Cape Charles Fishing Report, First Reds 21 May 2023

Potter County Fishing Report, 26-27 May: Bugapalooza

 I was a couple of weeks off on my prediction of the start of hatch season.  It's been unseasonably cool here (highs in the 50s and low 60s, and we had temps in the high 20s a couple of nights this week), and water levels have been high.

Unfortunately, water levels have dropped significantly.  But, since the temps have been cooler than normal, the water temp remains (or at least it was Friday and Saturday) in the upper 50s.  So I figured even fishing skinny water wouldn't stress the trout too much.

And the trout are still there, though bunched up in the deeper holes.  I spent Friday afternoon hanging out at the Pavilion Hole to see if we might see some bug action.  Up to now it's been sporadic at best; some March Browns and a few Sulphurs.  Friday afternoon started out much the same, a few Sulphurs (big ... size 10) coming off, but not particularly impressive numbers.  Fish were not rising, but they were looking up.  My fishing technique, however, was a bit off.  I managed to hook five trout, the biggest an 18 incher (who was surpsingly in a small pool just below the Pavilion Hole, or so I thought it was.  More later), but only landed a 10 inch stockie Rainbow.

I headed back to the PH after dinner, around 7 or so.  And when I got there a huge (for the West Branch) hatch party was going on.  Big March Browns, Sulphurs, and more Green Drakes than I've seen on this creek, were coming off the water.  Interestingly, the fish weren't really rising to them (perhaps waiting for the spinner fall after dark).  A few trout showed some interest in a Sulphur I tossed around the hole, but no fish to the net.

The next morning we watched Robin chicks leave the nest built on our lower deck, then decided to make it a day down at the PH.  Again, nothing much going on in the afternoon until about 4 or so when the shadows started covering the holes. Anticipating another big hatch, I came well armed with "Trout Whisperer"-tied Green Drakes.

                     

 I managed to coax a small Rainbow up to a size 12 Sulphur that I had tied on the night before.

But that was it, at least for the Pavilion Hole.  So around 5 I moved down to a small pool just below the PH to see if I might get another shot at the big Rainbow.  

I tied on one of Bob's Drakes (which exactly matched the Drakes coming off), and cast it up to the right corner of the pool where there was flow and would move the fly into the trout's feeding lane.  It only took one cast.  The trout slowly rose and without hesitating took the fly.

There wasn't much of a battle, as there was nowhere for the trout to run.  But it still took me a few minutes to get him/her to the net on my 3 wt.  When I got the fish into the net, it was clear that my estimate from the pervious day was off.  It was an easy 20 inch fish; amazing that something that big is swimming around in such a small stream.

I was too intent on getting the shot and getting the fish back in the water to notice the marks on its side.  But you can see from the photo that this bruiser had a run in with some kind of predator.

The rest of the evening was spent having a great streamside dinner

Followed by a campfire, accentiated with a little bourbon and a cigar

The hatch Saturday night was completely different than the night before.  A good number of Drakes, but only a few March Browns and Sulphurs.  I fished until dark, but couldn't elicit a strike.  So we sat by the fire, sipped brown liquor, and I resisted the temptation to run for the rod when we heard a splash.

About as good as it gets in God's Country.  Now we could use a little rain.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Potter County Fishing Report, May 12: First Fish on a Dry

On Friday I was joined by neighbor and fellow fly angler Frank Weeks on an outing to the Class A section of Lyman Run.  While we had a decent slug of rain in early May, dry conditions have been the norm for the last couple of weeks.  Good when you're trying to get the lawn cut.  Maybe not for the streams.

We got to Lyman Run about 11:00 AM.  Temps were in the 70s, and would climb into the low-80s by the time we left at 3:00 PM.  The water was lower than my previous outing, but still fishable.  Stream temps were in the high-50s to low-60s.

Fly of choice was a size 12 March Brown dry.  There was little in the way of bug activity, but the trout didn't seem to mind.  As long as you found good holding water...

And kept enough distance to avoid spooking the fish, you had a good chance of landing...

In all we landed three fish, but missed/lost a good number of native Brookies and wild Browns.  Didn't matter.  Just being in the woods, wet-wading a small stream, and catching my first fish on dries this season, made for a great day.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Addendum:  I've spent the last two evenings hanging down at the Pavilion Hole on the WB, just to see what bug activity was going on.  With warm temps this weekend, I figured we'd see a flyapolooza of hatches.  Turned out not to be the case.  Nothing on Friday, although around 8:05 PM a few fish rose to something.  I did manage a scrawny stocked Rainbow Friday night, and also missed a couple on a  March Brown.  Saturday was pretty much the same, with one exception. There's a small pool just down from the Pavilion Friday evening.  It's nice-looking water, with a cut bank on the far side, and probably 4-4 1/2 feet deep in the center of the pool.  

