New to Gravelly Point

[Jim White]

Good morning,

 

Over the past several months I've read through every post that mentions Gravelly Point and have been itching to fish there. The write-ups indicate best to be at the outflow from Roaches Run about two hours after the Alexandria high tide in dark/low light conditions. 7-8-9wt rods - two-handed best - clousers on sinking lines (or at least sink tips), cast quartering downstream and be ready for strikes on the swing.

 

Tomorrow morning (Saturday, Oct 24) look to be excellent conditions. Moon set at 0351, high tide in Alexandria at 0545, sun rise at 0727. Lines in the water at 0715 or so should be good.

 

A few weeks ago I did a recon run there and walked the area to learn where to fish. I was there at the high tide turn (middle of a bright sunny day) and was amazed at the water height and flow rate through the outflow from Roaches Run. It was clear to me that despite YouTube videos/online pics of that location I've seen I would not be wading at that location in that flow (also, I believe it is against the rules?). It was also clear to me that my single handed 9 ft 8 & 9 wt rods were going to be challenging to use against the overpass since it was backed by trees/brush. There is a partially clear area near the picnic benches where I think I can cast from but it seems a bit far from the water and landing fish will be an issue. There is also the pier which looked to be a good location to get started. However, signs prohibit fishing from the pier (the day I was there the pier was occupied with folks fishing bottom rigs for cat fish - so it may be that enforcement in this area is lax).

 

Roll cast at the outflow and hope for the best (my roll casts suck...)?

 

Fish from the pier?

 

How do I fish Gravelly Point?

 

-Jim

[Matthew Longley]

Sounds like a great opportunity to work on your roll cast!

I haven't waded there since the controversy, but only because I haven't fished there. At the right tide you can walk all the way across. But as a starter, I would walk along the shore until you are right up against the wall by the outflow. You can let the current do a lot of the work. Do your best to roll cast across the current. When your casts become ineffective at picking up the fly, do another few rolls casts to let more line our into the current. Then work the fly as the current carries it out.

But seriously, if I were you I would get my roll cast down, and gravely is a great place to do it because it can be fished effectively with terrible roll casts, making the whole thing less frustrating. I would guess that less than 40% of the casts I take any given year involve a backcast.

[Andrew LaVigne]

I had the same idea, and was down there this morning from 6:30-8:15. Saw a few surface splashes, out in the middle of the channel from the boat dock, and right near the outflow something jumped out of the water and landed in a manner that convinced me people were hucking cinderblocks from the bike path.

I won't call it a wasted morning - decent recon, and it was nice out, but I didn't have a single strike. I tried a couple different sizes of clouser, and one bigass half&half, using a sinking leader and swinging it in the current downstream. I didn't go with my full sink line, think that might have been the ticket, but then again, I have no clue. There were lots of shad fry jumping around, guessing that might be the baitfish of choice right now. 

IF you were to wade, there is hard bottom, relatively shallow right next to the outflow. It would THEORETICALLY be easy to put a roll cast right handed into the outflow (or cast left handed). Otherwise, a HYPOTHETICAL wader might have trouble getting too far out, as it gets chest-deep with weed beds in some spots.

There's a sign that says no fishing from the dock. But I could see someone POSSIBLY not seeing it and wandering on out to make some casts. 

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:13:43 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:

[Remick]

Probably the wrong dude to be chiming in on this - but roll cast at the outflow until the tide drops enough to where you feel comfortable wading (varies from person to person based on height). Although there is a slight drop off from the bank by the outflow, the bottom rises up pretty quickly and unlike most of the river there is a hard, shell bottom making it an ideal spot to wade. I typically throw a 7wt with intermediate line, 6' of 10-12lb test, and baitfish patterns in the 3-5" range but I've thrown some big stuff out there (9wt, intermediate line, 7-10" baitfish patterns) in the late spring in the hopes of connecting with the shallow water pajama monster of my dreams.

Don't overthink it. If the fish are there you'll get bit and you should be able to tell pretty quickly if they're there (lots of bait, splashes, etc). If they're not - you'll know in about 30 minutes to pack it up. 

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:13:43 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:

[Jim White]

Great feedback all, many thanks.

 

I resolve to begin working in earnest on my roll cast beginning tomorrow morning.

 

Who knows, I may even get my feet wet...

 

 

Has anyone had success fishing top water (poppers, etc.) at Gravelly Point?

 

 

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:13:43 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:

[Matthew Longley]

I've caught fish on poppers in warmer temps, but not by the outflow. If there is still vegetation along the shore closer to the dock, I'd try there.

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[Yambag Nelson]

A full sink line will get you caught up on the bottom repeatedly.  Even at high tide, the water isn't that deep and I don't think you need to be on the bottom anyway. 

 

While it is apparently illegal to wade, I have never had anyone say anything.  The bottom is hard and as long as you don't wade too far down, it is an easy place to wade.  You shouldn't be standing in the current and the water close to shore is slack.  I honestly can't imagine trying to fish there without wading, so if it isn't something you want to do (for either safety or legal reasons), I would recommend fishing somewhere else.  I have hooked alot of fish (particularly the bigger ones), closer to the far bank (still in the current) so figuring a way to get it out there is something you probably want to do.  Being lefty I can get a back cast off, but I imagine that is why some guys like to spey cast.    I'm not sure if your typical roll cast will get it out there.  But like someone said, all you really need to do is get it into the current which is a relatively short cast. 

 

Thing with gravelly is sometimes the fish just aren't there.  Everything can be lined up to what you think is right and the fish just won't be there.  My best day this year was back in early august well before I expected the fishing to be picking up there.  I got six stripers from 16-19 inches in about a half hour.  I have had multiple days that I thought would be good where I have gotten nothing. 

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[Yambag Nelson]

Also, FWIW I use a six weight with a sink tip and have never had a problem landing fish in an appropriate amount of time.  The stripers hit hard and go on one run, but after that they tire pretty quickly.

[Jim White]

Regarding fly lines, I have a selection of five foot Airflo Saltwater PolyLeaders (slow sink, fast sink, super fast sink) that I use with standard WF floating lines.

 

Based on the collective's experience, should that be enough to get my flies down into the hunt? (Chest deep water only, right?)

 

Or would a sink tip line with a standard four-to-six foot mono leader be more effective?

 

 

(Clearly I am over thinking this...)

 

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:13:43 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:

[Yambag Nelson]

I would think those work just fine.

[Jim White]

Fished GP from 0645 to nearly 0830 Saturday morning. Nothing. Didn't see any indication of fish.

Practiced roll casting. With five feet of fast sink poly leader (affixed to WF9F) and a big closer that proved challenging. I need to get into the back yard during the week and work on that. 

Anyway, the day was not a total loss (from a fly fishing stand point - it was a total loss from a college football stand point!) as afterwards I drove to Lake Fairfax and caught/released recently stocked rainbows on a San Juan worm (dropped from an attractor dry) using my 3 wt. Loads of fun. 

 
I may wait until the spring striper run to try GP again.

Thank you for the many advice/guidance comments. All were helpful.

Cheers,

Jim

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:13:43 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:

[Derek Douglas]

Jim,

Wade there when the tide is out to learn the depth near the outflow. There is a pool after a shallow, rocky section immediately after the outflow, but it remains fairly shallow in all of the surrounding areas. There is also a crossing that allows you to reach the other bank diagonally towards the airport that is very useful after you find it. Wade with caution when the water if really flowing, but I would not call it dangerous after you know where everything is.

I have had most luck while it is dark in the morning or evening on outgoing tides. That being said, I think it's kind of an overrated spot to fish, but super convenient.

-Derek

[Derek Douglas]

Might I add:

As for waiting until spring, You may be surprised with walleye and perch at GP this time of year. Throw on a headlamp and toss something shiny when the sun goes down.

[Jim White]

Derek,

Thanks for the tips re: low tide recon (I hadn't done that yet) and the walleye/yellow perch. Perhaps a few more visits before I give up. 

Where do you enter the water to wade? At the picnic benches between the piers and the outflow? Or at the outflow?

Although the rocks were slippery, the preferred spot for me was to enter at the benches. Then turn towards the outflow, walk up a bit and cast to the other side.

Cheers,

Jim

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:13:43 AM UTC-4, Jim White wrote:

[Derek Douglas]

No problem Jim!

The channel is pretty deep along the bank at the outflow, but I like to walk down there and back a few feet and enter. There are some big rocks to contend with and it's a little tricky when the water is still high, but it'll get you closest to the action. I should probably mention that I am a cautious wader, and don't push it too hard. I have entered at the picnic tables, but the muddy flat on your right before the outflow just really irritates me for some reason. Mostly because it's smelly and full of trash. When the tide is lower, you can wade almost everywhere in the inlet. I have never been bothered there, but I stay off the airport's bank and in the "river".

You seem like a cautious guy, but be safe! Being there from low tide to high will really open your eyes to the terrain. I don't think the area is dangerous per se, but it is just weird enough to give me a healthy respect for the space around the outflow. Tides and currents will win over people ten times out of ten. If you don't feel comfortable, don't take the chance! Especially when you're alone.

Looking forward to hearing about some catches!

[DaveSurfs]

So I followed the same suggestions included in this thread last Thurs afternoon. 2hrs after high tide had me about an hour from sundown. I walked down to check it out. I walked the bank upstream of the pier, passed some picnic tables and worked my way along the bank , to find a spot to pick my way through into shallow water. I was relatively comfortable wading along the bank. A couple spots got waist deep, but most of the way was only knee deep. I kept working closer to the outflow from Roaches Run and while a little current was flowing, it took a while to turn on I saw bait jumping a little along the parking lot side bank as i moved closer to the bridge. I also saw some breaking water against the bridge wall on airport side of the outflow. 

I cast both clousers and poppers with no bites. As the outflow turned on I saw dramatic change in current and a larger splash on the airport side in the grass approx 50 yds from the bridge. It was beyond my ability to cast, but there was clearly something there.

Ultimately, I caught 2 small large mouth bass on poppers closer to the bank, than to the main current. I was comfortable wading to about waist deep, but having never been there before, didn't press too far. If fish were biting in the current, I'd have probably pressed a little deeper, but I didn't see any reward for the risk.

I stayed past sunset and eventually put on the headlamp. No more bites, but as I walked back to the spot where I entered the water, the headlamp lit up a ton of finger sized minnows in the shallows. Clouser would definitely match the local bait, but again, there was nothing biting in the current.

I really appreciate everyone's willingness to contribute to the forum and the opportunity to learn more about the fishing resources close to us. 

Tight Lines,

Dave

[Yambag Nelson]

I fished there thursday and friday evenings.  It was fairly slow.  Thursday I got nothing.  Friday two schoolies 10-12" and a couple other bites that I missed. 

[Derek Douglas]

Kreelex is an awesome pattern to throw at GP (and really everywhere) to switch it up from clousers