FWAM - Fishing the Rapidan Saturday March, 27

[CharlieL]

Any one interested joining the Fish With A Member outing for Brookies on the Rapidan this weekend?  So far there are 5 maybe 7 of us going.  You know I will be there.

We plan on meeting at 6:30am behind TGI Fridays near the intersection of I-66 and Rts 340/522S.  If you are coming south on Rts 340/522 there is a Wachovia and the TGI Fridays about a block prior to I-66 on ramp.  Turn Rt at the light and look for Fred's red pick-up in the lot.  The weather forecast is for sun and a high of 55.  My initial thought is to head to the Rapidan, but we can make the final decision when we all arrive at the departure point. 

[CharlieL]

Well the first official Fish with a Member (FWAM) outing was a great success yesterday.  Dan, Tom, Fred and I all meet at the Applebee's in Front Royal at 6:30am to head to the Rapidan River for Brookies.  The night before the temps dropped below freezing and I noticed my thermometer at 22 degrees in my backyard when I got up that morning.  Upon the arrival it felt more like we were getting ready to fish for Steelhead instead of Brookies.  Dan and I headed downstream to fish and Tom started right where we parked.  Fred hiked upstream about 100 yards.  We all fished till about noon and meet back at the cars for lunch.  The morning was cold and the fishing was slow.  I was 4 for 4 by noon.  Then after lunch and some good conversation we all decided to fish some more.  It was starting to get warmer and there was top water action everywhere with very typical picky Rapidan Brookies. The fish were jumping everywhere but not doing anything but only hitting your flies.  They just wouldn't eat anything we presented.  I was fishing a dropper off my dry and that is what I caught everything but one fish on.  By 4:30pm I had caught 10 more fish. 

[starprog]

I met Fred, Dan, and Charlie in Front Royal Saturday morning at 6:30 and proceeded to the Rapidan River.  This was the first fishing trip for me since I broke my leg on another fishing trip in July.  When we arrived it was freezing or close to it and I thought we might be in for a long cold day.  Charlie and Dan went downstream, I started at the parking lot, and Fred went upstream.

The Rapidan was fishable but very full and where we were fishing the gradient is very high.  For me that made for difficult fishing.  I have fished the Rapidan when I could fish upstream and almost never have to leave the stream bed.  Not so when the water is high.  The plunge pools were deep and treacherous and I found myself fishing one or two pools and then having to exit the stream climb over or go around car sized boulders and thick mountain brush.  I quickly found out that my legs were weak, especially the one that was broken and that my balance was wobbly from either overdue caution or lack of travel on uneven stones and ground.  As the sun crept over the mountains and flooded the stream bed the temperature rose and it became a beautiful day.

We were all fishing nymphs but Charlie was using a dry fly for an indicator.  We fished all morning and met back at the cars for a sandwich about noon.  Right before we broke for lunch I had switched to a dry fly because I had not had much luck with the nymphs and also because I hate fishing with them anyway.  I caught two brookies within 30 minutes.  Back at the car no one’s luck had been too good.  Charlie and Fred each caught about four or five, me three, and I forget how many Dan had.

We decided to meet back at the cars about four and left to fish the afternoon.  I believe everyone used dry flies.  I caught nothing in the first two pools but when I got to the third one the bite was on.  I must have had somewhere between 10 and 15 hard strikes over the next hour fishing the seams of a plunge pool and the edge of the turbulent water at the head of the pool.  The water was so fast, however, that I couldn’t keep a tight line and missed all but three.  A better fisherman would probably have caught ten.  One of the brookies was a nice one about seven inches long.  The others were four or five inches.  They were very skinny.  In fact I believe they were as skinny as I’ve ever seen them.  It must have been the long cold winter.

My leg became very tired and painful and I finally had to give up about 3:15.  I only caught three that abbreviated afternoon but should have caught  more.  I just couldn’t reach the difficult places with my leg and besides I was rusty.  Fred ended up with nine that afternoon and Charlie told him on the radio that they were also biting where he was so I suspect he and Dan also did well.  I was very tired on the way home and hurt all over.  I am really out of shape after the leg break.  Fred was also tired but I suspect he wasn’t as bad off as I was.  The strangest thing happened on the trip.  My ankle began to throb and ache really bad and by the time I reached home I could barely walk.  It felt like it was badly strained or even broken but I don’t remember any twist or hurtful event during the day.  It swelled almost double and the pain was worse than when I broke my leg.  The pain was such that I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep.  But then the pain started to abate and over a couple of hours it was only stiff and sore (as was my entire body).  I really can’t explain what happened but I’m convinced no accident event was the cause.  Maybe something bit me.  At any rate it is fine now.  Even with the fatigue it was a wonderful day that warmed up and was beautiful.  I always like to fish with buddies and I look forward to some of the planned fishing trips planned by the club this summer.  I’m also glad to be back in the game but need to work on gaining some strength.