Fly Fishing in July Podcast by Harry Murray

Fly fishing in July can be very exciting for both the trout fishing and the smallmouth bass fishing.  In this months fly fishing podcast I am going to cover the different hatches and insects we are currently seeing along the streams and how to fish them.

Trout  Fly Fishing

There is a heavy caddisfly hatch on the mountain trout streams right now.  You can expect to see many trout rising to feed on this hatch especially in the last two hours of daylight.  As the caddis pupa comes up to hatch out it will drift about 2 to 3 feet along the stream about an inch or so below the surface. The trout will easily feed on the drifting pupa and also feed on the adult caddis on the surface. Many times you can not discern as to which the trout is feeding on.  If you see a splashy riseform then the trout is going after the pupa.  If you see a dimply type riseform then the trout is feeding on the adult.  I like to fish a Mr. Rapidan Delta Wing Caddis, Tan size 14 on a Classic 9ft 5X Leader and then add a 2ft dropper with a Murray’s Magic Caddis Pupa either in olive or tan.  This way I am covering both the underwater and the surface which helps my chances of catching the trout.

Bass Fly Fishing

The bass rivers are starting to drop and I expect the fishing will be excellent in the next few weeks.  There are many damselflies and dragonflies flying along the creeks and rivers providing a hearty meal for the bass.  If you see a bass jumping into the air they are more than likely feeding on a damselfly or dragonfly that was buzzing along the stream surface.  Your main goal here is to mimic the action of the natural fly by skating your fly along the stream surface.  I like to put on a Mr. Rapidan Skater size 8 and dress it and my leader with Scientific Angler Fly Floatant then fish it with a slow skating action especially in the deep cuts of the river.  This seldom lets me down.