A Quick Trip And 1-1/2 Fish Caught

It was time to get out of Dodge. For various reasons my wife and I haven’t had a chance for a road trip, no matter how short, for over two years. So, we made plans to meet up with my wife’s sister and her husband to spend a day fishing Mossy Creek in the Shenandoah Valley. Then we had planned to drive to the eastern part of Virginia and spend a couple days just relaxing. But with Hurricane Dorian moving up the east coast we decided to just fish. So, getting caught up with the relatives would be condensed into a few hours. In the end, only the fishing was quiet. But that’s not unexpected as fishing a spring creek like Mossy will humble many a fly fisherman, as I found out by the end of the day.

Rays of sun highlight the grasses that are a characteristic of spring creeks.

Wary trout will use the grass as cover.

(Click on the image for a larger view.)

We’ve made this trip about a half a dozen times and know what to expect. The problem I run into is most of my fishing is done in the Lake Erie tributaries targeting steelhead and smallmouth bass. Whether I’m throwing a streamer or popper I don’t worry about accuracy. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying to be accurate but If I aim for a spot a foot from a downed tree and get it two feet from the tree I'm satisfied. Besides, I’ve caught fish when making a bad cast, and not caught fish after putting the fly exactly where I wanted it to land. So why worry? But every time I fish Mossy I find out the hard way that without accuracy and a good presentation I’m not going to catch many fish on a spring creek. OK, call me a slow learner.

Trying to place a hopper a few inches away from the opposite bank.

As you can see there are some prime lies on the opposite bank for the trout to sit.

If only they were hungry.

Early September is usually prime terrestrial season. Ants, beetles, hoppers and crickets were all over the vegetation, and the trout should be looking up for a good protein meal. In addition, tricos were swarming above the water and a spinner fall was a couple of hours away. With all that protein available the trout should feel like we do after a Christmas dinner. And I think their bellies were full, as it was a very slow day on the water. We had to work hard for every one of our hookups.

Brian Trow, our guide for the day, and I were fishing a stretch of the creek and noticed a few rises upstream against the far bank. We made our way upstream and I began throwing a hopper against the bank. After a couple of good drifts right over the trout without any movement to inspect the offering we switched to an ant pattern. Again, after a couple of drifts with no movement we made another switch, this time to a small trico. Again, no reaction from the trout. At about this time Brian noticed another rise about 25’ upstream. So, we left this fish and moved upstream figuring if we left it alone for awhile it might start feeding again.

Needless to say moving upstream and casting to the rise was a repeat of what we just left. A couple of fly changes with no activity. In my mind I’m thinking that I am putting the fish down by some sloppy casting. Brian, ever the optimist, disagrees and believes we just haven’t found the right meal. Another change that included a nymph dropper still did nothing to move a fish. So very frustrating.

After a short break we made our way downstream and began to fish a stretch of water with some overhanging vegetation on the opposite bank. Remember that accuracy thing I mentioned earlier. This is when I had to bring it. Finally, after a few casts I dropped a cricket pattern under the branches. Good drift, nothing. Another cast and I get hung up on the branch. I wasn’t having any luck freeing the fly so Brian took the rod made a few moves and the fly dropped off the branch. He then made a short cast to straighten out the leader and handed the rod back to me. Just as I’m about to make a backcast a trout hits it. After a short battle we bring to hand a nice, 10” brown trout. Brian and I both shared a laugh over this as it took a snagged fly and a short cast to straighten out the leader to land our first fish of the day. Laughingly, we both took ½ credit for the catch, and with that the skunk was off.

We moved to another spot and noticed a fish feeding right off the bank on our side of the stream. This presented a problem. I was now going to try and land the fly by the bank using a reach cast. I’m a right-handed caster so casting upstream against the bank brought the vegetation into play. To get a good drift I had to make the forward cast and then reach toward the water so the line would land there. First attempt worked fine but the fly landed too far from the bank. The second attempt put the fly right by the bank. A brief drift was interrupted by a rainbow inhaling the cricket. After a brief run and an aerial display the rainbow made it to the bottom of the net.

A lot of hard work went into catching this rainbow.

It was fooled by a cricket.

That flurry of activity capped off an interesting, challenging and frustrating day. But it was still fun, and I’d do it again tomorrow. It may make me a better fisherman.

Another day comes to an end in the Shenandoah Valley.

This image was captured by my wife from the top floor of our hotel.

Go out and fool a fish!

A Wet Fishing Trip In The Shenandoah Valley

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!

