Fishing Virginia An Angler's Guide To More Than 140 Fishing Spots

by Freed, Martin; Vaskys, Ruta

• ISBN13: 9781599211398
• ISBN10: 1599211394
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-07-01
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

The fishing in Virginia is as diverse as the terrain. From 600-pound tuna in its offshore waters and delicious flounder in the Chesapeake to oversized bucketmouths in the piedmont lakes and 8-inch brook trout in the bubbling mountain streams--what more can a dedicated angler ask for? Based on a lifetime of fishing, Martin Freed describes 100 top sites and what anglers can expect from Virginia's waters.

Author Biography

Both Ruta Vaskys and Martin Feed have been freelance writers and photographers since the mid 1980s and share a passion for the outdoors. Their credits include many regional as well national publications, such as Fur, Fish and Game, Easy Street, the Eastern Shore News, The Mid-Atlantic Fisherman, What¿s Up Annapolis, Shotgun Magazine, The Chesapeake Angler, The Salisbury Times, Alaska, Fish Alaska, Fish and Game, and many others. Both are members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) and are avid anglers.

Table of Contents

Dedication	p. V
Introduction	p. 1
Overview	p. 1
Hazards and Precautions	p. 1
Catch-and-release Fishing	p. 6
How to Use This Guide	p. 6
Map Legend	p. 8
Saltwater Fishing
The Eastern Shore	p. 9
Angling the Eastern Shore	p. 9
Directions to the Eastern Shore	p. 11
The Atlantic Ocean Side	p. 13
Chincoteague	p. 13
Assateague Island	p. 16
Gargatha	p. 18
Wachapreague	p. 19
Quinby	p. 19
Oyster	p. 23
The Chesapeake Bay Side	p. 25
Saxis	p. 25
Onancock Creek	p. 26
Occohannock Creek	p. 27
Cape Charles	p. 28
Kiptopeke State Park	p. 30
The Western Shore	p. 32
Colonial Beach	p. 32
The Great Wicomico River (Reedville Area)	p. 32
Rappahannock River	p. 35
The Piankatank River	p. 35
Gloucester Point Fishing Pier	p. 37
Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge	p. 40
James River Bridge	p. 40
Ocean View Pier	p. 43
Virginia Beach	p. 44
First Landing State Park	p. 46
False Cape State Park	p. 46
Freshwater Fishing
Northern Virginia	p. 51
Great Falls National Park	p. 51
Riverbend Park	p. 52
Beaverdam Creek Reservoir	p. 53
Lake Frederick	p. 54
Burke Lake	p. 54
The Occoquan River	p. 56
Occoquan Reservoir	p. 57
Lake Brittle	p. 58
The North Fork of the Shenandoah River	p. 59
The South Fork of the Shenandoah River	p. 62
Arrowhead Lake	p. 64
Leesylvania State Park	p. 64
The Upper Rappahannock River	p. 66
Abel Reservoir (Safford County Reservoir)	p. 68
Lake Orange	p. 68
The Lower Rappahannock River	p. 69
Lake Gordonsville (Bowlers Mill)	p. 70
Lake Anna	p. 71
Gardy's Mill Pond	p. 74
Chandler's Mill Pond	p. 75
The Mattaponi River	p. 75
The Pamunkey River	p. 78
The Piankatank River/Dragon Run	p. 79
Southeastern Virginia	p. 81
Diascund Creek Reservoir	p. 81
Little Creek Reservoir	p. 83
The Lower James River	p. 84
The Lower Chickahominy River and Lake	p. 87
Lakes Whitehurst and Smith	p. 89
Lake Airfield	p. 89
The Nottoway River	p. 90
Western Branch Reservoir	p. 92
The North Landing River	p. 93
Back Bay	p. 95
South-central Virginia	p. 97
The Upper James River	p. 97
Bear Creek Lake	p. 99
Holliday Lake	p. 99
The Appomattox River	p. 101
Pocahontas State Park: Swift Creek Lake and Beaver Lake	p. 102
