Many if not most of us Virginia anglers like to go on what we sometimes call dream trips -- those special excursions to destinations where the bass are a little longer, the trout a little wilder, the stripers a little heavier, and the muskies a little meaner. My mission is to cover 12 dream destinations, one each from January through December. Some of these junkets are to the mountains of the southwestern part of the state, some in central climes, and others in the Chesapeake Bay. All of them are worth considering when you plan your angling year.

JANUARY
Striped Bass
Offshore
Captain Ferrell McClain of Reedsville raves about the offshore striper fishing available in January.

"Within three miles of the Virginia coastline and the Eastern Shore on the ocean side, there's big-time fishing for big stripers in January," he said. "Fish over 30 pounds are fairly common, and some of the stripers caught in 2005 topped 50 pounds, with one fish going about 63 pounds. These fish spend the summer off the coast of New England, then they migrate down the coast sometime between November and December.

"By January, they've come our way and will stay here until the water temperature drops some more. Then the stripers will move down to the Carolinas. This fishery has been very consistent the past four years."

Capt. McClain relates that the best way to contact these fish is to troll for them. Often the linesides congregate at depths of 30 to 40 feet.

For guided trips, contact Capt. McClain at Bayfish Sport Fishing Charters in Reedsville at (888) BAYFISH or www.bayfish.net.

FEBRUARY
Wild Trout
National Forest
February can be a surprisingly good time to seek out the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest's wild trout. So says Colby Trow, who along with his brother, Brian, operates Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg.

"This past February, I had some fantastic days fly-fishing for trout in the national forest," Trow said. "This was especially true on those days when the temperature warmed a little. Instead of camping on one pool and making 30 casts, I like to visit as many spots as possible and make just a few casts to each. At this stage of the winter, my game plan is based on the theory that it's better to move a lot and come across a few active fish, than it is to stand in one spot and cast to inactive fish.

"Surprisingly, dry-fly patterns can be very effective, even though there usually isn't much insect activity on the surface. I recommend attractor patterns, such as size 18 Adams Parachutes and yellow stonefly imitations."

For more information and guided trips, contact Trow at (866) 667-9275 or www.mossycreekflyfishing.com.

MARCH
Walleyes
Upper New River
Floyd County guide Mike Smith maintains that some of the best walleye fishing in Virginia takes place on the upper New River from late February through March. Specifically, he targets the river between Ivanhoe and Allisonia from his jet boat.

"I locate the fish with my depthfinder in the deeper holes in the river, the 12- to 18-foot range, usually," Smith said. "The walleyes are often suspended on deep rock shelves during the winter months when the water temperatures are less than 45 degrees. I drift across them using deer hair jigs tipped with plastics or minnows. This is meticulous fishing and entails a very light bite that often takes clients a while to get the hang of.

"Once the water temperatures reach the upper 40s, I fish the walleye run. There is a lake run and a river run; the lake-run fish can be caught near Allisonia, while the river-run fish tend to congregate below Foster Falls and below Buck Dam. This is well known by both locals and the state biologists who are often seen shocking fish from these areas for use in the stocking program.