East of Harrisonburg

[Scott B.]

Headed to Harrisonburg for a work trip next week. What is the easiest access Brook Trout stream east of Harrisonburg in the SNP? I'll have a few hours to wet a line. Thanks!

[TurbineBlade]

I'd go west and do dry river ;).  That's (in my opinion) the best of all of them but it's not in the SNP if that matters to you.  

I'd fish it every weekend if I didn't live 3.5 hours away from it.  There's a ton of water to fish and the fish get quite large -- 

Gene

[Scott B.]

10-4. I will give this a shot and share pictures! Streamers? What dries?

[Ashley Frohwein]

Thanks for the info, TurbineBlade. I think I'll try Dry River out this Sunday. I've just begun my research on it. Any additional info/tips you have on Dry River would be much appreciated.

[TurbineBlade]

The sections we like basically fish like a large SNP stream, but it's a little larger and affords some stretches where soft hackles work pretty well.  Everything works -- I like CDC/Elk dries and Rob's foam beetle pattern for dries, but it probably doesn't matter -- I'm sure that old multi-pack of "Real hand-tied flies!" they sell at the Kmart would work fine if you stand in the right spot.  I've always wanted to fish the upper section (above the lake) since it seems like it would also fish well.  When I pulled up there last year at one point it was flooded, so we just went mushroom hunting.    

I haven't really tried anything else -- well, aside from flipping rocks.  We did that one day for a few minutes and found the biggest, nastiest stonefly nymphs you ever saw.  Well....I know Misha saw 'em. He posted some not too long ago, but maybe from a different stream.  

Gene

[Ashley Frohwein]

Many thanks!

[Nick Swingle]

Was on the Dry last weekend. Saw some caddis, drakes, and BWOs. Not sure if the drakes have hatched in full force yet (they had not as of last weekend), but allegedly the Dry has one of the thickest swarms when it does happen.

[Misha Gill]

I've seen the drakes hatching on the Dry - they are huge! They come out primarily at dusk. I thought now was prime time for them, but the latest Mossy Creek report said they are over, although that might just be on the spring creeks. Freestones should have drakes hatching now. As for stoneflies, yep they are in there and they are big. The pictures I have posted of stonefly nymphs were from other streams though. Even the mayfly nymphs in there are large - I wouldn't be afraid to throw a s10 or s12.

The whole Dry River is good, just pull of into any of the pull offs after you see the river from rte 33. It's great because it has a wide flood plain making casting really easy. The brookies in there love dries - I usually just fish an orange stimulator. I've gone during some high water times and still been able to catch em on top. Great place to fish a Tenkara rod too. All in all one of my favorite VA streams.