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Why Use A Guide?   

........Many anglers will shy away from using a Guide since they feel it is an insult to have someone show them how to fish. After all, can't everyone fish at some level? The truthful answer is, yes.

For anglers who are well experienced the idea isn't to tell you how to fish or make you feel less of an angler.  It is to help enhance your fishing with information that is "to the minute updated", accurate, timely and strictly relevant to the water you are presently casting a line on. We scout the water we intend to take you on just one to three days prior to you arriving.  This assures us that the water is clear, a proper level, right temperature and fishing well.


STORY ONE:
A great example is the story of the Pathologist from Tennessee who came to Virginia to fly fish for trout.  He was a very Advanced Level fly-fisherman, much older and had many more years of angling experience than any of us, but simply did not know "exactly" where to go fishing. Yes, he found us on the Internet and could have used post at message boards, but felt that information by strangers of questionable angling experience would be sketchy and half-accurate at best. He also felt that books were not the best since they are already dated by the time they make it to the store shelves.  After all, floods can change many stream channels and Posted signs go up by the time the book is published. Additionally he did not put real faith in the DeLorme Topo Map books since the forest service road numbers and other dirt roads typically are not marked and many are incorrect, not to mention, locked gate, no longer passable or recently posted.

The angler from Tennessee and I  went to a special regulation trout water to start.  Of course his gear was expensive, his fishing knowledge wonderful, his hand-tied flies fabulous and his cast great. But no trout! Why? After twenty minutes and no strikes, he took a break.  I had been watching to troubleshoot what was going on.  His wading was quite, distance from cast to pool or run fine, his cast perfect, plenty of leader and tippet and the proper fly. But no trout. What I noticed was that the location of where he was casting for trout was what he called "normal for the mountains in Tennessee" but was not where we needed to fish in a Virginia stream. I cast my line to show him where I wanted him to start working. Immediately I caught a nice Rainbow.  We then moved up a few feet and I cast again to give him another example. Again, a big hit and another Rainbow trout.  He said "'I see what you're doing and where you're casting. We don't do it like that in Tennessee, but I see why it works here"'. So, from that point forward, he caught trout.  During the next hour he caught a dozen 12-13" Rainbow trout and simply had a great time. As you can see, it was simply an adjustment in method from Tennessee to Virginia, not a lesson on how to fish.   

Of course, there was one more important aspect. Since I and my partner have fished this stretch many times, we knew the structure quite well and where fish tend to hide. We scout this water numerous times a year during both drought and after flooding to see any structural changes. 

Next we went to another special regulation water since he wanted to catch some of our Native Brook trout.  Again, he could have used message boards on the Internet but felt they would not be the most accurate at providing information.

The water we went to is famous for anglers reporting "'we fished from the parking lot back 15 minutes and never caught anything.  There's just nothing in there."' Others report "'the water is too low to fish, don't bother"'.  Well, this water, because of flooding, changes stream channel from the left to the right side of the hollow about every 8 years. So, scouting this water numerous times a year is a must.  The big factor though, is that the lower section of this stream is "sub-terrainium", meaning, the water goes underground.  From the parking lot back fifteen minutes, the stream is dry during the warmer months.  Starting after twenty minutes in, there is structure and water year-around.  But if we're in a drought, more water can be found 30-50 minutes in and plenty of fishing.  As you can see, this is something we do and know more about than a book, a message board or map.

STORY TWO:
Recently we met two guys fishing on the Conway.  They started their outing by arguing with a landowner over no parking. Next, they flew up the water and went up a trail that leads permanently away from the water. Then they realized their mistake and waded through the water just a few feet below us to get to the road. They then went 100 yards ahead of us. They then proceeded to cover 250 yards in ten minutes catching nothing, repeating this high-speed fish-through up the mountain.  Hopefully you can see why they caught nothing. Of course, they posted their trip on the Internet at various forums stating "no parking and horrible fishing. But if you go, here are directions". We think you can see the point.

Of course, if you are a beginner or novice at fly fishing, then that's another subject. We gladly help you in a different manner.

In most cases, you will be enjoying your outdoor activity with a "Master Naturalist".

We hope this page "that is 100% truthful" has been of very good informational service to you.

Call 540.294.0354
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IMAGE: Two adult Native Brook Trout holding under a rock ledge.

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Virginia Fly Fishing OR Hiking in Virginia, whether on land or in water, let us plan your trip. A Shenandoah Valley Naturalist Experience. 
Servicing Staunton, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Stanardsville, Lexington, Waynesboro, and the surrounding counties.
Shenandoah National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, George Washington National Forest
Mossy Creek, Jackson River, Buffalo Creek, St. Mary's, Ramsey Draft, Rose River
North River, Buffalo Creek, Back Creek, South River, Conway
Little North Mountain Wildlife Management Area
Goshen Wildlife Management Area