The second one is on the Back Fork of the Elk in Webster County. This section is four miles long, beginning two miles upstream from Webster Springs and extending downstream. Access is by CR 24 and 24/3.

The Cranberry River catch-and-release sections contain some of the most isolated wilderness reaches in the Mountain State. The first one lies in Webster, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties and is a 4.3-mile stretch from the junction of the North and South forks, downstream to the low- water bridge at Dogway Fork. Access is by foot in the Monongahela on national forest Route 76 from the Cranberry Glades parking area.

Nicholas County claims the second location and is a 1.2-mile section from the Woodbine Recreation Area downstream to Camp Splinter. Access is by the same forest Route 76.

More highlands catch-and-release action is possible on the Williams River in Pocahontas County. This section is a two-mile one, beginning two miles below Tea Creek and extending downstream. Access is by national forest Route 86.

Several times, I have fished the catch-and-release section of the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River in Pendleton County and have always been pleased with the number of trout present. This is a short but trout-filled section of .75 mile, beginning at the mouth of Seneca Creek near the Seneca Rocks Visitors Center. Access is via CR 28/3 at the junction of SR 28 and U.S. Route 33 at Seneca Rocks.

Shingleton’s final suggestion is the South Branch of the Potomac in Pendleton County. This is a one-mile section beginning two miles below U.S. Route 220 at Eagle Rock and extending downstream. Access is by CR 2.

Each of the catch-and-release sections that Mike Shingleton lists has its own unique characteristics. The hike-in requirement for the Blackwater River is something that all serious West Virginia anglers should experience at least once in their lives. The Elk River sections have a reputation, deservedly so, for providing some of the best action on the East Coast for wild, wily brown trout.

If you select the first catch-and-release section of the Cranberry, I believe that you will relish the opportunity to walk through some of the most stunning forest backdrops in the state. That a quality stream awaits you is just a bonus. Fishing the Williams River made me feel as if I were on top of the world, given the stream’s classic highland setting.

The North Fork of the South Branch is a gorgeous stream, although it certainly can’t compare with some of the other stretches like Blackwater -- at least in my opinion. But having Seneca Rocks in the background certainly is no small matter in the beauty department. In addition, given the right water conditions and levels, the catch-and-release section on the South Branch can offer canoe fishing for trout -- an uncommon element in the Mountain State.

FLY-FISHING ONLY
West Virginia has six fly-fishing-only streams, with four of them lying in the southern part of the state. In southern West Virginia, I would guess that Second Creek is the most popular, given its proximity to the Greenbrier Resort community and Lewisburg. The fly-fishing-only section is 1.5 miles long and skirts the Monroe and Greenbrier counties border at Rodgers Mills. I have fished Second Creek on a number of occasions and have always observed plenty of fish, but found them extremely challenging to outwit.