Update for July 1, 2023--Both the North Fork and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River are clear and fishable. See recommended flies listed below. Have a Happy and Safe July 4th. The fly shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays and will be closed on Tuesday 7/4 for the holiday. Regular hours will resume on Wed. 7/5
Update for June 29, 2023 at 2:30p.m. The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is in beautiful shape so get out this weekend and enjoy it. The South Fork of the Shenandoah River is coming down and is what we consider "full but fishable". There is still a little color in some areas but again that works to our advantage. If you are wading, please be careful as there is still a little extra flow.
Posted June 28, 2023 Getting to the river at dawn this time of year, I often see bass chasing shiner minnows over the one to two feet deep gravel bars along the river banks. I cast my Silver Outcast size 4 six feet out in front of the bass's path and strip it right in front of him. The Murray's Marauder in Pearl, Black or Olive size 6 also work well here. If you stand back and study these gravel bars, you'll see thousands of the shiner minnows feeding in an area the size of a tennis court. You know it is only a matter of time until the bass charge in to feed on them.
Posted 6/28/23 The North Fork of the Shenandoah River has a little color to it but the levels are perfect. The slight discoloration actually works in our favor. The smallmouth won't be quite as wary. I have had several customers calling asking for access to float the North Fork. There are a few areas that you can float on the North Fork but make sure you plan ahead. There are 3 dams on the North Fork that are not legal or safe to go around. There is plenty of public access for wading on the North Fork. Stop by the fly shop or call us for more information.
Posted 6/28/23 The South Fork of the Shenandoah River is still too high and discolored for good fishing. It is coming down and provided that we don't get any more heavy rains, then the South Fork should be fishable by the weekend. We will post updates as the conditions change.