The shad bite is good right now with both the air and water temperature rising. The big news this week is that the larger American Shad have been caught reportedly up to 6lbs! This is the time to be on the water to see what it is all about. The James is clearing up to the greenish glacial tint that most anglers like to see this time of year, bringing in the first trickle of White Perch. The Herring are thick in some places, which are going to bring some … Read More »

For the fly angler, spring is almost too good in central Virginia.

With so many excellent fishing options, time available to spend on the water is the only constraint. In the interest of brevity, I will stick to the fishing right around my home in Richmond.

The real jump start to the season is always the annual Shad run on the James. Starting in March, deep sinking lines and bright flies can take these fish downstream of Ancarrow’s Landing. As the temperatures warm, and the fish move up to the 14th St … Read More »

CHESAPEAKE BAY- The Speckled Trout bite continues to improve throughout the bay as daylight lengthens. The Elizabeth River is still holding good Trout, along with Puppy Drum. There have been other areas producing Trout over the last few weeks. Mobjack Bay usually comes to mind when considering Speck fishing. Some notable catches have been made there lately. A few 26-30 in. fish have been reported. The Rappahannock River and its tributaries have also produced some big fish lately. As more anglers target , Trout are being caught on a bigger variety … Read More »

The water in the James River has gotten much clearer over the past few days, allowing the fish to see anglers’ lures better, which leads to more hookups! Tandem rigged darts are taking the most fish with the spinning crowd with a close second being a small gold spoon weighted down with a 1/2oz weight. The temperature of the water has slowly but surely crept up to the mid 50s and the fish are acting like it’s spring! Good colors include combinations of pink, white, and green.

Fly fishermen and women … Read More »