Lake Chesdin	p. 103
Briery Creek Lake	p. 104
Sandy River Reservoir	p. 105
The Meherrin River	p. 106
Brunswick County Lake	p. 107
Great Creek Watershed Lake	p. 108
Lake Gordon	p. 109
The Dan River	p. 109
Buggs Island Lake (Kerr Reservoir)	p. 112
Lake Gaston	p. 113
Southwestern Virginia	p. 115
The Jackson River	p. 115
Lake Moomaw	p. 117
St. Marys River	p. 118
The Maury River	p. 119
The Pound River	p. 121
Flannagan Reservoir	p. 122
The New River	p. 123
Gatewood Reservoir	p. 126
Claytor Lake	p. 127
Smith Mountain Lake	p. 128
Leesville Lake	p. 131
Philpott Reservoir	p. 131
Bark Camp Lake	p. 132
The Clinch River	p. 133
The North Fork of the Holston River	p. 135
The South Fork of the Holston River	p. 136
The Middle Fork of the Holston River	p. 137
South Holston Reservoir	p. 138
The Whitetop Laurel Creek	p. 139
Trout Fishing	p. 141
The Catchable-trout Stocking Program	p. 141
Delayed Harvest Trout Streams	p. 148
Accotink Creek (Fairfax County)	p. 148
Back Creek (Bath County)	p. 148
Chestnut Creek (Carroll County)	p. 148
Hardware River (Fluvanna County)	p. 148
Holliday Creek (Appomattox/Buckingham Counties)	p. 148
Holmes Run (Fairfax County)	p. 149
North Fork of Pound River and Pound River (Wise County)	p. 149
North River (Augusta County)	p. 149
Passage Creek (Warren County)	p. 149
Peak Creek (Pulaski County)	p. 149
Pedlar River (Amherst County)	p. 149
Roanoke River (Roanoke County and City of Salem)	p. 149
South River (Augusta County)	p. 149
Fee Trout-fishing Areas	p. 149
Clinch Mountain Fee Fishing Area	p. 150
Crooked Creek Fee Fishing Area	p. 150
Douthat Lake Fee Fishing Area	p. 150
The Fingerling Stocking Program	p. 150
Laurel Bed Lake (Russell County)	p. 151
Lexington City Reservoir (Rockbridge County)	p. 151
Mills Creek and Coles Run Reservoirs (Augusta County)	p. 151
Skidmore Lake (Switzer Dam, Rockingham County)	p. 152
Smith Creek (Alleghany County)	p. 152
Snake Creek (Carroll County)	p. 152
Buffalo Creek (Rockbridge County)	p. 152
The Dan River (Patrick County)	p. 152
Roaring Run (Botetourt County)	p. 152
Smith River (Henry County)	p. 153
The Wild Trout Program	p. 153
North Fork Moormans River (Albemarle County)	p. 153
Buffalo River (Amherst County)	p. 154
Ramsey's Draft (Augusta County)	p. 154
North Creek (Botetourt County)	p. 154
North and South Forks of Stewart's Creek (Carroll County)	p. 154
Little Stony Creek (Giles County)	p. 154
East Fork of Chestnut Creek (Carroll County)	p. 154
Big and Little Wilson Creeks and Their Tributaries (Grayson County)	p. 155
Conway River/Devils Ditch (Greene County)	p. 155
Rapidan River (Madison County)	p. 155
Little Stony Creek (Shenandoah County)	p. 155
Trout Heritage Day Program	p. 155
Urban Fishing
Charlottesville	p. 156
Ragged Mountain Reservoirs	p. 156
Rivanna Reservoir	p. 156
D.C. Metropolitan Area in Virginia	p. 156
Algonkian Regional Park	p. 156
Cameron Run Regional Park (Lake Cook)	p. 156
Fountainhead Regional Park	p. 158
Mason Neck State Park	p. 158
Richmond	p. 158
Bryan Park	p. 158
Byrd Park	p. 158
Dorey Park Lake	p. 158
Great Shiplock Park	p. 158
James River Park	p. 160
Virginia Beach and Surrounding Areas (Hampton Roads)	p. 160
Bayville Farms Park	p. 160
Lake Prince	p. 160
Little Island Park	p. 160
Mount Trashmore Lake	p. 160
Index	p. 161
About the Authors	p. 164
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