Western VA Trout Fishing with Will, May 2025

 Will and I had a few days to fish and I was excited to do a little sprimg trout fishing before the heat of the summer settled in and I was focused more on smallmouth and saltwater pursuits.

We chose three different water bodies including one in WV neither one of us had fished before.  I met Will at his house outside Richmond and we packed his Outback full of camping and fishing gear and food.

That's a lot of gear for just two anglers!  We made a pilgrimage to the Mossy Creek Fly Fishing store to stock up and then spent the rest of the afternoon hiking up to the Swisher Dam and fishing our way down the Skidmore Fork.

It seemed like the rain we got in Richmond and Hampton Roads didn't make it to this side of the mountains and with the water low, it was slim pickings.  

We both managed a few, with the fishing improving greatly when we fell back into the Dry River and Will found the magic nymph that started catching lots of fish.  We made our way in the dark to the Hone Quarry campground and found a spot.  We boiled water for dinner and as that steeped, we set up tents.  After filling our bellies, sleep came quickly.

We decided to switch up our itinerary and fish WV Friday to learn a new spot without the weekend crowds.  We broke down the campsite, packed up our things and hit the road early.

Passing through the ‎⁨Monongahela National Forest⁩, and the little town of ⁨Green Bank⁩, ⁨West Virginia⁩, ⁨we passed the Green Bank Observatory.  That did not look like a civilian facility to me!

At home, daytime temps were already dipping into the 80s with nighttime lows in the high 60s, so we were unprepared driving into WV with a 10 am high of 43 degrees F!  

We made it to the trailhead that provided access to the stream and hiked in about 45 minutes (through a lot of poisen ivy!) to avoid the most pressured sections.

We stopped at a deep pool and, even though we were told that the fish in this river we totally keyed in on bugs and would not take a streamer, I had to try.  I did get a follow and refusal on a kreelex but after 15 minutes of no other follows, I switched to one of the green drake imitations we purchased at Mossy Creek.

After about a half an hour, we started seeing these large boats (sulphurs) floating down the river and fish rising to take them. 

My first fish.

It was nice to tussle with something bigger than a Brookie; I love catching brown trout!  We worked this one pool and a couple pockets just above for several hours as fish kept rising even though we each pulled a number of lunkers out of it.  

Every time we though about leaving, fish would rise and we would cast to them.

The stream was very buggy with a couple different large mayflies, including green drakes, providing a steady diet to rising trout.

We were both having the times of our lives.

We each broke off some large fish using 5X tippet on 5wts, some real monsters!  We were told about a strategy to use 3wts with longer lighter tippets which seems counter intuitive, but I guess the light rod tips stress the tippet less.  We'll have to try that next time.  Nevertheless, the fishing was excellent!

We finally left this amazing pool to see what the rest of the river had to offer.  As we waded upstream to towards the car, we found similar dry fly action and caught and missed more lunker browns and rainbows.

All fish were released in good shape.

We caught rainbows as well as browns.

I ran out of sulphur and green drake flies, so as the light started to fade, we made our way back to our next campground, that was largely empty.  We picked the premier site on a peninsula with water on two sides.  

We probably could have caught fish here if we weren't so damn tired (and satisfied!).  We made food and went to bed - no campfire.

The next morning, we packed up the campsite for the last time and got an early start heading back into VA to meet our friend Chris for the hike into Laurel Fork, on the VA/WV border.

After meeting up with Chris, we hiked down the Slabcamp Run trail to fish a new section of the Laurel Fork.  It's a 2.5-3 mile hike down and that keeps the pressure realatively low.  We keep saying this would be a great place to spend a weekend so you don't have to hike in and out on the same day.  

Anyway, along the way, we passed at least three beaver dams.  Pretty cool! 

Evidence of their "busy beaver" lifestyle; pretty impressive!

Chris was locked and loaded and stepped into the small stream while Will and I rigged up.  He caught a brookie straightaway.  We moved upstream and took turns catching fish and heckling missed fish as we went. 

The stream was gorgeous, but the fishing was slow compared to the day before (an unrealistic comparison!).

We enjoyed each other's company as we covered the water, caught a few little brookies and stopped along the way to admire the wild beauty of the Laurel Fork.

At about 3 pm we reconvened at where we veered off the Slabcamp trail to meet the river and started our uphill hike out.  Chris, who wet waded in sandals, set a strong pace.  Will and I had carried our waders and boots in and labored to keep up even in hiking boots.  At one point we zigged where we should have zagged and my new Garmin Fenix 8 with trail maps showed it's worth as it guided us back to the way out.  Reaching the cars, we said our goodbyes.  Will piloted us back to Richmond where I threw my stuff in my car and made my way back to Hampton Roads, arriving somewhere around midnight.  It was a great three days of trout fishing.  I can wait to explore more of WV in my retirement years. 

