GAULEY RIVER
Famous for its rugged white water, the Gauley is often overlooked as a prime trout fishery. But the cold waters of the Gauley River are becoming an increasingly popular trout-fishing destination for many Mountain State anglers.

Oddly enough, it was the river's whitewater potential that really enhanced the Gauley's trout fishery. Let me explain.

Each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Summersville Dam creates special releases to provide white-water rafting on the Gauley. Locals have deemed these special releases the "Gauley season." During these high-water releases, trout fishing is virtually impossible due to high flows.

To compensate for the loss of fishing opportunities during the high flows throughout the period of the releases, special helicopter stockings were arranged. An agreement between the West Virginia Professional River Outfitters (WVPRO) and the West Virginia DNR calls for WVPRO to buy trout and stock them with a helicopter in a remote five-mile section of the Gauley River.

Even though trout anglers have fewer days to fish, they are more successful on days when flows allow fishing, thanks to the additional trout provided by the helicopter stockings. In addition, trout scattered throughout the canyon provide great year-round trout fishing in a remote section that would otherwise not be stocked with trout.

For many years, the unique helicopter stocking occurred only in October, but since 2002, stockings have been made in June and October. Trout are stocked from the base of Summersville Dam all the way to the mouth of the Meadow River, a distance of approximately five miles. In the fall of 2004, 2,950 pounds of trout were stocked by helicopter, including several brood trout (over 4 pounds); and per the agreement, the amount of rainbow and golden rainbow trout increases 150 pounds every fall stocking.

The spring helicopter stocking will provide Gauley River anglers with an additional 2,000 pounds of rainbow and golden rainbow trout each year. Both helicopter stockings are in addition to the normal stockings conducted by the DNR in the Summersville tailwaters.

Whether you're fishing among the easily accessible tailwaters or hiking into a rugged section of the Gauley River Canyon, trout will be plentiful, thanks to a rigorous stocking program on the river.

In addition to catching your limit, the Gauley is a good place to hook up with a trophy trout. According to data from the West Virginia Trophy Fish Citation Program, the Gauley River annually ranks among the Mountain State's top trophy trout waters.

GLADY FORK
Anglers venturing to this Randolph County stream will find it filled with rainbow, golden rainbow, brown and brook trout. This stream is one of West Virginia's best for anglers looking to rack up a Mountain State grand slam (catching all four types of trout in a single outing).

Like many of West Virginia's superb trout streams, Glady Fork is stocked every week between March and May, but the stream also receives trout in January and February. Frequent stockings mean lots of trout and considering that Glady Fork gets over 11,000 pounds of trout each year, anglers fishing this stream should be elated.

This high-elevation trout stream provides anglers with an assortment of trout-fishing opportunities and is unique in that it offers anglers a choice of easy access or remote trout fishing. Along U.S. Route 33, between Harman and Elkins, anglers will find a stretch of Glady Fork that is virtually right alongside the highway. Additional accessible water can be found by traveling on Alpena Road (county Route 12 north) to a bridge that spans the stream near the Otter Creek Wilderness Area. This section of Glady is stocked above and below the bridge for a half-mile or so.

Anglers looking for a more remote experience can find it by fishing the section between U.S. Route 33 and the previously mentioned bridge on the Alpena Road. Several miles of prime trout water lie between the two stocking points, but getting to this remote water will require hiking, as access is limited to foot travel only.

Along U.S. Route 33, Glady Fork meanders through a meadow, but the remainder of the stream flows beneath a dense overhanging forest canopy. Prime trout habitat will be diverse and might consist of downed logs, boulders, undercut banks or current breaks.

Later in the summer, trout will pool up in Glady when flow becomes limited; but during the spring, trout will be spread throughout every section of the stream.