Mountain Trout Streams Fly Fishing Report - March 20, 2024

Update: March 21, 2024  There are several fires in Page County with heavy smoke and road closures.  Plan accordingly and see updates from the Shenandoah National Park on their website.

The Quill Gordon nymphs are reaching full size and are moving to the lower sections of the riffles. Fish a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14 upstream dead drift right into the lower sections of these riffles. I have been doing well with a dry and dropper on the native brook trout streams.  The Mr. Rapidan Dry size 14 with a nymph as a dropper about 18 inches below the dry works well. You will have better water levels by coming in off the Skyline Drive into the upper reaches of the streams.  For more information on these streams, see my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park. The Park has asked that all anglers mash the barbs down on all flies when fishing the brook trout streams. This will help assure a high rate of survival on the trout we return to the stream.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been posting hatch chart information along with the recommended flies.  In case you missed it--here are the first two which coincide with the hatches that are occurring or will be in the next few weeks.