Peace.

Will's First Trout! October 25, 2013

My friend Will was getting interested in fly fishing, getting geared up, taking lessons, and doing his research. As his personal Wizard of OZ, I deemed what he hadn't got, was a trip to catch his first trout. 

This post is dedicated to Will and his first fly-caught trout! 

Since Will is a backpacker and hiker extraordinaire, I though I would take him to the Laurel Fork on the VA/WV border. It's a nice 3.5 mile hike in, and pretty water to boot. We left on a Wednesday afternoon for the long drive to the Laurel.

In the pitch black of country roads over the mountains of the George Washington National Forest (Bullpasture, Jack, Back Creek, Lantz, and Middle Mountain), we started to notice something in the headlights.  What could that be?  Ash from a fire? Holy smokes!  That's snow.  But wait, it's only October 22!  This is the scene that awaited us when we made it to the campground at the trailhead.



Shouting many expletives, we pitched the tent hurriedly, fluffed the sleeping bags, made a quick run to the loo, and then hit the hay.  

We slept comfortably enough.  We got up to find a couple of inches of powder on the ground so we made quick work of getting a fire going to cook breakfast.

"Will, did you bring a cook set? No, didn't you bring yours?"  That's how we learned that we  would be making coffee water in the iron skillet!  It wasn't too bad.  As we sipped warm beverages, Will demonstrated his prowess with eggs and sausage in the skillet on an open fire.  Yum!

After breakfast, we got our gear assembled - anxious to get moving on our 3.5 mile hike down to the Laurel Fork.

With the snow, the trail was beautiful!

However, the wet snow on the ground stuck to the bottom of our boots making walking difficult - it was like we were walking on stilts!

We spied some trout in the tiny pools on the Locust Spring adjacent to the Locust Spring Run Trail which buoyed our spirits and gave us reason o anticipate the good fishing that awaited us down below.  Once we made it to the Laurel Fork, I coached Will in the arts of casting and nymphing in between flurries that persisted all day.  

The Fork was gorgeous blanketed in a fresh coat of snow.  

Needless to say, we had the river to ourselves.  Unfortunately, the gods were not smiling on Will.  There were a few takes, but no hookups.  That's the way it goes sometimes…

We hiked out before dark, broke down the gear, and celebrated a beautiful day on the river.

We drove from Bartow, WV and headed towards our next day's destination, the Upper Jackson River, and our campsite at Hidden Valley Recreation Area.  As we drove south, the snow cleared and we were blessed with this view on Route 640.

We must've seen 1,000 deer in the fields as we went south on Route 640 and then on Rt. 220.  We drove to Hot Springs and had Italian subs for dinner and lingered to imbibe many cups of hot coffee to warm up for another night in the cold.  

We picked our spot at Hidden Valley, paid our fee, pitched the Big Agnes, and hit the hay.  There were snow flurries again.

The next morning, we woke and Will got the jump on the fire, thoroughly cleaned out the skillet so we could make debris-free hot beverages, and then we had a second round of campfire eggs and sausage.

We had a nice chat with the campground host, broke camp and got to the business of trout fishing. 

The hike from Hidden Valley to the special regulation section above Muddy Run was only 1.5 miles, but we figured even that distance would be enough to discourage many anglers and that the trout there would be less harassed. 

(A note to self - work some blaze orange into the fishing ensemble.  There were lots of hunters (bow season) at the campgrounds and in the area.)

The hike in was easy (on no!) - through fields and on gravel paths all the way to the swinging bridge.  We must've seen at least 20 woolly bear caterpillars on the path!

  

The weather seemed as if it would be at least 10 degrees warmer than the day before - cool, but with sunny skies and pleasant conditions.  The stream at the swinging bridge was inviting!

We worked our way upstream - Will fishing a nymph and me swinging large streamers through the deeper holes in the river.  Within about 30 minutes, I heard some excitement down below, and sure enough, Will was into his first fish.  It was a beaut!  I hope he saved that prince nymph for a keepsake.

We continued to fish the rest of the day.  This section of the upper Jackson was gorgeous, with "I know there's got to be a big one in there"-water, and although the weather was warmer, we never did have much bug activity and no rising trout.  Will stayed with the nymphs and I kept swinging streamers through deep pockets, but with no success.  

