Fishing Northern Virginia

Last weekend I headed a few hours north to Baltimore to hang with the bid brother Swamp Thing and see a band.It was a great evening with him and his wife and it fit perfectly into my semi planned northern Virginia fishing trip.After seeing the Two Man Gentleman band On Sunday night my brother and I headed out at daybreak for a the first fishing spot in Northern Virginia.Lake Brittle is an interesting yet extremely shallow bank lake with good shore access for fishing.With it's fishing pier and boat rental that would have been the way to go.Unfortunately with a lack of time for Swamp Thing to fish,he had to be at a work site in only a few hours,we fished the bank with minimal success.Trying everything from small top water to crank baits we found the fish plentiful but weary of man made baits.After catching one fish a piece we called it all good and probably will never return to this over fished lake.Swamp Thing got on the road and I headed thirty miles south to my next destination the Rappahonnock River on the C.F. Phelps WMA.

Yellow Perch caught at lake Brittle on rooster tail


After my short drive down to the WMA,in which I only got lost a few times,I found an access point to wade the river.Unfortunately with the excessive rain we have been having the last few weeks the river was running a few feet above normal.Taking that into consideration with the normal muddy water of the river it was unfishable.Not willing to give up so easy I slapped on my knee boots and took the trail back into the woods and found a low spot,threw a line in and said screw this.So now what to do?I drove 3 hours North for nothing?Negative I say,the WMA supposedly has a 3 acre pond.So on the country roads me and my trusty Ford Ranger went searching.We searched and then some more of that and found a few other access points for the WMA but no pond.At this point in the day it was around 90 degrees,I had been up since 6 AM and had not had a bite to eat.I called a temporary retreat to fill up on rations and regroup.After finding a decent town with lodging I decided that at the least I needed some rest and food.After I ate my head cleared a bit and I decided with the power of my wireless internet I could find somewhere to fish.So then it was on to an evening of internet scouting and a nice comfortable bed.With the help of some of the guys on the Duck Hunters Refuge Forum and my big brother I located a few lakes that were quite close to my current location.With my 5 AM wake up call and a not so fresh biscuit from the hotel it was on to my next fishing destination Lake Germantown.




Upon arriving at Lake Gremantown I did the good thing and donated the "suggested" amount of money for out of county residents.When arriving at the boat rental spot and finding the attendant asleep I need I had made a quality choice.In all seriousness the kid was cool and helped me out quite a bit.He informed me the rate was 12 dollars an hour.Yes an hour,not a day an hour.Whoa I say!Well what to do,I'm 3 hours from home it's 7 AM,screw it let's fish.So on I went fishing the bank working my way down and away from the dam,which is where everyone told me to go.I'm not sure why I didn't follow there directions I just wasn't feeling it.I remembered reading online that the lake was spring fed.Now I came to Northern Virginia to river fish so if a spring was as close as I could get then so be it.So after a few lackluster bites I put on the old trusty buzz bait and headed around another curve and then I heard the magical miniature roar of a spring.I headed up to it and first cast,fish on, a nice one pound bass.I continued fishing this spot for a few minutes and found the boat getting literally pulled around the corner.the lake turned into a stream and the stream turned into kick ass.Just what I was looking for an actual creek feed into the lake.Working the rented boat and motor over a few slate rocks.sorry park management,I wanted to be in the right place before I started fishing.Apparently I was,as I through trusty buzz into the rapids time and time again.Continually getting nice strong hits and a total of nine bass in thirty minutes all weighing between 1 and 2 pounds.I switched to a rattle trap and caught 2 more bass and a crappie.It was such a great time and if I'm ever in the area again I'm sure to return.



So I returned the boat and left the area thinking I wrote down directions to find this WMA pond from Germantown Lake and I intended to find it.Well after an hour of driving with no luck I just started making turns on roads and started following my nose.It worked I found the pond,still not sure how,and took the trail down to fish it before the sun got to me.Half way down the trail the horseflies were murderous in there attempt to get me to turn back.I refused and carried on like any idiot who wants to fish.To no avail after thirty minutes fishing many fly bites and no fish bites I returned to the Ranger and called it good.



So all summed up a success!I saw a classic band and got some fishing in with my brother.Then on my own I scouted everything from a few local towns to lakes and a WMA.All total eleven bass,1 crappie and 1 yellow perch.I returned home and over the last few days have fished some of the areas closer to home that I have neglected in the last few years with minimal success.An upcoming post on them next week as I have 2 more fishing trips planned.The pictures for this post will be up on a different post as my computer sucks.Thanks Northern Virginia for a good time