Streamers are effective throughout the fall. How late into the season this action will last depends upon how quickly cold weather approaches. Normally I experience good smallmouth fishing on the Shenandoah drainage until mid October. However, some years I do well on into mid November.
Hellgrammites are found in good numbers throughout the entire Shenandoah system. Murray’s Heavy Hellgrammite in black and also olive are some of the most productive flies.
When fishing Hellgrammites I get best results by fishing them close to the stream bottom over rocks softball- basketball size. Natural hellgrammites are often concentrated below strong riffles, so it is wise to fish these areas carefully. Unfortunately, the strong currents here often make it difficult to work the streamer across the stream bottom before it is swept out of the productive water. By teaching the students in my fly fishing schools the technique of working these areas down and across stream with a moderately fast sinking tip fly line they often take some sizeable bass that couldn’t have been reached with a floating line. Remember, when using a sinking tip fly line a short leader will help keep your fly close to the bottom. A Murray’s 6ft Fluorocarbon Sinking 2X Leader is excellent.
Chub Minnows
Chub minnows abound throughout the Shenandoah drainage. Shenk’s White Streamers and Murray’s Magnum Creek Chub both in size 4 are excellent chub imitators. By working the heavy water in the upper parts of the pools and the deep cuts between ledges with a down and across presentation you’ll take a good number of nice smallmouth in the fall. A slightly different ploy which works well with chub patterns is what I call the “bounce retrieve”. Here the streamer is cast up or up and across stream at a very slight angle on a short line and allowed to sink to the bottom. Then, keeping a tight line with the line hand the rod is methodically raised and lowered about every three or four feet of the drift. The goal is slowly jig the streamer along the stream bottom.