Mountain Trout Streams Fly Fishing Report - August 2, 2023

Some areas are receiving more rain than others but the streams in the Shenandoah National Park are low and clear causing the trout to be very wary.  Hide your approach and try to fish the high gradient areas so you are not spooking the trout before you have a chance at him.  A Murray's Flying Beetle size 16, Mr. Rapidan Midge size 18, and Mr. Rapidan Dry size 18 on a Classic 7.5ft 6X leader is what I would recommend.  

Plan to come into the streams from the lower boundaries where the water levels will be a little better.  White Oak, Hughes, and the Rose River tend to hold better water levels during the summer but these are also popular for hikers as well.  

My book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park is an excellent resource for the stream access as well as hatch charts, how to read the water, etc. 

I have numerous customers asking why we don't conduct fishing schools on the mountain streams in the Fall.  First and foremost, the fish are spawning and secondly the hatches and water levels are best in the Spring.  Therefore, we conduct all of our native brook trout schools in the Spring.  If you are interested in learning more about these streams,  the dates for Spring 2024 are on the website and open for registration.