Fishing Report

The river levels are low and the bass are easily spooked so wade carefully.  The ideal times to be on the river are early morning and late in the evening.  If you are out on a bright sunny day, be sure to fish the shady banks as the bass do not like the bright sunlight. The Shenk's White Streamer size 6, Shenandoah Chartreuse Chugger size 6, and Murray's Dying Minnow (Dace) size 6 have been working well this week. Fish these on a Bright Butt 9ft 2X or a Classic 9ft 2X Leader. Both the North Fork and the South...

The native brook trout streams in the Shenandoah National Park are extremely low and are getting warm (around 65 degrees). Therefore the trout are very wary and not feeding as actively as they would in the spring time. Wade very carefully and hide your approach so that you do not spook the trout. An effective tactic to catch challenging trout in mountain streams is to fish a Murray's Purple Dun (that I discussed in last weeks report) with a Mr. Rapidan Soft Hackle (Olive) Nymph size 16 on an 18-inch dropper below it. Fish this upstream dead drift to cover...

We have had several people calling in about the safety conditions of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River.  Please note the affected area is in the Bethel Road area downstream to the town of Strasburg.  Not all of the North Fork of the Shenandoah is affected by this condition. 

This past week the fishing on the Shenandoah River has been exceptionally good.  The Shenk's White Streamer size 6, Murray's Olive Marauder size 6, and Murray's Olive Crayfish size 6 have been productive in our schools and our own personal fishing. Fish all of these on a 2X Bright Butt Leader. Early morning and the last couple of hours before dark have been the best.  The North Fork and South Fork of the Shenandoah River are clear and fishable. If you need help on access, stop by the fly shop in Edinburg or see my book Virginia Blue Ribbon Streams. ...

Earlier this week I went to several mountain trout streams and found the conditions to be tough.  The water levels are low and the water temperature was running around 65 degrees. Therefore the trout are wary and not feeding as actively as they were several weeks ago.  Many years ago, Richard Parks suggested I try a purple dry fly as we floated the Yellowstone River. Although I laughed at him, we caught many trout on them. So this week, I tried the Murray's Purple Dun size 16 on the mountain streams.  I had success with that and the Murray's Flying...