November Fishing Report and Holiday Specials

Check out the most current fishing reports for a variety of rivers. Provided by Hyde's professional Pro Staff fishing guides located all over the United States and Canada.

Shenandoah Valley - Virginia

Smallmouth Bass Fishing: The North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River continue to cool down, 53 degrees, and the Smallmouth Bass have begun to migrate to slower and deeper winter holding water. We are still finding a few fish willing to eat a fly but it is nothing like August. A sink tip fly line, 3x fluorocarbon tippet and a few nymphs like a Heavy Hellgrammite #6 or #8 or streamers such as an Olive Marauder #6 fished slowly have both worked in recent days. Focus your efforts on the middle of the day, which correlates to the warmest water temperatures and hopefully the most active fish.

Brook Trout Fishing: The Brook Trout are spawning in our mountain streams and thanks to mother nature bringing some much needed precipitation, it looks like a great spawn is occurring. We strongly discourage fishing to the Brookies from now until late February when the eggs hatch.

Stocked Trout Streams: Big Stony and Passage Creek (Delayed Harvest Section) have both been stocked within the last two weeks. Nymphs such as a Mr. Rapidan Bead Head #12 and Streamers like a Pearl or Black Marauder #10 will allow you to cover the water thoroughly and provide good action. Dry fly fishing has been good in the late afternoon with Caddisflies and, on overcast days, BWO's. I like to use 4x tippet for underwater presentations and 5x tippet for dry flies. These streams are still low and clear so use a cautious approach.

Jeffrey Murray              540.984.4212
Professional Guide          info@murraysflyshop.com
Murray's Fly Shop           www.murraysflyshop.com

Pere Marquette - Michigan

Pere Marquette River and surrounding rivers are running very clear and even low considering the time of year, and while we had a good two weeks of steelhead fishing when that big wind storm came through, it has been thinning since!! Rain would put us back on track and though we are still getting some good numbers of fish in select areas, if you don't have game you will be coming up short with most all fish now wearing graduation caps. Water temps are in the High 40's and even lower 50's pending where you're fishing but all rivers around the area are experiencing a little lull in the fishing due to the lack of rain this and last month to trigger new movements from the Big Lake.

Average Steelhead we are taking is around 7lbs with the Skippers mixed in, but most fish are full of energy and willing to take a shot at the title. We have lost a few really nice fish, (up to 15lbs likely), but those fish this time of year are like trying to hang onto a mongoose on Starbucks under water!! Fishing pressure has dimmed a lot thanks to the absence of Salmon thankfully, and the river should be almost vacant and fishing well in just a week or so with the Gun Opener on the 15th taking care of the rest of the fishing pressure.

Brown trout fishing is very possible and even productive on the cloudy days though many are in fact spawning now so try and leave all those pretty little couples alone while they do their thing. Those fish willing to chase streamers will be likely roaming around bedding areas, but if your looking to put some inches on the board, retreating to the down and dirty egg patterns will NUKE them in select areas! Tippet size and even egg size play a huge role right now with the "Eggin", but if you throwing "THE MEAT" at them, aka... streamers, tippets won't be a big deal at all; try and run some olive sculpins right now, they love that color when the water gins like it has!! Good Luck & Good Fishing....

Tommy Lynch                 231-898-4832
Professional Guide           www.TheFishWhisperer.com
                                       www.HawkinsFlyFishing.com