# S8, Ep 39: High Water Strategies: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Insights

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-articulate-fly-1052360/s8-ep-39-high-water-strategies-captain-brian-shumaker-s-pennsylvania-smallmouth-insights
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-articulate-fly-1052360/s8-ep-39-high-water-strategies-captain-brian-shumaker-s-pennsylvania-smallmouth-insights.md
Podcast: [The Articulate Fly](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-articulate-fly-1052360)
Published: 2026-06-04T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://fly-fishing-podcast.thearticulatefly.com/s8-ep-39-pa-smallmouth-report-brian-shumaker-fishing-high-water
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/d4235f2d-42bf-4525-ae44-19f147cfe8a0.mp3
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Duration seconds: 505

## Resource

Episode Overview In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash reconnects with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for an early-June conditions check on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in Central Pennsylvania. Recent heavy rainfall pushed both systems well above normal — the Susquehanna approaching 12 feet, the Juniata topping 10 — and Brian breaks down how he's fishing the receding flows and what anglers can expect as the post-spawn transition plays out through summer. Brian walks through his high-water strategy in practical terms: pounding banks where rising water has pushed smallmouth tight to structure, reading fish mood through fly rotation, and knowing when to abandon streamers in favor of crayfish patterns on the bottom when visibility collapses. He explains his color logic for stained water — bigger profiles, darker tones when the water is heavily colored, lighter options as clarity returns — and how he uses river gauge readings in feet rather than CFS to make positioning decisions on the water. The conversation also looks ahead to the summer outlook, contrasting the good-conditions scenario if periodic rains continue with the low, clear, finesse-game reality that sets in by mid-July in a dry year, and confirms that Fourth of July remains the reliable benchmark for prime topwater smallmouth fishing with poppers on the Susquehanna system. Key Takeaways How to keep smallmouth in play during high flows by targeting bank structure where rising water has concentrated fish. Why fly color selection should track water clarity — blacks and purples in heavy stain, transitioning to olives and lighter colors as visibility improves. When to commit fully to bottom-fished crayfish patterns rather than cont…

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## Transcript

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