THERE"S GOT TO BE A BIG ONE IN HERE!!!

No matter.  Will got his first fish - mission accomplished.  The scenery both days was spectacular, the company was great, the camping was good, what more could you as for.

We celebrated the fish back in the Hidden Valley parking with a little more Devils Backbone Striped Bass Pale Ale as we de-frocked, laid our gear to rest, and prepared for the next part of our journey.  We were meeting up with friends at the Devils Backbone Brewery for dinner and some bluegrass music before hiking for 2 days on the Appalachian Trail.  You can read about that part of the adventure (coming soon) at:  www.ofthwoods61.blogspot.com.

Now this is living!

Peace!

Trout Fishing in Western VA 10/9/12

Over the Columbus Day Weekend, members from the Bill Wills, Southeast Virginia Chapter of Trout Unlimited got together for a trip to fish the waters of the Laurel Fork Special Management Area and the Jackson River.

Fishing the Laurel Fork Wilderness Area involves hiking in and out and the weather forecast for Sunday was full of rain so we opted to do the hiking on Saturday.

Andy had the day off so he made his way leisurely westward, stopping to sample the waters of the Bull Pasture River before arriving at the Locust Springs campground on the WV/VA border west of Staunton.

David and I met in Richmond at 8 pm, got jacked up on coffee, and blazed westward.  We wanted to stop along the "Brew Ridge Trail" - at one of the craft breweries that populate the mountainous regions of western VA.  We found our way to the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton VA, entering at the stroke of 10pm.  With the kitchen already closed and the employees sharing a well deserved capper, we implored the barkeep to serve us just one as I hastily purchased a 6-pack of their Full Nelson beer for streamside cheer.  A nice tip loosened up the bartender's demeanor and we had a nice time talking with him while also planning our final leg of the trip into the deep woods of WV and the the Locust Spring primitive campground.

Back on the road, once we got past Monterey VA, the country roads were dark and full of deer so we slowed and picked our way carefully.  We were concerned for Andy, alone in the middle of nowhere, as the hours ticked by - 11, 12, 1...  We didn't arrive until about 2 am.  I guess we made enough noise to wake him up because Andy crawled out of his warm tent to great us.  We set up a second tent and quickly bedded down for the night.

Got up Saturday morning and it was cold and grey.  Definitely looked like rain was in the forecast.  We struck the camp.  Andy made a big pot of coffee (THANK YOU!), and we each prepared a little something for breakfast and made or packed a lunch.

Our campsite at Locust Spring

Based on intel from the Warm Springs Ranger Station of the George Washington National Forest, we decided to hike down on the Locust Spring Run trail, fish the day, and then return on the Buck Run trail.  We like the idea of checking out the fishing opportunity on Locust Spring Run early and then using the better (wide, even grade) Buck Run trail for our escape since it might be getting dark, raining, or otherwise dicey.

Getting ready

The Locust Spring Run trailhead was at the far end of the meadow where we had set up our tents.  We decided to hike the trail in our waders and hit the trail at around 8 am.

At the trailhead...

The Locust Spring Run Trail

The Locust Spring Run is beautiful and it parallels the small creek all the way down to the Laurel Fork.  The water level was down, but there was still plenty of small pocket pools that we thought would hold native brookies.  I spotted fish in one and asked David to give it a go with his Tenkara rod.  It was a beautiful thing - one cast, one fish!

David's Native Brookie from the Locust Spring Run

A beautiful, wild brookie

Stoked by David's success, Andy and I rigged our conventional rods and we started hopscotching each other and picking pools on our descent to the Laurel Fork.

Andy applying stealth to his approach

Very different to our homes in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, the leaves on the trees seemed to be in peak color and there was lots of leaf litter underfoot and in the stream.  Trout were hiding under the floating leaves and you had to accurately deliver small flies to the opening in the leaf clutter to hope to get a strike.  It was pretty fun.

The beautiful Locust Spring Run

Because we could not pass up any likely holding water on the Locust Spring Run, I think it took us 3 hours to make it down the ~ 3 miles to the Laurel Fork.

The intersection of the Locust Spring trail and the Laurel Fork

What a beautiful River!  David could not resist fishing the very first pool at the intersection. 

David picking the pocket with the Tenkara rod.

While David fished, Andy and I got down to business finding an appropriately swift section of the river for which to stash our end-of-the-day celebratory libation.

These new Orvis packs come with a very handy pocket for essential supplies - a six-pack of Blue Mountain Brewery's Full Nelson beer.

