Fly fishing in February for smallmouth bass is difficult but certainly not impossible. During periods of high water the powerful flows cut back into the river banks and form what I call bank bays. These may extend from 10-20 feet bank into the bank and reach 20-30 feet downstream. The depth in these areas may range from 2-5 feet deep. These are wonderful protected feeding stations for the bass as they hold many minnows. I recommend using a Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite, Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker, and Tungsten Conehead Marauder, Pearl all in size 4. LISTEN TO MY PODCAST FOR MORE



Fishing for Stocked Trout



The trout in the large stocked trout streams have become acclimated to the natural foods in the streams. Many of the large rainbows are feeding well on the large nymphs in the heavy riffles. Often I use large nymphs for my smallmouth bass fishing and I have found these same nymphs to be effective for the large stocked trout.




Bass Stonefly Nymph size 4



Olive Dragonfly Nymph size 6



Bass Caddis Nymph size 6




First start on the side of the stream right below the riffle and cast across stream. Then let the nymph sink deeply and strip it slowly across the stream bottom. After each cast, take a small step downstream and repeat the nymph retrieve. Continue this process until you have covered the whole area.



LEARN HOW TO FLY FISH



Each Spring and Summer Murray’s Fly Shop offers on the stream fly fishing schools. Rod and reel outfits are provided for the schools. Click on the links for more information.




Mountain Trout Fly Fishing School in the Shenandoah National Park



Mountain Trout Fly Fishing School in the George Washington National Forest



Full Day Fly Fishing School on the Shenandoah River



Half Day Fly Fishing Lesson on the Shenandoah River

Fly fishing in January can be tough but not impossible. The bass are lethargic and they are not actively feeding. By using a Sink Tip Line and fishing the deepest pools, you increase your odds. Some anglers take john boats or kayaks and fish the deepest water above the dams. This enables them to swim large streamers such as Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker, Magnum Darter and Madtom patterns slowly along the stream bottom were the large bass feed.



Want to learn more about smallmouth bass fishing? Sign up for a Summer 2025 Fly Fishing School.



Fly Fishing for Trout in the Winter



At dusk I’m seeing many adult Little Black Stoneflies in the tails of the pools and around the downfalls along the stream banks. The Murray’s Dark Stonefly Dry size 16 & 18 is very effective for trout feeding on the adults on the surface. When I see splashy rise forms, the trout are feeding on emergers so I fish a Mr. Rapidan Olive Soft Hackle size 16 on a 2-ft strand of 7X below the dry fly.



On the larger trout streams we can encounter Blue Wing Olives. A Mr. Rapidan Parachute size 16 & 18 and Blue Wing Olive Beatis size 16 & 18 work well here. Listen to my podcast for more information.







Want to learn more about fishing for native brook trout in the small mountain streams. Sign up for a Spring 2025 Fly Fishing School.



Up Coming Events at Murray’s Fly Shop



January 11, 2025 at 10a.m. –Minnow Changer Fly Tying Class







January 18, 2025 at 10a.m. –Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park classroom discussion on the native brook trout streams. This is a classroom setting that will help you learn more about the native brook trout fishing in the Shenandoah National Park. Most anglers follow up with an On The Stream School.

Let’s talk a little bit about the fly fishing options available in December. I have some friends who insist on fishing for smallmouth bass even though the water temperature is low. They know the river very well and float from one deep pool to the next. Some of these holes are larger than a tennis court and run from 6-7 feet deep. They use fast sinking tip fly lines with 6ft 2X Murray’s Fluorocarbon leaders. They swim their big streamers and nymphs slowly right along the stream bottom. The smallmouth strikes are usually very subtle, so I strike firmly with both a line hand strike and an uplifting rod motion. Some of my favorite flies are the Murray’s Heavy Black Hellgrammite size 4, Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker size 4, and Murray’s Olive Marauder size 6.



Fly Fishing for Stocked Trout



Take advantage of the fly fishing in the stocked trout streams this winter. The stocked rainbows move downstream from these stocked locations. Start at these locations and fish a 2-fly tandem rig such as a Betsy Streamer size 10 on a Murray’s Classic 7.5ft 3X leader. Then attach 2-ft of 3X mono to the bend of the hook and attach a Mr. Rapidan Streamer size 10. Cast across stream and strip these very slowly across the stream bottom. Listen to my podcast for more information.

Fly fishing for smallmouth bass in November can be tricky but not impossible. Many large smallmouth bass seek protected feeding stations in the large back eddies which form on the slow sides of the river opposite the heavy riffles. These may be from 40-50 feet in diameter and from 4-6 feet deep. They hold large populations of minnows and the slow currents make it easy for the bass to catch the minnows. These back eddies can be fished by floating in a drift boat or by carefully wading along the shallow banks.







