Piney Branch - heaven on earth - report for Bruce

[TurbineBlade]

Hey Bruce -- We finally took your advice (I gave you my word!) and tried this one for the first time.  What a wonderful SNP stream!  We fished the entire 4-day weekend in the SNP and both thoroughly stink of fish slime.  I think the Piney tallied 5 total streams, but was the only new one.  

We thought Piney would be a bit smaller than it actually was, not that small is bad. It is full of plunge pools and actually holds some larger brookies than we imagined....especially further down from the first trail crossing. 

We hiked in 1.8 miles or so and busted our way to the stream just past the phone pole, right-of-way on piney branch trail.  You can hear the stream most of the way after the first crossing.  We could have gone a bit further, but we've hiked/fishing enough in the SNP to know how long it takes to hike back up to skyline (when you're tired and hungry), and knew we'd need to get ready for the beer tie this evening.  

Awesome, awesome stream.  We loved it.  Will go back.  

It's another one that "Rapidan fans" will like.  Unlike the Rap, you seem to get more fish in the good spots and they're a bit more naive.  Come to think of it, the Rap has probably taught me more about fishing than anywhere else.  

Anyway, I hate long reports.  It's like listening to someone talk about their crappy garage band and you keep nodding and wondering if you could fit through the bathroom window to escape.  (I played in more than one crappy garage band, so no offense meant).  

Saw one pair of hikers -- that's it.  No bears, surprisingly.  I don't think many SNP streams with a 1.5 mile or more uphill climb back to Skyline see many American fly fishermen.  

Gene 

[Scott B.]

Very nice! Looks like they are colored up nicely as well. What were you taking them on? Thanks!

[TurbineBlade]

We basically only enjoy fishing dries for brook trout -- honestly, they take them so readily it's rare that I feel like I need something else.  I'll sometimes fish a duo rig but that's about it.

Anything works in a size 12-16, but we tend toward bright-colored, thick foam beetles very similar to what Rob Snowhite ties for his foam beetle. 

BTW -- the Murray website posted  last week that the brook trout were spawning, but it's actually a small, cute robot that generates his reports at the shop.  When the shop opens at 9:00:00 hours on 10/1 every year it speaks "Good morning, humanmale.  Oc-tober....the-first.  Brook-a-Trout are spawning.  Leave-the-stream.....a lone".    

Gene

On Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 7:26:01 AM UTC-4, Scott B. wrote:

[Andy Thomas]

My wife and I are thinking about driving down for a hike on Saturday.  I was thinking about doing Thornton Hollow which intersects with Piney Branch.  However, there is a report in the comments stating that there is no longer parking off of 653.  Does anyone have any info on this?  My wife and I much prefer to start at the bottom and hike up/down rather than the opposite.

 

http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/ThorntonHollow/

 

Thanks in advance.

[TurbineBlade]

That's a good question -- I no longer mess with anything that says "parking is hard" or "there are 1-2 parking spots" or "be careful not to park in someone's driveway".  I don't want to have to be worried about my vehicle and/or having to turn around after getting somewhere.  I will admit to turning around on the N.F. Thornton earlier this year and going elsewhere for this very reason. 

If things are unclear to me, I don't chance it. 

That's totally me though, and I'm certain people park at the lower access areas without problems.  More power to them --

I highly, highly recommend the Piney though.  You'll love it -- if you like wild water like we do ;). 

Gene

[Bruce Mathews]

Gene,

Glad you finally made it to the Piney River.  It's a very classic SNP stream.  I have fished with the same Adams fly all day long there.  Did you ever  get a chance to try the Range View cabin or is Matthews Arm campground just as good for you.  That campground was closed for a large number of years after the gypsy moth problem.  My knees are such that I probably will not ever be able to make that hike into and OUT OF the Piney.  Glad you are still finding fish there.

 

Bruce Mathews 703.772.7167

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[Bruce Mathews]

Great Pics.  I am glad you made it.  I love that stream .

Bruce Mathews 703.772.7167

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[TurbineBlade]

Hi Bruce!  Good to hear from you.  We actually just make a day-trip believe it or not, but we like the Mathew's campground.  I'd glad you mentioned the gypsy moth thing.  I haven't lived in this area for too long, but I enjoy reading about the SNP and its history.  I googled that to see what they did, and how much of the park was affected, etc.  I like reading things like that.  

I'm sure an Adams parachute would do just as well as what we use!  A lot of folks like that fly out here, in a variety of sizes.  When we were fishing out in RMNP everyone was into that "chubby chernobyl", which is larger than the terrestrial beetle we use, but also really effective.  

If someone greets me in the afterlife at a small stream and hands me a box of parachutes and says "this is what you get", I'd be okay with it ;).  

Gene

On Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 6:52:57 PM UTC-4, Bruce wrote:

Great Pics.  I am glad you made it.  I love that stream .

Bruce Mathews 703.772.7167

On Monday, October 12, 2015 4:23 PM, TurbineBlade <doubl...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey Bruce -- We finally took your advice (I gave you my word!) and tried this one for the first time.  What a wonderful SNP stream!  We fished the entire 4-day weekend in the SNP and both thoroughly stink of fish slime.  I think the Piney tallied 5 total streams, but was the only new one.  

