Fly Fishing Stream Report - January 15, 2025
Share
This is going to be a long report as I will be covering the stocked trout streams, native brook trout streams and smallmouth bass. The local stocked trout streams are clear and fishable. There is some ice around the edges and in the slow moving water. Be extremely careful getting to the stream and while wading. A wading staff is recommended. The abundance of cress bugs which are present in and below the springs are a very rich food source for the trout. While on the stream, if you encounter a spring, make stream notes so that you can find it again. Cress Bug size 14 & 16 work well in these areas. Other recommended nymphs for this week include: Bead Head Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail Nymph size 14, Olsen's Blowtorch Barbless Nymph size 16, Copper John Nymph (Zebra or Green) size 16, and Perdigon Nymph size 14. Fish all of these on a Murray's Classic 9ft 5X or Murray's Trout Nymph Leader 9ft 5X. If you need help on access, stop by the fly shop.
There is little to no action occurring on the native brook trout streams as the water temperatures are just too cold. I would recommend waiting another month and then try again. The Skyline Drive is currently open but that can change quickly depending on the weather. Sign up for Shenandoah Alerts by texting SHENALERTS to 888777. Any time there are closures, re-openings, or other important safety-related alerts, subscribers will receive a notification via text. You may unsubscribe at any time.
This snow will definitely help the native brook trout streams for this Spring (prime time).
If you want to learn more about fly fishing for native brook trout in these small mountain streams, consider signing up for one of our fly fishing schools.
- read my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park
- attend my classroom discussion on the Shenandoah National Park on January 18 at 10a.m. at the fly shop in Edinburg
- register for the Spring 2025 Mountain Trout School meeting at Graves Mountain Lodge in Syria, VA and fishing in the Shenandoah National Park
- register for the Spring 2025 Mountain Trout School meeting at Murray's Fly Shop in Edinburg, VA and fishing in the George Washington National Forest
I haven't been posting stream reports for the smallmouth bass, simply because the water temperature is so cold that there is not much going on. However, I do have a few anglers that will go about during the winter months and experiment with different flies and fly lines. The smallmouth are in the deepest water you can find in the river. Scientific Anglers Sonar Sink Tip 3 WF-7-F/S sinks at 3 inches per second over the first 12 feet. Use a Murray's Fluorocarbon 6ft 2X sinking leader with this line. Then use heavy weighted flies such as Murray's Magnum Hog Sucker size 4 and Murray's Tungsten Cone Head Marauder size 4 (Black). By May the water temperature will be warm enough that the action will greatly improve.
If you want to learn more about fly fishing for smallmouth bass, consider the following: