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
Brook Trout (native and stocked with
holdovers)
Brown Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Size
Small
Location
Southwestern Virginia
Nearest Towns
Pembroke
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Virginia
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Season:
The season runs year-round
Winter:
Trout can be caught on warm winter days.
Spring:
Spring is the best time for fly fishing Big Stoney Creek due to the hatches.
Summer:
Summertime is okay, thanks to the cool spring water and heavy canopy of bushes and trees..
Fall:
Fall is the best time for big browns.
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
Fly Fishing Big Stoney Creek Virginia
Big Stoney Creek can easily be confused with other Stoney Creeks in Virginia. There’s Little Stoney Creek, Stoney Creek, and others. Big Stoney Creek is near Pembroke Virginia, in the Jefferson National Forest. It’s a six mile long, freestone stream.
This stream is stocked but it also has a good number of wild brown and brook trout. There’s a good number of brown holdovers. It’s a very popular trout stream, particular during the Spring when it’s heavily stocked. Fly fishing Big Stoney Creek can be a little difficult. Its banks are lined with Rhododendrons.
The lower part of the stream contains mostly fast, pocket water with lots of runs, plunges and short cascades. Above the Appalachian Trail that crosses Big Stoney Creek, you will find a more moderate section of water. This stream is fed by a number of springs and
the pH level appears to be somewhat high for freestone streams in western Virginia. Its rocks contain lots of algae and are slick. It’s properly named because it has some “big stones” in the stream.
Checking the rocks for nymphs, we found Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, March Browns, Light Cahills and many other mayfly nymphs. The caddisfly population should be high, judging from the number of larvae in the stream. There’s lots of net-spinning larvae indicating Cinnamon and Spotted Caddis as well as several type of cased caddis. There’s also some
free-living Green Sedge larvae in the stream.
We only fished this stream for a day and most of the several trout caught appeared to be stocked or holdovers. I would think you would need to match the hatches, or what is about to hatch, in order to have much success with the wild trout or aged holdovers.
Fly Fishing Gear, Tackle and Trout Flies for Big Stoney Creek
Virginia
Fly Line:
You would probably want a 4 or 5 weight fly line for your dry fly fishing on Big Stoney Creek. You could get by using a 5 weight, floating fly line for everything. Many anglers that fish heavy nymphs and streamers would want a 6 weight fly line but it would not be absolutely necessary.
Fly Rod:
I would suggest a rod for the 4 or 5 weight line and another for the 6 weight line if you
choose to use it. The four or five weight rod should be between eight and nine feet in length, a medium to medium fast action would work best in our opinion.
If you choose to fish heavier nymphs and streamers on a six weight line then you would
probably want a fly rod that is a little on the stiff side. It should be nine feet in a medium to a medium fast action.
Fly Reel:
The reel for the four or the five weight rod should have a decent drag. It should be smooth. A disc drag that adjust in fine increments would be best. The reel for the six weight line should fit the same description.
Leaders:
We recommend at least a 7 and half foot leader anywhere you fish Big Stoney Creek. There are situation where you would want to go up to 9 feet. I would suggest having them in sizes ranging from 2X for streamers, up to 7X for small dry flies and midges, in both the 7 and half and 9 foot lengths.
Tippet:
You should have extra tippet in sizes ranging from 2X to 7X.
Waders:
Waders are necessary for Big Stoney Creek. We prefer the breathable types.
Wading Boots:
Much of the bottom in sand or rock. You would not want cleats. Felt soles are the best. We are in the process of testing the new rubber soles out and have no comment about them yet.
Trout Flies:
We recommend our “Perfect Flies”. We think they are the best trout flies you can purchase. If you haven’t already tried them, we certainly hope you will. You want be disappointed.