Brian Shumaker
Guide | Hosted Travel
Brian Shumaker is the owner of Susquehanna River Guides, specializing in fly-fishing for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River that runs through Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River is a fertile limestone river and home to one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the East. This majestic river is rich in food, with rock ledges and wide shallow riffles laden with nymphs, crayfish and other foods. This environment ensures prolific hatches and rapid growth rates and holds the promise of thrilling smallmouth fishing!
Brian’s love of fishing started at an early age, encouraged by his father. After years of exploring the fascinating island-studded river, Brian started Susquehanna River Guides in 1993 as a way to share his love of the river and fly fishing with others. Today, clients from every reach of the U.S. and as far away as Canada travel to Central Pennsylvania to discover the thrill of fly fishing for smallmouth bass.
Off the river, Brian is active with various organizations, including Smallmouth Alliance and Trout Unlimited, and has been a guest speaker for many local and regional organizations. Publications such as Fly Fish America have covered Susquehanna River Guides, as well as regional newspapers and publications.
59
Aug. 12, 2026
S8, Ep 59: Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report: Captain Brian Shumaker's Late Summer Strategies
Episode Overview On this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for a mid-August conditions update on the Susquehanna River system in Central Pennsylvania. After a heavy rain event pushed the river up, Shumaker reports flows are now falling and clarity is returning, with roughly two feet of visibility on the edges and more color still out in the main current. That in-between...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
56
July 29, 2026
S8, Ep 56: Topwater Tactics: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report
Episode Overview On this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for a peak-summer conditions update on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in Central Pennsylvania. Flows are running skinny with a stretch of cool mornings and low humidity, with rain in the forecast to bump levels back up. Shumaker breaks down a topwater program built around a heavy blue damsel bite, the arriva...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
52
July 15, 2026
S8, Ep 52: Hot Days and Night Bites: Brian Shumaker’s Guide to Pennsylvania Smallmouth Fishing
Episode Overview In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for a midsummer conditions update on the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in Central Pennsylvania. Recorded following a stretch of triple-digit heat punctuated by heavy rain, the report finds Shumaker firmly in prime topwater season, with blue damselflies coming off heavy from late morning into the evenings and the ...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
48
July 1, 2026
S8, Ep 48: Summer Heat Strategies: Captain Brian Shumaker's Smallmouth Tips
Episode Overview A scorching Fourth of July heat wave is bearing down on Central Pennsylvania, and the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers are about to test every smallmouth angler's heat tolerance. On this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report from The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for a candid, safety-first conversation about fishing smallmouth bass through triple-digit conditions. With water temperatures pushin...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
43
June 19, 2026
S8, Ep 43: Smallmouth Strategies and Seasonal Shifts: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Report
Episode Overview In this Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly fly fishing podcast, host Marvin Cash checks in with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides for an early summer conditions update on the Susquehanna River system in central Pennsylvania. With late spawners still working through a post-spawn funk and a stretch of volatile weather keeping temperatures yo-yoing between the 70s and the low 90s, Shumaker explains why the region hasn't fully transitioned to to...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
39
June 4, 2026
S8, Ep 39: High Water Strategies: Captain Brian Shumaker's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Insights
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...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
34
May 21, 2026
S8, Ep 34: Frog Patterns and Fishing Strategies: Brian Shumaker's Late Spring Smallmouth Report
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 a timely late-spring conditions check on the Susquehanna River system. The frog bite has been exceptional — two solid weeks of deer hair bug action — and Brian breaks down exactly how to rig, dress and present deer hair frogs for surface-eating smallmouth before the post-spawn funk sets in. Beyond the fishing...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
31
May 7, 2026
S8, Ep 31: Chasing Smallmouth: Brian Shumaker's Adaptations for Unpredictable Spring Weather
Episode Overview The Articulate Fly's Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report returns with Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides, delivering a timely mid-spring conditions update for the Susquehanna River system in Central Pennsylvania. This episode cuts straight to the practical challenge facing every Mid-Atlantic smallmouth angler right now: how to fish effectively when an extreme pattern of temperature swings — 80°F one day, back to the 50s by mid-week — is compressing and disrupting t...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
27
April 22, 2026
S8, Ep 27: The Pre-Spawn Puzzle: Captain Brian Shumaker's Tips for Pennsylvania Smallmouth
Episode Overview This fly fishing podcast episode launches the inaugural Pennsylvania Smallmouth Report on The Articulate Fly, featuring host Marvin Cash and Captain Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides. The episode arrives at a pivotal moment in the Pennsylvania smallmouth spawn cycle, with an unseasonably volatile spring — swings from the upper 50s to the 70s in water temperature within days — compressing what is normally a methodical, staggered spawn into a chaotic quest to pattern p...
Guest: Brian Shumaker
51
May 3, 2022
S4, Ep 51: SMALLIE REDUX: Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides
We love chasing smallmouth bass on the fly! As smallmouth season gets into full swing, we are reaching into the vault to bring you some of our favorite smallie interviews. Next up is Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides! This interview dropped in May 2020. Thanks to our friends at Norvise for sponsoring the episode. Give it listen! Here are the original show notes with all of the episode details.
Guest: Brian Shumaker
57
May 14, 2020
S2, Ep 57: Brian Shumaker of Susquehanna River Guides
In this episode, I catch up with Brian Shumaker, owner of Susquehanna River Guides. We talk about growing up in Pennsylvania, how he got into the guide game and take a deep dive into all things smallmouth. Thanks to this episode’s sponsor, Norvise. Follow Brian on Social Media Facebook Instagram Subscribe to the Podcast or, Even Better, Download Our App Download our mobile app for free from the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store or the Amazon Android Store. Subscribe to the podca...
Guest: Brian Shumaker