The View From Harry's Window - A Fly Fishing Blog - Page 3 of 35 - Murray's Fly Shop Blog covering timely fly fishing advice for the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. <h1>Expert Fly Fishing Tips, Gear Reviews, and Stream Updates</h1>

Streamers for Bass in the Fall

September 20, 2023August 29, 2023Harry

Streamers are effective throughout the fall. How late into the season this action will last depends upon how quickly cold weather approaches. Normally [...]

Smallmouth Shade

September 15, 2023September 2, 2023Harry

One day my son, some friends and I were all fishing for smallmouth on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Toward the [...]

Hexagenia Mayfly

September 12, 2023September 2, 2023Harry

September is known for the Hexagenia. One evening a couple of years ago I was fishing with a Chugger on the Shenandoah River [...]

Popper fly fishing on the SHenandoah River

Popper Fishing in the Fall

September 6, 2023August 29, 2023Harry

Take advantage of the popper fishing before the streams get to cold. More large smallmouth bass are taken on Virginia’s Shenandoah River during [...]

Fly Fishing in September

September 1, 2023August 31, 2023Harry

Fly fishing in September can be excellent with chub and dace minnows. As the rivers get lower it opens the doors for smallmouth [...]

Hog Sucker

August 29, 2023August 12, 2023Harry

The Murray’s Hog Sucker is one of our very best flies when we are seeking large bass. It is very effective in the [...]

Goggle Eye Are Back

August 24, 2023August 11, 2023Harry

Whether you call him a goggle eye, red eye, or rock bass, most fly fishermen are glad this fish is increasing in numbers. [...]

Bass Fly Rod

August 18, 2023August 11, 2023Harry

I consider the smallmouth bass to be the gentleman of the warmwater species. As such fly fishing for them has picked up many [...]

Tippet and leader material for fly fishing

Tippet Size

August 16, 2023August 5, 2023Harry

I am often asked, “What size tippet should I be using?” In our on the stream fly fishing schools this topic is discussed [...]

Hard Head Bugs

August 8, 2023August 5, 2023Harry

The action imparted to hard head bugs is governed by the shape of the bug and the cut of its face. I assign [...]

Fly Fishing in August

August 2, 2023August 9, 2023Harry

A good approach to fly fishing in August is to use a popper with a dropper. A good friend of mine caught a [...]

Terrestrials For Trout

July 27, 2023July 13, 2023Harry

Many trout couldn’t live without terrestrials! When the aquatic insect hatches are over for the season the trout live on the great profusion [...]

Bass Skaters

July 25, 2023July 13, 2023Harry

Ever used bass skaters while smallmouth fishing? One hot July afternoon on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River I decided to experiment. [...]

Deer Hair Bugs for Bass

July 20, 2023July 13, 2023Harry

I just enjoy fishing deer hair bugs for smallmouth bass. I feel I’m following the standards which Ray Bergman and H.G. Tapply developed [...]

Fly Fishing in Ponds

July 17, 2023July 13, 2023Harry

Recently I have had more customers asking about fly fishing in ponds and what flies to use. I lived on a farm west [...]

Crickets & Hoppers

July 12, 2023June 17, 2023Harry

Let’s talk about using crickets and hoppers for smallmouth bass fishing. Several years ago my son and I floated the James River. We [...]

Fishing With Dragonflies

July 6, 2023June 17, 2023Harry

There are great numbers of adult dragonflies flying above the surface of the river. These insects are powerful flyers. The bass catch very [...]

Bass Nymphs

July 5, 2023June 24, 2023Harry

For many years bass fishermen have relied on streamers, poppers, and deer hair surface bugs. However in the last several years I have [...]

Fly Fishing in July

June 29, 2023June 24, 2023Harry

Fly fishing on the smallmouth bass rivers can be excellent in July. This years young hog suckers are large enough to provide an [...]

Crayfish

June 28, 2023October 30, 2024Harry

In our fly fishing schools and guide trips a crayfish pattern is always recommended. My guides are seeing more crayfish scooting along the [...]

Bass Flies for Low Water

June 20, 2023June 17, 2023Harry

Every year I have customers asking, “What bass flies should I be using in the low water conditions?” In early summer when the [...]

Three Fly Rig

June 8, 2023May 19, 2023Harry

My son and I have been playing around with a three fly rig for smallmouth bass. Some anglers are reluctant to fish a [...]

Bass Fly

June 6, 2023May 19, 2023Harry

Last summer a good friend caught the largest smallmouth on a bass fly that he had created. This was the largest bass that [...]

Trico

June 1, 2023July 29, 2024Harry

Many years ago I fished the trico hatch on Falling Springs often. There were about a dozen of us who fished it regularly [...]

Fly Fishing in June

May 31, 2023May 27, 2023Harry

The month of June can provide some excellent fly fishing on both the smallmouth and native brook trout streams. Let’s discuss the smallmouth [...]

Damselflies for Smallmouth Bass

May 23, 2023May 11, 2023Harry

The delicate damselflies seen flying over the rivers from late May until October have appeal to the bass. They are 1-2 inches long [...]

Inchworm

May 16, 2023May 11, 2023Harry

When you spot trout rising to feed on the surface and there is no hatch, there is a good chance the trout are [...]

Little Yellow Stonefly

May 12, 2023May 10, 2023Harry

If you have been on the trout streams recently then you have probably been seeing the Little Yellow Stonefly hatch. The nymphs of [...]

Dry Flies for Bass

May 9, 2023May 6, 2023Harry

Many of my customers have asked for information on fishing dry flies for smallmouth bass. I could tell they were serious because they [...]

Fly Fishing in May

May 1, 2023April 29, 2023Harry

Fly fishing in May is wonderful because of all the different hatches occurring on the brookie streams. We just received some much needed [...]

Fly Fishing in April

March 31, 2023March 24, 2023Harry

The hatches of three important mayflies and one caddisfly make fly fishing in April a favorite for many anglers. The Mr. Rapidan Dry [...]

Strikes on Small Mountain Streams

March 22, 2023January 28, 2023Harry

Today I am going to cover two different strikes I experience on the small mountain trout streams. Pop Strike There were eight wild [...]

Casting On Small Mountain Streams

March 14, 2023January 28, 2023Harry

Let’s discuss some different casting techniques that I use on the small mountain trout streams. Slack Line Casting Expect to catch the largest [...]

Bass Nymph Fly Fishing

March 10, 2023March 1, 2023Harry

With the unusual warm weather, most of us are ready to do some bass nymph fly fishing on the Shenandoah River. As the [...]

Mountain Trout Fly Rod

March 8, 2023January 27, 2023Harry

If you want one fly rod to fish all smallmouth mountain trout streams, let’s consider the desirable features. I want accurate fly presentations, [...]