Dry River

[bryan....@gmail.com]

Thinking about hitting the Dry River on Saturday AM. Anybody have any experience and pointers on where to fish it and what flies might be productive?

Thanks
Bryan

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[Rob Shane]

I've fished the dry river a few times. it's a beautiful stream. One of those places where I think everyone should learn to fly fish. Plenty of room to back cast, and LOTS of eager brook trout. The further up 33 you go into the park the smaller the stream gets but there are fish the whole way down, and everywhere you'd expect them to be. You can probably catch your limit on a light nymph rig pretty quick but my hunch is as long as the water isn't too high with this rain that you'll have some luck with your generic dry fly patterns (i.e. adams, royal wulff, cadis, etc). Most of the fish are 3-6 inches but i'm positive there are some bruisers in there. As with most brook trout fishing I don't think you'll have to match the hatch too close just get it in front of their nose and as long as the profile looks right they'll take. Here's a quick write up on Mossy's website on the dry: http://mossycreekflyfishing.com/portfolio-item/local-public-waters-dry-river/

Good luck!

[Bryan Lanier]

Rob,

Thanks for the info. I understand that there are pull-offs along 33. I may also try Skidmore Fork between the confluence and Switzer Dam. Thinking 4 wt as I don't have a 3. 5X tippet?

Regards,

Bryan

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[TurbineBlade]

5x is pretty standard "brook trout tippet" for most people.  I've caught plenty on 4x with larger dries, and I'd rather have 4 feet of 4x than 2 feet of 5x, but you're in the right ballpark. 

Anything drifted well works -- grab whatever you like and whatever you can easily see.  I use Rob's beetle more than any other fly for trout, and have had a couple of 100 fish days and several 50s on that fly alone. 

Since I do not fish the dry much and will likely not fish it again for the next 10 years or more, I'm happy to report to you that the skidmore fork below the reservoir holds a LOT of brook trout, and some VERY nice ones.  There are sections down there that are large enough and with even enough current that you can swing soft hackles and really destroy the place.  I hooked one in  that section 2 years ago that was black-mouthed, fat, pretty, and every bit of 14 inches.  Naturally, I had no camera that day and only had a flip phone back then. 

Parking is available at the boat launch area, and you can easily walk around the dam, through the meadow, and down along the fork.  There is a pretty decent path beaten into various banks that cross the fork at various points there. 

Have a blast man!  That's a great, great brookie stream but it's just too damn far to drive for me anymore. 

Gene

On Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 10:36:10 AM UTC-4, Bryan wrote:

Rob,

Thanks for the info. I understand that there are pull-offs along 33. I may also try Skidmore Fork between the confluence and Switzer Dam. Thinking 4 wt as I don't have a 3. 5X tippet?

Regards,

Bryan

On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 9:45 AM, Rob Shane <robert...@gmail.com> wrote:

I've fished the dry river a few times. it's a beautiful stream. One of those places where I think everyone should learn to fly fish. Plenty of room to back cast, and LOTS of eager brook trout. The further up 33 you go into the park the smaller the stream gets but there are fish the whole way down, and everywhere you'd expect them to be. You can probably catch your limit on a light nymph rig pretty quick but my hunch is as long as the water isn't too high with this rain that you'll have some luck with your generic dry fly patterns (i.e. adams, royal wulff, cadis, etc). Most of the fish are 3-6 inches but i'm positive there are some bruisers in there. As with most brook trout fishing I don't think you'll have to match the hatch too close just get it in front of their nose and as long as the profile looks right they'll take. Here's a quick write up on Mossy's website on the dry: http://mossycreekflyfishing.com/portfolio-item/local-public-waters-dry-river/

Good luck!

On Wednesday, May 4, 2016 at 6:30:06 PM UTC-4, Bryan wrote:

Thinking about hitting the Dry River on Saturday AM. Anybody have any experience and pointers on where to fish it and what flies might be productive?

Thanks
Bryan

Sent from my iPhone

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[Ashley Frohwein]

It just got stocked with bows yesterday, so expect plenty of good ol boys. Get there early or wait a week. I caught at least 50-60 brookies there last Tuesday, mostly on a black gnat parachute dry. It's an easy place to figure out. I use a 2 wt there, 3 is fine; 4 is on the big side but will also be fine. The biggest brookie I've caught there was 13 inches. 5x is fine, especially with the higher flows from the rain.

[Rob Shane]

Looks as if Skidmore doesn't require a trout stamp which leads me to believe it's not hatchery supported (if I understand the va license system correctly). Therefore, this may save you some extra $$$ unless you've already purchased your trout stamp

[TurbineBlade]

I forgot this entirely since I've probably fished for brook trout 200 times since this report, but back in February of 2013 I caught my first brook trout on the dry...and it's really not a very pretty one.  It's fun to look back -- I had no clue what the heck I was doing out there and it's amazing I managed to catch anything at all ;). 

I guess I still don't really.  Maybe when you think you figure it all out, you're really just revealing arrogance (or ignorance). 

Gene

[Bryan Lanier]

Christmas 2011 my wife had bought me an LL Bean fly tying kit and vest. That winter I started tying flies including bead-headed nymphs.In May, 2012. We drove down to Kanuga for a David Wilcox (singer/songwriter...fabulous) Weekend.  I fished the Davidson River in the Pisgah National Forest. This was my first attempt at fly fishing for trout in a stream. I tossed my little nymph in and within a few casts to a pool above the first falls I caught a nice 10" trout. I couldn't even tell you if it was a brown, brookie or rainbow. All I know is that I caught my first trout on a fly that I had tied. I caught only one more. But it is a day that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I wouldn't say I was arrogant. But I didn't let my ignorance get in the way! I'm still trying to figure it out.

Bryan

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[Ashley Frohwein]

Make sure you have a national park fishing pass, as much of the good water @ Dry River is within the GWNF. It's only $4 or so.

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[bryan....@gmail.com]

I'm assuming that the pass is available on line. 

Bryan

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[Ashley Frohwein]

yup. https://dgiflicense.virginiainteractive.org/ 

[bryan....@gmail.com]

Thanks for the link, Ashley. 

Bryan

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[Ashley Frohwein]

Sure man. Have fun. Also, Mossy Creek should be fishing well/better than normal with these elevated water levels. It's only 20 minutes from the Dry.