Virginia Fly Fishing

[thavelka]

I am going to be in Harrisonburg, VA for a few days in mid November. Planning some fly fishing for trout. Does anyone have info on the Harrisonburg area trout waters, fly shops, non resident license fees, local restaurants etc. My 1st trip to the area and looking for suggestions/tips. Thanks

 

[allthingsfishing]

Check in with Mossy Creek Fly Shop in Harrisonburg. Top notch shop. They will point you in the right direction.

 

[raftman]

Get a cheeseburger with a fried egg from Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint. Follow it up with a great brew and a fried oreo. Hands down one of the best burgers I've ever had.
https://www.jackbrownsjoint.com/

 

[Letort]

Ditto on Mossy Fly shop. I prefer Billy Jacks for burgers, however (owned by same owner).

Unlike PA, where stocking is in spring, in VA its fall and winter. South River fishes very well, but that is in Waynesboro, about 25 miles away. Mossy Creek is very technical but can be very rewarding. Dry Rivercan be very good for native brookies, but watch out for the redds this time of year.

Enjoy, Harrisonburg is a great town. PM me if you need anything else.

 

[just_jon]

Spent 4 midweek days there in early October. I purchased a 5 day non-resident license for $21 and annual permits for Mossy Creek (free) and GW Nat’l Forest ($1). Fishing was exceptional. Water levels were dropping and the trout were on the feed.

Highlight of the trip was Beaver Creek. Be sure to check for details on Mossy Creek’s web site on the permit process as only 4 are issued per day. Permits are issued in person on a first come, first served basis starting at 5:00 AM at a rural grocery/convenience store. My GPS was not helpful. After being lost in the fog for 30 minutes, I stoped for directions at a gas station only to find I was in at my destination. Back to the fishing, I had the entire length of special reg waters to myself and had my best day on the water this year in terms of numbers. A red Copper John in sizes 16 and 18 were the hot ticket that day. RT averaged 12” with 2 over 20”. Dry River and Ramsey’s Draft also fished very well.

Just made reservations at the Village Inn for a return trip from the 11th to the 16th. It offers everything this trout bum needs (cheap, clean, comfortable and centrally located). Not a lot of dining options close by except for the hotel restaurant, but Harrisonburg is less than 10 minutes away.

 

[thavelka]

Thanks all for the info. I checked out Mossy Creek fly shop online and found a lot of good info on the area. I will def hit up Browns restaurant for a burger and a beer. Thanks again

 

[Clams]

The fly bum outdoors. His site has complete rundowns of pretty much all the creeks in Virginia. A great resource.

https://flybumoutdoors.com/category/streams/

 

[sarce]

Please stay away from brookie streams currently because of the spawn. The last two fall/winter seasons were brutal on many of those streams and they need all the help they can get right now. Mossy and the South River are probably your best bets.

 

[Chaz]

Eastern side of the Blue Ridge is where I'd fish. Flows will be good, sites are easy to fish and there's plenty of fish. Harrisonburg has loads of places to eat, you won't have to worry about fishing hotels either. They are all right there at the first exit for Hburg.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

I used to live in New Market and know the state well. Check out:
https://southriverflyshop.com/

If you like big browns, you can't go wrong with Mossy Creek or either special reg area on the South River (there are two). If you like stocked trout, try the 1.5 mi. DH area on the North River. The gorge is a beautiful place and it fishes very well. I am pretty sure that the DH area was stocked on Oct. 1st. Feel free to PM if you need additional info.

 

[geebee]

I have fished Mossy a few times now - the last time three weeks ago, its pretty tough.

i'd recommend a guide to enjoy it properly.

The TU section of Mossy you can fish free with an online permit from the VDGIF website.

Stocked waters like the South River are only fishable this time of the year with a Trout Waters permit, which sadly are not daily or even weekly.

Virginia it seems , does not want out of state fisherman taking its stocked trout !

which is a shame as i'd like to fish the Conway for its browns too, but i'm not paying $47 extra for the privilege.

if you do want paid fishing Susie Q or Rose River farms offer paid trout fishing for about $90 a day.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

^Mossy is all about water conditions and timing. Most of the bruisers hide under the numerous undercut banks. Mossy fishes best when the water is high and off color( think borderline flood)- then you can chuck meat and do really well. Terrestrials are just about done, otherwise Mossy offers superb Summer terrestrial fishing. If the stream is clear with normal flows, it can be very challenging-especially if it is your first time there. The South River has a C&R area that isn't too technical and has a mix of stocked and wild fish. This stretch fishes particular well. The other stretch allows for harvest of one fish 20" and over. The selective harvest area is more like fishing a large spring creek and is wild browns only. Imho, this stretch isn't as technical as Mossy and not so dependent on water conditions.

 

[geebee]

Can you fish the South River c&r section with just a freshwater license or do you need the trout stamp ?

Thanks

 

[ryansheehan]

catchable size trout program

Click the link and download the pdf.

 

[badmoodrising]

Beaver Creek is far more worth your time than Mossy, but like stated above it's first come first serve and you shouldn't sleep in. I moved from VA and fished it many times, and anytime I overslept even the slightest I lost out. However, Mossy Creek is an awesome shop and Billy Jacks is better than Jack Browns haha. The food in Harrisonburg is good in general, though.

 

[maxima12]

HOPE YOU HAD A NICE TRIP, IF YOU EVER GO BACK. THE MAGIC MAN IS JUST 40 MINUTES AWAY. ONE OF THE LAST GREAT AUTHORS, ILLUSTRATOR'S, SPEAKERS, FLY TYER, HISTORIAN, SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN. HARRY MURRAY. MURRAY'S FLY SHOP, EDINBURG VA. MURRAY A PHARMACIST BY TRADE, A FLY FISHERMAN BY HEART.