I know the story about George Washington throwing a stone across the Potomac, but when I saw the Potomac near Washington, DC for the first time, I knew it was nothing but a popular myth. It seems that his grandson G.W. Parke Curtis was writing about George’s great strength when he said that George did throw a silver dollar across the Rappahannock River below Fredericksburg, still an impossible feat. No one knows how or when the story morphed into the stone across the Potomac.
However, there is great trout fishing in the upper reaches of both the North Branch and the South Branch of the Potomac is no myth. The North Branch of the Potomac River forms the border between Maryland and West Virginia. The remote and scenic headwaters of the Potomac River above the Jennings Randolph Lake are stocked with rainbow and brown trout by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service making trout available to anglers who are willing to take a hike. Below the dam, the tailwaters are a popular trout fishing river as well.
The South Branch of the Potomac is in West Virginia and the cold water is maintained by the several springs that enter it along its long trip to meet up with the North Branch. It too is heavily stocked with trout and provides excellent bass fishing as well.
If you are interested in learning more about these great fishing locations go to the South Branch of the Potomac River West Virginia and the North Branch of the Potomac River Maryland at Trout University where you will find detail information about many other streams as well.