On Friday I heard a splashy noise, went down and did a little casting, and had a fish flash at the fly a few times.  Last evening I returned and tossed the MB in the far corner of the pool, and as it was drifting down the trout slowly rose, inspected the fly for a second, then made the fateful decision.

A chunky 12-incher came to the net.  Guess the lesson is even though there may not be a hatch on, doesn't mean the fish won't look up and try for a tasty meal on the surface.

Wachapreague Flounder Report May 7

 Determined to land keeper flounder, I met son Joe at the flounder capital of the world, Wachapreague VA at the peak of the incoming tide on a perfect spring Sunday.  Wachapreague is a true fisherman's village.  Almost like the set of a Popeye movie, shanties line the waterfront overlooking marsh and shallow bays protected by barrier islands.  There is an Inn across the street tailor made for anglers and the Island House restaurant features solid pub fare on the water.  But we were here to find the flatties.

Joe had fished the area a few times and we chose one of the more well-known spots a few miles from the ramp.  There were several boats following the same pattern of drifting with the tide and the wind while dragging flounder rigs tipped with a variety of gulp colors across the bottom.  With the wind pushing the tide, the water was a more turbid than we would have liked but we were optimistic as we drifted in 2' - 4' of water.

It wasn't long before Joe felt the first tug of the day.  A 14" gave us hope that more would be soon to follow.  The other fishing parties around us didn't seem to fare much better than we, however; another couple of drifts produced our first keeper that Joe promptly secured in the net.  A nice 17" flounder for the table.  

There was one party of locals that seemed to be far more consistent with lines going tight every 5 minutes or so.  They had managed to slow their drift with a sea anchor and when they came across a hole, the captain slowed their drift to a crawl.  Flounder are notoriously opportunistic and will chase a bait, but only so far.  The key is slow movement to entice a strike.  Mikey D Fishing also believes that color matters and the darker the water the brighter the gulp needed.  After all, why would the good Lord put two eyes on one side of a fish unless it was meant to pursue prey it can see.  

Joe and I slowed the drift by putting reverse turns on the motor.  Soon after I landed a nice flattie that measured 20".  With 2 in the cooler and a couple of throwbacks on the board, it was time to head back to the ramp, filet the fish, and head home.   A great day on the water together!  With air and water temps on the rise, the fishing promises to only get better in the days to come.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Shenandoah National Park Fishing Report, 24-26 April: Brookieland, Kind Of

 We didn't have to travel eight hours to catch 5-8 inch fish.  There are plenty of streams in God's Country which hold Eastern Brook Trout.  But there was a bit of nostalgia going back to the SNP.  We've been fishing it on and off for the last three decades.  Many times I would light out with USNA colleague Professor Tim O'Brien.  Mary would also join me for a trip or two every year while we were living in Annapolis.  The draw was catching the only trout (actually a Char) native to the eastern US, but also fishing in some of the most scenic places imaginable.

On Monday Mary and I made the trek to Sperryville, VA, which is kind of the locus for fishing the eastern drainages of the SNP.  Most of our past trips were grueling out and ins; on the road from Annapolis at 0515 to miss the I-495 traffic, fish all day, then a long 2 3/4 hour drive home.   A few years back we stayed at Graves Mountain Lodge with the Trout Whisperer and Frank and Janie Weeks.  This time we opted for Sharp Rock Vineyards (https://sharprockvineyards.com/), an exceptional B&B and winery on the bank of the Hughes River a few miles west of Sperryville.  Owners Jimm and Kathy East were gracious hosts, the accommodations very comfortable, the wine fantastic, and the breakfasts could carry you over to dinner.  

As we arrived a few hours before we could check in, we hit The Black Twig pub in Sperryville for  quick beer (Sweetwater 420 Pale Ale on tap), then decided to drive a few miles up to the Quièvremont Winery (https://www.quievremont.com/) for a quick tasting.  The area around Sperryville hosts a good number of wineries (should your companion rather drink than fish).  Quièvremont, though, was special because Mike Guervremont, whose family owns the winery, worked with me during my White House tour.  Small world.  And most excellent wine and hospitality!

If this is looking like a travel log, well, it kind of is.  We did get some fishing in Tuesday and Wednesday on the Rapidan and Rose Rivers.  But to be candid, we did a lot of hiking and climbing, some fishing, and only a little catching.  As I said, the trip was to revisit an old fly fishing haunt and enjoy the scenery.  And the rivers proved just as beautiful as they were over the last 30 years.

Conditions were sunny but on the cool side; temps in the high 50s on Tuesday, and low 60s on Wednesday.  There were a few bugs coming off; Olives in the morning, Caddis and a few March Browns in the afternoon.  Not the conditions you'd find in late-April.  But ... true to form, if a pool looked fishy, it more than likely held a Brook Trout, which proved more than happy to pounce on a fly.

