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Thursday, May 24, 2007

Paying for the privilege of casting flies to private trout water

By Bill Cochran

When reader Samuel Moore asked me for a list of places in Virginia where anglers can pay to fly fish private trout water, I groaned a bit. Through the years I have found it difficult to maintain an accurate list. Pay-fishing facilities traditionally have a short lifespan. The owners, the phone numbers, the e-mail addresses, the fees all tend to change rapidly.

I immediately requested help from Dan Genest, a knowledgeable, well-traveled trout angler who is communications specialist for Dominion Corp. headquartered in Richmond.

What follows mostly is information from Dan, with some input from me. The personal remarks in quotes are his. It is wise to call ahead and double check the information. Let me know if you see something that needs to be corrected or if we have left out a worthy spot.

BEAVER CREEK: Rockingham County, west of Harrisonburg in Ottobine. Private water managed by the Massanutten Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Donation to fish, usually $10-20. Permit available at country store in Ottobine on a first-come-first serve basis with a four-rod per day limit. Closed Sundays. About 2 miles of spring creek with freestone influences. Mostly stocked rainbows, but a few wild fish. Contact: 540-879-9287. “Very nice, small stream with spunky fish.”

BUFFALO CREEK: Guided, catch-and-release fly-fishing trips on five-eights’ mile of excellent rainbow trout water about 5 miles from Lexington, www.vatrout.com. Fee $50 to $85; accommodations, $95 to $169, at B&B at Llewellyn Lodge in Lexington, llodge.com. Contact/guide is John Roberts, 540-463-3235; guide@vatrout.com.

CASCADES CREEK: On The Homestead property near Hot Springs, flows out of a golf course and into a scenic and rugged gorge that provides falls and pools that hold wild and stocked rainbow trout, lessons and guides available, contact is Allegheny Outfitters on Cottage Row, 540-839-7760 ex. 57760.

DUNLAP CREEK: Escatawba near Covington, 540-965-8577. Owned by Derrick Barr. Fee is $100 per angler, per day. Reservations required; eight-rod limit. Two miles of freestone with some spring influence. Mostly rainbows with a few browns and brook trout. “Beautiful, well-managed stream. Excellent fishing.”

JACKSON RIVER: A 2.5-mile stretch of the upper Jackson River in Meadow Lane Farm west of Warm Springs, stocked with rainbow trout, may find an occasional trout from Moomaw Lake, $50 fee, rental cottages available. Contacts: meadowlanecottages.com; 540-839-5959; /webmin/pageeditor/meadowlane@tds.net. Web site contains recommended fly patterns. “Well worth the trip and money.”

MORMAN’S RIVER: Section located west of Charlottesville stocked with rainbows with a few wild brook trout, catch and release only. Fee is $40. Permits available at Albemarle Angler, 434-977-6882. “Best deal for fishing good, private water. Poaching does cut into the fishing, however.”

NORTH RIVER: Riverbend Farm in Montezuma, west of Dayton. Owned and managed by Brain and Colby Trow out of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg. Reservation required; $60 fee. About 2 miles of freestone with strong spring creek influence. Mostly stocked rainbows with a few native brook trout. Phone 540-434-2444. “A large, beautiful, cold trout stream flowing through the Shenandoah Valley. Excellent bug hatches. Fishing is excellent, but can get challenging.”

PINEY RIVER: Called Rivenridge at Piney Forks. About 2 miles of South and North Forks of Piney River, rainbows and brook trout. Fee is $79. Owned and managed by Angler’s Lane Fly Shop in Graves Mill Shopping Center, Forest, 434-385-0200.

POTTS CREEK: Two miles of spring-fed stream stocked with 2- to 7-pound rainbow trout and an occasional brown trout in Craig County’s Paint Bank. Operated by Potts Creek Outfitters; Josh Duncan is the wildlife manager. Fee is $75 per day for catch and release; guides, if desired. Swinging Bridge Restaurant/tackle shop and Depot Lodge nearby. Information form 540-897-5555; info@pottscreekoutfitters.com; pottscreekoutfitters.com.

ROSE RIVER: Rose River Farm near Syria in Madison County. Bookings through The Albemarle Angler, 1129 Emmet Street, Charlottesville; 434-977-6882. More information from roseriverfarm.com. Fee is $75. About 1 mile of freestone stream, with mostly large, stocked rainbows.

SMITH RIVER: Called Susie Q, located north of Harrisonburg just off of I-81.

Owned and managed by Brian and Colby Trow of Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg, 540-434-2444. Fee is $60. There is a rod limit on the 1-mile plus of spring creek that contains brows and rainbows. The landowners have created several in-stream structures to prevent erosion and create pools. “Can be a very exciting place to fish with good hatches.”

STONEY CREEK: Located at Wintergreen Resort, freestone mountain creek stocked with brook trout, $20 for a permit, managed by Brian and Colby Trow at Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg. 540-434-2444. “A fun little stream to fish.”

BLUE SPRINGS TROUT FISHING: New in Smyth County. E-mailing si trout1977@yahoo.com or phones: 276-621-4238 or 276-620-5154.

OTHERS: Two additional areas that cater to bait fishermen but can be attractive to fly anglers are Cripple Creek near Rural Retreat; call Cedar Springs at 276-686-4505, and Meadow Creek at Big Pine in Craig County, bigpinetroutfarm.com or 540-864-5551.

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