Let's start with the Mountain Trout Streams. At dusk the spinners of the Epeorus pleuralis mayflies return to the stream to mate and deposit their eggs onto the stream. Simultaneously the duns are still hatching. One evening overlooking a deep hollow over a Blue Ridge Mountain brook trout stream, I have no doubt there were over 1,000 mayflies in the air before me. The Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 will work well here. Other flies I have been doing well with include Quill Gordon Dry, the NEW Blue Quill Mr. Rapidan, March Brown Dry, Mr. Rapidan Emerger, Bead Head Prince, and Copper John, Green all in either a size 14 or 16. The Shenandoah National Park officials have expressed to me that they would like for everyone to start mashing the barbs down on the hooks when fishing.
All of the Shenandoah National Park streams are fishable by either coming in from the Skyline Drive or the lower boundaries of the Park. Incidentally the road into the Rapidan River is open again after the closure last week for a fire. The brook trout stream west of our fly shop in the George Washington National Forest is also in great shape. The forest service will have the gate to FS92 open by April 1.
Want to learn more about the brook trout fishing in the Shenandoah National Park?
- Watch my video on the Trout Streams in the Shenandoah National Park
- Read by book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park
Now let's take a look at the Stocked Trout Streams. All of the local stocked trout streams are clear and fishable. Heritage Day is this Saturday April 1. Designated Heritage water will be closed for fishing on 3/31/32 while they stock and reopen for fishing at 9a.m. on 4/1/23. Some of our local Heritage waters include Passage Creek in Fort Valley and Hawksbill in Luray. To see more about Heritage Day water, visit the VA DWR website. Stoney Creek west of our fly shop and Mill Creek in Mount Jackson were just stocked recently. Most anglers are doing well with streamers and nymphs such as the Murray's Marauder size 12 in either pearl or black and Dark Stonefly Nymph size 12 or Casual Dress Nymph size 12.