We’ve had a great run of pre-spawn fishing for trophy smallmouth bass during the past month, boating multiple citation-sized fish over 20″ and setting “Personal Bests” for lots of our clients! As the females begin moving to the beds, we will be giving them a rest and focusing on some of the great spring trout fishing opportunities we offer such as the Smith River and our private trout water.
Fishing Reports
New River: The river has come up a little bit following the rainstorms the past few days and is currently running around 3200cfs at Allisonia. Spring temperatures have been above average in the New River Valley, and that has the smallmouth starting to spawn. The pre-spawn bite will continue into May, depending upon water temperatures and river conditions. Prime dates are going fast!
Smith River: The gauges continue to bounce back and forth with water flows ranging from 75cfs to 250cfs over the last month. We are starting to see the beginning stages of sulphur activity in the town of Bassett and the hatch should really start kicking off in the upper sections soon. Look for emerging bugs in the warmest parts of the day 1-3 pm, with spinners coming back to lay their eggs on the water around 6 pm. Dry fly sulphurs and emergers in sizes 18-16 will be the ticket. Nymphing in the mornings during the pre-emergent stages will be effective with pheasant tail nymphs and split cases in sizes 20-16 as well. Fish can also be caught on attractors and midges during the periods of slow surface activity. With a good hatch, 50 fish days are very common in May and June. Let’s get out there!
South Fork of the Holston River (in Virginia): The South Fork is running slightly higher than average due to recent rains but should drop back down quickly. Nymphing the deeper runs and prospecting with a dry/dropper rig can prove effective.
Trophy Trout Stream: Our private water is loaded with big rainbow trout. Streamers and large dries are catching lots of fish. Don’t forget, if you have a friend who you’ve been wanting to introduce to fly fishing, we have the perfect place to take them for a lesson!
Now is an awesome time of year to fish in Southwest Virginia. We hope to see here real you soon!
All the Best,
Mike Smith
