Note: As of 7/23, the water has dropped back to 30 CFS. While our tactics are still the same, be careful to limit your wading.

With thunderstorms hitting the area quite often this past week, the city raised the flows to 50 CFS. Although this may not seem like a significant jump, the added water will give the fish more security and more food to eat. Unlike other creeks and rivers in the mid-Atlantic, the Gunpowder has stayed cool through the heat and low water, with temperatures swinging from 50-55 degrees through the day. Fishing terrestrials have been the most successful method lately. Lots of fish looking for the bigger beetles, ants and even hoppers throughout the Gunpowder. Stop in the shop to pick up some of the many terrestrial patterns we have.

Nymphing will be more effective now that the water is higher. The added flows will allow you to get closer to the fish, but you should still limit your wading. The best water to nymph is often close to big structure or current. Even with added flow, the smaller mayfly and midge imitations have worked the best.

A foggy July morning on the Gunpowder.

This past week the water has dropped down to our low summer flows at 30 cfs and is swinging from 50-58 degrees as the day goes on. Fishing has been particularly good in the morning before the water starts to heat up. Fishing a caddis in the riffles and faster water has been effective, while targeting the banks and structure with terrestrials has brought up fish for many. One of the most effective methods to fish this time of year is a dry-dropper. A midge or small mayfly imitation dropped off the back of a caddis or beetle allows you to effectively nymph but staying subtle enough to not spook the fish you’re targeting.

If you are really itching to nymph, tight-line nymphing is the way to go. A hefty indicator can often spook fish this time of year, so by getting rid of it you increase your likelihood of getting some fish to net. Targeting the faster runs and deeper pools will also increase your chances and will allow you to still get close to those fish in the low water.

As just about everyone in the Baltimore area has seen (and heard) the cicadas are out in full force. Water levels on the gunpowder this week are just over 80cfs at falls rd. Now is a great time to get out and splash down your favorite cicada pattern in hopes of finding an opportunistic trout, especially on hot and sunny days when the cicadas are most active. The BWA staff have spotted a few trout eating cicadas and caught a number of them on cicada patterns, but it’s important to remember that the gunpowder trout don’t remember 17 years ago. So it may take a little longer for the fish to recognize what a delicious and protein filled meal a cicada is. If you don’t feel like tying your own, we have a number of different cicada patterns in the shop that are proving to be very effective. Although cicadas have our full attention, we can’t forget about the other bugs on the Gunpowder. We’ve been seeing healthy hatches of sulphurs in the river, especially at the access points up-river from York rd. When fishing during a sulphur hatch I recommend having a few different patterns in hand including a high floating pattern and a low floating pattern. Gunpowder fish are fast learners so switching back and forth between a comparadun style sulphur and a more traditional “Catskill” style sulphur is a great way to keep the fish on their toes and catch a few extra.