Fly fishing in March on the smallmouth streams can be productive in the bank bays. These are indentations which floods have carved back into the river bank. Some of these reach 10-20 feet back into the bank. These block major currents but hold a generous food supply for the smallmouth.



Wade or float down the river to 30 feet out from the opening. I begin my casts to the upper end of the bank bay with my flies reaching all the way to the deep part and strip it out 6 inches every 4 seconds until I swim it out into the main part of the river. The strike usually comes just as the fly enters the main current. Successive casts are made two feet further downstream until I’ve covered the whole bank bay. Then I wade on downstream to the next bank bay. Effective flies include Murray’s Marauder (olive or chartreuse) size 6 and Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite, black size 6.



Fly fishing for Native Brook Trout



By now most of us have cabin fever and are ready to fish the mountain trout streams. March is a wonderful time to fish these streams. In early March the Quill Gordon mayfly nymphs are reaching full size and moving to the lower part of the riffles in preparation of hatching. Fishing a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14 upstream dead drift into the lower section of the riffle will catch many trout. By mid March I start using a Mr. Rapidan Emerger size 14. When I will start seeing Quill Gordon adults riding the surface of the stream, I switch to a Mr. Rapidan Parachute. By mid to late March you can expect the Blue Quill hatch. Listen to my Podcast for more information.