Piney River (VA – Upper Section)
I burned a lot of sweat and energy to penetrate 3 miles into the Piney
I burned a lot of sweat and energy to penetrate 3 miles into the Piney
A dribble of water not worth the effort.
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 …
Road fishing with a remote feel
Another place to go immediately after stocking… don’t bother otherwise.
Gentle hike up a gradual slope leads to good water.
The northern access point to the Pedlar offers up another tough hike to reach the river.
A steep hikes leads to good water.
Decent fishing for those who are willing to walk
Another instance of road fishing
The southern access point to the Pedlar DH section features superb scenery
A long walk to pretty decent water.
Brutal bushwhacking for nothing
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.
Big Marys Creek runs through a deep cut in the western slope of the Blue Ridge
A pristine river in a tight, scenic valley – good deal.
The feeder stream at the southern end of the lake has promise…
Whoa!! Now THIS was a HIKE!! 9.95 miles… 1,967 foot vertical!
The delayed harvest area downstream from the parking area is good water
The southern end of Passage has deep water and thick brush.
Nothing to write home about here!
I did not spend much time here – just a quick check on conditions and access
The Hogcamp is a good diversion on your hike back from fishing the Rose
Only a short stop at Indian Gap – enough to appreciate its potential
A brutal trout hike puts us on the cold, clear water of the Rose below Skyline Drive
A long hike will put you on some good water on the Jackson… and no King’s Grant issues to worry about
A long drive over a bumpy road puts you on decent water.
If you undertake this brutal hike only to fish Jones Run, you will be disappointed.
Update: Don’t fish here until the lawsuit is settled. Looks like the “cease and desist” order had no impact. Update!!! AVOID THIS SPOT It had been a while since I’ve been out of the Jackson River where I commented on my disappointment fishing the river as a result of the Kings Grant challenges. However, since my last visit I …
Mile 2 is a good section to fish after it is stocked
A rough mountain climb leads to a few crystal clear pools framed by stark rock cliffs
Let’s break up the summer with a report on trout!
A 7 mile hike with a 1,500 ft vertical drop protects a Park jewel
Bear! It just added to the overall ambiance of the Park
In season, this is probably a pretty good spot.
The Conway is not as stressful as Devil’s Ditch
Brutal bushwhacking on a pristine stream! Wonderful!
Brutal bushwhacking produces bountiful brookies
A new policy at Quantico makes this a good destination for trout hikers
Good stocked water where the Robinson joins the Rose
Easy access to a wide, deep stretch of the Smith River south of Bassett, VA.
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 …
Volunteering at the Virginia Fly Festival provides a cover story to hit the South River again.
Another nice section of the Smith that runs next to a factory
No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow either …
The center of the fallfish universe – found in Waynesboro!
No pot of gold at the end of this rainbow…
After fishing the middle and upper parts of Crooked Creek, I did a quick recon of the rest of the fee fishing area.
A pleasant spot worth a visit later in the season
A nice, sunny Sunday provides the opportunity to do a recon of the German River
The Buller Hatchery has a 1/2 mile long catch and release section
Nothing compelling to recommend it other than a place to take your kids for a picnic
The Rose River above Syria should be no different than the section in the Park
The stocked signs were here, but the trout were not
The river runs next to a factory, but that does not bother the trout
The Dry River is one of my favorite waters within a reasonable distance of Northern Virginia
A mistake puts me on the wrong body of water
Murray says that Big Stony Creek is one of the best stocked waters in Virginia
Nothing moving in late December – tough fishing and hiking
Paddy Run is a pleasant surprise!
Upper Passage Creek is starkly different from the other sections which are miles downstream.
fished River Valley Farms under the worst possible river conditions, but you would not know it from my results.
Need a quick trout fix? Go here.
I felt like I drove into a mall parking lot
Easy access to one mile of stocked water in the heart of Front Royal
Rough walk with no payoff
Next time, I’ll start farther up into the delayed harvest section
If you don’t mind getting advice from the folks walking by, Hawksbill is a pretty nice spot during the stocking season.
Nope. Passage Creek is no different in the fall on a weekday in the delayed harvest section. This place is under constant pressure….
Jennings Creek = Passage Creek … just in a different part of the state
Sugar Hollow Reservoir is a tough nut to crack – bank fishing only.
Stunning beauty, empty water?
The Smith River is the tailwater flowing out of Philpott – native browns!
Pathetic end of season location ….. bad advice brought me here on June 13.
Need a trout fix in the middle of summer?
The SF of the Holston up by Buller Dam was a washout on the day I was there.
Lower Big Wilson, above the stocked area, offers a nice walk to nice brookies and rainbows
Heading downstream from the parking lot reveals a dramatically different section
It’s a long hike that leads to a short, pleasant meadow stream under the dam
Even though this was road fishing, I had a great time
The Little Wilson is a tight, small stream where it slams into Big Wilson Creek in the Grayson Highlands State Park
There should be a warning about places like this…. “Monsters lurk here…”
Quantico MCB offers good trout fishing for about two weeks after each stocking
A long walk puts you onto great water.
While Passage is heavily pressured, it is a pleasant place to wet a line
A trickle of water that limps downstream towards Passage Creek
I did a drive-by of Fox Creek – it needs further investigation
A nice section of water – very, very scenic and has trout!
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 …
The Virginia Creeper Trails makes for easy walking next to Whitetop-Laurel
A hard walk, tough terrain – not much payoff.
Set aside the “pay to fish” implication and this is a pristine stream in a very scenic environment
A quick, easy hike puts you on some nice water in this section of the Pedlar
Ice out! I break a trail in the snow to trek down to the upper section of Big Wilson Creek
The Dry River has good pools and active trout – even in late summer.
The Back Creek Pumping Station is a nice section that was improved and maintained by the power company.
The stocked section of the Rose extends down below Syria
Muddy Run joins the Jackson a bit before the start of the special regulation area. For those who like bushwacking, head on up!
A real treasure, a pleasure to visit… this place is sweet!
A great disappointment – this amounted to only about an eighth of a mile of interesting water – a total and complete waste of time.