Murray's Fly Shop Fly Fishing Podcasts

Trout Fishing When fly fishing in December, I like to look for the springs along the trout streams. These play an important part at this time of year for the trout and the angler. The water flowing from these springs is considerably warmer in the winter than the stream temperatures. This prompts the trout to feed aggressively below the springs. The alkalinity of the springs prompt heavy growth of cress bugs and shrimp. These are important food sources in the winter. There are two ways to locate these springs during the winter. If the majority of the stream is covered with ice the spring will melt the ice and there will be open water below them. When the stream is free of ice, you can locate the springs by the rich green aquatic weed growth which grows in and just downstream of the springs. If the stream is less than 15 feet wide I fish them upstream dead drift right below the springs with a Cress Bug or Murray’s Shrimp size 14. If the stream is more than 15 feet wide I fish across stream with the same two flies casting right below the springs. Bass Fly Fishing Bass do feed in December but not as actively as they do in the summer. I find they select feeding stations in protected areas away from the full force of the river current. The back eddies which form below the riffles on the side of river with the slowest current provide excellent feeding stations with a good supply of minnows for the bass to feed upon. These back eddies may range from 4-6 feet deep. Flies which match the minnows are the Magnum Hog Sucker, Magnum Creek Chub, and Magnum Darter size 4. These back eddies can be fished from a boat in the main part of the river or by wading down the shallow water beside the bank. The goal is to fish the whole back eddy thoroughly with overlapping casts to swim your flies slowly along the stream bottom.

What can you expect when fly fishing in November? In todays podcast I will be discussing the trout and bass fishing in the area. Fly Fishing for Trout The delayed harvest and larger trout streams in Virginia and surrounding areas provide some excellent fishing during the hatches of midges. These are thickest the last two hours of the day and on heavily overcast days. Since these flies are so small, often I can see trout rising to take the natural midges before I see the flies. When the trout are rising to feed on the adult midges, they actually suck the midges in so that we see a dimple on the surface. I go one on one with these trout with a Mr. Rapidan Midge size 20. When the trout are feeding on the emerging nymphs I usually see a splashy riseform as the inertia of their body produces a splash or a swirl right at the surface. I fish for these trout with a Brassie size 16 or a Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle Nymph, Olive size 16. Occassionally you will see different trout in the same pods feeding on emergers as well as adults. An effective technique here is to fish a Mr. Rapidan Midge size 20 with a Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle size 16 on a 24 inch dropper. Listen to my podcast for more information. Smallmouth Bass Every year in November I have a few favorite spots that I regularly return to because the smallmouth fishing is good. These are pools formed by ledges running all the way across the river in the head and tail of the pool. The water in these pools range from 3 to 6 feet deep. The water flowing over these ledges, going into and out of these pools, is from several inches to a foot deep. Apparently the appeal of these pools to the bass is the protection they gain from the depth of the water and the abundance of minnows they hold. My favorite way to fish these pools is to wade into the river just downstream of the lower ledge. Wading all the way across the river, I fan my casts up and up and across stream to cover all of the water I can reach. Then if the water is not to deep, I wade up into the pool and continue fishing. If the pool is too deep to wade in the center I move over to the side of the pool and continue wading upstream. Since I’m casting upstream and swimming my flies back downstream, just slightly faster than the current, I find the fly selection is critical. Ostrich Herl in a fly swims very well when it is stripped back downstream so I use flies tied with this. The Murray’s Strymph and Murray’s Marauder are my most consistent flies for catching large bass in these pools in November.

Throughout Virginia and the surrounding states the DWR are taking advantage of the cool streams to start stocking many large trout. This provides us with some excellent fly fishing in October. There are beatis hatches on many of these streams right now and a Mr. Rapidan Dry size 18 will take many of these trout. The duns start coming off about 10a.m. on some streams, while on others they emerge about 2p.m. Basically, I’m always on the look out for rising trout. Sometimes I just cover the water with a Mr. Rapidan size 18. My fishing partner had one of his all time best days when the beatis hatch was sparse. He just covered the water with a Mr. Rapidan Dry size 18. A tactic which has often given me some excellent fishing is to fish a Murray’s Flying Beetle size 14 just at the very beginning of the beatis hatch before they get thick and the trout become selective. This also works at the tail end of the beatis hatch when the duns are sparse but there is a trout willing to take just one more fly. Many of these large trout feed heavily on the large nymphs just below the riffles which are composed of basketball size stones. Effective large nymphs here are the Murray’s Olive Road Kill Nymph size 8, Murray’s Black Hellgrammite size 8, Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle size 10, and Casual Dress Nymph size 10. >>>Listen to the podcast. Bass Fly Fishing in October Many of the large bass are feeding on the natural hogsuckers and madtoms found in the river. The Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker and Murray’s Madtom Sculpin are two of my best big bass flies. The Magnum Hog Sucker is most effective at dusk. Fish it where the gravel bars drop off into the deep water closeby. The Madtom Sculpins are effective throughout the whole day. Fish these across stream, below and through the large stones below the riffles. The large bass still feed heavily on these natural minnows and we catch many of them on these streamers. >>>Listen to the Podcast

The major aquatic insect hatches are over. Therefore the trout are feeding heavily on the terrestrial insects, which can provide some excellent trout fishing in September. Walking along the streams you will see many different kinds of terrestrial insects including: * Oakworms–Many of the oakworms live under the old bark and the trout feed on them when they fall into the streams. Fish a Murray’s Oakworm size 16 upstream tight to the bank where there is rotting timber close to the stream. * Yellow Jackets–These live in the sod banks of the edges of the streams.* Houseflies–During the summer you will have many houseflies buzzing about you and the streams. The Murray’s Housefly size 16 is effective when fished upstream around the boulders and when you see trout feeding.* Horseflies–The are normally found around streams that are close to pasture fields. * Inchworms–While on the stream the other day, I was amazed at how many inchworms I saw. I fish the Murray’s Inchworm as a searching pattern under the tree limbs so it lands on the stream with a splash. * Midges–These are often found on trout streams the last two hours of the day. I wait until I see rising trout then cast a Mr. Rapidan Midge size 18 to the feeder. Listen to my podcast for more information on trout fishing in September. Inchworms found on and around the trout streams. Bass Fishing While bass fishing in September on the Shenandoah River, you will quite possibly come across the Hexagenia hatch. Often over the years, my son and I have had wonderful fishing on this hatch. One evening I counted 17 smallmouth feeding on the Hexagenia mayfly hatch. I put on a Mr. Rapidan Skater size 8 and caught one bass after the other. Some of these were duns and some were spinners and there were even some splashy swirls as a few of the bass come to emergers headed to the surface of the river to hatch into the duns. For more information on the hatch, listen to the second part of my podcast.

Fly fishing on the trout streams can be tough as the streams are low and the trout are wary. The primary goal we should strive for is to use a low, stealthy approach to the pool we plan to fish. Study the pool carefully. Do not allow your shadow to fall on the pool. If you need to lengthen your line before making your presentation cast, do it well to the side of the pool, out of sight of any trout in the pool. If I see rising trout in the pool before me, I have a standing rule after I get in my presentation position. I wait until the trout takes three natural flies before I make a cast. This allows time for me to assure I have not scared the fish and to steady my nerves. Try to make your first cast perfect because picking your fly up off the stream to make your back cast can easily spook the fish. Listen to my Podcast for more tips on casting and flies. Fly Fishing in August for Bass Last month I discussed the tactics we use with hard floating bugs and how the three different style bugs in the Shenandoah Series helps us achieve this to catch many big bass. Today I am discussing another floating bass bug that I especially like this time of year as the river become low and clear. I’m referring to deer hair floating bass bugs. For many years I fish the Tapply Deer Hair Bass Bug almost exclusively as my main surface bug at this time of year. Partly because it was so effective and partly because I admired H.G. Tapply and his son so much. At this time of the year, I usually wade upstream and fish upstream to prevent scaring the bass. Since I like fishing on the surface so much, I use streamlined deer hair bugs. I can cast these much further than I can hard bugs of the same size which helps me prevent scaring some bass. Listen to my Podcast for more tip and recommended flies.

In today’s podcast I am going to discuss fly fishing in July on the mountain trout streams and the smallmouth bass rivers. July brings on some of my favorite mountain trout fishing. This is spotting the trout on their feeding stations and going one on one with each one. This is very effective because the hatches are sparse and the trout must feed whenever food drifts by. As you approach a pool from below, you will seldom spot a trout clearly on his feeding station. Actually you are looking for some visual signals that draws your attention to a specific location in the stream which reveals the trout. * The trout’s movement* The contrast in shade between the trout’s body and that of the stream bottom.* The contrast in color between that of a trout’s body and the color of the stream bottom–such an ivory fin of a brook trout over a dark stream bottom.* The trout’s shadow on the stream bottom. Listen to the rest of the podcast for more tips. Fly Fishing in July for Smallmouth Bass This is a great time of the year to fish hard surface bugs. In fact they are outstanding from now until October. Many years ago I designed the Shenandoah Series of hard head bugs. I wanted 3 different bugs that could produce three different actions. * Shenandoah Sunfish Slider. The long slim body with a pointed nose produces a gentle teasing action in shallow water.* Shenandoah Chartreuse Chugger. With is deeply cupped face and large fat body it produces a loud racket on the surface. * Shenandoah Blue Popper. The up-sloping face and tapered body gives me an action that is in between the other two listed above. It seldom lets me down. Listen to the rest of the podcast for more tips.

Fly fishing in June in Virginia can be wonderful on both the mountain trout streams and the smallmouth rivers. The Shenandoah National Park has reopened the access off the Skyline Drive and the recent rains have provided ideal water levels. I’m tapering down to 6X and using my most delicate 2 and 3 weight rods. Frequently I approach many pools on my hands and knees to prevent scaring the trout. I use a slick line cast to assure that I’m drifting my fly naturally. There are 3 heavy hatches right now. 1) Olive caddisflies, 2) Little Yellow Stoneflies, and 3) Sulphur Mayflies. I match these naturals with a Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Olive Caddis size 16, Murray’s Sulphur Dry size 16 & 18, and Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly Dry size 16. Listen to my podcast for more trout fly fishing in June tips. Bass Fly Fishing in June The natural hellgrammites are reaching their full size now and some are hatching. The bass are actively feeding upon them. The largest concentrations are in the riffles and for the next 100 feet downstream. I use the Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite in all three colors in size 4. I use two different techniques to fish my Hellgrammite. From 20 feet below the riffles upstream through the three foot deep pockets in the riffles I fish upstream dead drift. From 20 feet below the riffle on downstream for about 100 feet or as far as the heavy boulder water reaches I fish across and downstream. I cast across stream at a 20 degree angle downstream. After my hellgrammite sinks deeply I swim it across the stream bottom by stripping it 6 inches every 10 seconds.

