Bill Wills SE VA TU Trip to the Skidmore Fork 10/22-23/16

As part of the BWSEVATU's annual social activities, I had planned a group trip to the Dry River, west of Harrisonburg VA.  Club member Larry Wesling, how was already camping in the Shenandoah National Park, had warned me that the Dry River, was, in fact, mighty dry due to a lack of rain.

Nevertheless, I had the time to travel so, after an unsuccessful morning trying for speckled trout on the Lynnhaven River (with 30 mph winds), I hopped in the Outback and headed west.  Traffic was a bear getting out of Hampton Roads so I didn't get to our Rapidan River rendezvous point until late in the day.  Pavement on the Quaker Run Road it eventually turns to dirt along the Rapidan River Road - a deeply eroded road with axle-breaking gullies.  I picked my way up the road, and eventually found a spot to pull off the road and fish.  I lowered myself down a steep bank and the river and a setting sun were there to greet me.  

I only fished for about 10 minutes when Larry passed by.  We exchanged greetings and he proceeded on to his campsite at Lewis Mountain.  Snagging line and feeling anxious about the ensuing dusk, I fished halfheartedly for maybe 15 more minutes before I packed it in and started picking my way down the mountain and through all the gullies before dark.

I stopped at the Montaineer Cafe in Madison, VA for dinner.  It's a family diner type of place with simple fare, cheap prices, and friendly service.  I would my way through Standardsville and then up Route 33 to Skyline Drive.  A right turn took me north to Lewis Mountain.  Thank goodness Larry let me join in on his campsite because Lewis Mountain and the rest of the surrounding campgrounds were full!  I erected my Big Agnes Copper Spur UL tent, brushed teeth and went to bed.

The next morning I awoke early and set off for breakfast on the way to the Dry River.  A beautiful Shenandoah sunrise begged me to stop and count my blessings.

I ended up getting breakfast at a truckstop in Harrisonburg before heading west on Route 33 towards the Dry.  Larry was right.  As 33 paralleled the river, I could see it was way down.  We met in the last parking lot in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest before climbing the mountain on our way to WV.  We suited up and headed down the path towards the Switzer Dam and the tailwater release into Skidmore Fork.   

Larry and I walked the short mile up to the dam and worked the pool just below the release.  No fish rising, and because of a lasting drought, the flow was muted.  We moved down stream.

I put on a bead-head pheasant tail nymph and it started to produce right away.

I've become a Tenkara convert for these small, tight, Shenandoah streams, and my Tenkara USA Rhodo is a nimble tool for these short-cast situations.

Working pools downstream (fishing upstream), I probably caught a dozen brookies before breaking for lunch around 2 pm.

Their fall colors are stupendous!

 

 

Around 3 pm, I started to see rising fish.  Looking up, you could actually see swarms of mayflies mating. 

 

This is one of many spots where fish were rising.  It's funny, with no trail markings or paths, I end up bushwhacking to this spot time and time again.  I keep an old worn fleece Patagonia jacket to pick through the greenbriar.

Little brookies smashed my parachute Adams - one leaping several feet in the air as he burst through the surface film on the take.

Larry and I ended up only fishing the top half or top third of the Skidmore in a whole day's fishing.  What a bountiful and fun stretch and a savior for the droughty conditions of this fall in VA.

Peace!

Rapidan River Redo - 3/24/12

David wanted to catch a brookie.  Since brookie zen master Chris introduced me to the Rapidan, David and I hatched a plan for a trip back to these beautiful plunge pools in search of native trout.  This time, on March 19,  we were also joined by my friend Andy.

The weather was better this time around so we were able without 4-wheel drive to go over the "hill" on Quaker Run Road and park along the stream a mile or two upstream from the Graves Mill Trail.  We saved on walking time and that gave us more fishing time.

There were bugs all around and that gave us hope for some dry fly action.  We rigged and got ready to go.

Even though I had seen a few rises, I thought I would go with a more optimal forage food and started fishing with nymphs.  Last time a bead-headed pheasant tail nymph caught fish so I started with that.  I fished several productive looking pools, but by lunchtime I had not gotten a bite.  The predicted rain had not come and it was warm.

After lunch, I fished a couple of different nymphs.   Perhaps traces of wood on the hook from all the tree snags was tipping off the fish.

Finally, I found the right fly.  It was a red Copper John and I caught two fish in the same pool.

Brookies are such beautiful fish that sometimes you just have to stop fishing and admire them.

This fish also was fooled by the Copper John.  What is it?

I continued to rock-hop my way upstream to fish beautiful pool after beautiful pool.

David was getting hits on a stimulator and I made a mental note that next time I would come prepared with a small stimulator or similar pattern for the small pockets of fast water.

After catching the brookies on nymphs, I decided to switch to a dry fly.  On the earlier trip, Chris had mentioned that the Adams was a good fly to use on the Rapidan, so I tied a parachute Adams on (with a post for these old eyes).

I was having some fun with two tiny fish on a ribbon of water off the mainstem.  Like in so many other places, there seemed to be a branch either wedged in the stream or dangling over the river in the worst place for making a cast.  I would cast, and the fly would wrap around this branch sticking out of the water leaving the fly swinging right above the water surface.  Of course, the little fish would jump and try to hit the swinging fly!  It was fun seeing them go after my tangled casts, but I am thankful they never got hooked.  For a milli-second I considered removing the branch from the stream, but then I thought about the protection it afforded these little fish (from anglers) and so I left it.

I found a few cooperative fish in a larger pool on the mainstem of the Rapidan and they took the Adams vigorously.

How can it be anything other than a great day on the river?  Thanks Andy and David!  There are many more streams in this area to explore.  We're already talking about a camping trip next year to take advantage of more days to explore.  Can't wait!

Rapidan Recon Video

http://vimeo.com/47510614