Thought the Elk appears to be a typical Appalachian free stone stream, its journey underground adds alkalinity, making the Elk and it’s insect life much like a chalk stream.  The Elk has continual and huge hatches of mayflies, caddis flies, and stone flies.  All of the classic mayfly hatches occur here highlighted by an incredible sulfur hatch in late May.  One can, on a cloudy day, always count on a BWO hatch.  The first 3 miles of the Elk are CR.

Such a day occurred in mid-July when I, with several Washington D. C. friends descended on the Elk following a 3 day smallmouth float on the New River.  The day was miserable except for the fish, the BWO’s, and the fishermen.  A low was moving across the East with hourly showers and several thunderstorms that drove us off of the water.  However, the fish were really turned on.

It is a special feeling to be watching a hundred or so trout, some up to 30 inches, swipe at emergers and rise to #20 BWO’s and parachute Adams.  At anytime, someone was fighting a big one and several times, we had two on simultaneously.   My greatest success came fishing a #20 Pheasant Tail on an 18” dropper below an olive Caddis.  This brought the big ones up to include a 20” or so Brown that was not landed.   Many 14” to 20” fish were caught.

The Elk River and the Elk Springs Orvis Shop are located in East Central West Virginia approximately 50 miles South of Elkins and 60 miles NE of Summersville.  Call the Orvis shop and Bill will answer any of your questions.

Slaty Fork is also a great stream.  Not stocked for years, it has a large population of reproducing Brown, Rainbow, and Brook trout.  It is a CR steam with no road access.  All access is via an old railroad track which parallels the stream from the town of Slaty Fork until it becomes the Elk.  It is a great wild trout stream—any they are wary.  The largest fish are caught a day or so after a rain—usually on large streamers or wooly burgers.  However, it is a great “far and fine” stream with good hatches the keep the fish looking-up.  I have caught trout on dry flies during summer drought and during a January snow storm!  Bill at the Elk Springs Orvis shop can give you the details.

-Roger Duckworth