After having great luck at Point of Rocks, I drug out one early Sunday morning to go a few miles upstream and dump the canoe in at the Lander launch point.  We arrived a little after 0800 and the place was humming with activity.  Lander features a single concrete boat ramp at the end of a dirt road that widens out at the end to provide ample parking for the trailers associated with the "real" boats.  From the looks of all the trailers and the queue of boats lined this is a popular spot with the big guys! I had read on the Upper Potomac map that Lander has plenty of wadeable area hugging the northern shore for about a mile up and downstream and was interested in whether this would hold true.  We had the canoe, and would verify the depth of the river using my fishfinder.  After waiting a bit for our turn, we launched and headed upstream.  Once you get away from the boat launch, the water is about 2 - 3 feet deep next to the shore and is wadeable about 20 yards or so out into the main current.  Knowing that smallies like to hang out at the edge of current in rocky areas, we motored up to the small set of rapids we could see from the launch.  My strategy was to go as far up as we could and then drift down using the reverse setting on the trolling motor to hold us in the current. The big boats were blazing by, heading upstream to what must be better fishing than we could reach on my little motor.  We gave up when the motor was only moving us at 1 mph - the current around this bend picks up and pushes hard!  once we recognized that we had gone as far as we could go, we began to drift down.  The water was smooth and calm and the noise of fish hitting on the surface echoed periodically.  Spurred on by that we flipped the powerbait grubs I had rigged up here and there looking for a hit.  Nothing. After an hour, we had drifted down to the island and decided to beach the canoe to fly fish the calm water which lay to the east of it.  We both worked poppers and terrestrial patterns at the shores and targeted the open spaces between the grass that grew everywhere.  It was easy wading - only about 2 feet deep - and we were rewarded with plenty of bluegills and no smallies. We shifted our focus to the east bank of the island and began to wade out from there.  Unlike the west bank near the boat launch, there is no gentle increase in depth that would allow you to get out into the river.  Here you are up to your waist about 10 yards off the shore.  I switched to small grubs on my fly gear and was able to pick up a small smallie or two, but nothing worth bragging about.  Dick had similar luck. I had to make a call.  I would have liked to hit the eastern bank and work back up to the launch, but the current would not really permit it.  The water was moving on this day and I realized I would spend all my time trying to hold the small craft in position.  It's a shame, because that bank looks great.  It has plenty of overhanging tree cover that provide the perfect amount of shade to hold the big guys.  Recognizing that an attack would be futile, we headed back to the launch and decided to relaunch down at Point of Rocks Bottom Line: This is big water here.  Unlike the big water down at the Seneca Launch, there is also big current that will push you around.  If you wade, wear a life vest!  If you go in a canoe, be prepared to fight the current more than you will fish.  Even though the river itself is nice - ranging from 2 to 10 feet in depth here with a mix of rock and sand for a bottom - I do not think I will return.  There is plenty of pressure that is noticeable since the width of the river is much narrower than downstream.	Pressure Trout Size N/A Physical Fitness Bass Size Access Regulations Hard to Find Stocking Scenery Overall Remember to refer to my rating explanations - these are based on what I look for - so RED for Physical Fitness translates to easy physically - you do not need to be in shape to fish this section.  I prefer terrain that is tough to get into and out of.   Getting There: I hate to do this, but I support the site by selling books.  My book on the Upper Potomac - "Wade and Shoreline Fishing the Potomac River for Smallmouth Bass" is available in both ebook format (instant download) or traditional print. This book walks the 57.3 miles upstream from the Chain Bridge in DC to Harpers Ferry, WV using words, annotated maps and over 200 pictures to provide you exact references while removing any doubt about what to expect in each section of the river.  The 230+pages include detailed directions, 42 maps, 45 tables and 208 GPS coordinates - more detail than you will see in any other fishing guidebook. You can purchase the eBook version for $9.95 by clicking on the buttons below:        To purchase the traditional print version: Secrets Revealed?  No.  This is a very public location that is documented in Penrod's book and the fishing map of the Upper Potomac
Looking upstream - the boat launch is across the river	Looking downstream
Shallow water behind the island	Typical Upper Potomac smallie