East-Slope
Rapidan / Staunton River Fishing Locations
Sadly, I had to take this book off the market. Private property owners shut down access to the Rapidan 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 …
Trout – Lower Rapidan (VA – Graves Mill)
After fishing the Staunton River, I had a little extra time so I thought I would wander up the lower section of the Rapidan to see how it had changed since the last time I visited. Even after the fairly dry summer, there was a decent amount of water still tumbling down the gentle slope that …
Trout Hike – Staunton River (VA)
I am starting to become anxious with the cold weather and looking back with longing at some of my last trout hikes of the fall. In preparation for my upcoming move to Wilmington, NC I’m making an effort to revisit my favorite places before Virginia becomes a long trip with a special purpose. One of …
Trout – Conway River (VA – Middle Section)
Always pleasant, easy walking path, good looking water.
Trout – Rose River (VA – Lower SNP Access)
It’s hard to believe, but the last time I fished the middle part of the Rose River was back in June, 2006. I have vague memories of being pretty tired at the end of that experience (see previous posting). This time, six years later and six years older, the Rose River was no gentler! However, …
Trout – Staunton River (VA – Lower Rapidan Feeder)
With my impending move to Wilmington, NC next year sometime, I feel like I am on a “farewell tour.” I’m anxious to get around to all the good spots this fall and next spring before my focus shifts to a new venue. It had been over a year since I fished the Staunton and I …
Trout – Staunton River (VA – Lower Rapidan Feeder) Read More »
Trout – Rose River (VA – Lower Boundary)
ressured close to parking? Surprisingly… no!
Trout – Hazel River (VA – Upper Section)
A 7.4 round trip mile hike with total vertical gain of 1,600 feet leads to….
Rapidan (Camp Hoover – Laurel)
All the details are in my book, but I felt like I needed to put up a posting about something in the Blue Ridge as the water begins to heat up in late February. If you’re going to fish the Rapidan, the area above Camp Hoover is essentially a waste of time.
Trout Hike – Hughes River (VA – Lower Section after Drought)
The Hughes looks like it survived the summer low water.
Trout Hike – Conway River (VA – Upper Section)
Even up high in the Blue Ridge, there is enough water for a decent day of springtime fishing
Brokenback Run (VA)
A long walk leads to scenic water.
Trout Hike – South River (VA – Shenandoah National Park)
7.1 miles, 1,635 feet of vertical leads to….
Trout – Hazel River (VA – Middle Section)
The farther up you go, the better it gets.
Trout – Conway River (VA – Middle Section)
The middle part of the Conway River, above Devil’s Ditch, is skinny water with scattered pools.
Thornton River (VA – Main)
Narrow, tight… borderline unfishable in this section
Piney River (VA – Upper Section)
I burned a lot of sweat and energy to penetrate 3 miles into the Piney
Buck Hollow (VA)
A dribble of water not worth the effort.
Trout Hike – Staunton River (VA – Off Rapidan)
With Blue Ridge on fire in early May, I knew I had to maximize my time on the small streams before they warmed up. I had fished the entire Rapidan from Graves Mill all the way up to Camp Hoover, but I skipped the Staunton river. That was a problem that I was resolved to …
Trout Hike – Hazel River (VA – Lower Section)
Gentle hike up a gradual slope leads to good water.
North Fork of the Thornton (VA)
Decent fishing for those who are willing to walk
Trout Hike – Upper Rapidan (VA – Gate to Camp Hoover)
Park in one of the two turnouts and walk down the steep path past a nice campsite and begin fishing upstream. If you walk up the road, you’ll need to bushwhack your way over to the river before it enters a steep “canyon” that would make access more of an exercise in climbing than fishing.
Trout Hike – Hogcamp Branch (VA)
The Hogcamp is a good diversion on your hike back from fishing the Rose
Trout Hike – Rose River (VA – Skyline Drive)
A brutal trout hike puts us on the cold, clear water of the Rose below Skyline Drive
Trout Hike – Jones Run
If you undertake this brutal hike only to fish Jones Run, you will be disappointed.
Robinson River (VA – Rt 600 Mile 2)
Mile 2 is a good section to fish after it is stocked
Trout Hike – White Oak Canyon (VA)
A rough mountain climb leads to a few crystal clear pools framed by stark rock cliffs
Trout Hike – Rose River (VA – Below Park)
Let’s break up the summer with a report on trout!
Trout Hike – Doyles River (VA – Lower Section in Park)
A 7 mile hike with a 1,500 ft vertical drop protects a Park jewel
Trout Hike – Rose River (VA – Shenandoah Park Lower)
Bear! It just added to the overall ambiance of the Park
Trout Hike – Conway River (VA – Middle)
The Conway is not as stressful as Devil’s Ditch
Trout Hike – Devil’s Ditch (VA)
Brutal bushwhacking on a pristine stream! Wonderful!
Trout Hike – Hughes River (VA – Park at Mile 1.5 upstream)
Brutal bushwhacking produces bountiful brookies
Robinson River (VA – Rt 600 Mile 1)
Good stocked water where the Robinson joins the Rose
Trout Hike – Rapidan River (VA – Middle Upper)
Lon and I bumped down the rough, rutted road over the mountain from Criglersville following Quaker Run Road from its junction on the Robinson. We ground to a halt where it met the Rapidan River inside the Shenandoah National Park and considered our options. We could continue on the road and fish our way up …
Trout Hike – NF Moormans (VA)
No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow either …
Trout Hike – SF Moormans (VA)
No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow…
Trout Hike – Rose River (VA – Above Syria)
The Rose River above Syria should be no different than the section in the Park
Trout Hike – Sugar Hollow Reservoir (VA)
Sugar Hollow Reservoir is a tough nut to crack – bank fishing only.
Moormans River (VA – TU Section)
Pathetic end of season location ….. bad advice brought me here on June 13.
Trout Hike – Hughes River (VA – Middle Section)
Even though this was road fishing, I had a great time
Trout Hike – Rose River Farm (VA – Fee Fishing)
There should be a warning about places like this…. “Monsters lurk here…”
Trout Hike – Rapidan River (VA-Graves Mill)
On my way back from Whitetop-Laurel, I had a few hours so I diverted to fish the lower Rapidan near Graves Mill. I had been here twice before back in my spin fishing days, but had never spend any real time working this section. Today was to be no different. Unlike the upper part of the …
Trout Hike – Rose River (VA – Below Syria)
The stocked section of the Rose extends down below Syria
Trout Recon – South River (VA – Lower Section Near SNP)
South River near the SNP is “road fishing”
Trout Recon – Hazel River (VA – SNP)
Tough call on how to get to the Hazel. The evidence seems to indicate that you can park and walk in from the south without trespassing.
Swift Run (Stocked Water Section Outside the SNP)
What looked good on the map, looked bad on the ground.
Trout Hike – Cedar Run (VA)
Cedar Run – tough going with a jewel at the top
Trout Hike – Middle Rose River (VA)
The middle section of the upper Rose River lives up to my high hopes
Trout Hike – White Oak Canyon (VA)
Another Shenandoah treasure – great water, plenty of trout
Trout Hike – Hogcamp Branch
Easy walk, deep pools… this one is a winner
Trout Hike – Hughes River (VA)
I thought the Rose was good until I saw the upper Hughes…
Trout Hike – Rose River VA – Upper)
SPECTACULAR!!! Walk in from Skyline and get to work.
Trout Recon: Conway River (VA – Middle)
The middle Conway River is an enticing network of pocket water – full of productive holes
Trout Recon: Hughes River
Anxious to start fishing – headed out to look at some water that I had not been to yet
