Bayse, VA/Bryce Resort

[Adam Harris]

Looking for recommendations.  My wife is set on finding a place in Bayse and I'm looking for spots to fish there.  I''m scouring Murray's website right now, and wanted to reach out to this forum for your insights.  If Bayse/Bryce is unfamiliar to you it's in Shenandoah County on the border with WV.  Thanks in advance.  

[Marcy Brusoe]

Stoney. You can run it the whole way down to Edinburg. There’s some nice pools and with no foliage you can run the banks pretty well. 

Regards, 

Marcy Brusoe

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers/Comrade

On Jan 24, 2021, at 19:17, Adam Harris <adaml...@gmail.com> wrote:

Looking for recommendations.  My wife is set on finding a place in Bayse and I'm looking for spots to fish there.  I''m scouring Murray's website right now, and wanted to reach out to this forum for your insights.  If Bayse/Bryce is unfamiliar to you it's in Shenandoah County on the border with WV.  Thanks in advance.  

--
http://www.tpfr.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tidal-potomac-fly-...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tidal-potomac-fly-rodders/3e0b9523-b761-42df-b24d-0560d68b885en%40googlegroups.com.

[Lane Thurgood]

I think the best fishing in the area is the North Fork of the Shenandoah. From summer to fall, I hit a number of spots within a short drive of Basye from below Woodstock to above New Market. Smallmouth, largemouth, fallfish, redbreasts, channel cats and, though I spooked it, I got a real good look at a tiger musky last fall. 

[Luke Morrison]

When do you plan to fish in (or near) Shenandoah county? During the winter/early spring months, your best bet will be stocker streams -  Stony Creek or Passage. It's stocked fishing at it's finest and you'll see the many access points with pull offs on the side of the road. Both were recently stocked, however the water's low and the put and take crowd gets there quickly but with some effort/exploration you can find fish. With precipitation moving in over the next few days this may allow what's left of the recent stockers to move around some. Fall fish, blue gill and an elusive smallie have been caught in both streams too. 

I think your best bet would be to use your proximity to the South River in Waynesboro or Mossy Creek outside of Harrisonburg and focus in that general area (lots of options). The winter trout fishing gets exponentially better around those two cities. Harry Murray is a good resource, Mossy Creek fly shop in Harrisonburg and South River Fly Shop in Waynesboro are both fantastic operations owned by good people. 

The upper reaches of the North Fork Shenandoah are stocked this time of year as well, and their tributaries. They do not stock the North Fork Shenandoah in Shenandoah County (I wish they would...) that part of the river is a warm water fishery that has unfortunately been severely negatively impacted from the high water events of a few years ago. I'm hoping it will rebound, only time will tell. Exciting to hear about the muskie sighting! 

Feel free to reach out directly with questions, my folks retired out there so I spend a good amount of time fishing all over the valley. Also, stop into the Woodstock café both for supplies (fantastic retail wine/beer options) and amazing breakfast/lunch and weekend dinner (or safe carryout option). Chef Jose is absolutely crushing it - truly a valley treasure (not affiliated just a huge fan of them). 

[Adam Harris]

Thanks for all the great ideas and information.  I'll probably be back up in the next 2-4 weeks.  Definitely plan on spending some time at Murray's Fly Shop next time.  Stony Creek seems like the most convenient/close water, followed by Passage.  I did notice a small pond by the base of the slopes that was fly fishing only the last time we were there.  I told my wife (who is the the real fly rodder in our family; she started when she was 8) about some of what I have discovered so far.  She most likely will outfish me (as usual) when we get back.  I have some hip waders; what's your opinion on whether I need to get some chest waders for fishing the area?