Road Trip To The Shenandoah Valley

This past week my wife and I made a quick two day trip to fish Mossy Creek in the Shenandoah Valley. Mossy is a beautiful spring creek in the valley with a good population of wild brown and rainbow trout. We’ve fished it only a couple of times in the past, usually in the springtime when we could be fishing anything from streamers to dry flies. But, being mid-August we knew the weather and flows were ideal for dries and terrestrials. Being from northeast Ohio I do not get to fish for wild trout so making trips like this ramps up my excitement.

Weed beds make for interesting fishing. Keeping a fish out of there-a challenge.

(Click on image for larger view.)

A beautiful spring creek in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.

It seems that when I take a road trip the fishing starts at 2:00AM. After getting four hours of sleep I inevitably wake up and begin anticipating the day, often envisioning holding a nice rainbow or brown caught on a dry fly. Then questions will begin to crowd my brain. What’s the water going to be like? Are the fish going to be feeding? Will there be some risers? This lasts until I nod off around 4:00AM and get in another hour of sleep.

We met my sister-in-law and her husband Art, the man responsible for my fly fishing addiction. Shortly thereafter Brian Trow, from Mossy Creek Fly Fishing arrived and it was off to the creek. Gearing up we received some bad news. Brian mentioned that the hex hatch arrived on the creek a week or two early, and the fish had been gorging on them at night, so the fishing may be tough early on. That was an understatement.

A landing pad for damsel flies.

We saw some fish feeding but they were very selective. Brian and I were watching a brown feeding under a tree while Art drifted fly after fly at him. The fish would follow his fly, turn away, then snack on something else seconds later. Later in the day, Brian and Art change flies multiple times at another brown. The fifth one did the trick but the fish quickly broke off the 6X tippet.

About mid-morning Brian noticed a few hex’s hatching so he tied on matching pattern and I made my way up a pool. Right at a shade line we saw a riser. On the third or fourth drift a rainbow came straight up and sucked in the fly. This was the moment I was waiting for. Fishing with 6X probably for the first time, I set the hook just like Brian instructed me to earlier in the day, quick but not forceful. Seeing the fish take the fly, then watching it run downstream about 20 yards, was a great feeling. The rainbow jumped, the splash sounding like a belly flop off a diving board. That fish was thick. Then it came straight at me and stopped dead. Brian said the fish went into the weed bed trying to shake the hook. For almost a minute there was no movement. I kept steady pressure on the line but couldn’t tell if the fish was still on. Finally the fish made a move, splashed on the surface, and went back to the weeds. At this point, Brian went into the water and with the stealth of a heron got the net under the rainbow, and in one movement scooped it up. That was fun, and thanks to my wife, most of it captured on video.See the end of the post for the link.

Casting a hex pattern to the shade produced a nice, spring creek rainbow.

Brian midstream with a rainbow and five pounds of moss in the net.

The fruits of our labor.

Unfortunately, that was all the action we would see. We just caught the creek on a tough day. Still, I won’t complain. I learned a lot (practice casting), and did manage to land a nice rainbow.

A final shout out to my wife and her sister. They endured an extremely hot day so Art and I can feed our passion.

The day started with blue skies and fair weather clouds.

It ended with storm clouds.

Enjoy the pictures and the video.

Go out and fool a fish!

Spring Fly Fishing In The Shenandoah Valley

Family…Trout…Springtime. It’s turning into a nice tradition. For the past five years my wife and I have been fortunate to mix family and fly fishing with annual spring visits to the Shenandoah Valley. We spend a couple days with my wife’s sister and her husband. There’s nothing better than a day fishing some of the best trout streams in the valley with family, followed by a day or two getting caught up on our “busy” lives. Since this is a blog about fishing I’ll leave most of the family stuff for another time or place.

Any fishermen who makes plans for a trip well in advance knows that weather is the one key element that is out of their control. Plans made in December for a May fishing trip are subject to short term weather patterns. To overcome a weather issue we usually make two or three dates a week apart in case the streams are blown out. As the day of the trip approaches I’m continually looking at forecasts and radar as well as trading emails with Art, my brother-in-law, to determine if the streams will be fishable. This year tested all of us at some point.

