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Fly Fishing On The Upper Jackson River In Virginia

Upper Jackson River Virginia

Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.

We have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes that make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.

Type of Stream
Freestone

Species

Rainbow trout (Stocked with holdovers)
Brown trout (Stocked with holdovers)
Brook trout (Lake/Stocked with holdovers)

Size
Medium to Large

Location
West Central Virginia

Nearest Towns
Covington

Season
Year-round

Special Regulations:
Yes, one 3 mile long section
Access:
Fair

Non-Resident License
State of Pennsylvania

Weather
National Weather Service Link

Stream Flow Data:
Real Time USGS Data


Seasons:

Trout can be caught year-round.
Winter:
Some large rainbows can be caught during late winter that move upstream from Lake Moomaw.
Spring:
Springtime is considered the best time for fly fishing the Jackson River because of the large aquatic insect hatches.

Summer:
The water can become marginal during the hot summer but it is usually fishable.
Fall:
Fall is the best time to hook a large brown trout.

Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X

Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X

Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.

Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:

Email us  at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.

Copyright 2013 James Marsh 



Upper Jackson River Virginia Fishing Report 03/26/24
The stream is still flowing a little below a normal level and clear. We are getting good catch reports from customers. Good hatches are taking place. See the list below.

Stream Conditions:
Rate: 128 cfs
Level: 3.83 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 51 degrees
Clarity: clear
USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data Near Bacova VA

7 Day Weather Forecast:

COVINGTON WEATHER

Recommended Trout Flies:

Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners

Quill Gordons: 12/14, nymphs, emerging duns, duns, spinners

Blue Quills: 18nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners

Little Black Caddis: 18, pupa, adults

Little Brown Stoneflies: 12, nymphs, adults

Fly Fishing On The Upper Jackson River, Virginia The Jackson River is a large stream in comparison to most of the small, mountain and spring creek streams in the state of Virginia. It’s almost a hundred-feet wide in one area. The stream flows into Lake Moomaw. It’s water consist of some large pools with moderate flows, with long runs and some short sections of riffles. The river doesn’t fall at a steep decline but it provides enough drop in elevation to keep the water flowing good in most areas. It is probably the state of Virginia’s most popular trout stream. There’s a three mile long stretch of special regulation water located between two put and take sections of water. The stream is heavily stocked and has some very large holdover brown trout. Brown trout also move out of Lake Moomaw during the fall to spawn in the river. Larger brown trout can be caught at that time. During the Winter and early Spring, large rainbow trout move out of the lake to spawn in the river, providing some early season action. Angie is standing on the bridge to the Warwich House, a mansion that has stood from the pre-civil war era. It is now Hidden Valley Bed and Breakfast. Anywhere downstream from the bridge is a good water to fish. The Jackson River in this area consist mostly of pools connected by runs and riffles.

Fly Fishing Guide to Jackson River
Fly fishing the Jackson River requires a variety of methods and techniques depending on the season. The three mile long special regulation area is located above the swinging bridge which is just upstream of Muddy Run, a tributary stream that is also worth fishing. It can only be reached by foot. An old maintenance road provides the access from the Hidden Valley area. It is a fairly level hike. The area can also be reached from the Poor Farm Road. The special regulation section is three miles long, but there’s a two mile long section both above and below it that is heavily stocked with trout. A lot of bait fisherman frequent these area shortly after the stream is stocked. A week or two after the stocking, the large crowds of bait anglers disappear. Fishing can be good in the non-special regulation areas after the crowds have left. You can hike along the river both up and downstream from the Hidden Valley area. A very good trail follows the river. The farther you walk, the better the fishing usually is. The area downstream of Hidden Valley just above Lake Moomaw has some public access areas. The late winter and early spring is a good time to fish the area. It is possible to catch rainbow, brown and brook trout in that area of the stream. The area is marked by cables crossing the river. It extends from the lake upstream for about a half mile. The stocked trout can be caught on a variety of flies. Generic and attractor flies work most of the time. The larger, holdover trout are much more selective. It is much better to match the hatch, or more importantly, match what is about to hatch with specific imitations. The stream has a huge population of aquatic insects due to the numerous spring inlets that provide water with a high pH value. The larger brown trout can also be caught during the spawning run using streamers. “High sticking” the deep runs with nymphs also works well in this stream. The larger brown trout in the pools usually hold tight to cover such as undercut banks, logs, and rocks.

Jackson River Hatches and Trout Flies:
Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in the Jackson River and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call.   We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726.

The Jackson River gets a lot of its water from small spring creeks and spring inlets into the upper headwaters of the river. It has a high pH and a huge population of aquatic insects. Starting at the first of the year in January, the first aquatic insects to hatch are the Little Winter Stoneflies. They usually hatch through the first of March. In March and April you can expect to find some Brown Stoneflies hatching. Blue-winged Olives, consisting of several species, hatch from February through June and then again in September through the first week or two of November. Blue Quills are among the first mayflies to hatch. They normally start about the first of March and last through the month of April depending on the weather. Almost the same time, hatches of Quill Gordons will start occurring near the rifles. They usually are through hatching by the end of April. Hendricksons start hatching about the middle of May and last for about three or four weeks. They are one of the better hatches. There are a few Eastern Green Drakes that hatch from near the end of May through the middle of June. American March Browns will hatch from the middle of April until the middle of May. You will find them mostly in the fast sections of water. Slate Drakes start hatching in April and last until June. They reappear in September and last through October. Sulphur mayflies and Eastern Pale Evening Duns both start hatching about the middle of May. The Pale Evening Duns last for about three weeks but the smaller Sulphurs last on into the middle of July. They are one of the better hatches that take place.Scuds and Sowbugs are a part of the trout’s diet in the Jackson River. Don’t overlook having imitations of them. Craneflies can also be plentiful. Little Yellow Stoneflies, or Yellow Sallies, start hatching about the middle of April and last through the month of June. The large Giant Black Stoneflies hatch from about the first of June through mid July. Don’t forget to have plenty of streamers ranging from imitations of sculpin, baitfish and crawfish. The river has plenty of smallmouth bass and large brown trout. Starting in July, imitations of terrestrial insects become important. Ants, beetles and grass hopper fly patterns produce until early October. Don’t forget about the mighty midge. This river is full of them and they hatch year-round. They can become very important in cold water when nothing else is hatching. We always recommend our “Perfect Fly” imitations. They are the best, most
effective flies you can purchase and use anywhere trout exist. Give them a try and you will be glad you did. If you prefer, we also have many popular generic and attractor fly patterns and they are sold at a very low price. There are lots of Cinnamon Caddis and Spotted Sedges species in the Jackson River. These caddisflies hatch from about the first of May into the middle of July. Different species of them hatch again in September. Large Great Brown Autumn Sedges hatch in late September and October. Green Sedges hatch in late May and June. The river has a huge population of the Green Rock Worm larvae.