Shenandoah Brookies: Going East and Going Small

Chris Hunt of the Pocatello Idaho State Journal travels to the Shenandoah valley of Virginia in search of a quintessential brook trout experience. “In its headwaters, the Hughes is truly small. The boulders over which it flows create crystalline plunge pools and short but deep runs that hold brookies ranging from 4 inches to 12 inches in length. A constant canopy created by oaks, hickories, maples and dozens of other deciduous trees keeps the water temperature cool all year, even during the worst of the Southern summer.”