Spring is in full swing here in central Virginia. Flowers and trees blooming far as the eye can see. The rivers have been especially beautiful with all the different colors. Maybe it comes with age but I have differently been looking at the scenery more than I used to. Besides all the pretty colors, the fishing really starts to heat up with warming water temps. Right now just a short drive from my home in Amherst County, VA I can go smallmouth bass fishing, striped bass, and trout. With all the variety of species to target one has to think a little harder on which one to pursue. The mountain streams that are home to our native brook trout have provided outstanding dry fly fishing with insects hatching everyday. On the Jackson river tailwater section the river is seeing the best hatch of the year, caddis. The caddis hatch is one of my favorite to fish and guide. A recent trip my clients landed two browns over 19 inches and one over 20 inches on dry flies. The caddis definitely bring the bigger trouts attention to the surface.
Pre spawn smallmouth bass fishing has been up and down on numbers of fish but that to be suspected this time of year. This time of year before they spawn isn't about numbers, its about size and weight. Spring is the best time to catch a real porker of a smallmouth. They have been munching on crayfish all Winter and now they'll move a little bit more for a nice sized streamer. In the Spring before the spawn the larger females will weigh a pound heavier than the Summer months. It wont be long till they spawn with temperatures rising. I'm done now fishing for the smallies until I return from guiding in NC mid May.
The striped bass have arrived on the Staunton River near Brookneal, VA. So far its been a productive run with not loosing a lot of fishing days to rain and high water. Its been a mixed bag with white bass, white perch, walleye, and striped bass. Now that we are further into the run stripers are pretty much it cause the rest of the fish are hiding from them. The approaching spawn makes them hungry and they need their energy to make more stripers! Soon I will be heading down to fish the saltwater run striped bass out of Pamilico Sound that travels over a 100 miles to spawn in a small town called Weldon, NC. This run is so good! Numbers of fish are mind blowing some days. I'll be back in the Old Dominion mid May. I'll run a few more trout trips before June then make the switch to smallmouth bass till Fall. Still have plenty of smallmouth dates available over the Summer, lets go fishing!
