Gone Fishin’ – Jackson River

OVERVIEW

Ah, the fishing frenzy isn’t over yet! There’s the fly fishing festival on the 28th, so again, another excuse to fish. Wait, no excuse is necessary to go fishing.

I’ll begin by saying that I can be talked into another stream, but I would like to go to the Jackson River, in the Hidden Valley section. From the confluence with Muddy Run (the confluence is roughly 2 miles from the trailhead), upstream 3 miles, the river has a 16″ minimum on keeping fish (and max of 2 fish per day). My goal is thus to fish this special regulation section figuring it has a good chance of producing decent size fish, and I will likely catch-and-release, but I can accommodate those wanting to keep fish. Outside this stretch, the regulations revert back to statewide regulations.

The Jackson River typically flows just under 200 cfs at this time of year, and has a reasonably wide clearance, so casting shouldn’t be terribly onerous. 200 cfs should also be a comfortable water level for the fish, so I think the fishing will be good too. As is usual for my river trips, waders will be highly recommended.

For this trip, you need the following licenses (prices are annual resident fees):
(1) Statewide Freshwater License ($23)
(2) Stocked Trout Waters ($23)
(3) National Forest Permit ($4)
So, the total will come to $50. If you already have a freshwater license, you can enter your license number into the website (for purchasing) and just add on the stocked trout waters and national forest permit.

We’ll leave early from Echols so that everyone can get their fill of fishing in, and aim to be back to Charlottesville in time for dinner. Of course, if the fish keep us on the river, we could opt to find a place to stop and get food on the way back. Hidden Valley is about a 2 hour drive from Charlottesville. All attendees will be waitlisted to start; I will set the max at 4 for now, and we’ll see how gear works out.

As a recap:

You Provide:
> fishing licenses (see above)
>> buy at: http://secure01.virginiainteractive.org/horf/
> Polarized sunglasses
> Fishing gear (+waders) if you have it
> Sandals if you are ok with chilly water.
>> I would highly encourage using waders
> A camera
> Water bottle(s), snacks
> Packed (or eaten) breakfast and lunch
> Backpack

Club provides:
> A ride
> Fishing gear if you need it:
>> 3 sets of rods
>> 2 waders (men’s size 9 and 10)
> Bacpack if you need it.

For regulations on fishing:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/regulations/
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/trout/special-regulation-trout-waters/