Murray's Fly Shop Fly Fishing Podcasts

Fly Fishing in August Podcast by Harry Murray Trout Fly Fishing in August By this time of the season the trout in our heavily fished streams have seen the same artificial flies over and over and often they simply refuse to take them. In order to improve the dry fly fishing now I’ve developed a series of flies I call my “change of pace” patterns.  These show the trout flies which produce different light patterns and silhouettes on the surface while matching many of the natural foods they feed upon at this time of the year.  These include Oakworms, Moths, Wasp, Houseflies, Horseflies, Yellow Jackets and Inchworms. I usually fish these upstream dead drift right along the stream bank casting to all of the trout I see rising. If there are few rising trout I simply cover the water as I wade upstream. Bass Fly Fishing in August By the middle of August last year I was seeing many smallmouth bass feeding on the natural Hexagenia Mayflies.  Usually I see most of this feeding the last 2 hours of the day. If the water is more than 4 feet deep where I see the bass rising I cast down and across stream at a 45 degree angle to drop my fly 2 feet upstream of the riseform and impart a gentle twitching fly action. The Mr. Rapidan Skater Dry Fly size 8 is my favorite match of the Hexagenia Mayfly. If I see splashy riseforms I know some of the bass are feeding on the emerging nymphs just below the surface of the river. Here I attach an Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle, Olive size 10 to a 3 foot 2X mono dropper below the dry and fish this 45 degrees down and across stream using a gentle twitching action.  If the water is less than 3 feet deep where the bass are rising I use an upstream approach and wade very cautiously to prevent scaring the bass and go one on one with them.

Fly Fishing in July Podcast by Harry Murray Fly fishing in July can be very exciting for both the trout fishing and the smallmouth bass fishing.  In this months fly fishing podcast I am going to cover the different hatches and insects we are currently seeing along the streams and how to fish them. Trout  Fly Fishing There is a heavy caddisfly hatch on the mountain trout streams right now.  You can expect to see many trout rising to feed on this hatch especially in the last two hours of daylight.  As the caddis pupa comes up to hatch out it will drift about 2 to 3 feet along the stream about an inch or so below the surface. The trout will easily feed on the drifting pupa and also feed on the adult caddis on the surface. Many times you can not discern as to which the trout is feeding on.  If you see a splashy riseform then the trout is going after the pupa.  If you see a dimply type riseform then the trout is feeding on the adult.  I like to fish a Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Caddis, Tan size 14 on a Classic 9ft 5X Leader and then add a 2ft dropper with a Murray’s Magic Caddis Pupa either in olive or tan.  This way I am covering both the underwater and the surface which helps my chances of catching the trout. Bass Fly Fishing The bass rivers are starting to drop and I expect the fishing will be excellent in the next few weeks.  There are many damselflies and dragonflies flying along the creeks and rivers providing a hearty meal for the bass.  If you see a bass jumping into the air they are more than likely feeding on a damselfly or dragonfly that was buzzing along the stream surface.  Your main goal here is to mimic the action of the natural fly by skating your fly along the stream surface.  I like to put on a Mr. Rapidan Skater size 8 and dress it and my leader with Scientific Angler Fly Floatant then fish it with a slow skating action especially in the deep cuts of the river.  This seldom lets me down.  

Fly Fishing in June Podcast by Harry Murray Trout Fly Fishing Fly fishing in June can be very rewarding as the sulphur mayfly hatch is very heavy this month on the trout streams.  The sulphur duns start to come off around noon and the heaviest hatch of duns will be in the last 1 to 2 hours of the day–even right up until dark with the spinners coming back up until dark. In fact one stream I fish the spinner fall comes when it is almost dark so I set myself up so I’m fishing into the western horizon. This way, even after the sun is below the horizon I can still spot the rising trout in the pewter glow on the surface of the stream. If you are able plan your schedule so that you are on the stream until dark you will get better fishing.   I match this hatch with a Murray’s Sulphur Dry size 16 and 18 or Shenk’s Sulphur Dry size 16 and 18 on a Classic 9ft 6X leader. Even though we have some extra water in these streams right now you will still need to present a drag free drift by using a slack line cast such as the Lazy S Cast or Puddle Cast.  (Listen to the podcast for details on these two casts.) Bass Fly Fishing Fly fishing in June for smallmouth bass is normally a great time of year.  This year we have been experiencing heavy rain storms causing the rivers to be high and muddy.  Normally we have already starting using topwater or surface bugs but this year I expect it will be the middle of June before this action starts. A good way to understand where and how to fish the various styles of hard surface bugs is the way we teach it to our students in our Smallmouth Bass Schools. The “action” we can achieve with hard surface bugs is governed primarily by the shape of its body and the cut of its face. * The Shenandoah Sunfish Slider has a slim tapered face which can be used very effectively to produce a gentle teasing action, which is very productive in shallow water. * The Murray’s Bass Popper, Chartreuse size 6 has a fat body with a deeply cut face. I normally fish this toward an undercut bank where the water is over 4 feet deep. * When I have a student or find myself fishing a variety of different types and depths of water then I use a Shenandoah Blue Popper size 4. This bug lies between the first two in body shape and the cut of its face is thus capable of producing some of the action of both bugs. It is outstanding when fished around aquatic grass beds with a slow pop-pause-pop action.

Fly Fishing in May Podcast by Harry Murray In this months fly fishing podcast I will be discussing what you can expect will be happening on the mountain trout streams and the smallmouth bass rivers.  May is a good time of year to hit both the native brook trout streams in the Shenandoah National Park and the Shenandoah River for bass. Fly Fishing in May on the Mountain Trout Streams The Little Yellow Stonefly (Isoperla bilineata) hatch is heavy this time of year.  The natural little yellow stonefly nymphs develop in the back eddies, around leaf jams, and around mossy rocks in the middle of the streams.  Using a Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly Dry size 16 on a Classic 9ft 6X Leader, I drift my fly along the edges of these areas and it seldom lets me down. This month you will also notice the Light Cahill (Stenonema canadense) hatch.  This usually occurs throughout the month of May.  I match this hatch with a Light Cahill Dry size 16 and a Murray’s Yellow Drake Dry Fly size 16.  My friend always fishes a Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle Olive Nymph size 16 during this hatch with great success. In the last half of May the Sulphur Hatch (Ephemerella dorothea) will occur.  You will get your best fishing by staying on the streams and fishing until dark. The upper reaches of the streams in the Shenandoah National Park tend to have heavier sulphur hatches.  You can match this hatch by fishing a Shenk’s Sulphur Dry size 16 or Murray’s Sulphur Dry size 16. Fly Fishing in May on the Smallmouth Bass Rivers There are many natural dobsonfly larva located along the cobblestone bottoms and deep pockets of the river.  At this time of the year many bass feed heavily on the natural dobsonfly larva.  Many years ago I developed the Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite to match the natural dobsonfly and today it is still a very effective fly. Using a Bright Butt 9ft 2X Leader with a Scientific Angler Indicator helps me fish this fly effectively across the stream bottom.    

Fly Fishing in mid April Podcast by Harry Murray Fly Fishing in April can be very rewarding if you plan ahead and pay attention to the aquatic hatches that are occurring. Caddisflies–Fly Fishing in April The caddisfly hatch is on!  I have been seeing many caddisflies around my house which is close to Big Stoney Creek and in the mountain trout streams.  Many fisherman have a hard time deciding if the trout is rising to the top to take a dry caddis on the surface or is the trout feeding on a caddis pupa that is drifting 1/2 inch to 2 inches just below the surface. I like to fish a Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Caddis, Olive size 14 (which matches the adult caddis) with an 18 inch dropper below with a Murray’s Magic Caddis Pupa, Olive size 12. This way I am doubling my chances of catching that trout. Fishing Inchworms There are two ways I like to fish an inchworm.  The first is to take a Murray’s Inchworm size 14 and deliver it with a slap on a forward presentation. This actually mimics an inchworm falling into the water from a tree limb.  The second way is to use a roll cast turnover to create a little splash but still mimicking an inchworm falling into the water. We had a lot of rain recently causing the bass rivers to be high and muddy.  Therefore the bass have moved to the back eddies to feed on minnows, crayfish and anything else they can find.  As the rivers start to clear over the next week then I will fish what I like to call “falling water”–where the water is not discolored but carrying heavy volume.  If you use a minnow pattern or crayfish pattern in these back eddies which can range from 10 to 50 feet you will have success. Since we have extra water volume in our mountain trout streams right now, you will have better fishing and water levels by going into the heads of the streams off the Skyline Drive. Poisonous Snakes It is that time of year again.  We do have copperheads and rattlesnakes in the area but if you follow my three tips you can hopefully avoid a snake bite. * Do not wade through grass where you cannot see * Do not climb ledges and put your hands in places where you cannot see what is there * Do not step over downed trees without seeing what is on the other side * Carry a Sawyer Snake Bite Kit with you just in case

Fly Fishing in April Podcast by Harry Murray TROUT Fly fishing in April can be very exciting with the different hatches that occur this month. During the early part of April we have good hatches of the Eperous pleuralis mayflies to which a Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 is very effective. Throughout the month you will see good hatches of Blue Quill Mayflies and the Blue Quill Dry size 16 will help you take many trout during this hatch.  About the second week of April the March Brown Mayflies will start hatching and they will continue all month long. The Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 and March Brown Dry Fly size 14 is excellent for this hatch. Since there are so many naturals on the water to feed upon the trout will select what  I call primary feeding stations.  These are areas that will enable them to capture the greatest number of naturals with the least amount of effort.  I go into great detail about these feeding stations in my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park on page 31. BASS During April I get some of my best smallmouth bass fishing in the protected bank bays along the sides of the rivers. These are open bays 5 to 20 feet deep which are cut back into the river banks by previous flood waters. They may extend from 10 to 20 feet down the river and be from 3 to 5 feet deep.  Some of these can be fished by wading down the main part of the river and they are all fishable by floating the river.   I allow my fly to sink deeply then swim it out slowly by stripping it 6 inches every 10 seconds. By patiently covering each one thoroughly I often catch several nice bass from each bank bay.  The Murray’s Tungsten Cone Head Marauder in Olive size 4, Murray’s Heavy Black Hellgrammite size 4 and Shenk’s White Streamer size 4 are my most effective flies.

Fly Fishing Tips Podcast by Harry Murray March 2018 Listen to  this months fly fishing tips podcast where I will be discussing several questions that I have been asked within the last month by customers in my fly shop. * There have been many stories and ads on Furled Leaders.  How do they compare to knotless leaders and knotted leaders? * How to fish a dry with a dropper to cover the Epeorus pleuralis hatch (also known as the Quill Gordon hatch).  Example: Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly with Mr. Rapidan Emerger * Bass fishing in the cold water temperatures using a Wet Tip III Line or Sonar 30 Warm 200 grain Fly Line with a Fluorocarbon 6ft 2X Leader.  Be sure to use heavy weight flies such as the Magnum Streamers or Tungsten Cone Head Marauders and fish them very deeply and slowly. * How to fish the Blue Quill hatch (Paraleptophlebia adaptiva) in the back eddies. * Tips for tying a deer hair bass bug–three important things to remember.  1) no thread on the hook shank, 2) clean all of the small pieces and junk out of the deer hair before starting and 3) my secret tip for making my deer hair bugs last longer.  

Fly Fishing in March Podcast by Harry Murray In this months fly fishing podcast I will be  discussing  the tactics for fishing the mountain trout streams by revealing the insect hatches and the flies which match them. The Quill Gordon Nymph  will be appearing on the streams the first part of March.  By fishing a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14 on a Trout Nymphing  9ft 5X Leader using an upstream dead drift technique will help you have success on landing that trout. By the middle of the month I  switch to a Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 fished below the lip of the pool. Since there will be so many hatches happening in March many fisherman like to fish a dry and dropper  to cover the top and underwater. I like to fish the Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 on a Classic 7 1/2ft 5X Leader with a 2 foot dropper below with a Mr. Rapidan Emerger. Fly Fishing Podcast for Bass You can get some great bass fishing in March by floating the rivers and fishing the back eddies. These back eddies can range from 10 to 50 feet long and 4 to 8 feet deep.  Using heavy flies such as the Magnum HogSucker size 4 and Tungsten Marauders in black or olive size 4. Learn How to Fly Fish in our Mountain Trout Schools that start in April and run through May.  Watch our video or check our website for more information.

Fly Fishing Podcast on Leaders and Fly Casting by Harry Murray In this months Fly Fishing Podcast I am discussing the many different leaders that I have designed and when I use these leaders. All of these leaders are hand tied knotted leaders which I prefer over the knotless leaders. * At this time of the year (late February-March) I use a Trout Nymphing Leader that has two Murray’s Fly Shop Indicators on it.  These cast smoothly and work well with my nymphs. * In the spring I use a Classic Leader (either a 9ft or 7 1/2 ft.) for my trout fishing. * The Bright Butt Leaders I use for my bass fishing from spring to fall.  These leaders have a Murray’s Fly Shop Indicator that I use for strike detection but also as a depth indicator. * I use the  Fluorocarbon Leaders for my shooting heads and sinking fly lines. * The Bass Bug Leaders  I designed for the fishermen down south that are throwing size 2 or bigger flies. * The Big Game Leaders I use in the Outer Banks or for saltwater fishing. The second part of this months Fly Fishing Podcast covers the many types of fly casts and a discussion on when and how to achieve the perfect cast. * Flip Cast * Puddle Cast * Lazy S Cast * Pendulum Cast * Roll Cast Strike This is also the time of the year that many of you (myself included) like to hike into these remote areas and fish.  I strongly urge you to be prepared before hiking into these remote areas.  First, always have a map of the area you plan to hike/fish in your pocket or vest and keep it with you at all times.  Second, I recommend carrying a Satellite GPS Personal Locator Beacon so that if you should fall or have a medical emergency someone will be able to find you.  DO NOT rely on cell phones for maps or satellite service as many of these remote areas do not have cell phone service.

Selecting a Fly Rod Podcast by Harry Murray February 2018 This month since the streams are still a little too cold I have decided to do a podcast on selecting a fly rod.  In this discussion I will go through the  different types of fishing, what fly rods I prefer to use for each, and why. * Small Mountain Trout Streams–Years ago I developed the Murray’s Mountain Trout Rod (which Scott Rod Company makes for me).  This rod is 6ft 10in, 3-weight, 3pc and will comfortably cast flies size 24 to size 10. It is short enough to cast under tree limbs and balanced with a 3 weight fly line it provides great accuracy and delicacy from 15 to 50 feet. * Spring Creek Trout Fishing–The new Scott G Series 9ft 4-weight 4pc rod is my favorite rod for spring creeks in the Rockies as well as in the East. I comfortably fish size 24 pseudocleon with it on 7X leaders and swim nymphs up to size 8 with it on 4X.  * Large Trout Streams–The Scott Radian 9ft 6-weight 4pc is my favorite for fishing the large trout streams.  My son gave me this rod as a present several years ago and I have used it on the Yellowstone many times.  I can delicately fish a size 22 Blue Wing Olive on a 6X leader when the hatch is on and then switch to a size 6 streamer on a fast sinking head when the hatch is over. * Bass Streams–The Scott Radian 9ft 7-weight 4pc. rod is my favorite for any bass river I might be on. Its smooth action and great damping action enables me to make long casts with great accuracy. It is easy to cast a tight loop in order to cast poppers below overhanging tree limbs to drift them along the river banks. I can easily fish poppers as large as size 4 and nymphs as small as size 10. * Saltwater Fishing–The Scott Meridian 9ft 8-weight 4pc is an excellent bonefish rod. Its control and smooth power enable me to buck the wind and make the long cast that we used to have to go to a 9 weight rod to achieve. Now keep in mind, these are the personal rods that I use but there are many other rods on the market that will do the same thing for the type fishing you plan to do.  I have several fly rod and reel outfits available in the fly shop that will meet your needs and your budget.  So if you need help deciding on an outfit, just get in touch with me and I will be glad to help you.

Fly Fishing Tips from Harry Murray January 2018 This months fly fishing tips podcast includes a variety of topics that I have discussed with customers and would like to pass along. Fly Fishing Tip #1 –Many of you are fishing size 24 midges at this time of the year and you are having a hard time seeing that fly on the stream.  What can you do?  I use one little Murray’s Fly Shop Indicator about 3 feet above my midge on a Trout Nymphing Leader.  I have seen Jeff catch many large trout in this slough (pictured above) on Armstrong’s on size 24 midges by using a 1/8″ section of Scientific Anglers Indicator on his leader as a “fly locator”. Fly Fishing Tip#2 –Cleaning  Fly Lines–I have 5 steps that I use to clean my fly lines. Please note: Since publication of this post, Fly Line Coating has undergone many advances.  Some fly lines such as Scientific Anglers Fly Lines with AST Technology do not require application of line dressing.  These specific fly lines only require a thorough cleaning with a Scientific Anglers Pad. * Wash the entire fly line with ivory soap * Rinse the entire fly line with water * Dry with a paper towel * Rub with Glide Line Dressing * Take dry paper towel and wipe entire fly line down to remove line dressing This well help your fly lines last a long time and perform better throughout the year. Fly Fishing Tip#3–Cleaning My Flies–Once a year I go through my fly boxes and put my flies into 3 groups.  1) Flies too old to repair or so far beyond repair go into the trash pile. 2) New flies go into another pile. 3) All other flies go into the repair pile.  With these flies I either steam them with a kitchen kettle and then dry them or I put them in the vise and repair the heads to get them ready for the upcoming season. Fly Fishing Tip#4–Saltwater Fishing in the Wind–Listen to my podcast and I will tell you the technique I use to cast in these windy conditions.

