Trout Unlimited Fishing Show

Rapidan Chapter, Middleburg VA


I spent Sunday out in Middleburg, VA at the Trout Unlimited Rapidan Chapter Fishing Show. My good friend Theaux from Backwater Angler and I shared a table and got to meet a bunch of new faces. It was great to get out and catch up with some fellow anglers and talk about the season. I also got the opportunity to talk to some newcomers about fly fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, Susquehanna Flats, and Gunpowder River. Glad you all made it out. Feel free to post your comments about how you think the show went.

Winter Stripers on the Chesapeake Bay

Power Plant Stripers on the Upper Chesapeake Bay

Ok, so it is cold out. Real cold this week with high temps not supposed to break 30. The smarter of us fishermen are probably sitting home stocking our fly boxes for Spring. Then, there are those of us who just can’t make it through February without going fishing. Luckily for us there are hungry stripers nearby more than willing to take a fly.

We target striped bass (stripers) this time of year on the Upper Chesapeake at one of several areas surrounding local energy plants with warm-water discharges. The water temps near these plants can be sometimes 15 to 20 degrees warmer than the nearby river waters. The warmer waters attract smaller baitfish which, in turn, attract stripers and other fish species. The fishing can be great, if you can handle the cold. We often catch several dozen fish a day and fish over 30 inches are not uncommon.

I typically run a half day trip through the winter to some of the areas local warm water hot spots. If you feel the need to bend you 8wt’s and don’t mind breaking some ice out of the guides, come give it a shot.