Fly Fishing the New River in the Heart of Southwest Virginia

Renowned for its trophy potential, the New River is an incredibly diverse fishery that has abundant populations of smallmouth bass, striped bass (seasonal), walleye, and muskie.

The New River is considered to be one of the premier smallmouth bass rivers in the country. The Virginia state record was caught on the New and weighed over 8 lbs. We regularly catch smallies up to 22′ or 5 lbs. The best time of year to target trophy-sized fish is in the spring and fall, but we catch them throughout the summer as well.

Our smallmouth float trips are run from April through October. During the spring months we are typically casting large streamers and baitfish poppers to big pre-spawn fish. During the summer and fall we are using large “buggy” surface patterns and often sight-casting to fish. For smallies, we recommend 7/8 wt. rods with floating lines and a 9′ leader (1x). Striped bass also run up the New River from Claytor Lake in the spring and fall. For striper fishing, we recommend 9 wt. rods with intermediate lines and a 7.5′ leader (0x).

The New River is an excellent walleye and muskie fishery with a robust population of naturally reproducing fish. Our walleye and muskie float trips are run from November through March. For walleye, we are typically casting large streamers on 8/9 wt. rods with sinking lines and a 7.5′ leader (0x). For muskie we recommend 10/11 wt. rods with heavy sink lines and wire leaders.

The Upper New River (our home waters) is a relatively small river which makes it conducive to fly fishing. It has a number of features (ledges, rapids, boulder, grass beds, etc.) that provide a variety of fish habitat and exceptional fishing opportunities. You can expect to see beautiful scenery, like bluffs and outcroppings, as well as wildlife such as deer, black bear, osprey, and bald eagles while floating one of the oldest rivers in the world.