Beginning in late April it rained in the Shenandoah Valley almost every day. From what I’ve learned, the trout streams seem to handle the rain well but the method of trying to fool the fish changes. Higher water will bring a stain to even the clearest streams, and streamer fishing may be the only option, as hatches may get interrupted. Sure enough it was raining the three days before our scheduled date. The last report I received was the streams will be fishable. So, we packed the car and drove from Cleveland to Harrisonburg, Virginia. Now, that is a big first step because there’s no turning back. It’s like saying “we’re fishing come hell or high water”. Driving into Pennsylvania it started raining, and didn’t stop until we got to the hotel. One last email exchange with my brother-in-law updated us on the weather. He said the forecast changed, and the low pressure was going to hang over the area, bringing more rain during the night. He and my sister-in-law were going to make the trip early the next morning from Williamsburg but the thought was we would have to be very lucky to fish.

Clouds hung around for most of the morning, but at least it was dry.

(Click on image for larger view.)

We met at Mossy Creek Fly Shop the next morning, and Brian Trow, our guide, and owner of the shop (along with his brother, Colby), checked the USGS site for the latest flow report. After reviewing the site it was decided that we would drive to the stream, get an up-close look and determine whether to fish it or not. Brian knows Smith Creek like no one else, having fished and guided there for a number of years. Smith is a classic limestoner, and handles higher flows well. Looking at the water Brian said it’s a go. We would fish a few holes to see how the action was. If it wasn’t producing we would make the trip to Mossy Creek. I’ve fished Smith about four times and each time the water was low and clear. This time it was up about a foot with a little stain, so, it was going to fish differently. It was going to be a streamer and nymph game. There were a few tricos in the air, and later some sulphurs showed up, but the topwater feed never materialized.

Smith Creek was elevated with a slight stain. 

Brian's trying to get me to cast to the opposite bank and let the current swing the streamer through the pool.

With overcast skies to start, fishing on Smith was tough. I managed one strike in the first pool we tried but missed the hookup. Moving to another pool didn’t produce any fish. Finally, moving further downstream I managed to land about a 10” rainbow. We were all hoping the fish were turning on.

The skunk is off as a small rainbow came to hand.

Mid-morning turned into late morning when I swung a black crystal bugger off a ledge. Midstream, another rainbow hit the streamer, and after several swipes with the net, landed it. Two casts later, swinging the streamer through the pool, I felt the tug again. This time I knew it was a stronger, larger fish. The fish took several runs up and downstream before a nice, 17” rainbow came to hand. A couple more takes and misses closed out my morning session.

This 17" ranibow put up a good fight.

Art worked several pools, also swinging a streamer. He did manage to hook into a nice rainbow but it ended up being a long distance release. Overall, the stream wasn’t as good as we know it can be. When Smith is on, you can get into double digits very easily.

Over lunch we had a discussion about what the afternoon will look like. Brian received a call from one of his guides saying that Mossy Creek was in great shape despite the recent rains. So, we decided to drive to Mossy.

Mossy Creek is a true spring creek. Brown trout thrive there. The stream is maybe 15’ to 20’ in width. Like many spring creeks, the vegetation creates channels. So, the casts need to target the edges and clean water. The browns will lay along the edges and ambush any food that drifts by. Also, like many spring creeks, Mossy is very technical. Clear water necessitates stealth, with upstream casts a must. The first year I started fly fishing we fished Mossy and I was overwhelmed. Truthfully, my casting sucked and I got blanked. Now, five years later I was fishing it again, so it was going to be another test.

 A beautiful stretch of Mossy Creek.

It was overcast with a little drizzle when we stated to fish Mossy, but it didn’t last long. The clouds parted, and it was full sunshine the rest of the afternoon. Not what we needed at this point. The fishing was slow. We were using size 18 and 20 nymphs under a PMX dry with no activity. I moved downstream, and Brian switched my flies out for a black crystal bugger. I began to dead drift it down a channel when a brown trout came out from the bank and nailed it. After a nice little fight I landed my first wild brown trout. That made my day.

My first wild brown.

There was very little action the rest of the afternoon. I think the trout were playing with us. I had one bump my strike indicator, and had a couple trout investigate my offering but none committed to it. Art was drifting a streamer behind a small boulder and a brown kept following it but it also never committed to it. That was it for the day.

Even this turtle had a tough day.

Overall, the fishing was tough but I learned a little more, and hopefully will be a better fisherman because of it. Can’t wait for a return visit.

Go out and fool a fish!

Here's a short video of the day on the water my wife put together. Enjoy.

The Lower Clear Fork River in Mohican State Park

Every spring and fall my wife and I make a trip to Mohican State Park in northcentral Ohio. It is a very popular park for hikers, campers, rafters, and fishermen. In fact, during the summer it is difficult to fish with all the rafters. We find that the best time to visit is while school is in session.

The part of the Clear Fork that flows through the park is considered the lower section, below Pleasant Hill Dam. Periodic releases can change the flow quickly, as we found out this last trip. When I planned our trip this past week the depth at the gauge was .75 ft. However, by the time we arrived there was a release that bumped it to 1.8 ft. That bump stained the water, and the fishing was not the best.

You can see from the photos the river has a lot of structure, good riffles, and deep pools. In fact, the lower could pass for a Pennsylvania stream. The river can get a lot of angling pressure, so the fish are wary. The most popular fishing spots are between the dam and the covered bridge. But for someone who will take the time to hike downstream, there are some very good spots that are less pressured.

Excellent structure will hold  fish.

(Click on image for larger view.)

A great run with good flow.

With a scene like this you could forget you're fishing.

Every fall the Ohio Department of Natural Resources stocks the Lower Clear Fork with brown trout. The brownies are found throughout the entire five miles of the river in the park. The park has a 12” length limit for any trout, so any trout caught right after the stocking will be released to be hooked another day.

In addition to brown trout, the river will give up smallmouth bass, bluegills, carp, creek chubs, and every once in awhile, a musky. It seems like a musky ends up in the river after getting caught in the flow when the gates are opened for a release.

Fly fishermen will have success using streamers, nymphs, and dry flies. The river can have some good hatches of midges, caddis, and mayflies. Last spring I had a good day drifting a Griffith’s Gnat on top. This past week, there were tan caddis everywhere, but no fish were rising.

This brownie fell for a Griffith's Gnat in the spring.

Summer will take a toll on the trout. Even though the river has good overhead coverage, the water warms to a critical temperature that is harmful to all but the heartiest trout. It’s a shame that something can’t be done to lower the temps, as the river could be a top trout stream. I don’t pretend to know all the intricacies of dam releases but if the Chattahoochee River, that runs through Atlanta, can hold trout year-round the lower Clear Fork should be able to.

Our favorite time to visit is during the fall when the leaves change from green to bright orange, red, and yellow. My wife, with her ever-present camera, takes care of the memories. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Go out and fool a fish!

An Unusual Day on the Clear Fork River

A couple times a year my wife and I make the two hour drive to Mohican State Park in Loudonville, Ohio. I like to fish the Clear Fork, and my wife brings her camera to capture the scenery and wildlife. In early June we decided to make the trip and little did we know how unusual the day was going to be. First, the fishing part of the trip.

Each fall in October, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources stock the Clear Fork with brown trout. The best time to fish it is either the fall or the spring, before the water warms too much, and stresses the fish. Mad River Outfitters gives periodic updates for the Clear Fork and they have reported that fishermen are having success in the lower Clear Fork that flows through the state park.

I hit the water around 7:30AM and started at the covered bridge. I tied on a dry-dropper, using a Parachute Adams with a Copper John dropper. The water visibility was good but there was little bug activity. The Adams was doing double duty as a dry fly and an indicator. As expected, the Adams didn’t have any action but the Copper John attracted a couple of sunfish. That’s okay with me but I was there to catch a brown trout as I had never caught one before. So I made the decision to move closer to the dam. That’s when things got interesting.

Making the half mile walk towards the dam I noticed some rises and few splashes. Maybe the Adams was going to get some action after all. Even the swallows were swooping in and picking bugs off. The problem I was having was in identifying what the fish and birds were going after. I waded into a run and continued using the Adams but after 15 minutes without any action I gave up on the dry-dropper.

Slightly frustrated I put on a small woolly bugger to see if I could fool something. Three casts in and I had a solid take but missed the hookset. As this was going on I was seeing rises and splashes all around. Next thing I know a voice in my head says “try a midge imitation”. So I ditched the woolly bugger for a Griffith’s Gnat, and found the pot of gold on the second cast.

Facing upstream I targeted the bubble line with about a 30’ cast. The first cast drifted back to me untouched. The second cast drifted about 10’ when something attacked it. I raised for the hookset and the rod broke. So here I am, midstream, holding a rod that no longer has the tip. Thinking the fish was lost, I reached for the broken piece and began to retrieve the line by hand. Pulling a few feet of line into my hand I noticed a tug. Unbelievably, the fish was still on the hook. I hand-retrieved a few more feet and realized it was a brown trout. Seconds later, I literally brought my first brown trout to hand. As for the rod, it is fully covered by Orvis, so I don’t have to worry about it. Fortunately I had a backup rod in the car and was able to continue fishing.