We thought Piney would be a bit smaller than it actually was, not that small is bad. It is full of plunge pools and actually holds some larger brookies than we imagined....especially further down from the first trail crossing. 

We hiked in 1.8 miles or so and busted our way to the stream just past the phone pole, right-of-way on piney branch trail.  You can hear the stream most of the way after the first crossing.  We could have gone a bit further, but we've hiked/fishing enough in the SNP to know how long it takes to hike back up to skyline (when you're tired and hungry), and knew we'd need to get ready for the beer tie this evening.  

Awesome, awesome stream.  We loved it.  Will go back.  

It's another one that "Rapidan fans" will like.  Unlike the Rap, you seem to get more fish in the good spots and they're a bit more naive.  Come to think of it, the Rap has probably taught me more about fishing than anywhere else.  

Anyway, I hate long reports.  It's like listening to someone talk about their crappy garage band and you keep nodding and wondering if you could fit through the bathroom window to escape.  (I played in more than one crappy garage band, so no offense meant).  

Saw one pair of hikers -- that's it.  No bears, surprisingly.  I don't think many SNP streams with a 1.5 mile or more uphill climb back to Skyline see many American fly fishermen.  

Gene 

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[Jeremy Dusina]

Yesterday, based on this thread, I played hookie from work and made the trek out to Piney Branch. What a great decision!! This stream is beautiful, weather perfect, the park fall colors were great, and the fish cooperated. I was accompanied by a work colleague who had not previously fly fished. Together we landed over 70 fish - typical SNP size of 4-8 inches, but a few up to 10 inches. We could usually pull 4-5 fish from each pool. Naive is a good word.

For me, the highlight of the day was introducing a new person to fly fishing. My colleague began the day using a spinning setup and did land a few fish. After lunch, he switched to an extra fly rod I packed in and he landed around 15 with a fly rod. I had just as much fun watching/teaching a new fly fisher land his first trout as I do landing them myself! These streams can be good confidence builders for new folks.

The hike from the top was nice and, as Gene mentioned above, surely reduces the amount of traffic on the stream. Did not see a soul all day (nor any bears).

Used elk hair caddis flies the entire day, but I suspect they would have taken anything.

Jeremy

[Scott B.]

I forgot to post, but here's a photo dump from last weekend, Piney Branch and Jeremy's Run.

http://imgur.com/a/EnyuK/all

[TurbineBlade]

Oh no -- that Elk Hair Caddis was probably the one "magic fly" that happened to be working that day!  ;).  

I had the strange experience of passing a friendly guy after we had caught an absurd number of brookies who said he wasn't having luck and wanted to know what fly I was using.  I recall something very similar happening on my first trip to the Rap in 2012, only I was the other guy.  I remember thinking "Man, I just can't find the right fly" after getting no fish on my #12 royal wulff and speaking with a dude who said something like "Man, they're hitting everything.....this is great!".  Now of course I recall the problems:

1.  I was working downstream and probably spooking everything

2.  I had no idea how to read the water and determine where fish were holding

3.  I had no idea what a dry fly was supposed to look like when drifting properly

4.  I had no idea how to create a leader with enough tippet (of the proper dia)  at the fly-end to result in a good drift 

5.  I was probably standing in places I should be casting, and vice versa

I'm glad to hear you guys made it out and had a great time!  

Gene

[Steven Butler]

Nice! I need to follow suit and try this stream on a non-weekend day.

Tried to go to the usual spots in Madison/Rappahannock County over the weekend and it was as if I had ended up at Woodstock instead of a serene day in the SNP. Seriously, the locals were offering parking at $10 a head. Heard rumblings about some type of TU event, which was coupled with the leaf crowd.

I can't say I've ever seen 4 fly fishermen swinging flies off a bridge into a small stream in close proximity in my life, nor can I say I ever want to again. Luckily we had some family with a private stream where we could at least wet a line for chub/sun/SMB. Beautiful day, at any rate.

On Friday, October 23, 2015 at 10:53:05 AM UTC-4, Jeremy Dusina wrote:

[TurbineBlade]

I wouldn't worry about crowds hiking in to a stream like Piney even on a weekend.  Beth and I are joggers in reasonably good shape and the hike up to Skyline is still strenuous...I don't care who you are.  Some are worse than others (e.g., Big Run).

The TU "Fish standing next to some dude who fishes somewhat more than you currently do" trips (they really should shorten the name, BTW) seem to occur on the drive-up streams in our experience.  I would be absolutely amazed to see TU folks taking newer folks 1.5+ miles downhill from skyline drive into one of the upper sections of stream, complete with bushwhacking. 

I'm hoping to (by next season) fish every "marked" blue line in the park.  We're up to 16 now I think we agreed upon. 

