Fall Troutin' in Appaclachia

[Doug Vitale]

Back in mid-November I drove to the border region between Virginia and West Virginia and spent five days exploring several streams known as productive trout waters. I had never fished in this area before, so doing thorough research beforehand was a must. I purchased a few books on Amazon, and after conveniently buying VA and WV fishing licenses online, I was off.

The streams I fished in VA were the Jackson River, Back Creek and Bull Pasture River. The streams I fished in WV were the Elk River and Cranberry River. I did catch a decent amount of browns and rainbows, but none of any bragging size sadly. Thankfully, I did not cross paths with any rattlesnakes or black bear (the books I read warn readers to watch out for these creatures in the Blue Ridge Mountains).

You don't know what "remote countryside" is until you spend several hours driving through this part of the country. While the scenery is gorgeous, many of the people in this region are utterly poor.

Based on my experiences and on the info I have gathered in books and online, VA and WV are very underrated as troutin' destinations. If you're up for an adventure, consider paying a visit to the streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Just do your research ahead of time and go with a solid plan of action.

Here are the books I read to prepare for my trip.

Flyfisher's Guide to Virginia: Including West Virginia's Best Fly Fishing Waters

Trout Streams of Virginia: An Angler's Guide to the Blue Ridge Watershed

Fly Fishing Virginia: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters

Virginia Blue-Ribbon Streams: A Fly Fishing Guide