On my trip through the western part of Virginia last year, I put up a post on the Maury in the Goshen Pass area. I wanted to follow that up with this quick post.
The entire length of the Maury is nice. It all has potential. Granted, there are hordes of people here in the summer, but not all of those folks fish. If you go out during the middle of the week or pick a weekend before or after the swimming season, you will probably have this river to yourself.
I pulled off at random spots, walked to the river, and never failed to kick up a fish or two. Maybe it’s because I was using fly gear, while most of the other folks here use bait or spin. Whatever the reason, this is not drive-by country. If you see a good-looking spot, give it a whack. You will probably pull in a smallie or two and, for sure, a stack of bluegills.
I had my best luck on dry flies and terrestrial patterns here. The bluegills ate the ants and beetles without stop. The smallies preferred the larger hopper patterns and hopped on streamers pulled over the bottom.
Some of the cuts in the Maury are DEEP. If you are going to use streamers, go ahead and put a sink tip on or use a sinking line.
The other thing to recognize is that the river is pretty wide. If you can get away from the bank, you will have easier casting. Thankfully, all the places I stopped had pretty easy access to the center of the river or even to cross over via rock ledges and bridges. It certainly helps if you don’t care about getting wet.
The rocks can be slick where the level has risen and then drops – so be careful as you pick your way to that good spot.
Getting There: Simple. Mapquest yourself to Rockbridge Baths, VA and then just follow Route 39 to the west.
Nothing calm here. Smallies lurk under the surface
Deep pools, clear water, cautious approach
Fish the area downstream of any of these ‘rapids’
The Maury is looked down on because it is so popular with the folks pouring out of Lexington.
Don’t be put off by this. If you are driving by, fish it.
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore