Murray's Fly Shop Fly Fishing Podcasts Murray's Fly Shop

Fly fishing in April is wonderful on the mountain trout streams as the water levels and hatches are ideal. We have good hatches of Quill Gordons, Blue Quill, and March Browns. All three of these start hatching about mid-day and continue until dusk. The spinners return at dusk. This means the last two hours of the day will have the greatest dry fly fishing.















The Blue Quill is one of the major mayfly hatches that occurs in the East













Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass







We are on the early edge of the smallmouth bass season but we picking up a few nice smallmouth. A dependable area to catch some large smallmouth is a seventy foot long ledge lying perpendicular to the flow of the river with a five foot deep cut right downstream of it. This deep cut extends sixty feet down the river and holds great numbers of bass that feed heavily on sculpins and hellgrammites. I start at the downstream end of this pool and fish a Murray’s Heavy Black Hellgrammite size 6 across stream with a swing nymph tactic which swims my flies right along the stream bottom. I can spend two hours in these areas. By studying the river closely, you will be pleased with how many of these spots you find.







Learn to Fly Fish — Summer 2024 Fly Fishing Schools at Murray’s Fly Shop

Fly fishing in March on the smallmouth streams can be productive in the bank bays. These are indentations which floods have carved back into the river bank. Some of these reach 10-20 feet back into the bank. These block major currents but hold a generous food supply for the smallmouth.







Wade or float down the river to 30 feet out from the opening. I begin my casts to the upper end of the bank bay with my flies reaching all the way to the deep part and strip it out 6 inches every 4 seconds until I swim it out into the main part of the river. The strike usually comes just as the fly enters the main current. Successive casts are made two feet further downstream until I’ve covered the whole bank bay. Then I wade on downstream to the next bank bay. Effective flies include Murray’s Marauder (olive or chartreuse) size 6 and Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite, black size 6.







Fly fishing for Native Brook Trout







By now most of us have cabin fever and are ready to fish the mountain trout streams. March is a wonderful time to fish these streams. In early March the Quill Gordon mayfly nymphs are reaching full size and moving to the lower part of the riffles in preparation of hatching. Fishing a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14 upstream dead drift into the lower section of the riffle will catch many trout. By mid March I start using a Mr. Rapidan Emerger size 14. When I will start seeing Quill Gordon adults riding the surface of the stream, I switch to a Mr. Rapidan Parachute. By mid to late March you can expect the Blue Quill hatch. Listen to my Podcast for more information.

Today let’s discuss the fly fishing on the large stocked trout streams. There are many streams that have an abundance of springs that produce great midge hatches. Big Stoney Creek, Mill Creek, and Hidden Valley of the Jackson are just a few that have great midge hatches.







At dusk there are often thick midge hatches in the tails of the pools bringing many trout to the surface to feed. Recommended flies include:









Birchell’s Hatching Midge











Mr. Rapidan Midge











Griffith Gnat









Fish these on a Classic Leader 9ft 7X. If I spot rising trout, I fish one on one to these trout using a dead drift. If there are only a few feeding trout, I fish these same flies upstream and impart a gentle twitching action.







Smallmouth Bass Fly Fishing in the Winter







The mouths of feeder creeks flowing into our smallmouth rivers can give us some early smallmouth fishing. These feeders are warmer than the rivers and they hold large populations of crayfish, sculpins, and shiners.







A good tactic is to wade into the upstream side of the feeder creek 30 feet out and cast down and across stream. Slowly strip the flies through the water flowing from the feeder into the river. Continue to wade downstream in the river as you move across the flow of the incoming feeder casting your flies broadside to the feeder so all of the bass will see your flies. We are still early in the season so don’t expect to catch a lot of smallmouth.

While most anglers don’t like fly fishing for bass in the winter, I know a few anglers that don’t give up. Realizing the bass seek the deep water at this time of the year, concentrate on the deepest pools. The locals usually choose a five mile stretch of the river that has many pools from 5-7 feet deep. Using a canoe or a drift boat they drift from one deep pool to the next. Anchoring 30 feet upstream of each pool, then fan their casts over all of the water they can reach. Next step is to raise the anchor and drift downstream, stopping at 30 foot intervals until they have successively fished all of the deep water.







The fly line to use depends on the depth of the water and the speed of the current. A Sink Tip III line is effective in most pools but if the current is fast I use a fast sinking head fly line. A Murray’s Tungsten Cone Head Marauder size 4 is excellent here. Listen to the rest of the podcast.







Fly Fishing for Trout







I’m always amazed as I walk beside a small mountain trout stream in the winter to see Little Black Stonefly adults sitting on the snow banks along the trail. Observing the stream closely you can spot several delicate dimple rise forms created in the slow eddy close to the bank as the trout take the naturals. Watch the slow eddies and small brush piles for other rising trout. I have great success with a Murray’s Dark Stonefly Dry size 16 fished on a 7X leader.







You might have heard the Shenandoah National Park is open to fishing after being closed for several months. The biologist did issue a statement that I want to pass along.







“Be gentle with the fish and the fragile environment they inhabit. The dry conditions likely reduced spawning success. Brook trout eggs spend the winter incubating in gravel in the streams, so it’s important to avoid walking through those areas to prevent trampling of eggs.” Anglers are also encouraged to minimize handling and time out of the water to reduce stress on the fish.







Another new thing for 2024. Beginning January 11, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. visitors who wish to overnight in Shenandoah National Parks backcountry must purchase a permit through Recreation.gov. The previous system of obtaining a paper permit through the park’s website or at designated locations in the park will be eliminated effective January 10, 2024. It is my understanding that the fee is $6 plus a $9 fee per person.







Learn To Fly Fish







Spring 2024 we are offering Mountain Trout Schools in the George Washington National Forest. These meet at Murray’s Fly Shop in Edinburg VA for a classroom presentation then off the stream for hands-on instruction. A full day of learning about the native brook trout fishing. Fly Rod and Reels are provided for the day.

Fly fishing in the deep pools between limestone ledges on our smallmouth rivers can be beneficial. The ledges can run all the way across the river, frequently 2-3 feet apart with many 5-6ft deep pockets between them. Before these pools become covered with ice, get out and try your luck. Approach the downstream ledge from below and stay below it. Then wading across the river, I fan my casts up and up and across stream. After my fly sinks deeply I strip it back downstream a little faster than the current pushes it. Frequently a 2-ft jigging action prompts a solid strike from a large bass.







Often I move to the shallow side of the river in order to fish all the way to the head of a specific pool. These boxed in pools are ideal cover for the bass at this time of the year and they hold an abundance of food. Over past years these special pools have given me good fishing that I will devote 2-3 hours to fish one which is half the size of football field. Dependable flies for these areas include: Murray’s Olive Strymph size 4, Murray’s Olive Marauder size 6, Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker size 4, and Murray’s Magnum Bluegill size 4.







Trout Fishing







The rich springs flowing into our trout streams are slightly warmer than the main trout streams making them very appealing to the trout. The large populations of Cress Bugs, Shrimp and Sculpins are a wonderful food source. An excellent tactic for fishing the large streams is to start right at the spring and wade slowly downstream fanning your casts across all of the water downstream. Productive flies: Cress Bug size 14 & 16, Murray’s Shrimp size 14 & 16, Spuddler size 6. Listen to the rest of my podcast>>







On The Stream Fly Fishing Schools

Let’s discuss the different fly fishing options for November. Many of the large bass move into the back eddies to take advantage of the great numbers of minnows that live here. This also provides protection from the full force of the river current. Some of these are located on the side of the river with the slow current below the strong riffles. These eddies may range from 20-60 feet in diameter and from 5-10 feet deep. They can be fished by floating or by wading close to the shallow bank. I find that by using a Sink Tip III fly line with a Fluorocarbon Sinking Leader works best. The Tungsten Cone Head Marauder size 4 works well. I strip these along the stream bottom by stripping them 6 inches every 5 seconds.







In order to hook these bass consistently I use a firm line hand strike simultaneously with a strong rod-lifting motion. Fish these eddies thoroughly so every bass will see the fly. I devote 1/2 hour to thoroughly fish a 50ft eddy. Listen to my podcast for more>>>







Fly Fishing for Trout







November produces some wonderful Blue Wing Olive mayfly hatches that really turn the trout on. Many of the rich streams in Pennsylvania give me such great blue wing olive fishing that they rival the wonderful days in Montana on the Yellowstone and Nelsons. I normally get my best hatches and fishing from 2 to 4. However on overcast or snowy days the hatch and fishing can be great all day. My favorite flies are the Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 16 or 18, CDC Blue Wing Olive, and Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle Nymph Olive size 16.







One day on the Yellowstone it was snowing heavily and the Blue Wing Olive hatch was very heavy. Standing in the middle of the river whichever way I looked there were over 20 rising trout within casting distance.







Days like the picture above produce heavy olive mayfly hatches and many feeding trout.