We've had a phenomenal summer of fly fishing. All of our guides have been on incredible bites, our regulars have been catching lots of fish, and we're seeing a lot of people trying new things. After all, living in Richmond allows us to have a ton of world class options. Here is a little of what we've been finding.
Brook Trout: Most of the streams have been too low to fish for most of June and July but with the latest rains, we have enough water to fish high elevations this weekend. Please carry a thermometer and don't fish water warmer than 65 degrees. If you find these water temperatures, try terrestrials, Mr. Rapidans, and Caddis flies.
Rainbows and Browns: Favor spring-fed streams and tail-waters. Spring creeks will have trico and terrestrial hatches. Use a thermometer if you plan to catch and release.
Smallmouth Bass: Prime topwater season! During the hot summer months, the best advise we can give you is to slow down. With the dissolved oxygen evaporating, fish will become lethargic and less willing to chase long or fast. Bounce hellgrammite, leech, and crawfish low and slow or use a cork or foam bug and drift slow with a few twitches. Fish will consistently be in cover, on structure, near moving water.
Largemouth Bass: Look in heavy cover like lily pads or under docks. Fish slow! Suspending flies like Murdich Minnows and Game Changers work great, crawfish patterns fished slow are always choice, and top-water in shade or low-light. In tidal systems, favor an outgoing tide, when the water moves, the fish eat.
Gar: Fish are slow-moving and near the surface. Use 3 inch baitfish to sight-cast at the fish.
Carp: Here's a dilemma - we've been seeing them on mud flats in the morning but not well because sighting-light is not up... It's carp fishing, it's hard, good luck.
Bowfin: In tidal systems, the fish are going on lily pads and grass patches seeking oxygen and bait. Good action on Jerk Changers and frog patterns.
Redfish (Juvenile): High numbers on the lower Chesapeake Bay. In the warmer months, shrimp pattens swinging slowly over grass flats. Favor moving tides. When sight-casting, choose 12' to 14' leaders and olive fiddler crab flies.
Redfish (Bulls): Big schools of Bull Reds moving near the surface mid-bay and near CBBT. Intermediate lines and heavy flies can be helpful.
Speckled Trout: Slow swinging suspended baitfish over grass. Lots of consistency around the middle peninsula.
Striped Bass: Striped Bass don't recover very well in water over 80 degrees. Mayny spots in the bay stay cool enough to catch and release Striped Bass. Target them at low light, early morning, depth is your friend. Clouser minnows on structure.
Cobia: Cobia are starting to pile up on buoys and pillars as well as cruising high and happy. Large crab patterns, large shrimp, eels, and baitfish.
Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish: The fish are either blitzing on bay sardines, glass minnows, or menhaden or stacked on large pieces of structure. Sinking line can be very helpful.