Fly fishing in May can be wonderful on both the mountain trout streams and the smallmouth rivers. As the stream levels drop and return to normal from the recent heavy rains the water temperatures will be ideal for some excellent fly fishing on the native brook trout streams. There are four major aquatic insect hatches that usually occur this month. The first two hatches are stenonema mayflies (gray fox and light cahills) which are close relatives of the march browns. The Sulphur mayflies and the Little Yellow Stoneflies are also beginning. I match these with Murray’s Olive Drake, Murray’s Yellow Drake, Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly Dry and Murray’s Sulphur Dry all in size 16. Bass Fly Fishing After the high and muddy water clears, the bass will be located on the feeding stations. These will be below the river crossing ledges. These ledges may reach all the way across the river or only 20 feet long. Frequently there will be breaks where the current cuts through these ledges to carve out pockets 4-6 feet deep. Many minnows, crayfish, and hellgrammites are washed through these cuts and the bass hold right along the downstream edges of these flows. This is easy food for the bass. I fish these areas by wading into the river right below the ledges and casting my fly so it lands right below the ledge. After it sinks deeply I swing it downstream along the strong current and gradually wade across the current until I cover the whole ledge. Recommended flies for this fishing are Murray’s Tungsten Cone Head Marauders. Fish these with a floating 7-weight line on a Bright Butt 9ft 2X leader. COVID-19 Update: The fly shop is not open to walk-in customers as this time. We are open for pick-up orders and shipping online orders. If you need help on where to go, I will gladly meet you at the front door of the fly shop with the maps to discuss access on the streams or call us at 540-984-4212.

There are many things happening on our streams to provide some wonderful fly fishing in April. In this podcast I will be covering the mountain trout streams and the smallmouth bass fishing. Fly Fishing in the Mountain Trout Streams There are several hatches that occur during the month of April on the mountain trout streams. The first hatch is the Eperous pleuralis mayflies. The Blue Quills start in early April and then along comes the March Browns. These are 3 of the heaviest mayfly hatches. Often you will see all three on a large pool at the same time. The trout will take the one who drifts to him first. Admittedly I get such good fishing with the Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry in size 14 in April I usually just stay with it for the rising trout and to cover the water. Listen to my Podcast for more tips….. Smallmouth Bass The smallmouth bass are starting to feed but often they will choose feeding stations away from the flow of the strongest current that holds good populations of minnows. Some of my most productive areas are what I call Bank Bays. These are indentations cut into the banks by previous floods. They may be carved back into the bank ten to 15 feet and may extend down the river from 10 to 20 feet. The protection from the strong currents and the large number of minnows make these choice feeding stations for the bass. My favorite two streamers to match the minnows here are Murray’s Magnum Creek Chub and Magnum Hog Sucker both in size 4. Listen to the rest of the Podcast>>>

Yesterday I took a few hours to check the native brook trout streams so I wanted to give you an updated stream report. With all of the upheaval in our lives because of the corona-virus, I think it is important to step back, take a deep breath, and get out to enjoy the scenery. The Shenandoah Valley provides a wide range of different types of fly fishing streams. Mountain Trout Streams There are many streams to fish in the Shenandoah National Park. Most of the streams have access off the Skyline Drive and from the bottom of the Park boundaries. The Park has waived the entrance fees for a while so we can all enjoy the hiking and fishing the Park offers. You can find all of these streams and their access in my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park. Fish a Mr. Rapidan Dry size 14 and 16, Spirit of Pittsford Mill Dry size 14 and 16, or Murray’s Professor Dry size 14 and 16. Fish all of these on a 5X Classic Leader. Stocked Trout Streams Big Stoney Creek west of Edinburg and Mill Creek west of Mount Jackson were just recently stocked this week. They have stocked rainbows, some browns, and some brookies. Flies to use include a Casual Dress Nymph size 12, Mr. Rapidan Streamer size 10, Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle (Olive) size 14. Smallmouth Bass Stream Report The Shenandoah River is still cool but if you float the deeper water you might catch the biggest bass of the season. My son and a friend floated the river a few days ago. Jeff caught one fish but it was a nice size bass. Fishing a Tungsten Cone Head Marauder in black, pearl or olive size 4 on a sinking tip fly line will help your chances. Listen to my podcast for more tips and techniques. We are currently offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders so that you can get your supplies and still remain within the CDC regulations for the virus. If preferred you can call an order in and we will have it ready for pickup during store hours. 540-984-4212

March is a busy month for the serious trout angler in the mountain streams. It is also the time of the year that some bass anglers float the deep sections of the river. In this podcast, I am going to discuss both the trout fishing and the bass fishing along with what flies to use in March. Trout Fishing in March Early in March the Epeorus pleuralis mayfly nymph grows rapidly. Then by the second week, many of them are large enough to emerge into the adult duns. At this time the nymphs move to the well aerated lower sections of the riffles where some are washed into the main pool. I fish this period with the Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 12 or 14 on a Trout Nymphing Leader. By the middle of March, this hatch is very heavy. This is a very important phase for the angler to understand. The Eperous pleuralis is one of the few mayflies that comes off the stream bottom with his wings extended as he heads for the surface of the stream. This is the way the trout see the natural so I developed the Mr. Rapidan Emerger to mimic it. I fish the Mr. Rapidan Emerger size 14 upstream so it falls right below the riffle. Then as it drifts downstream, I maintain a tight line on it with my line hand and impart a 6 inch rod lifting motion to the emerger every foot of the drift. For the last half of March this hatch is so heavy and there are so many rising trout. I fish the Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 all the time. If I spot rising trout I go one on one with them. If I don’t see risers, I simply cover the water with this dry. Bass Fishing This month the bass will begin feeding but they do not want to fight the strong currents of the river. In order to find a good source of minnows to feed upon where there are only moderate currents, many large bass choose to feed in the back eddies. These are located below the riffles on the side of the river with the slowest current. They may range from 10 to 50 feet in diameter and from 5 to 8 feet deep. The Tungsten Cone Head Marauder in all colors are most effective here. I like to use a Sinking Tip III Fly Line with a 6ft 2X Sinking Leader to fish my streamers in the back eddies. This enables me to swim them slowly across the stream bottom. Stripping them 5 inches every 5 seconds is ideal.

Today I am going to discuss fly fishing in February for large trout on our delayed harvest areas and large trout streams. During the winter the large trout in these streams all over the country feed heavily on the minnows and nymphs that the rains and snows flush from the riffles. For many years I experimented in switching from streamers to nymphs to find which were the most productive. Streamers match the various minnows and nymphs match the aquatic insects. Then I hit on the idea of developing one fly which could pass for a streamer as well as a nymph. After a great deal of testing, I came up with the Strymph. The Strymph has been effective on many trout and bass streams throughout the west and east. Fly Fishing With A Murray’s Strymph The selection of the materials for these flies was critical. I wanted a fly which would be effective when fished both upstream and downstream. Ostrich herl is ideal for the extended body of my Strymph because it does not collapse when fished upstream. Yet it breaths naturally when fished across stream and downstream. Listen to the rest of the podcast>> Tying Deer Hair Bass Bugs In the second portion of my podcast, I am discussing tips on tying deer hair bass bugs. February is a great time to tie some deer hair bass bugs for the upcoming bass season. When I’m designing deer hair surface bass bugs, I have 3 goals in mind. * They need to cast smoothly.* I want them to be durable.* The bass bug should be productive. In my winter fly tying workshop, I teach each student how to tie a Tapply Deer Hair Bass Bug. If done properly, there is no reason that each Tapply Bug will not hold up to catch 100 bass. Listen to my podcast for more tips>>

Fly Fishing for Trout Many of our delayed harvest trout streams such as Back Creek and Passage Creek have exceptionally good midge fly hatches during the winter. This can provide some excellent fly fishing for trout. I find this very exciting because the trout are very selective on the flies they will take. It is exciting to walk through a snow covered field to approach a flat pool and see a dozen delicate dimples on the surface of the stream which form as the trout sip in the adult midges. For serious anglers, this can be addictive. I’ve seen my son Jeff hardly move out of his tracks for two hours as he fishes to midge feeders. I admit that taking a cruising rainbow trout over 20 inches long on a size 20 dry fly is exceptionally gratifying. I find the greatest number of midge feeders during the last two hours of the day. If the trout shows a delicate dimple on the surface when he sips in a natural midge, he is feeding on the adults. The Mr. Rapidan Midge Dry in size 20 works well here. If the trout is showing a splashing or swirling riseform, then the trout is feeding on the emerging midge as it heads for the surface. Listen to my podcast for the fly rig I use in these conditions and the technique. Bass Many of the bass streams are too cold in the winter to fish. Most anglers take advantage of this time to tie flies for the upcoming season. When tying underwater flies for bass there are some things you need to keep in mind. * Tie and/or design flies which look like the natural foods the bass feed upon.* Use tying materials that will enable the fly to act like the real bait.* Keep your flies streamlined so they cast and perform well. * Avoid fly designs that have excessive appendages sticking out of the sides. Real long pinchers, stiff legs and wings can be a nightmare to cast accurately and can twist a leader. I prefer to use good breathable materials such as rabbit fur, marabou, ostrich herl and soft saddle hackle. Fly Fishing in January can be very rewarding. Just be sure to dress appropriately and be careful when wading along the streams. Often you will have the stream to yourself.