 Based on fishing reports we found we decided to head upstream towards the Slab Camp Run.  We hop-scotched pools and runs as we worked upstream marveling at the scenery as we went.  Most of the brookies were wild and palm-sized.  We didn't care so much about the size.  We were just happy to be fishing in such a beautiful area.  Around each turn, we just went "Wow, look at that!"

David demonstrating the bow-and-arrow technique with the Tenkara rod

I was catching all my fish on a size 16 parachute Adams.  (Note to self - next time tie the posts in some color other than white!  White posts get lost in the white bubbles and foam)  Moving above Slab Camp Run, I came across a nice pool, cast the fly in the seam, and a bigger brookie took the bait.  As I got him close, the colors were incredible - the yellow and red spots, the brilliant orange of the belly, the in-your-face red/orange color and the distinct yellowish white epilets on the pectoral fins.  Spectacular!

Many sections of the stream are bordered by rhododendron bushes.  It's hard to imagine the Laurel Fork looking any prettier, but I'd like to go back in spring when they are in bloom.

Rhododendrons flank the Laurel Fork in many places

We rendezvoused back at the beer cache around 4 pm to give us plenty of time to hike out before dark.  We shared a brew with some fellow trout fishermen and traded stories - the best way to end a good day on the stream.

Streamside chillin'

David passing on Tenkara know-how

For the hike out we took the Buck Run Trail.  It's an old rail path so it's wide, level, and easy to hike.  Still it took us about 2 hours to hike out, but we made it before dark.

 We got out of our waders, and pointed the car south towards Covington.  The country roads along route 250 and 220 were dotted with farms, fields, and forest.  Sunset blanketed the sky with a mixture of pinks and and blues and the mountains were a glow as the sun sank.

 It was a pleasant 2 hour ride to meet up with our TU bretheren at Gene's cabin on the banks of the Jackson River.  Gene, Bill, Gordon and CJ were waiting for us and Bill guided us through a Get Smart series of cattle gates, and past barking guard dogs, and mooing cows before the car could go no further.  Inside we were treated to Gene's excellent barbecue, fruit salad and mini Butterfingers - Halloween candy came early!  We talked story well into the night until the weight of our eyelids demanded penance.  Sleep came quickly and easily.

 Gene's cabin on the Jackson River

Gene was up first and made coffee.  I was up at 6:30 and the rest soon followed.  We sipped coffee, ate delicious apple doughnuts and talked somemore.  After pleasantries, we got down to business planning our next day on the river.  The temperature had dropped down to the mid-fifties and it had been raining all morning with promises of the same for the rest of the day.  We decided to fish around the Poor Farm Road intersection with the Jackson River.  The area had been recently stocked and the ability to drive right up to the river gave us a quick escape route if we got drowned out. 

CJ lead us past Warm and Hot Springs to the stream access point.  

Andy, David, and CJ on the Upper Jackson River

The scene that awaited us

The rain was only a sprinkle when we suited up.  At this location, the Jackson was big and beautiful, with an abundance of falls, DEEP pools, long still runs, and complicated seams.  It offered lots of possible tactical approaches.  There were some large reddish brown caddis flying around - a "fall caddis" we were told.  So instead of the Adams that worked so well on the Laurel Fork, I tied on a 14 tan caddis.   

      

Andy working the seam

 David couldn't pass up this section

With my tan caddis, I became the Chub King.  Don't get me wrong, they were fun to catch and all, but we were looking for their trout cousins.

One of my loyal subjects

CJ guided me downstream and showed me a nice pice of the river where he'd spied a couple of big trout.  I had cut my leader back and switched to a "slumpbuster" streamer dragging it through some head-high pools going for broke.  I stripped it through CJ's pool and after a couple tries got a solid hook set.  Boy was I surprised when I landed this smallmouth bass!

I guess the water was warmer than I had thought!  Still, I ventured on in search of Salmo sp. enjoying the beauty of the river as I went.

My path crossed with David's and he hipped me to his success fishing a nymph as a dropper off a medium-sized Kaufman's stimulator.  Shortly thereafter I did find a trout lair, and hooked 2 nice rainbows. 

Several more chubs sacrificed themselves to the King, but I didn't care.  I was fishing on a beautiful stream, rain or no.  

I hooked one monster in a deep pool and his flash made my heart skip.  I got him on the reel, he surged, and my 6X tippet went "blink".  Damn!  I know where he lives though, and I'll be back.

Thanks to the Bill Wills, Southeast VA Chapter of TU for putting on this trip for the members.  I learned new waters, made new friends, had a great time, and can't wait to do it again. 

April/May 2013 anyone?