Fall is an incredible time to fish in the Mountain State. After all, most of the traditional fishing pressure is long gone, with many sportsmen concentrating on hunting ventures rather than fishing opportunities. Such a mass exodus leaves many prime West Virginia waterways barren, subsequently creating fabulous fishing opportunities under solitary conditions.

The Buckhannon River has more muskies per acre of water than any other waterway in West Virginia. Raising 10 fish a day isn't unusual on this river, either. Photo courtesy of Kevin Yokum.

Loading up on forage in preparation for the long winter, fish begin a feeding frenzy as the fall season approaches. During warm fall days, anglers will find fish in an aggressive mode. Fall trout stocking also takes place on many of our state's best streams, adding even more incentive for anglers to hit the water.

Fall is a time when the Mountain State offers a colorful spectrum of fall leaf foliage, as the trees give off one last burst of color before shedding their leaves. The eastern hardwood forests that cover much of West Virginia add a real sense of splendor to fall fishing trips. If you haven't witnessed the fall color collage from atop Spruce Knob, the state's highest point, you are truly cheating yourself of a visual delicacy.

You might consider fishing Gandy Creek on your travels to the Mountain State's highest peak, especially since this gem of a fishery is right along the way.

GANDY CREEK TROUT
Gandy Creek remains one of our state's most charming mountain streams as it meanders through portions of rural Randolph County. The stream's headwaters run directly from Spruce Knob, so its water flows pure and cold.

Anglers will find this highly accessible stream loaded with stocked browns, rainbows, golden rainbows and brook trout. Even coveted native brook trout will make their way into the stream from icy mountain tributaries.

Stocked trout are the stream's mainstay. Because of its prime accessibility and quality habitat, Gandy receives lavish loads of trout. Gandy Creek is stocked with trout in January and February, and then every week from March through May. Gandy Creek also receives stockings during the first two weeks of October.

While additional trout from the fall stockings add surplus trout into Gandy, holdovers from spring stockings continue to inhabit the stream. Such holdover capability adds wariness to Gandy's surviving trout population, giving the stream a sense of "wildness," which many anglers find appealing.

The downside of having such a high-quality trout stream so close to a well-traveled roadway is the amount of fishing pressure Gandy Creek attracts. County Route 29 (turns into Forest Service Road 41) runs alongside Gandy for most of its length, providing plenty of streamside parking opportunities. (Continued)

To counteract the effects of fishing pressure, try fishing backstretches of Gandy Creek where the stream ventures away from the road. Several such stretches can be found throughout the narrow valley.

Gandy Creek's best fishing spots continue to be large pools. Summer trout are often confined by such suitable habitat and most of the fall stockings will take place in the stream's larger pools. As the fall season progresses, the trout will scatter as cooler water temperatures allow them to invade new sections of the stream. Fall trout dispersal increases the quality of an already good trout stream.

In-stream habitat such as boulders and large rocks create fine trout habitat. These shelters serve as prime locations for trout to hide and feed. Several portions of the stream also contain undercut banks that brown trout seem to be attracted to, so make sure to target these areas as well while fishing Gandy Creek.

Just about the entire reach between the community of Whitmer and the area where county Route 29 breaks away from the creek can be considered prime trout water. Ample parking can be found along the road and near Forest Service hiking trailheads, so take advantage of convenient access along one of the Mountain State's best small trout streams.