Fishing Report

Often while you are smallmouth bass fishing, you will see several large carp feeding on the stream bottom in water 1-2 feet deep.  These carp are wary so wade carefully to get in casting position.  I use an Olive Marauder size 8, Murray's Carp Fly (in brown or olive) size 6, and a Skunk Road Kill size 8.  See our Carp Fly Special This week in our personal fishing, schools, and guide trips the Olive Marauder, Murray's Crayfish, and Shenandoah Blue Popper (on a Bright Butt 9ft 2X Leader)  have been working well. Both the North Fork and South Fork...

The trout fishing in the mountain trout streams is getting tough.  The streams are low and clear therefore the trout are very wary.   If you raise a trout on a mountain trout stream to several flies but he will not take any, then put on a Murray's Flying Beetle size 16 on a 6X leader.  Watch him closely and when he comes up splash your Flying Beetle straight out from him and 6 inches downstream of him. In most cases, he'll turn and grab the beetle. Murray's Flying Beetle You will get better water temperatures by fishing the headwaters of...

We have had some localized thunderstorms and rain showers over the last few days but so far we have not had enough rain to affect the river conditions. The North and South Fork of the Shenandoah River are clear so wade carefully.  Often when we are smallmouth fishing at this time of year, we will see carp feeding and we can't resist them.  We often see them "tailing" in water one to three feet deep. We spot them by seeing muddy water streaming downstream from their bottom feeding in water 4 to 6 feet deep. I use a Murray's Carp...

The native brook trout streams in the mountains are low and spooky. Be very careful about hiding your approach even if you have to go to your hands and knees and sneak up to the stream. With the streams being low the fish are wary.  My favorite fly for these streams at this time of year is the Murray's Flying Beetle in a size 14 or 16. I fish these on a 6X leader to rising trout and to cover the water. With over 200 beetle-type insects along our trout streams, it is easy to see why the trout take...

The trout are feeding heavily on both the adult caddisflies and the pupa so a good tactic is to fish the Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Caddis, Olive size 16 with a Murray's Olive Caddis Pupa size 14 on an 18-inch 6X dropper below it. Fish this upstream dead drift below the riffles and along the gravel bars. Use a Murray's Classic Leader 7 1/2ft 6X. The stream levels in the Shenandoah National Park are getting low and you will get your best water temperatures by coming in from the Skyline Drive. The water temperature has been around 63 degrees on...