UPDATE October 30--Both the North Fork and the South Fork of the Shenandoah River are high and discolored this morning from the rains yesterday. It will take a few days to clear.
Original Post on October 28--Some of the large deep pools in our smallmouth rivers hold boulders which are 4-5 feet in diameter. The natural crayfish hunker below the ledges of the boulders and move around in darting two-inch jumps to feed. This is the action I mimic with my Murray's Crayfish. If the current is only moderate, I use a floating fly line with a 2X Bright Butt Leader. If the current is fast I use a Sink Tip III line with a Murray's Fluorocarbon 6ft 2X leader. Many large bass feed on crayfish here so be patient and fish the whole area thoroughly. The water temperature is cooling off so the bass will continue to move to deeper pools. The Murray's Tungsten Marauder in size 4 is a great streamer that is heavy enough to get in the deeper pools. Fish this as deep and slowly as you can.
The North Fork of the Shenandoah River is clear and fishable. You will do best by wading the access places from Mount Jackson to Woodstock. If you need help on where to go, stop by or call the fly shop and we can help you find some good areas.
The South Fork of the Shenandoah River is clear and fishable. A lot of people prefer to float this section so they can get to the different areas of the river. For more information on the public access stop by the fly shop or see my book Virginia Blue Ribbon Streams.