Fly Fishing for Bass A good friend routinely goes bass fly fishing in December. He catches large bass in the sections of the river behind the dams in water that is 10 to 15 feet deep. Chapman’s dam on the North Fork of the Shenandoah and Massanutten Dam on the South Fork of the Shenandoah are excellent locations. You want to fish as deeply and slowly as you possibly can. In order to effectively fish this deep water I use a fast sinking head line. Thirty feet of the head on this line sinks at 4 to 8 inches per second. Then I attach a Murray’s Fluorocarbon 6ft 2X Sinking Leader. Then I attach a Murray’s Tungsten Conehead Marauder in black, olive, or pearl in size 4. Swim these slowly along the stream bottom by stripping them 4 inches every 6 seconds. If you even suspect you have a strike, set the hook quickly with both the rod and the line hand. Often these strikes in deep water are difficult to detect. Fishing for Trout As the delayed harvest and large trout streams become cold in December, many of the trout move in below the natural springs. The water coming from the springs is considerably warmer than the stream itself. There are large populations of Cress Bugs and Shrimp below these springs. These springs are easy to locate because there is rich green weed growth around where they flow into the stream from the bank. By using a Cress Bug size 14 & 16 and Murray’s Shrimp size 14 & 16, I can usually catch a trout below these springs. Listen to my podcast on the tactics I use to fish these springs.

Bass Fishing in November The cooling rivers prompt the smallmouth bass to head for the deeper sections of the rivers. They still need to feed so they select feeding stations that are protected from the heavy currents in the rivers. The back eddies are some of the most productive feeding stations now. These are located below the riffles on the side of the river with the slowest current. Basically they are big Lazy Susans. There are many Creek Chub and Gray Ghost Minnows living in these areas. They are a good source of food for the bass. These can be fished either by floating down the main part of the river or by wading down the river close to the bank. Swimming a Murray’s Magnum Creek Chub size 4 or Murray’s Magnum Gray Ghost size 4 slowly along the stream bottom by stripping it 6 inches every 10 seconds will catch many of these bass. Often I find that by using a sink tip III line with a Murray’s 6ft 2X Fluorocarbon Sinking Leader enables me to catch more bass than using a floating line. The bass holding in these back eddies seldom roam around much so I like to fan my casts over the entire back eddy. I’ll often devote an hour to fishing a back eddy which is 50 feet in diameter. You might not catch as many bass when fishing in November, but you might catch your biggest bass. Trout Fishing The trout in the delayed harvest streams tend to move downstream as the season progresses. I find that using streamers such as the Shenandoah Silver Ghost Streamer and Shenandoah Skunk Streamer both in size 10 as searching minnow imitations helps me catch many of these trout. These match many of the minnows these trout feed upon. A very effective technique is to wade slowly downstream and cast across stream. After the streamer sinks deeply, swim it slowly across the stream bottom by stripping it 6 inches every 5 seconds. Wade very slowly and place each successive cast only about 2 feet further downstream. This method enables you to show your streamers to every trout in the stream with a realistic minnow-swimming action.