Guidebook: Wade Fishing the Rappahannock River

Sadly, I had to take this book off the market. Private property owners shut down access to the Rappahannock at the end of Richards Ferry Road.

Tragic! It only required allowing folks to cross around 30 yards in a remote corner they owned to get to the public property. Since fishing the Confluence was the key feature of the book, I removed it from sales.

The most detailed guide on Wade Fishing ever published for the Rappahannock River 

The Rappahannock River is home to some of the biggest, meanest smallmouth bass in Virginia.  These cantankerous beasts cruise silently in the quiet pools and fast runs below old trench lines that mark the remains of violent Civil War battles or in remote, oddly named places like Snake Castle Rock. 

Steve Moore shares his years of experience fishing this premier river to guide you to the best water between Fredericksburg and Chester Gap high in the Blue Ridge.  The book covers all reliable access points that open up miles of the river to fishing.  Even though the book is specifically oriented at anglers who fish on their feet, kayakers and canoeists will find it equally useful as they will be able to spend more time fishing the productive water on their float downstream.

Pictures, pictures, pictures!  All of them amplify the story and allow you to put your experienced angler’s eye on the water prior to spending the time to reach the more remote places Steve covers. Given we are in the internet age, Steve includes plenty of GPS coordinates useable for customized directions via the Internet or loadable into your GPS receiver to guide your day on the water.

Finally, any discussion of the Rappahannock must mention the superb fishing available during the spring shad run.  Steve dedicates a chapter to where to go and how to catch the fish called the “poor man’s tarpon.”


The coverage of the smallmouth section of the Rappahannock is detailed, thorough and comprehensive …. and will probably take you to places you did not know you could fish without getting there on a canoe!  For example… Snake Castle Rock!

Articles on this site are out of date since some go back to 2006. Regulations and property ownership may have changed since publication. It is your responsibility to know and obey all regulations and not trespass on private property.

Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information.  Fishing is a dangerous sport.  You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury.  You can drown.  You can get hooks caught in your skin, face, eyes or other sensitive places.  All sorts of bad things can happen to you when to go into the woods to visit the places documented here.  Forests, streams and lakes are wild areas and any number of bad things can happen.  You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here.  I disclaim all liability and responsibility for any actions you take as a result of reading the articles on this site.  If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site.

Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information.  Fishing is a dangerous sport.  You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury.  You can drown.  You can get hooks caught in your skin, face, eyes or other sensitive places.  All sorts of bad things can happen to you when to go into the woods to visit the places documented here.  Forests, streams and lakes are wild areas and any number of bad things can happen.  You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here.  I disclaim all liability and responsibility for any actions you take as a result of reading the articles on this site.  If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site.

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