{Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Smallies on the Rapidan River? Also brief SNP Fishing Report

Last year around this time I hit several spots on the river, working at bridge crossings. 

-Started at the James Madison Hwy/15 pull off at Madison Mills, just north of Orange. good looking water upstream, including a deeper slow pool

-There's a pull-off at the 522/Taylor Highway bridge that offers decent access upstream and down, caught fish on both sides. Only downside there was that one of the nearby landowners was apparently having a shooting party, heard like a solid 30 minutes of heavy gunfire from fairly near the river.  

-Ely's ford is an easy access, but the water near the bridge is sort of meh, especially if it's low.  Haven't been very far upstream there, but never saw anything that enticed me that much. wade downstream to the first big bend, and things become much more appealing - deeper pools, lots of cuts and ledges. I've caught good fish there in the past. 

-The confluence was interesting looking water, but I had more luck in the section of the Rapp above the Rapidan. Slippery wading there, nearly busted my ass a couple times. 

On Wednesday, September 21, 2016 at 3:17:03 PM UTC-4, Andrew Chaney wrote:

Hey all,

Does anyone have any experience going after smallmouth bass on the lower Rapidan River? I'm curious how far upstream from the confluence with the Rappahannock River one can reasonably fish for smallies.

Also: I explored a couple brook trout streams in SNP last weekend, but didn't fish much. I tested the water temperature in several places. It was consistently between 65-66 degrees and for the most part, the trout were all huddled together at the bottom of every deep pool, moving as little as possible. The rain earlier this week may have cooled things off enough, but I think it's still too warm for trout, in VA at least.

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