The Gunpowder river is resilient. After countless flood watches this week the river is in great shape. It is currently flowing at 119 CFs, is 59 F, and is clear from Masemore Rd upstream. Bunkerhill, York, and Big Falls Rd access points also look great. The river is a little off color upstream of the Blue Mount Rd access but should be clearing quickly. Remember folks, the Gunpowder river flows through over 3,600 acres of State park land and protected under a Maryland state “wildlands” designation. By comparison, the North Branch at Barnum is flowing 2, 850 Cfs. Caddis emergers and dries and small traditional streamers have been the ticket each morning this week. Sulphurs duns and, not surprisingly, given the cloud cover, blue winged olives have been hatching sporadically throughout the rainy afternoons. Concentrated Sulphur spinner falls are still worth waiting for. The Sulphurs are getting smaller with more #18’s spotted in the past few evenings. So, bring a light, a magnifier, a sense of humor and join the crowd-it will be worth it…

The following stream report and picture was provided by Backwater Angler staffer Alex McCrickard,

In the past week, anglers fishing the Gunpowder River have had great dry fly action. Caddis in sizes # 16 – 18 in tan and olive have been emerging throughout the morning and into the middle part of the day. The sulphurs are still hatching and in prolific numbers. The bugs have scaled down to sizes #16 and #18. Duns have been emerging in the middle part of the day increasing in numbers as the day goes on. The sulphur spinner fall has brought nearly all the fish in the river to the surface lately. The last hour before dark has been extremely productive as spinners have been laying their yellow eggs over the water. The birds and trout have responded as feeding frenzies usually start every evening. Anglers need to fish long and light leaders, tapered in 7X. A rusty spinner pattern or Mike Bachkosky’s sulphur quill bodied spinner have been producing lots of fish. During the day, search the riffles and pockets with bushy dun patterns. A lot of anglers have been fishing tandem dry fly rigs. A size # 16 compardun with a size # 18 loop wing emerger dropped 18 inches on 7X is a good bet. Small pheasant tails and hares ears in sizes #16 through # 18 have also been producing.
Working in the shop for the past few days I have received reports from people fishing the sulphur hatch at different access points along the river. Pretty much anywhere in the 7.2 mile stretch of Catch and Release water is fishing great. Reports of steady spinner falls at Falls, Masemore, Bunker Hill, and Big Falls show that the hatch seems to be just about everywhere. Last weekend I managed to spend some time fishing at Monkton Station. Lime sallies and sulphurs in sizes # 14 and # 18 respectively were coming off and the fish were feeding. The fishing is good so definitely wet a line before the hatch tapers down as the month goes on.

While most of the folks South of us are building arks, we missed most, if not all of the rain last night in the Hereford Zone. The Gunpowder river is flowing at 62Cfs, is clear and 60 F. With air temps approaching the mid-80’s, wet wading is certainly an option. We have some great new CDC loop wing emergers, duns, soft hackles and spinners designed by Eric Stroup in the muffin tins on the front counter. Small elk hair caddis, tiny grey midges and feather winged spinners have also been tricking wild fish.

Following are two very different stream reports. The first is from a Gunpowder guide from the past weekend,

Hi Theaux,
Fishing was good right from the start (5pm) and actually slowed down towards dark. Wasn’t really counting but would guess 8-10 released (the first was by far the biggest and was a nice one about 13 in). Went to York and I would have been the 101st car, so turned around and went to Big Falls. Fish were rising upstream of the bridge, the first kayaks through put them down, after that, it was 200 yards or so to find more rising fish, then tubers ….and another 100 yds to find the third group of rising fish. Have no idea what they were rising to. Saw about 1 sulfur per 5 min, millions of midges and one big bug (size 10) that I never got a good look at because the fish ate them before any got off the water.. Go figure, but I took all the fish on a size 18 caddis; worked from the start so I never changed. Also, I was the only one fishing and only three groups of kayaks and tubers came by. Hope to see you again soon.
Regards,
the wood elf

And this one is from a Backwater Angler Staffer from Tuesday evening.

Hey Theaux,
Thought I’d let you know how well I did on Monday evening fishing above Falls. I started fishing at about 6:30 and was immediately catching fish on a sulphur soft hackle. At about 7:30 I switched to a size 16 sulphur dun and caught about a dozen fish in the riffles. Right before dark I tied on a dark spinner pattern that I tie, and caught about 8 more fish on that. Its safe to say that the sulphurs are still out there, and that the fishing is best towards dark.
Thanks!
Max Meneveau

Concentrated spinner falls between dusk and dark have been consistent throughout most of the catch and release section. However, stream reports have been varied owing to factors like section of stream one is fishing and most importantly, how late in the evening folks are fishing. Remember that if you’re not fishing your chances of catching fish are slim. This week , find a way to spend some time on the river. The first step is to point the car towards the river…what you tell your co-worker, spouse or friend is up to you…