"Smell that? You smell that?"
“What?”
"Holmes Run, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of Holmes Run in the morning. It smells like...trout."
(Possible dialog if the movie Apocalypse Now were a fly fishing movie)
*****
When you fish in a metro-stream, one
located inside the Beltway, you have to learn to put up
with a lot of--things. I've fished at Holmes Run Stream Valley Park
for years and while it's a
very pretty tailwater that begins at the base of the
Lake Barcroft dam on Colombia Pike it also comes with
reminders that you are fishing in an urban setting.
There are discarded tires and
building debris scattered along the banks, overgrown
with weeds or semi-camoflaged by layers of dirt and
moss. Not much, but enough to notice if you stare hard
enough. And the occasional cigarette butt or discarded
nightcrawler container doesn't bother me but the time
I watched a discarded prophylactic slowly snake its
way downstream was sort of disturbing. What does get
to me is the smell. For those who fish at Holmes Run a
lot it just blends into the background and becomes
part of the overall environment that envelopes the
stream--that sweet, cloying sweet sewage stench that
wafts from manhole covers and vents that dot the banks
along the upper parts of the stream. On some days
there is little or no odor but on the bad days you
sort of wear it around you like a coat as you fish
your way along the deeper runs and slots.
I arrived at the parking lot just off Colombia Pike and
there were already a few cars parked there. Evidently the
news that Holmes Run was recently stocked had gotten
around. I followed the trail down to the stream, passing a
few other fly anglers who were fishing above and below the
first crossing, and began fishing at the first open spot I
found.
The pool was full of trout. The
water was running low and clear, so they stood out
clearly as they schooled up and down the pool. I
rigged the three weight for nymphing, threw a short
cast upstream and watched as the trout rushed the fly
and rejected it. It was as if they hit a wall. All of
them stopped as a single unit and turned away from the
fly. I tried two more flies and got the same result
until I finally found something they liked, a size 18
Pheasant Tail. These were fish fresh from the hatchery
so they weren't very educated about natural food. I
was trying to approximate their hatchery meal and the
fly was probably the right shape and size as a food
pellet. I proceeded to catch every dumb fish in the
pool, which turned out to be brown and rainbow trout
between eight to 14 inches long.
Another fly fisher, Brenadan, showed up with his young son
and his mother and father. They were killing time before
heading up to Pennsylvania and he wanted to hook a trout
for his son to crank in so I pointed out the fish and a
spot where he could get a clear shot at them from shore (no
waders). After a few casts he hooked a rainbow then gave
the rod to his son who quickly reeled it in. The kid did
well and hopefully he'll get into the sport when he's a bit
older. We exchanged a bit of information about what was
working and what wasn't before they moved further
downstream. I stayed at the pool and began to experiment
with flies--I knew what they were biting but I wanted to
know what else they'd hit. For the next hour I swapped out
lots of flies and watched the fish. The group would rush
the fly as it drifted down on the current but if it wasn't
what they liked, they'd stop about six inches away and swim
off. If they wanted it, one of them would beat the others
to the fly and hit it. This experimentation told me what
size, shape and color the fish were interested in eating
and I used this information when I fished the other pools
along Holmes Run.
I also noticed a few injured fish. Several had massive head
or body wounds and I assume this was the work of Blue
Herons or some other woodland predator. And there was one
large trout sporting a serious gash swimming sluggishly
near the surface at a deep pool further downstream. This
one looked like he wouldn't survive for very long. A few of
the fish were obviously caught and released before,
sporting pinprick wounds in the corner of their mouths.
I called it a day by early
afternoon. I guess a lot of toilets were flushing
because the sewage smell was getting pretty strong.
Although fishing was good, the trout still had not
settled in. Most of them were clustered in schools
that swam up and down deep pools along the stream. I'm
sure they'll eventually settle and spread out along
Holmes Run but with the water level low and expected
to stay that way there will only be a few spots were
you'll find trout.
UPDATE:
A few days after I posted
this report other fly fishers told me that they found a
dead deer lying in the stream and the smell was horrendous.
They also said they found numerous dead, sick or dying
trout in some of the pools along Holmes
Run.
EQUIPMENT:
I used a three weight rod
rigged for nymphing with a short leader and fluorocarbon
leader. I used a variety of flies.
DIRECTIONS:
The upper section of Holmes
Run Stream Valley Park is located just off Columbia Pike (
Rt. 244) surrounded by apartments, residential housing and
strip malls. As you drive on 244 towards Leesburg Pike (Rt.
7) the road will slope downhill. To your right you will see
a large apartment complex and on your left will be the face
of the Lake Barcroft Dam. You will cross a bridge with a
covered pedestrian walkway. At this point SLOW DOWN and get
in the right lane. The road will begin to slope uphill. To
your right is a small, paved road that looks like a bike
path. This is the entrance. It's a sudden right turn so
make sure the car on your tail knows you're turning. Park
and follow the path to Holmes Run Stream Valley Park.