Murray's Fly Shop Fly Fishing Podcasts

Bass Fly Fishing in October Fly fishing in October for smallmouth fishing can be great. It is a transitional month for smallmouth fishing. In the first half of the month the bass are spread throughout the river and can be caught on nymphs, streamers, and surface bugs. In the first two weeks I often get good fishing with the Shenandoah Blue Popper and Shenandoah Chartreuse Chugger. Fish these along the heavily shaded banks where the water is 3 to 5 feet deep over cobblestone stream bottoms. Then after that the surface action depends on how quickly the water gets cold. The best way to find out is to just try and see. In the whole month of October you can do well with streamers and nymphs. The Murray’s Black Heavy Hellgrammite size 6, Murray’s Magnum HogSucker size 4, Madtom Sculpin Black size 6, and Olive Marauder size 6 all work well. As the river gets colder in the middle of October, some of the bass move to deeper water. I’m not referring to the extremely deep pools but the 4 to 6 foot deep pools below the riffles and between river-crossing ledges. The nymphs and streamers mentioned above work exceptional well here. Then toward the middle of the month plan on carrying a Sinking Tip III line on an extra spool to help get the streamers and nymphs down deeply in fast water if needed. Often fly fishing in October can produce some of the largest bass of the season. Trout Fly Fishing In October the Delayed Harvest Streams in Virginia and the large streams in surrounding states are stocked heavily with large trout. The justification is that they will survive well in the cool water and provide good fishing until next spring. One very effective technique is to fish a three nymph rig which matches the natural mayfly and stonefly nymphs and caddis larva in the stream. Three of the most effective flies are the Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 12, Murray’s Black Stonefly Nymph size 12 and Murray’s Caddis Larva size 14. This rig can be cast across stream below the riffles. After it sinks deeply, swim the nymph across the stream bottom by stripping the flies 4 inches every 6 seconds. This tactic is best in water from 3 to 5 feet deep. Then in deeper water I use the same 3-fly rig with a swing nymphing technique. For more information Listen to my podcast for directions on the swing nymphing technique. Many students in our classes have mastered this technique and then landed many nice fish while on their own.

Bass Fly Fishing in September At dusk when the sun gets off the river many bass move onto the tails of the pools. There they feed heavily on chub and dace minnows. In water that is 1-3 feet deep, the bass can easily catch these minnows. We will often see the wake of the bass as he chases these minnows. Years ago I developed the Floating Dace and Floating Chub Minnow for this fishing. Many large bass cruise the foot deep pool tails immediately upstream above where the river drops into the pool below. The most effective way to fish these areas is to wade into the riffle about 2 feet downstream of the lip. I wade very cautiously out about 20 feet. From here I fan 40 foot casts straight upstream and up and across stream. After covering all of the water I can reach, I wade slowly across the river pausing every 20 feet to repeat this technique. Listen to the rest of my podcast for directions on my strip-pause-strip retrieve. Trout Fly Fishing in September Many of the mountain trout streams are still fairly warm and the trout in these areas are not feeding heavily. However, some of these wild trout have moved into sections of the streams where there are springs. The spring cool that part of the stream prompting the trout to feed well. There are many springs which feed our mountain streams. Just last summer I was taking a different shortcut to a mountain stream I’d fished often. Sure enough I crossed a sizable spring I had never seen. The first thing I do when I get to a trout stream is check the water temperature. I checked it down below the spring and found it was several degrees cooler than the water I checked about a mile away. The difference of 2 or 3 degrees in the temperature can make the difference in a great day fishing and a poor day fishing. So do your homework before heading to the stream and look for the springs.

Harry Murray’s Podcast on what to expect when fly fishing in August for smallmouth bass and trout. Bass Fly Fishing The aquatic grassbeds are developing. The smallmouth are feeding heavily on the shiner minnows that live in these grassbeds. During the middle of the day many of the large bass feed on shiners in the water which is 4 to 5 feet deep right beside the grass. The Murray’s Heavy Shiner Streamer size 6 is especially effective in these areas.I cast this in tight against the grass. After it sinks deeply strip it 6 inches every 10 seconds to swim it out 30 feet. As I wade or float down stream I make successive casts every 10 feet in against the grass and swim my shiner out. At dawn and dusk the grassbeds that form along the shaded banks often provide the best fishing of the day. As the sun gets off the water at dusk I watch these shallows closely. Often I’ve seen dozens of bass feed on shiner minnows along these shallow beds. Fly Fishing with Poppers The shaded banks over cobblestone streambottoms is giving us good fishing. I like to use these 3 flies: Shenandoah Blue Popper, Shenandoah Chartreuse Chugger and Shenandoah Sunfish Slider. Cast these tight against the bank and experiment with various strip-pause-strip actions. Trout Fishing At this time of year the mountain trout streams can get low and the trout are wary if we don’t continue to get rain. One way you can give yourself a slight edge to prevent scaring the trout is to fish the high gradient sections of these streams. You might even have to go to your hands and knees as you approach each pool. I do not false cast over the pool I’m about to fish. This scares the trout. If I need to make a measuring cast I do it to the side of the pool. Slack Line Cast are a great help in getting a natural drift with flies. My favorite slack line casts are the Puddle Cast and the Lazy S Cast. Listen to my podcast for an explanation of these casts. There are a variety of terrestrial insects along the streams. The Murray’s Flying Beetle has been working really well. I have also had success with the Murray’s Oakworm, Housefly, Yellow Jacket and Inchworm.

Trout Fly Fishing in July on Mountain Trout Streams Our mountain trout streams are in excellent shape for this time of the year. Both the water temperature and water levels are providing some great fly fishing. Even the small feeder brooks that enter the main streams from the upper reaches of the ridges are carrying good stream levels. I like to pace myself slowly and examine each pool from well below it before I move in to fish it. Almost every pool will have a large trout on the lip feeding station. A stealthy approach and a slack line cast with a Murray’s Flying Beetle #16 will take most of these trout. If you use my Pop Strike or just simply release this trout gently in the tail of the pool you can often catch another trout in the head of the pool beside the riffle. Recent heavy scattered heavy rains have caused some of the streams to rise considerably for as much as a week. The largest trout will move to the Corner Feeding Stations under these conditions. The Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Caddis, Olive size 14 is very effective in these conditions. Bass Fly Fishing in July Most of our smallmouth rivers are in good shape with water temperatures in the upper 70’s. Presently, and I expect throughout July, we will get some of our best action along the shaded banks. I use a Shenandoah Blue Popper size 4, Shenandoah Chartreuse Chugger size 4, and a Shenandoah Sunfish Slider size 6 along these shady banks. Below the riffles I’m catching many bass on the Murray’s Olive Marauder size 6, Shenk’s White Streamer size 6, and Magnum Creek Chub size 4. I have been using these flies on a Bright Butt 2X leader with the new Bass Bug Fly Line. As the grassbeds become thicker I expect to catch many bass on a Silver Outcast around the shallow edges. Where these grassbeds meet the deep sections of the rivers I use a Heavy Shiner Streamer size 6.

The June podcast includes Harry discussing the mountain trout fishing and techniques to use for smallmouth bass. Trout Fishing The mountain trout fishing is still excellent if you use a stealthy approach to each pool. Taper down to a 6X leader and use a slack line cast to prevent a dragging fly. The little yellow stoneflies hatch throughout June and I catch many trout on a Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly Dry size 16. We are getting the heaviest hatch of little yellow stoneflies that I have ever seen on the streams. I believe this is because we have not had any rock-rolling floods or high water this spring. During the first half of June there are excellent hatches of Sulphur mayflies from midday until dusk. The heavy spinner fall is usually from 1/2 hour before dark until dark. The Murray’s Sulphur Dry and Shenk’s Sulphur Dry are both very productive. Be sure to stay on the stream until dark to take advantage of the duns and the spinners. There are many natural inchworms on the mountain streams. Sometimes I do best with a Murray’s Inchworm on an upstream dead drift presentation. Other times I do better by using a roll cast delivery that causes the inchworm to land on the stream with a splash. During the last half of June there are good hatches of Olive Caddisflies. A Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Caddis, Olive size 16 works quite well. Often I catch many trout by fishing an Olive Caddis Pupa size 14 on a dropper below the dry. Bass Fishing in June Late in the evenings, in slightly discolored water and on heavily overcast days the natural crayfish roam over the cobblestone stream bottoms. Fishing a Murray’s Crayfish size 6 along the banks in 2 to 3 feet water is very effective. Let it sink to the stream bottom then crawl it slowly along the stream bottom. Strip it 4 inches every 6 seconds. This makes the pinchers move like those on the real crayfish. Through the middle of the day when the rivers are clear I catch many bass using crayfish with a Sink Tip III line. Fish in the 4 to 6 ft deep water around large boulders in the middle of the river. Try to swim it on the shady side of the boulder and beside any undercut ledges.

Fly Fishing Report for Trout and Smallmouth Bass Trout Fishing Fly fishing in May can be wonderful because we have many hatches occurring this month on the trout streams. For more information you can see my books Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park and Virginia Blue Ribbon Streams. During the first half of May many headwater streams have very heavy hatches of Olive Caddisflies. I catch many trout by matching this hatch with a Mr. Rapidan Olive Delta Wing Caddis. The Gray Fox Mayflies hatch all of May and I have great success using a Spirit of Pittsford Mill size 14. Watch for trout feeding on mayflies on the lip of each pool and go one-on-one with them. The Light Cahill Mayflies hatch the first 3 weeks of May and I use a Murray’s Professor Dry in a size 16 to catch many trout. Keep an eye out for the trout feeding on natural inchworms. These are often splashy rises and a good technique is to present the Murray’s Inchworm with a sharp roll cast. The little yellow stoneflies hatch during the whole month of May. Many of these emerge from the leaf jams in the back eddies. By drifting a Murray’s Little Yellow Stoneflies size 16 along the leaf jams, you will catch many trout. The last half of May the Sulphur mayflies hatch and their density gets heavier toward the end of the month. The duns start emerging at mid day and continue until dark. The spinners return to the stream at dusk and continue to drop their eggs until dark. With this concentration of duns and spinners on the stream the last two hours of the day each pool will have many trout feeding on the surface. A Murray’s Sulphur Dry or Shenk’s Sulphur are both very effective when fishing one on one with rising trout as well as just cover the water. I strongly encourage you to get out and take advantage of this outstanding trout fishing in May. The stream levels, water temperatures, and aquatic insect hatches are excellent. Smallmouth Bass The three year old Hellgrammites are reaching their full size which is over 3 inches long. They are actively moving along the stream bottom as they prepare to hatch into the adult dobsonflies. I suspect there are more hellgrammites in our smallmouth rivers than all other nymphs and larva combined. The Murray’s Heavy Black Hellgrammite size 6 is an excellent fly to use with two entirely different methods. The easiest tactic is to wade into the edge of the river right below the riffles and cast across stream. After the hellgrammite sinks deeply, swim it back across the stream bottom by stripping it 6 inches every 10 seconds. A second technique which I call Swing Nymphing will enable you to get your hellgrammite close to the stream bottom in the deep runs. Listen to my podcast for more on this technique.

The mayfly hatches are excellent in the mountain trout streams in the mid Atlantic area. The stream levels are ideal, the water temperatures are excellent and the hatches of aquatic insects are outstanding. Epeorus pleuralis During the first half of April the Epeorus pleuralis hatch is exceptionally heavy. One early April evening as I was hiking out of a remote stream there was a hatch of duns and a spinner return that I’ll never forget. As I looked west over a long canyon below me, I have no doubt there were over 1000 duns and spinners before me. The Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 is an excellent match for the dun and the Mr. Rapidan Spinner size 14 is a perfect match for the spinners. I fish both of these on a Classic 9ft 5X Leader. Blue Quill Mayfly The little Blue Quill Mayfly is on from early April until the last of the month. This is well matched with a Blue Quill Dry size 16. This is a fragile little mayfly and on cool days you’ll often see many of them shunted to the back eddies where they struggle to fly off the stream. March Brown Mayfly The March Brown Mayflies are on from early April through the end of April . The trout take the Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 readily throughout this hatch. At this time you will usually find the largest trout in each pool holding on the lip of the pool to feed on these 3 mayflies. Murray’s Mountain Trout Fly Rod Outfit complete with 6’10” 3-weight 3pc fly rod, case, lifetime warranty, fly reel, fly line and backing at a special price. Listen to the rest of my podcast to hear about the other hatches happening this month. Bass Fishing in April This is the time of the year I head to my favorite bank bays because they hold some large smallmouth bass. These areas seldom let me down. What I call bank bays are those indentations which high spring floods cut back into the river banks. They may be carved 10 to 15 feet back into the bank. I believe the appeal of these areas is because the makeup blocks the full force of the current off the bass. Plus these areas hold large populations of minnows. My favorite streamers for fishing these bank bays include Magnum Hogsucker, Magnum Darter and Shenk’s White Streamer all in size 4. Interested in learning more? Check out Harry’s article “Mountain Trout Fishing“

Trout Fly Fishing in March March can be a wonderful time to fish the mountain trout streams for wild brook trout. The Eperous pluralis nymphs are our first major mayfly hatch in the mountains. They become very active in the riffles and are growing to full size as they move to the lower sections of the riffles. Early in March, I fish a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph size 14 upstream dead drift by casting it below the riffle. To help detect the strike I use my Nymph Leader 5X which has two Murray’s Fly Shop Indicators built into it. As my nymph drifts back downstream I watch these indicators closely. At the first hint of a strike, I set the hook. By the second week in March many of these nymphs evolve into emergers and pop their wings to swim to the surface then change into the duns. Here I fish the Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 14 with a Mr. Rapidan Emerger size 14 on a two foot dropper. Listen to the rest of my Podcast for more trout tips. The large bass often select feeding stations in back eddies early in the season. Jeff Murray has great success catching the fish on a Murray’s Magnum HogSucker size 4. Bass Fly Fishing in March The large bass tend to feed well in March. It seems to me they want a big mouthful to eat and gentle currents on the feeding stations they select. My Murray’s Magnum Streamer series all in size 4 will give them a big mouthful. The back eddies which form below the riffles on the side of the rivers with the slow current give them excellent feeding stations. These may range from 10 feet to 40 feet in diameter and from 3 to 6 feet deep. Fish these flies deeply and swim them slowly along the stream bottom by stripping them 6 inches every 10 seconds. I fish each back eddy thoroughly. I often devote a half hour to fish a back eddy 30 feet in diameter.

Many of the larger trout streams have a chironomid midge hatch that occurs on the flat part of the pools. They can hatch all day long but usually the heaviest hatch is the last 2 hours of daylight. When you are fishing these streams you need to determine how the trout is feeding on these midges. Are they feeding on the adult midges on the top of the stream or are they feeding on the emergers as they come up from the bottom? If you see a little dimple on the surface, then that tells us he is feeding on the adult midge on the surface as he is cruising by. If you see a splashy riseform or if you see a trout jumping out of the water then he is feeding on the emerger. I like to use a Mr. Rapidan Midge Dry in a size 18 or 20 on a Classic 6X leader when fishing the adult midges. Even with the yellow on the Mr. Rapidan Midge, a size 18 or 20 is still hard to see. I like to put a Murray’s Fly Shop Indicator about 3 feet above my fly on the leader so that I can see it in the water. For the emergers, I like to use a Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle in Olive size 16. For more details on how I fish these midges, listen to my podcast. What Bass Fly Lines to Use? I have been testing many fly lines for bass fishing over the last 2 years. There are 3 bass fly lines that I particularly like. 1) NEW Scientific Anglers Mastery Bass Bug Floating Line, 2) Scientific Anglers Sonar Sink 30 Warm 200gr for fast and deep water and 3) Scientific Anglers Sonar Sink Tip III. Having these 3 lines in my best on extra spools covers all of my bass fishing throughout the year. For more information visit our website, or listen to my entire podcast.

Have you ever considered designing a new fly? Maybe you have seen many large bass chasing hog suckers in the shallows and you have no streamer that looks anything like a hog sucker. Or maybe you cannot find any dry fly that will fool the trout that are feeding on the heavy mayfly hatch that is on now. Maybe you should consider designing a fly. Many of the flies I’ve designed came about from situations similar to these. A logical approach is: * Examine the existing fly patterns in order to see why they are not effective.* Look back at the old masters in order to see how they met these challenges. Anglers such as Donald DuBois, Polly Rosborough, H. G. Tapply and Charlie Fox have all come up with many great flies.* Sort through your fly tying materials to see what you have to work with. Then scan the new material catalogs to get new ideas.* Tie several test patterns. Keep in mind the “appearance” of the fly to the fish is important but that the “action” of underwater flies to the fish is probably more important.* Take your test flies to the stream and fish them under various conditions. Keep score on which flies are most successful.* Go back to your fly tying vise and tie several new test patterns by incorporating the components and tying styles of the most effective flies.* Now go back to the stream and test your flies on the fish.* Finally, go back to your vise and tie your final fly. This method of designing a fly is very effective and it is a great amount of fun. Plus you have confidence in your final fly. I developed the Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly pictured above in much the way discussed above. Today, I use it all across the country because it matches 3 of the major hatches in the east and two in the Rockies. Read the history of the Mr. Rapidan Series of flies represents which represents the very essence of this article. Check out our “Fly Tying Weight Chart” for a comparison of many beads, weights and eyes from a variety of manufacturers.

Fly Fishing in December Podcast Fly Fishing in December on Large Trout Streams Fly Fishing in December can result in the large trout streams getting colder which cools the trout and decreases their metabolism and need for food. This also slows the nymph growth of the mayflies, stoneflies and caddis larva making this a small food source in the cold water. However the springs which enter these streams along the banks and in the stream bottom has a wonderful positive affect upon the trout and their food. These springs are much warmer than the actual stream water temperature which prompts the trout to feed. They often produce very large populations of Cress Bugs and Shrimp. It is easy to spot these springs which enter along the stream banks by the rich green weed growth they produce. The springs entering the stream from the bottom are often detected on our legs as we wade the stream. The cressbug and shrimp populations are heaviest immediately below these springs.  For example, there is a large spring input on Big Stoney Creek in Edinburg where the cress bug and shrimp population may extend downstream several hundred feet.  The Jackson River in the Hidden Valley Area has many springs that come from the stream bottom.  When you are wading this stream and detect the warm water on your legs then fish the area downstream carefully. My favorite patterns are Cress Bugs size 14 & 16, Murray’s Shrimp size 14 and Shenandoah Sowbug size 14.  In the East the cress bugs are present in larger numbers in most streams than the shrimp. In the Rockies the opposite is true. Fly Fishing in December for Bass I have a good friend who takes great pride about catching bass on the rivers in the winter. He recently called me and said he was out fishing for about 8 hours. He only caught one bass but he was very proud that it was over 5 pounds. That’s about the story of winter bass fly fishing–we don’t catch many but have a chance of catching large bass. Typically these serious fishermen float the river for about 5 miles and only fish in the deepest pools. They anchor at the upstream end of each deep pool and use a fast sinking head fly line. I like to use a Sonar Sink 30 Warm Fly Line in 200grain with a 6ft 2X Fluorocarbon Leader. I like to use big flies such as a Murray’s Madtom Sculpin, black size 4 and Spuddler size 4. I swim these flies right along the stream bottom by stripping them 6 inches every 10 seconds. Another handy thing to have at this time of year is half finger fishing gloves so you keep your hands warm but still have open fingertips to change flies.

Fly Fishing in November Podcast by Harry Murray Trout Fly Fishing in November Fly fishing for trout in the stocked streams and delayed harvest areas is very productive in November.  Some of my favorite fly fishing is fishing dry flies to the trout I see feeding on the natural Blue Wing Olive Mayfly Spinners on the surface.  My favorite fly for this fishing is the Mr. Rapidan Spinner size 16 and Mr. Rapidan Parachute Dry size 16. When I spot a rising trout I move in cautiously about 30 feet downstream and use a slack line cast to present my fly 3 feet upstream of him on a current that will deliver it to him. Since the stocked trout are spread throughout the streams a good way to cover alot of water is to use a 2 fly nymph rig.  I use a Murray’s Dark Stonefly Nymph size 12 with a Murray’s Caddis Larva size 14 on a 2 foot 4X dropper below it. Fish this combination across stream with a slow twitching action right below the riffles, in the deep pools and below the undercut banks. This is a very effective method as you wade downstream from one pool to the next. Bass Fly Fishing in November Last month I discussed fishing Strymphs in the deep cuts which many bass move into as the water gets cold. The areas are still productive but many of the large bass seek feeding stations where the current is slower. The back eddies which form below the riffles on the slowest current side of the river now hold many bass. These eddies may range from 10 to 50 feet in diameter and from 4 to 8 feet deep. They can be fished by either wading along the side of the river or by floating in a boat. My goal in fishing eddies is to systematically swim my streamers  along the stream bottom with a slow stripping action. I want every bass there to see my flies. Very effective flies for me are the Murray’s Magnum Bluegill, Murray’s Magnum Creek Chub and Murray’s Darter all in size 4.

Fly Fishing in October Podcast by Harry Murray Fly Fishing in Stocked Trout Streams & Delayed Harvest Areas Many states stock large numbers of rainbows at this time in the large delayed harvest streams. Since these trout move throughout the length of these streams, a productive tactic is to use a streamer  to cover every possible feeding station.  Productive flies include the Shenandoah Silver Ghost, Shenandoah Skunk Streamer, Shenandoah Sunrise Streamer and Shenandoah Nine Three Streamer all in size 10. I start at the head of the pool, right below the riffle and cast across stream and allow the streamer to sink deeply. By stripping the streamer 6 inches every 10 seconds I can effectively mimic the natural swimming action of the minnows the trout feed upon. The two areas which I find very productive are the runs right below the riffles and the deep cuts below the undercut banks on the far side of the stream. By wading slowly downstream from pool to pool and covering these two feeding stations thoroughly you can catch many large trout. Fly Fishing for Bass Early in October the bass are spread throughout the river so you can catch many bass in the same feeding stations that produced all summer. The aquatic grassbeds, the riffles and the undercut shaded banks are all productive. However, by mid-October many large bass undergo a mini migration to the deeper parts of the river. Some of my  most productive areas are the deep cuts between the ledges that run across the river perpendicular to the current. These ledges may be 30 feet apart and some may be 200 feet apart. The water between them usually runs from 3 feet deep to 6 feet deep and the fishing is outstanding because in October many bass feed here.  One of my most productive tactics is to wade into the river immediately below the downstream side of the ledge.  The Murray’s Olive Strymph is very effective because it matches both the minnows and nymphs which the bass feed on in these cuts. From my position below the ledge,  I cast my strymph upstream and up and across stream to fan my casts over all of the lower part of the pool as I wade slowly across the river. A slow line hand stripping action–about 6 inches every 10 seconds–swims my Strymph right along the stream bottom.  

Fly Fishing in September Podcast by Harry Murray Trout Fly Fishing The rains we received throughout the summer have been great for our mountain trout streams. The heads of the streams and small feeder branches that can be reached by coming in from the trail heads on the Skyline Drive and national forest roads are giving us great dry fly fishing. You will want to use what I call my change of pace fly series:  Moth, Housefly, Horsefly, Flying Beetle, Inchworm, Little Dark Stonefly Dry all on a 6X leader. I am finding many of the trout in these mountain trout streams either in the corner of the pool or in the lip of the pool.  If you have my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park, see page 31 for more information on identifying these feeding stations. Handle these trout carefully when you return them to the stream because they will start spawning in October. Bass Fly Fishing I believer the off and on discolored water will give us excellent smallmouth fishing in September.  If I am standing in knee deep water and I can see my feet then I consider the river fishable.   Plan on carrying a sinking tip line for your rod as well as your favorite floating line.  I recently caught a very large smallmouth on a Murray’s Heavy Black Hellgrammite size 4. However I would plan to carry a variety of flies to meet the ever changing stream conditions.  My five favorite flies (in addition to the Hellgrammite) are: *  Magnum Hog Sucker size 4 *  Magnum Darter size 4 * Murray’s Crayfish size 6 * Tungsten Cone Head Marauder, Olive size 4 * Shenandoah Blue Popper size 4 You will just have to experiment because one fly might work well one day and then not work the next day–it just depends on the conditions. This month I am starting my 2-hour fly fishing workshops in the fly shop in Edinburg, VA.  I will be conducting some fly casting classes this month and will continue on throughout the fall and winter with some other topics.  For a complete list of workshops visit our website.

Fly Fishing Around High Water Levels Fly Fishing Tips Podcast by Harry Murray Trout Fishing Many of you are itching to get on the mountain trout streams and enjoy the trout fishing. As many of you know this time of the year usually provides extremely low water levels.  This year, that is not the case.  The heavy rains we have been receiving all summer have prolonged the trout fishing in these native brook trout streams.  Although now you have to find a stream that doesn’t have high water.  In this podcast I am discussing how to fish the mountain trout streams and how to get to the best water levels.  I am fishing the upper reaches of these streams to get to the better water and fishing dry flies in the corner of the pool.  (See page 31 of my book Trout Fishing in the Shenandoah National Park for more information.)  A Murray’s Flying Beetle size 14 seldom lets me down. Bass Fishing There are several feeder streams that run into the North Fork of the Shenandoah River causing different water levels at different areas.  In times like this summer, with the heavy rains, if you can get upstream of those feeder streams then you can usually get above the higher water and get some good fishing.  With the river being discolored my rule of thumb is if I am standing in the river knee deep and I can see my feet then I should get some good fishing.  A Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite, Black size 4, Magnum Darter size 4, and Magnum HogSucker size 4 work well in the slightly discolored water. Remember to wade safely and carefully!  I always have my Folstaf Wading Staff with me not only for stability but to also help me see or feel the step in front of me.