 Here I am midstream with a broken rod, hand reeling in my first brown trout.

(Click on image for a larger view.)

My first brown trout on a dry, with a broken rod. That will be a long lasting memory.
 (click on image for a larger view)

Now for the real highlight of the day. As I mentioned earlier my wife loves photography and has captured some great scenes. On this particular trip she also found a pot of gold. While taking pictures of the stream she noticed something moving over the rocks. It was something we had never seen before. It was small, sleek, and chocolate brown in color. Our first thought was it may be a weasel but after some research we realized it was an American Mink, which is in the weasel family. The unusual part was a mink is generally nocturnal. My wife took the photo mid-morning, so the mink must have had a late night and was heading to its den, which often times is near a stream. From the photo below it looks as though the mink stopped and posed for the picture.

An American Mink posing for a photo.

Go out and fool a fish!

Smith Creek Outing

Since I began fly fishing my wife and I meet Art and Ginny for a day on the stream. Chris’s sister, Ginny, loves to fish but on the trip she steps aside and I fish with Art while she and my wife get caught up. Art loves to fish spring creeks, and in the Shenandoah Valley there are several great streams. The ones we have fished are Mossy Creek, Beaver Creek, and Smith Creek. Each creek has a good population of brown, rainbow, and in some locations, brook trout. For the last couple of years we’ve settled in on Smith Creek and have never been disappointed with the choice. This year would be no different.

As with many fishermen who make plans months ahead, you never know what the weather will be when the day comes. Back in January we decided on a late April date, with an alternate date a week later in case of a weather problem. Needless to say the weather did become a problem as a storm dumped about 2” of rain on the area and the creeks were blown out. Fingers were crossed that the alternate date would be fishable. If not, we wouldn’t be able to fish together until September. After the storm the area was blessed with a week of dry weather, so the alternate day was on. Road trip!

On the day of the outing we all met at the Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Brian Trow would be our guide. We have fished with Brian before and he is knowledgeable, patient, and enthusiastic. Brian explained that since the rain the previous week, Smith Creek only starting fishing again a couple days ago. If today was to follow the last couple of days, the fishing would be slow during the morning and pickup after lunch. The rain had not only raised the levels of the creeks it also brought unusually cool temperatures, which kept the fish down until the sun could warm the water. How right he was.

Both Art and I fished hard in the morning, and earned everything we caught. Brian had me fishing a streamer with a dropper nymph. After no action we switched to a Clawdad and fished along the bottom. Finally we got to fool some fish, landing a couple of fall fish and hooking (and losing) a couple of rainbows. At least we found out what was working….until it didn’t. We all limped into lunch with only a couple of nice rainbows landed by Art. Listening to Brian at lunch talk about the rising temperatures and how he thought the fishing would pick up was a song we longed to hear. Boy, was he right.

Nice thick rainbow

After lunch Brian put me in a long pool and rigged my rod with a Golden Retriever and a pheasant tail dropper, all floated under an indicator. The streamer was used as an attractor with the nymph following. That was the ticket. For the next hour I moved through the pool landing a bunch of bows and missing a few more. Brian was indeed correct. Things really picked up not only for me but for Art as well. He settled in at a nice riffle upstream and had some good action. Brian, being the net man, got a good workout running between the both of us.

This was the scrappiest rainbow of the day.

The rest of the afternoon we both hit a few more pools and riffles picking up some rainbows and a few fall fish. In fact, I landed a stoneroller, which in Virginia is called a horny head because of the spikes and bumps on their head. That was a strange one.

All in all, it was a good day. We landed some good fish and missed many more. I don’t know what it was but we missed about as many fish as we caught. It was one of those days when I was a little late with a lot of strikes. Glad we learn from our mistakes.

One thing I learned is that using an 8wt the last six months fishing for steelhead doesn’t help when you pick up a 4wt and fish a smaller stream unless you practice. My timing was way off and it took about an hour or so to forget the feel of the 8wt. I don’t know if I would have caught more fish but I would not have struggled trying to make a cast.

Enjoy the photos and video. (click on photo for a larger view)


Go out and fool a fish!

 Smith Creek. Great fishing and scenery.

Susie Q Farm.

Working a pool. There are hundreds of fish in this pool.

Spring has arrived in the Shenandoah Valley.

Team T - W - Z

These hands have held thousands of trout.