Fishing Report, Week of November 25, 2019 

The 2019 smallmouth season is in the books. Quick recap of the 2019 season (South Fork, Shenandoah). The season started during March with the smallmouth spawn occurring around the middle of March. The prespawn/post spawn fishing was slow unlike many years with low numbers and smaller fish caught. This trend of smaller fish and lower numbers continued thru the end of July until the water temperatures increased enough to really kick-off the topwater bite. Once the topwater bite started, the fishing was on fire. Numbers increased to more normal levels and the size and quality of fish improved. The top water fishing continued thru the end of September wrapping up during the middle of October. Overall, the fishing started slow and gradually increased during the season finishing with a bang. We appreciate everyone who fished with us during 2019 smallmouth season and look forward to 2020. Contact us today to book your trip for the 2020 season. 

As we transition from Fall into Winter many people are calling to book their mountain brook trout trip. Water levels in our mountain streams are extremely low so booking availability is determined based on current stream conditions. The brook trout spawn should finish on most streams by the first or second week of December however remember to limit your wading thru March too allow time for the eggs to hatch and the fry a chance to survive and grow. Remember, if you choose to fish during the spawn, keep the fish wet, handle the minimum amount of time necessary and return fish to the water close to the place they were caught.  If you chose to fish for brook trout during the Fall and Winter months we suggest using Elk Hair Caddis, Sulphers, Caddis Simulator patterns, etc. Also, most terrestrial patterns such as ants and beetles are a good choice. Once Winter fully sets in and the air and water temperatures drop you may want to try nymphing as these fish will typically slow their feeding activity on topwater and feed more subsurface. If you are interested in Virginia trout fishing give us a call to book your next trip.