Gene

[TurbineBlade]

BTW -- I've been meaning to tip my cap to Rob Snowhite, as I essentially ripped-off his foam beetle entirely in crafting my own "indicator beetle" that we've now caught hundreds of fish on in SNP, and also in Beaver creek, Mossy, Savage, BHC, LHC, Accotink, and at least in the streams we tried in RMNP across the country this summer.  If he ever does the foam beetle at a tie, that would be a great one to learn if anyone is newer to small streams or just wherever.  The only difference is I tend to use rubber legs in a "X" pattern instead of crystal flash.  I love that thing -- for duo rigs, I like a size #12 and wider foam...sometimes even 3 layers folded over. 

Everything else I've ever tried works, but is slightly inferior in floatability. 

Gene

[namfos]

40 years later I remember vividly the agony of hiking up and out of White Oak Canyon during an August backpacking trip.
Gravity: she's a bitch. ;-)

Mark

On Monday, October 26, 2015 at 8:25:27 AM UTC-4, TurbineBlade wrote:

[Bruce Mathews]

Gene - All,

I am truly glad every one is finding fish at Piney River.  I don't think the Piney is any different than the upper reaches of the Hughes, Thornton or any of the other east slope SNP streams.  I always fished the Piney because it was predictable and the gradient of the stream kept the trees from growing all over the creek.  This allowed for easy casting.  I can remember fishing up the creek till about halfway thru the afternoon only to look up that 60 degree hill side and wonder how far I had to bushwhack to get to the trail.  It always seemed farther than it was.  You know that first creek you step across on the way down.  We used to leave a beer under a rock there to have a reason to take a break on the way back up.  I always thought I should go up that creek and find out if there was any thing bigger than a 2" Brookie in it.  Keep up the reports guys - they are good for the old guy with bad knees that probably won't make it back.   When you knees go warm salt water flats call out to you louder but they may not be as pretty a place to fish.

 

Bruce Mathews 703.772.7167

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[Nick W]

Whats the best way to access Piney, Bruce and Gene? 

On Monday, October 12, 2015 at 4:23:03 PM UTC-4, TurbineBlade wrote:

[TurbineBlade]

I don't know for sure because I haven't tried the bottom, but access from skyline is at the ranger station across from Mathew's Arm more or less.  You can't miss the trailhead marker as you pull in....just look to your left. 

Let us know how you do if you make it out! 

Gene

[Danny Barrett]

Having seen a lot of talk about Piney.  Im curious, for those of you that have fished both it and the Rapidan.  Can you offer any pros or cons between them?  

Thanks,

Dan Barrett

dannyt...@gmail.com

(540)-222-8064

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[Jeremy Dusina]

the ranger station is at mile marker 22 on Skyline. Gene is correct - can't miss the trail head. 

For me, here are some comparisons between the two streams:
- both beautiful and likely sparsely populated by other fisher-persons
- Rap is slightly larger water, if only slightly.
- both hold tons of hungry brookies
- Piney brookies seem a touch more eager to investigate a dry fly
- Rap is more difficult on your vehicle to reach the head waters as you have a good 30 minutes on a fire road
- Piney is a good 1.5- 2 mile hike down from Skyline or up from the bottom before reaching water - not sure if that is a pro or con. But remember that if you hike down from Skyline, there is an uphill hike back to your vehicle/camp at the end of the day
- both offer countless pools of gin clear water - more than you can cover in a day, even with a buddy leap frogging each other.
- Rap seemed to have a few more riffles that held fish between the pools (maybe that was user error on my part on Piney)
- I use a 6'6" 3wt and have no problem casting on either stream
- Piney pools seemed more accessible from dry land

I have been to the Rapidan several times and once to Piney. I plan to return to both.

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[Bruce Mathews]

 I tried the bottom access one time and the walk to fishable water was more than I wanted to do after that.  The water at the bottom side has lost its gradient and is much slower and warmer.  We basically walked up to about the point we get in from the top side parking lot so we ended up with no immediate trail beside the creek for the walk out.  Plus I believe the locals that may not pay close attention to fishing regulations hit the creek from the lower end.  This is kinda like walking away from the parking lot on any of those streams. 

Bruce Mathews 703.772.7167

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[Danny Barrett]

Thanks for the information.  I will have to venture down to it and try my luck sometime soon. 

Thanks,

Dan Barrett

dannyt...@gmail.com

(540)-222-8064

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[TurbineBlade]

Thanks for the info Bruce -- that's helpful.  Stuff like that saves a lot of gas/time/hassle.  

Gene

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[Steven Butler]

December temps touching 70 and the glowing reviews on this post, I couldn't resist the allure of Piney any longer. Absolutely fantastic, brookies in all the spots you'd expect, healthy pools, relatively easy navigation up the stream. So much immediate action I got a shot of the first little guy, then put the camera phone away for good. Easy hike down, not so easy back up in the gear with the abnormal temps, but absolutely worth it. Great holes, accommodating fish, and little to no pressure. I notice a lot of folks talk about bears when the SNP is brought up-I saw a momma and 2 cubs on the drive in, figured lightning wouldn't strike twice during my hike down to the stream. adams with a nymph dropper did the trick.

On Monday, October 12, 2015 at 4:23:03 PM UTC-4, TurbineBlade wrote: