From Mossy Creek Fly Fishing Mountain Brook Trout Streams Mountain streams like North River have been running strong for several weeks. All the western streams are running bank-full. Fishing conditions should be excellent this week. Dry River, North River, Ramsey’s Draft, Skidmore Fork, Fridley’s Gap, St. Mary’s  and the Shenandoah National Park Streams are running big but clear. Even in the … [Read more...]

  There are a few changes to the fishing regs for 2020. The Sportsman’s License, a combo license, has been reduced from $133 to $100. In addition, Lake Merriweather, a 450-acre impoundment owned by the Boy Scouts and located in Goshen, is now open to the public on a. seasonal basis. In addition to an appropriate fishing. License, a Public Access Lands for Sportsmen ()PALS) is also … [Read more...]

Stan Cobb with Greentop says there’s not a lot happening on the saltwater front. There are, however, still plenty of rockfish available inside the bay for catch and release fishing. The best action has been between buoys 38 and 42, about a 25 mile run up the bay from Lynnhaven Inlet. Loads of really big fish are being caught on live eels. Ocean anglers are catching plenty of tautogs on wrecks … [Read more...]

  There won’t be much happening on the fishing scene for a month or two, so rather than doing a lake-by-lake or river-by-river report, we’ll single out one of the better choices for some cold weather action. First up, the lower James River. I have always considered a catfish to be a summertime critter. Not so, for blue cats and not so on the lower James River in the Dutch Gap/Hopewell … [Read more...]

  Seals on the Outer Banks? You mean those whiskered critters that bark in circuses? On the Outer Banks? Yep, those seals. Seals, especially young seals, often layover on the Outer Banks during their winter travels. Several dozen have been spotted so far. “Outer Banks Today” offers these tips should you happen upon one.   First, give the seal a wide berth of 150 feet or … [Read more...]

  Freshwater fishing may be winding down for most species, but it’s heating up for one of Virginia’s biggest and most vicious warriors. Muskies. Twenty years ago, there was a modest population of muskies in the New River with scattered fish in other rivers. Recently, the James River has developed into a musky hotspot and the Shenandoah is coming on strong. Other rivers with the big … [Read more...]

  Large rockfish are moving out of bay tributaries and into the Bay. Look for them on the Eastern side of the Bay. Anglers are drifting or slow trolling eels near the Plantation Light and along Cape Charles. Mann’s Stretch 25’s and tandem rigs are also effective. School-sized rockfish are available for anglers casting along the bridge pilings and the artificial islands of the … [Read more...]

  In the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and Christmas, a few folks are still finding the time to wade out into a cold stream and cast a fly. John Waller, a guide with South River Fly Shop, did. And look what he caught. A huge Downtown Brown. The South River in Augusta County flows through the very heart of Waynesboro. Through the conservation efforts of Trout Unlimited, the City of … [Read more...]

By VDGIF   Muskie - the fish of a thousand casts. We’ve got them in Virginia and here’s how the Game Department says to catch them.   River fishermen use rafts, kayaks, canoes, or small boats with electric motors or small outboards to float larger pools and fish near woody debris, large boulders, drop offs, or weed lines. We suggest using an eight foot medium heavy rod with … [Read more...]