South Fork Famine Turned Feast

Started by OldDominionAngler, July 19, 2010, 18:38:00 PM

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OldDominionAngler

A few weekends back me and three other buddies headed out to Luray to float the South Fork Shenandoah.  Chance of rain was high all day but we didn't end up feeling a drop.  Still, the fishing was downright awful. 

It had been scorching hot and water levels had been dropping weeks before our arrival, but the night before we drove out some serious storms came through.  The water apparently had come up quite a bit, was dingy and felt pretty cool to the touch.  I'm guessing this was a big reason for the non-existent top water action. 

I wouldn't say myself or the other three members of the flotilla are proven smallie fisherman, but I've never seen the bite so slow on a warmwater river in July. Last year this section didn't fish great numbers wise, but gave up two beasts...one to me in the rain amongst tubers, one to Stephen in the dark chucking poppers.  Nothin' doing this time.  I did what I could to at least get a handful of fish, but eventually stopped hammering the banks and just enjoyed the float...partly out of frustration, partly bc the last two miles of water is chock full of tubers. 

Eight miles and an empty cooler later and we made it back to camp.  The gettin' was much better around the fire.  White chicken chili with tomatillos and some corn on the cob was mighty fine.  All in all, I still had a blast...and think the other three did too.

Some of the original pics didn't turn out great so I decided to fiddle with them in photoshop last night.  Word on the street says next float should be on the North Fork.  Until then...
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MFTG

saturate that $hit son!  dreadfully good stuff Chris.  Dig'n it.

troutphisher

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.

Woolly Bugger

ex - I'm not going to live with you through one more fishing season!
me -There's a season?

Pastor explains icons to my son: you know like the fish symbol on the back of cars.
My son: My dad has two fish on his car and they're both trout!

jwhop3

Those are some nice water colors you painted on your trip, WB.
"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."


~by Doug Larsen~

Get Bent

Nice yak ! The smallie bite has been weird this year on some rivers and awesome on others, so I feel your pain.  -0- -0- -0-
Konichiwa Bitches!

blue ridge angler

looks like a good time..
smallies can be super tough..

Stephen

Dude standing up in his Yak is JACKED