Rapidan River

The Rapidan River in and coming out of Shenandoah National Park is arguably the blue ribbon capital of Virginia native brook trout fishing. The king of the blue lines if you will. The history of this river dates back far, such as 1929 when then President Herbert Hoover set up camp and fished for our mountain stream gems. Even today you can hike in and visit his campsite. Tales have been told of camping anglers setting up a camping chair on the edges of the river, dipping their feet in the cold, clear and clean flowing mountain spring water, catching fish without even standing up, only a few feet from where their stompers take a bath. This river is also known as the breeding ground for the famous Mr. Rapidan dry fly pattern, with its tan body, bright yellow wings with white and brown tail and catskill collar, which cover almost any and all criteria of a deadly brook trout dry fly. Its deep plunging pools, fast riffles, foaming eddies, overhanging boulders and logs, smoother runs and even small waterfalls create an outstanding habitat for surprisingly large aquatic insects and creatures. Don’t be scared to try a smaller streamer or size 8 stonefly nymph if the water is on the higher side and the stronger current washes out small baitfish and dislodges larger mayfly and stonefly nymphs.

Common hatches that are productively fished here include but not limited to: Little Black Stoneflies, Blue Winged Olives and Midges in winter-time. Larger Caddis, March Brown, Hendrickson, Quill Gordon, Yellow Sallies and even Eastern Giant Stoneflies like the ones fished out west. For any and all blue line / blue ribbon angler, this river needs to be on the bucket list, including one of its feeder streams, the Staunton river.

Like many of the local streams and rivers, the Robinson River originates in the Shenandoah National Park and runs into Madison County. Here, the Robinson joins the Rose River and flows into Central Virginia. The Robinson is a Virginia "Heritage" river meaning it is stocked on April 1st, effectively marking "opening day" for the river, although with solid rain, the river fishes well through the winter--with consistent stockings along the river through the Winter and Spring. The upper part of the river holds brook trout, while the sections downstream also hold rainbow trout and the occasional brown trout. The headwaters of the Robinson can be accessed from the Whiteoak Canyon Falls Upper Trailhead off Skyline Drive. Further downriver, the Robinson can be accessed from The Whiteoak Canyon Falls Lower Trailhead in Berry Hollow. Unlike some rivers in the area, the Robinson can also be accessed from several roads that run along the river. Weakley Hollow Road runs along the river from Berry Hollow toward Syria. Near Syria, The Bohannon Road follows the Robinson until it meets the "Old Blue Ridge Turnpike", or highway 670, where the Robinson joins the Rose River and 670 follows the river until running into Highway 231 after Crigslerville. There are other road access points further downriver.

Mossy Creek is a challenging limestone spring creek fishery that mainly holds wild brown trout with the occasional wild rainbow or brook. The river is located just south of Harrisonburg and is easily accessed off US 81 and VA 42 from Harrisonburg. VA 747 runs along Mossy Creek (off VA 42) through the Special Regulation fly fishing only section and by the Mossy Creek presbyterian church, another river access point in a parking lot at 375 Kyles Mill Rd. There is parking where 747 merges with Mossy Creek Road--right off VA 42. There is some private land further up river but 747 offers a few public access points towards Staunton. Given its easy access and reputation, the stream gets lots of pressure, but large fish are plentiful. Along with the increased fishing activity, no wading is allowed in the stream, often making the approach and presentation harder. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources stocks fingerling brown trout yearly which grow quickly due to the many food sources available in the waters year round. The state also stocks rainbows in the lower part of the river near Harrisonburg. Due to the cooperation between land owners, Trout Unlimited, and the DWR, a free permit is required to fish and access the land around the stream. The permit can be obtained at the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Verona Regional Office at 517 Lee Hwy. The permit may be more easily obtained on the VDGIF website or the GoOutdoorsVA app.

One of the state's best managed spring creeks, Beaver Creek, located outside of Harrisonburg boasts large populations of wild rainbows in the 6”-15” range as well as wild brook trout. Along with the wild fish, Trout Unlimited stocks rainbow trout in the 14”-20” range as well as brown trout. The spring fed stream stays between 50-63 degrees, offering phenomenal fishing opportunities throughout the year whether air temperatures are below freezing in the winter or hot in the summer. The 2 miles of fishing area is provided through cooperation between landowners and Trout Unlimited, providing a pristine fishing location for a small donation of $10. All proceeds from pass sales go directly to the stocking and conservation of the creek. The fishery is limited to 4 anglers per day to reduce pressure with no fishing allowed on Sunday. Passes must be purchased at 257 Grocery at 6939 Briery Branch Rd. Passes may not be reserved prior to the day of fishing, but calls are accepted to reserve on the day of fishing. Call or arrive at the store early as many people are often competing for the limited spots. Fishermen must only park at 257 Grocery or the Ottobine Elementary school overflow parking lot. Waggy Creek Road, or US 742 runs along the river, but anglers must have proper licensing and park in designated parking areas to fish the river.