We fished dries and dry-droppers.  Mary hooked three fish on a 14 Adams Parachute.  The three brookies I hooked over the two days took a 16 Beadhead Pheasant Tail nymph dropped off a Stimulator.  If there was an issue, it was that the streams proved a bit less accessible than during the halcyon days of our youth.  While the rivers are still the most scenic we've fished, our ability to navigate the streams had diminished ... a lot!  "Back in the day," a thirty-fish outing was not out of the ordinary.  But then, we were a bit more spry, and able to navigate around and over the boulders like a mountain goat to hit all the pockets and runs.  You'd essentially get in the water and not leave until it was time to head home.  But now, after a few years, you just look for the few spots that are relatively easy to access, maybe catch a couple of trout, head back to the B&B for some wine or bourbon and cigars, and be happy with the day.

Which we were.  

A quick note on logistics.  Closest city is Warrenton, about 30 minutes east of Sperryville.  Plenty of grocery stores, hotels, restaurants, etc., if you want both fishing and civilization.  West of Warrenton your down to B&Bs, which is a nice way to go, andl closer to the rivers.  Sperryville can be challenging for foodies.  There are four restaurants in town.  A pizza joint (the old Thornton River Grill), which is only open on the weekends.  A burger place we didn't try but has been there forever.  A high end place (Three Blacksmiths) that was booked well into the next month, and the Black Twig (the Sweetwater 420 is the highlight).  There is an excellent market in town, which has a pretty impressive meat and seafood sections, as well as deli sandwiches, baked goods, snacks, drinks, etc., if you want to do your cooking.  Fortunately, we were saved by discovering an excellent Irish Pub, the Dark Horse Saloon, in Flint Hill, about 20 minutes from Sperryville.  Excellent table fare, with Guiness, Harp, and Smithwick's on tap.

SNP streams are regulated by the National Park Service.  Fishing in the park is C&R.  I know for sure that you need a freshwater fishing license, and you do not need a trout stamp.   I was unclear to me, though, whether you need a national forest stamp.  But it's only $4, so we got them to be safe.  I'd suggest purchasing a trout stamp, which permits you to fish the streams outside the park, which are stocked (and easier to access).

Rains have moved into NC PA, and look to stick around (including some snow) over the next few days.  Which is okay, because the streams need the water, and I need the recovery time.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing

Wachapreague Flounder Report 18 April

 An early season tip was all it took to plan a last-minute trip to the barrier islands of Virginia's Eastern Shore.  Son Joe, a.k.a "Salt Life", and his longtime friend Giovanni Gargano asked me to spread a little Mikey D Fishing magic on their flounder outing and meet them at high tide at the Wachapreague public boat ramp.  Joe had good success days earlier landing a few keeper sized flatties in excess of 17" and our hope was to exceed the previous trip's tally.  

Wachapreague is a fisherman's mecca.  Situated halfway between the Virginia line and Cape Charles, Wachapreague offers decent lodging, a waterfront restaurant, and plenty of good fishing water.  Barrier islands, hammocks, and sandbars provide great habitat for multiple species including flounder, red drum, sea trout, and even late season tarpon.  

Joe guided his well-appointed G3 to a gut about a mile or so from the ramp.  On his previous trip, Salt Life landed his first flounder on the initial drift.  Though winds were light, and the outgoing tide was flowing, we weren't as lucky.  After about 30 minutes, Joe hooked into an undersized but promising 14.5" flounder.   We were using bucktails tipped with a variety of gulp baits.

Despite the encouraging start and outside of a small skate, nothing else came over the gunwale.  I had other obligations, so my trip ended with the falling tide.  Joe and G headed out again, but the incoming tide didn't change their fortunes.  Sometimes however, the real reward is time on the water, a few tugs of the line, and for us, a little extra local knowledge extracted.  We had a few boats with us initially, but they soon departed for other waters.  Joe and G later learned that others had limited out by seeking what they called "clean water".  Having spent more hours than I can count on the mid Chesapeake, the water under our keel looked clean to me, but there is a different level of clarity that works best for a predator with both eyes on one side of its body.  Next time, turbidity will be a primary factor in selecting where to wet lines when Mikey D Fishing searches for flounder.

Until then...Tight Lines!

MDF

Potter County Fishing Report, 14 April: Butter 'n Brookies

 Fished the Class A section of Lyman run for a couple of hours today.  Air temps in the low-80s.  Water low, but still enough holding spots to fish.  From all the bug activity, water temp probably in the low 50s.

Fished my 7 1/2 foot 3 wt.  Flies of choice was a Stimulator with a size 16 beadhead Pheasant Tail as a dropper on 5X.

Every fishy-looking spot held fish...

Brought 8 to the hand/net in about 2 hours of fishing; 3 wild Browns and 5 native Brookies.  The Brookies were 4-5 inches.  I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the Browns, 10, 8, and 6 inches.  While a couple of fish took swipes at the dry, all fish that I landed took the nymph.

Hopefully we see some rain over the next few weeks to keep these streams fishing well.

Tight Lines,

Mikey D Fishing