Washington and Lee University

College Ambassador: Phillip Rollins

Species

Trout: Trout are plentiful in the Shenandoah Valley. You can fish small mountain streams in the nearby Shenandoah National Park for native Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, throw dries on the local spring creeks for big browns, and even put a boat in to float close by tailwaters if you're looking for higher number days. 

Bass: Smallmouth and largemouth are all over Virginia. You can catch plenty of pickle smallies while wading small streams and target bigger ones by boat on rivers. To target largemouth, there are plenty of both public and private ponds and lakes to check out. 

Musky: Although a boat is basically required, there are multiple rivers to target the fish of 10,000 casts in the Shenandoah Valley. Like all musky, they can be hard to find, however, nearby rivers like the James River and the New River are known for holding some larger fish. 

Accessibility

The Maury River: Running right through Lexington VA, the Maury is an easy walk from campus and a great spot to hit after class to catch bass and panfish. Although it is mostly smaller bass here, 18 to 20-inch smallmouths are regularly pulled out in the warmer months. Also with a short drive and either a school-borrowed kayak or your own boat, you can float some sections that are more productive for targeting bigger fish. 

Buffalo Creek, Mossy Creek, and the Jackson River: These are the main trout rivers near campus. Buffalo or “Buff” Creek is right outside of Lexington. Another great spot to check out on a Friday afternoon, with plenty of small stocky rainbows and a chance for a bigger brown, with multiple 20+ inch fish being pulled out each year. Mossy Creek, although a more challenging fishery and further away, is another great place to hone your technical skills and target some bigger fish. It's a spring creek around an hour from campus, so more suitable for a day trip. Finally, the Jackson River is one of Virginia’s best tailwaters for trout, again about an hour away and best fished by raft. It can be a bit harder for a college student, but can produce a great day of fishing given the chance. 

The James, New, and Shenandoah Rivers: All three of these rivers hold musky. While the James is fairly close to campus, the other two are a bit more of a drive, but it is well worth it for both your chance at a musky and beautiful scenery that you get to enjoy as you float down. The Shenandoah specifically is known for having great smallmouth fishing and being a particularly pretty float in the fall. 

Community

Washington and Lee is full of outdoorsy students, with plenty who love to fly fish. There is both an outing club, a fly fishing-specific club, and even a fly fishing class that you can take to knock out a PE credit. The outing club is a great resource on campus for both the community it provides and as a great resource to rent canoes or kayaks to take to a nearby lake or river. The fly fishing club is another great place to meet some more hardcore anglers. They host meet-ups, tying classes, and even yearly trips to the South Carolina low country and the Tennessee mountains. Being one of the largest clubs on campus, this shows fly-fishing popularity at Washington and Lee. 

Hangouts 

Unfortunately, Lexington VA is a small town with a population of around 7,500. Because of this, there is no local shop or hangout. Walkabout Outfitters is the closest thing you will get to a shop, but realistically, it is more of an outdoor clothing store that may provide a few river maps at best. The closest real fly shop will be in Charlottesville, VA, which is a little over an hour away, so it is really best to bring all your gear to school. For hangouts on campus, the outing club pavilion is a great spot to hang with other fishermen, climbers, bikers, or really anyone who shares your love for the outdoors.