Mountain Trout Streams Fly Fishing Report - August 16, 2019
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You have asked me what the subtle signals are that I rely upon to spot the trout in the stream. His movement as he relocates on his feeding station or turns to take a drifting nymph is the easiest signal to spot. On a sunny day the trout's shadow on the stream bottom is much easier to see than the trout. The long slim trout's body lying over round cobblestones quickly shows you his location. The bright ivory fins of a brook trout holding over a dark stream bottom quickly tells us where to cast our fly. I find this as some of the most exciting trout fishing. The Mr. Rapidan Ant size 16 and a Murray's Flying Beetle are great for going one on one with these trout.
Stream Conditions: The rains have kept some of the streams from getting too low while others are getting low and spooky. So you will need to have a stealthy approach and sneak, sneak, sneak so you do not spook the fish. I have been able to get some great fishing by coming in off the Skyline Drive and accessing the streams in the lower reaches. The water temperature has been around 63 degrees. For more information on the Shenandoah National Park Streams, refer to my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park or stop by the fly shop and take a look at our marked maps for the Park.
Skyline Drive is now open in all sections. This can change frequently if we have storms. To check the status of the Skyline Drive please call 540-999-3500, option 1, option 1 for the latest update before heading to these streams.
Recommended Gear: I am using a 6ft or 7 1/2ft 6X Leader on a 2 to 4 weight fly rod--preferably 8ft or shorter.