As Joe Skeen of Grafton and I walked along the riprap that characterizes the shoreline below Tygart Lake Dam, we selected openings in the tree-lined bank to position ourselves. About five minutes after our arrival, Joe was casting a bladebait when a dark shape leapt out of the water a few feet from the shoreline. The big trout took a swipe at the artificial and then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"There are some huge trout in the Tygart's tailrace, but they can be difficult to catch," Skeen said. Indeed, some fine trout fishing does exist in not only the Tygart's tailrace, but also below three other dams: Jennings Randolph, Summersville and Stonewall Jackson.

JENNINGS RANDOLPH TAILRACE
Jennings Randolph Lake lies along the Maryland/West Virginia border in Mineral County. Mike Shingleton, a coldwater fisheries biologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR), rates the tailrace there as excellent trout water.

"I would say that the tailrace fisheries below Jennings Randolph and Summersville are probably the best ones in the state," he said. "Jennings is easier to stock, and it has better access; but the Gauley below Summersville probably has better habitat. What both Jennings and Summersville have in common is their coldwater releases. Most of the other tailrace fisheries in West Virginia have releases that come from warm- water impoundments."

The biologist informs that the DNR releases mostly rainbows with some browns into the North Branch of the Potomac below Jennings Randolph. This past spring, for example, 2,600 pounds of fish were released. Those stockings occur twice during the spring, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources supplements those stockings with two of its own. Shingleton is especially happy with the way that the released fingerling trout have adapted to their surroundings. Additionally, the DNR was able to release 600 to 700 pounds of brood trout in August 2004. The brood trout releases have taken place for the past several years.

The biologist emphasizes that anglers cannot fish the first three-quarters or so miles on the North Branch below Jennings until the town of Barnum. This regulation comes from the U.S. Corps of Engineers Baltimore office. The Corps' feeling is that the white water that exists below the dam and also the trout holding pens in that area make this area off-limits. At Barnum on river right (that is, the West Virginia side), Shingleton relates that fairly good access exists and that Mountain State anglers utilize that area heavily.

The North Branch's tailrace fishery continues downstream for some 15 miles until Westernport, Maryland. Shingleton says that the Free State is working on improving the access on its side of the river. Pat Docherty, area operations manager for the U.S. Corps of Engineers in Grafton, weighs in on Jennings' fishery.

"The trout fishing on the North Branch below Jennings is super, probably because of the heavy releases of fish, good hatches and good cold water," he said. "The floating trout hatchery below the dam is a big reason why I think this is probably the best tailrace fishery in West Virginia. All the trout state records for Maryland anglers have come from the North Branch.

"Some natural reproduction of brown trout takes place in the fall. I also know that 4- and 5-pound fish are sometimes caught. I would describe the habitat as consisting of deep runs, riffles, highly oxygenated cold water and a very rocky bottom. Another thing I like about this tailrace fishery is that I can go there during the summer and catch fish when the trout aren't biting anywhere else because of the low, warm water."

Docherty describes the floating trout hatchery below Jennings as being unique. The structure looks like a floating dock with nets under it. Trout are placed within the structure, and solar-powered feeders (equipped with a timer) periodically release pellets. The trout are much cheaper to raise this way, and obviously stocking them into the North Branch is easy. Another advantage is that the underwater nets allow waste to be washed away, and that the fish when released have already acclimated to the water of the river. Interestingly, the Jennings floating hatchery is the first one that the Corps created. Finally, Docherty warns that the algae-covered rocks below Jennings make walking very difficult, and wade-fishermen should be aware of the river's many dropoffs.

SUMMERSVILLE TAILRACE
Chris Ellis, a wildlife marketing representative for the West Virginia DNR, has fished the Gauley River below Summersville many times.