Some of the most effective streamers I use in these back eddies are the Murray’s Tungsten Cone Head Marauders in size 4. I swim these slowly across the stream bottom by stripping them three inches every 5 seconds. Often these back eddies are so productive that I devote an hour to fishing one which is 50 feet in diameter.



Fly Fishing for Trout



The native brook trout are still spawning and I prefer not to fish these streams at this time. So let’s discuss the stocked trout streams instead. The VA DWR continues to stock streams throughout Virginia this month, providing some good fishing for browns and rainbows. In the slow sections of the streams, a good technique is to fish a two-nymph tandem rig with a Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle Nymph size 14 below a Murray’s Dark Stonefly Nymph size 12.







Fish these across stream with a slow line hand twitching action as you wade slowly downstream. Place a small split shot 6 inches above the top fly to help fish these deeply. Listen to my podcast for more information.



NEW PRODUCT at Murray’s Fly Shop–Frogg Togg Canyon II Stockingfoot Hip Wader

This month I am going to discuss fly fishing in the smallmouth bass, stocked trout streams and brook trout streams. Let’s start with the smallmouth bass streams. Growing up in Edinburg in the 50’s one mile from the North Fork of the Shenandoah River, I was impressed with the large smallmouth bass the local bait fishermen recorded in the big fish contest. The winner was awarded the latest model of the Shakespeare casting reel.



The live baits they used included hog suckers and madtoms. When I came back from pharmacy school, I got interested in fly fishing and tying. After several attempts, I then designed streamers that matched the natural hog suckers and madtoms. Today the Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker and Murray’s Madtom Sculpin are some of my best selling flies for autumn. Fish the hog sucker along the edges of the deep gravel bars. Fish the madtoms over cobblestones in the tails of the pools at dusk.







Fly Fishing for Stocked Trout



This month the VA DWR will start their stocking program which usually continues through early May. If you are after large rainbows, fish right below the heavy riffles with Bass Stonefly Nymph size 4, Bass Caddis Nymph size 6, and Olive Dragonfly Nymph size 6. I not only use these flies for smallmouth but they work well for the large rainbows. A slow line hand stripping action is very effective. Big Stoney Creek, Passage Creek, Bullpasture and Hidden Valley of the Jackson are some of my favorite streams for the stocked trout during the Fall and Winter months.



Tips for Fly Fishing for Brook Trout



The brook trout will start spawning this month. Listen to my podcast for tips on how to preserve the brook trout fly fishing which includes using a pop strike and mashing the barbs down. Interested in learning more about the Shenandoah National Park brook trout streams? Then read my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park which includes stream access, hatch charts and information on reading the water. After reading the book, then register for an on the stream school for Spring 2025.



Up Coming Events at Murray’s Fly Shop




Fly Tying 101 Class–October 26, 2024 at 10a.m.



Minnow Changer Fly Tying Class–November 9, 2024 at 10a.m.



Spring 2025 On The Stream Mountain...

Fly fishing in September can be very productive on both the smallmouth streams and the native brook trout streams. The cooling rivers in September provide an ideal environment for the smallmouth bass to increase their feeding. The aquatic grass beds are very thick along the 3-ft deep banks. There are great numbers of shiner minnows in these grass beds. In the evenings many smallmouth feed heavily here.



By wading carefully 40 feet out in the river you’ll see many bass chasing the shiner minnows in the grass beds. Cast a Silver Outcast 2-ft out in front of the basses predicted path and strip it to life. This is so effective that I catch most of the bass I’m after. Listen to the rest of my Podcast >>>



NEW Book by Harry Murray







Fly Fishing for Native Brook Trout



September is a special month for fishing the mountain trout streams because it has its own set of challenges. However, once one masters these conditions, they are very rewarding. For example, as one stands well below a long flat pool he sees several delicate rise forms in the head of the pool. Close scrutiny fails to reveal what the trout are feeding upon. By observing the surface of the stream, you reveal a number of small black midges.



Tapering down to 7X and using a Mr. Rapidan Midge Dry size 20 seems logical. Then pin point one of the rising trout. Use a slack line cast to drift your midge right to him. Very gently the trout sucks in your fly and you have him. Listen to the rest of the Podcast >>>

Fly fishing during the Hexagenia hatch has always been one of my favorite types of fishing. I can usually expect this hatch is late August and throughout September. Many smallmouth bass will rise to feed on the adult Hexagenia mayfly. A Mr. Rapidan Skater size 8 works well the last two hours of daylight on the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. This hatch can change from one day to the next and from one section of the river to the next. So try not to get discouraged.



Some evenings I see many splashy riseforms. This is inductive of the bass feeding on the emerging insects heading for the surface of the stream to hatch into adults. When I see many of these splashy riseforms, I attach a Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle, Olive size 10 to a 24-inch dropper below the skater dry. This two fly combination will catch those bass feeding on the surface as well as those feeding on the emergers. LISTEN TO THE REST OF MY PODCAST >>>



Fly Fishing for Trout



At Charlie Foxes suggestion I developed the Murray’s Flying Beetle to cast in on the abundance of natural beetles which are available to the trout in the mountain streams throughout Virginia. There are over 300 beetle-type insects and the trout feed on all of them. When the major hatches are over, the Murray’s Flying Beetle becomes my number one fly.



I fish these either upstream dead drift with a slack line presentation or with a splat presentation. The splat presentation acts like a true beetle falling from a tree limb into the stream.



Please note the Shenandoah National Park remains closed to fishing because of low water levels. We will keep you updated as conditions change.

Fly fishing with deer hair bass bugs for smallmouth bass–let’s discuss when, where, and how.



When our smallmouth rivers get low and the bass become wary, wade upstream and fish upstream to prevent scaring them. I also make longer casts than I do earlier in the season. I can cast deer hair bass bugs further than poppers. As the season progresses, smallmouth bass seek feeding stations along the shady banks. In order to get the smoothest presentation and longest cast, the Tapply Bugs are trimmed closely making them ideal for this type fishing.



There are stretches on both the North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River that are excellent for this type fishing. Most evenings I take my Scott Centric 9ft 7-weight fly rod with deer hair bugs and fish tight to the shaded banks for several miles. LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE PODCAST >>



Learn to Fly Fish in Schools held on the Shenandoah River



Fly Fishing for Wild Mountain Trout



July brings on some of my favorite fishing for wild mountain trout. This is wading cautiously upstream and spotting the trout holding on their feeding stations. Seldom do we spot a trout holding clearly exposed before us. Rather, we discern some slight physical feature which appears out of place before us. Then closer scrutiny reveals our trout.The easiest signal that betrays a trouts location to me is his slight movement. This could be his subtle turn to intercept a drifting nymph or just his readjustment on the feeding station.The contrast in the color of a trouts back and the stream bottom over which he is lying easily betrays his location. Likewise, the ivory edges of the fins on a brook trout when he is holding over a dark stream bottom shows his exact location. See Chapter 4 of my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park for more information on these signals.



A Message from the Shenandoah National Park –June 28, 2024



Shenandoah National Park’s streams and rivers are closed to fishing due to low flows and high water temperatures.



Dry conditions have led to extremely low stream flows throughout the park, including some river sections that are completely dry. Hot weather has also led to high water temperatures. Despite some rain on Wednesday, June 26, river flows remain low and are expected to continue dropping with continued hot, dry weather.



Low flows and high temperatures create extremely stressful conditions for fish, and dissolved oxygen can decline to fatal conditions. The additional stress of angling during these conditions could harm the native brook trout populations, which are already low across much of the park. This closure is for all streams within park boundaries including both open-to-harvest and catch-and-release waters. The closure will be lifted when stream conditions improve. Stream flows are expected to remain low until significant precipitation occurs across the area.



Although it has been rare for the park to close fishing in the past few decades, it was done in response to drought conditions in 2021 and 2023.

This June looks to be a great opportunity for fly fishing on the native brook trout streams and the smallmouth rivers. The steady rains have provided perfect water levels in the Shenandoah National Park for the trout. Hopefully that will last all of this month.



Let’s start this blog with the smallmouth bass rivers. The rivers are warm enough that the smallmouth are starting to feed on hard head surface bugs. Success here depends on selecting the bug which will produce the action you need in each area. The action you can get from each bug depends on the shape of the body and the cut of the bugs face.



The Shenandoah Chugger has a large fat body and a deeply cupped face. It can be made to create a loud chugging action. This will often pull bass up from very deep water and undercut banks. The Slider has a long slim body with a fine pointed nose. This type body design makes it easy to produce a gentle teasing bug action. Fish this in 2-3 feet deep water over cobblestone bottoms around shaded river banks. The Shenandoah Blue Popper has a straight body with an up-sloping face. It is very effective in the tails of the pools and around aquatic grass beds. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST>>>



Fly Fishing for Native Brook Trout



There are many little yellow stoneflies and sulphur mayflies hatching. These in conjunction with the terrestrials are providing a great source of food for the trout. The trout are more wary than they were in April so use a stealthy approach to each pool. I have tapered down to 6X leaders and use a slack line presentation so our flies will drift to the trout just like the naturals. I like to use puddle cast or a lazy-S cast to assure a good drift. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST>>>