As a kid I seined hellgrammites in the riffles of the river to use for bait for smallmouth. After college I tried many commercially tied hellgrammites in my fly fishing but none worked the way I thought they should. Each was beautifully tied, but unsuccessful in catching fish.
I started experimenting with a variety of materials and tying techniques for the next several years. To see how the real hellgrammites acted in the river, I seined ten hellgrammites from the river. Wading into hip deep water, I dropped them into the river one by one and watched closely. Each one swam downstream with a pronounced undulating motion as he headed for the stream bottom.
This swimming undulating action I had never been able to duplicate with my flies and probably explained by lack of success. A good friend was experimenting with ostrich herl in some musky streamers and suggested I try that. Around that time I was fishing with Charlie Brooks on the Madison River. Brooks knew I was experimenting with my hellgrammite and suggested I tie it “in the round”. So with the two suggestions the ground work was laid for the Murray’s Hellgrammite. It’s action catches many smallmouth bass whether it is fished upstream or downstream or across stream.
Use As A Dropper
Hellgrammites have a 3-year life cycle so there is always an abundance in the river. If you are on the smallmouth streams around July to September and have seen the white cotton looking blotches on the green leaves hanging over the river banks, then you have seen the eggs. The Murray’s Hellgrammite (tied in regular style and heavy style) can be fished by itself or as a dropper below a popper. Lots of times I will tie on a Shenandoah Blue Popper size 4 with a Murray’s Hellgrammite on a 2ft dropper below the popper. Fish this in water 3-5 feet deep along the shady banks. Often the bass will strike on one or the other.