Designing Flies Podcast by Harry Murray January 2018 Happy New Year! Since the weather is so cold at this time of the year, this is the best time to design and tie better flies for the upcoming season. In this fly fishing podcast I will be discussing a sound approach which has helped me in designing flies I personally use and the 68 custom flies I have designed and sell in my fly shop in Edinburg, Virginia. My approach to design flies consists of: * discerning the need for a new fly * evaluate existing patterns * evaluate many tying materials * tie several test flies * try these test flies on the fish * incorporate the most effective materials and tying styles into your final master fly I have learned many tips and techniques from great fly tyers such as Ed Shenk, Charlie Brooks, and Vince Marino.  Many of my patterns have originated by catching a natural fly and looking at the color and matching it.  Then looking to see how the natural fly acts and drifts on the trout stream so that I can get my artificial to act the same way.  The same thing applies for streamers in matching the natural shiners on the bass rivers. I teach fly tying classes throughout the winter in my fly shop on Saturdays from 10a.m. to noon.  You can see the schedule of all of my fly fishing classes on our website.  

Fly Fishing Podcast for December 2017 by Harry Murray Trout Fishing This months fly fishing podcast includes a detailed discussion on the trout fishing in December.  Since the brook trout are still spawning in December I like to fish the stocked trout streams instead. Many of the stocked trout streams such as the Jackson (near Covington), Bullpasture (near Williamsville) and Big Stoney Creek in Edinburg have natural springs that the trout love.  You can find these springs on the steams by looking for the rich aquatic growth they provide. The trout will hold near these springs and feed on cress bug and shrimp patterns. I do well with these flies while using a Trout Nymph Leader. * Cress Bug size 14 & 16 * Murray’s Shrimp size 14 & 16 * Shenandoah SowBug size 14 Bass Fishing Many of my customers will come into the fly shop and ask, “can I go bass fishing in December?”  Yes, you can.  Are you going to catch a lot of bass? No–but you might catch a big one.  I have some friends that are die hard bass fishermen that will go out in any kind of weather and they have been catching some big bass.  They will float the river to find the deepest pools they can find and fish with big bugs such as a Madtom/Sculpin size 4, Magnum Darter size 4 and Creek Chub size 4. At this time of the year you will do well using a Scientific Angler Sonar Sink 30 Warm 200 grain fly line with a Murray’s Fluorocarbon 6ft 2X Sinking Leader.  

Fly Fishing Podcast for November 2017 by Harry Murray In my fly fishing podcast for November I discuss the trout fishing you can expect for this month in our large trout streams with sculpin imitations.  The natural sculpin minnows are bottom hugging minnows living under cobblestones in and immediately downstream of heavy riffles. This is where I like to fish my Spuddler.  Many of the tails of the pools give me some large trout by fanning the Murray’s Black Marauder size 8 over the last 100 feet. The gentle riffles along the far banks often attract large trout that feed on the slim silver minnows that live here. By casting a Murray’s Silver Ghost Streamer size 6 in tight against these undercut banks you can catch many large trout.  For more details on the areas and techniques to use listen to my entire Fly Fishing Podcast for November. The smallmouth bass rivers are cold but we can still catch some large bass by choosing the correct flies and fishing the correct feeding stations which the bass choose at this time of the year. They want to choose foods that give them the greatest food value for the least effort to capture it. Large minnows are a prime target. Therefore I like to fish the Murray’s Tungsten Cone Head Marauders in black, pearl or olive.  In my personal fishing at this time of the year the back eddies that form below the riffles on the side of the river with the slow current are some of their favorite feeding stations. These provide an abundance of minnow life and protection from the powerful currents of the river.  

Fly Fishing in October Podcast by Harry Murray Fly Fishing in October for trout Since the brook trout are spawning in October, November, and December we feel it is not good to stress them by fishing for them even though we return them to the stream. So let’s look at the nymph fishing tactics we use in large streams both in the Rockies and in the East. I learned to fish nymphs from Charlie Brooks in the 1970’s and 1980’s in the streams around West Yellowstone,  Montana.  So in this months fly fishing podcast I want to discuss in detail the two tactics of Charlie’s that I use often. * Upstream Dead Drift Fishing-  This technique relies on you seeing the strike therefore I rely heavily on my Bright Butt Leader and Murray’s Fly Shop Indicators. * Swing Nymphing– This technique is used on deeper runs where upstream dead drift nymphing is not possible.  Many beginners quickly  master this method because the strikes are detected by feeling the strike rather than seeing it. Fly Fishing for Bass in October Many of the old timers around Edinburg where I grew up in the 1950’s caught many of their largest bass of the year in October by using live bait such as Hog Suckers, Bluegills, and Darter Minnows.  Several years ago I designed my Magnum Streamer Series which both look and fish like a real minnow.  Today I will be discussing the Murray’s  Magnum Hog Sucker, Magnum Darter, and Magnum Bluegill and the best way to fish each. If you need help finding the access places on the North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River, then stop by the fly shop and we can show you the best areas on our stores master map.