast that has to hit a target area about a foot wide with tall vegetation behind you will test your skills.
Finally, spring creeks are very clear. Trout will spook easily. Sudden movements, noises, or a false cast will put the trout down. The channels visible in the photos look cloudy but that is the creek bottom. Most spring creeks can fish well even after a rain event. But, at some point even a spring creek can become chocolate if the rain is unrelenting. Yesterday was beyond unrelenting.
Fishing the same spot a year apart. Shortly after the picture on the left was taken I had my only hookup of the day.
A sunny Sunday turned into a rainy Monday. We awoke to a gentle rain. My first thought was “this is doable”. Heading down to breakfast I passed the lobby and looked outside. It was raining a little harder. I still thought we would be OK. Packing the car required us to be in full rain gear. It was now raining a little harder. It was then that I thought we’re in trouble. A quick glance at the radar app showed a large area of yellow and red coming our way. We considered calling it off but decided to listen to what our guide, Brian Trow had to say. Brian is co-owner of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing with his brother Colby, and guides us on our trips. We have fished with Brian for seven years, and he is considered a good friend. He understands the weather patterns of the valley. We’d listen to what he had to say and then make a decision.
Brian met us and began to tell us that often the storms coming from the west hit the mountains and lose a lot of their punch. Brian mentioned that the steady rain we were experiencing could possibly let up by mid-morning. What really caught my ear is when he said these are the conditions that will bring out the biggest fish in the creek. Because the water will be stained, and cloud cover will keep the light muted, the big trout will become more aggressive. At this point I didn’t even feel the rain. We looked at each other and all of sudden the thought of calling it off went away. I guess we were all wondering which one of us will make the decision to go or not. I’m not that guy. I stand in 30° water dodging snowflakes, fishing streamers for steelhead. A little warm rain is nothing. So, we made the decision to try it. Unfortunately, little didn’t hang around long.
Fast forward to the parking lot and gearing up. Brian put on some of the biggest and darkest streamers he had in the fly box. Art, my fly fishing mentor, is a traditionalist. He is always looking to fish dry flies and terrestrials. Our time on the water was going to rough on him as he doesn’t like streamer fishing. I’m sure he went along because this was going to be my only chance of getting on Mossy Creek this year.
As we walked from the lot to the creek the rain began to pick up. Our first look at the creek showed a few inches of visibility. Maybe a few inches are all we need. Those few inches didn’t last very long.
After about an hour of swinging the streamers and hitting the banks I had a take. The fish immediately started violent head shakes and came to the surface. I had hooked a rainbow that was every bit as big as a grown steelhead. Unfortunately, I made a mistake with line control and the fish tossed the streamer. Just like that, the fight was over. Then it started to pour.
We eventually called it quits after about three hours. At the end Mossy Creek had turned to chocolate. We found out later in the day that during our time on the water 3” of rain fell in the valley. We tried our best but it was not to be. For me, our fishing excursions have been a series of memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Being with family and friends on the water cannot be beat.
Enjoy the photos and short videos. One video will give you a good idea of how hard it was raining. The other video shows the flowing vegetation that makes Mossy Creek a very technical creek to fish.
Go out and fool a fish!
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