Hello , welcome to the April edition of our newsletter!
Spring has sprung in the New River Valley and the pre-spawn smallie action is heating up! Above, our guide Alex holds up a 22.5″ beast caught while streamer fishing on the Upper New recently. Over on the Smith River, trout are looking up with the emergence of caddis and small black stoneflies. And, as usual, our private trout water is loaded with big rainbows. Check out our website for more information.
Fishing Reports
Upper New River (above Claytor Lake): The New is flowing around 1850 cfs above the lake at Allisonia. So far, the smallmouth fishing has been variable, but with warmer temperatures on the way, we can expect consistent streamer fishing on the upper river with topwater action to follow soon after that. And be sure to bring along a 9 wt. for striper.
Lower New River (below Claytor Lake): The New is running below average for this time of year at around 2100 cfs in Radford. Our spring smallmouth fishing is already in full swing here. Rig up with intermediate lines, tie on an articulated streamer of your choice, and get on ’em!
The next five to six weeks will provide some of the best opportunities of the year for shots at citation smallmouth (over 20 inches or 5 lbs), so book your trip today.
Smith River: The Smith continues to feel the effects of the abnormally dry conditions we have experienced this year, and we are still seeing extremely low flows in Bassett (around 100 cfs). Thankfully, Philpott Lake levels are gradually rising. Once guide curve is reached, we expect the corps of engineers to begin releases to maintain lake levels. This should allow us to float the upper sections later this month and on into the spring/summer season. Wade fishing can very good right now with small mayfly hatches, caddis, and little black stoneflies. As May/June approaches, the warmer weather and longer days will bring on long awaited sulphurs. Book now for full day floats and half day wade trips.
Private Trout Water: The dry fly fishing is on! If you like to see big trout eat on top, give us a call. We have limited spring dates available, so reserve yours today.
Hosted Trip: Our next group trip will be to Swain’s Cay Lodge located near the middle bight of South Andros Island, Bahamas in November. This area is renowned for its excellent flats fishing for bonefish and other species. There are only 4 spots left, so if you’re interested please give us a call or send a text for more information.
Mike Smith | New River Fly FishingP.S. If you would like to book your next trip or just want to find out more about us, you can do so by visiting our website here.
