Fishing Report

Update for May 8, 2021   The North Fork of the Shenandoah River has returned to normal levels from the heavy rains this week. The water temperature has dropped some with the cooler nights that we have had over the last few days. The South Fork of the Shenandoah River is clear and fishable. Once the extra water runs through I would fish with a Murray's Crayfish size 6. Wade or float down the river 50 feet out from the bank where there is a cobblestone stream bottom. Cast the crayfish in close to the river bank and crawl it over...

The Mr. Rapidan Parachute size 14 and the Mr. Rapidan Olive Delta Wing Caddis size 14 are both very effective now. Often the trout feeding on caddis will appear to be feeding on the adult caddisflies when they are actually feeding on the emerging caddis pupa. An effective technique which will catch both the dry feeders and the pupa feeders is to fish a dry and a dropper. Fish with the Delta Wing Caddis on a Classic 7 1/2ft 5X leader and the Olive Caddis Pupa on an 18 inch dropper below it.  The localized heavy rains from last evening...

Big Stoney Creek in Edinburg is clear and fishable.  The recent rains actually improved the water levels.  Passage Creek in Fort Valley is high and muddy.  A good technique which will catch many of these trout is to fish a two-nymph tandem rig with a Murray's Dark Stonefly Nymph size 14 on a Murray's9ft 4X Trout Nymphing Leader with a Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle size 14 on a two foot 5X dropper below it. Fish these dead drift upstream toward the riffles and across stream in the deep pools.

Recent rains and higher water levels had raised some of the stream levels and flushed many nymphs from the riffles, thus enabling the trout to feed heavily upon them.  Some of the local trout streams were just stocked this week and the levels have returned to normal. Three nymphs that I find productive in these areas are the Murray's Dark Stonefly Nymph size 12, Murray's Caddis Larva size 14 and Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle, Olive size 14.

Last year I tested my Simms waders on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River to see if they held up well or if I needed to patch some leaks. I was wading over a cobblestone stream bottom in water from two to three feet deep. As I faced down the river, carefully watching the stream bottom, I noticed many crayfish scurrying along the bottom. Wader testing became secondary as I put on a Murray's Crayfish pattern and fished along the shelf where the cobblestones tapered off into the deep water.   The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is clear...