Much needed rain has arrived this week and the wind has finally knocked down. The Gunpowder River is flowing at an ideal 94.9 CFs and is clear with a little greenish tint. Water temps have been hovering around is 50.9 F and with higher flows will not likely warm up much throughout the day. Fishing streamers? Tossing a mix of zonkers and wooly buggers towards the wood is a good bet. For die hard nymphers, green weenies and unweighted pheasant tails are working fine. If your making the trek up to the dam get ready for midges and bring some 7x. The trails are in great shape so please limit your wading to protect the redds and be extra careful and mindful around riffles and tailouts.

The shop will be open this week on Friday and Saturday from 10 till 3.Stop in and spend $100 and get a free Backwater Angler hat while supplies last.

The Gunpowder is still moving at an average of 56 CFS with a steady temperature around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, water height has stayed consistent from our last report at about 1.72ft deep. Water clarity is currently very high, and it is important to remember that the trout can see you far better than you can see them. Long leaders of 9ft or more are a staple of these conditions. Focusing on presenting your flies correctly from a distance will greatly increase your chances of catching a fish and avoiding spooking any. The most apparent difference between this report and our previous one is that the fish seem to be back striking at dry flies on warmer days. Two specific flies have been attracting bites consistently, Griffith Gnats and Tricos. Smaller G-Gnats represent a cluster of midges clumped together on the water’s surface and larger ones take the form of adult caddis or dead mayflies. This pattern has a wide range of uses. Other noteworthy dry flies are October Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, and Goddard Caddis. These flies tend to be easier to cast and are large enough to tie a dry dropper on. Wet flies are certainly working as well with midges and nymphs proving quite effective. A Zebra Midge paired with a Hot Spot, Hares Ear, or Perdigon Nymph is a great combo. Weather conditions have been very tame, and the warmer weather may not last for long. Consider taking the opportunity to get out and fish. As always, come visit the shop to stock up on flies or gear for the river!

Stop by the shop to stock up on flies/gear this Sunday and get a free drake magazine and BWA hat with any purchase of $100 or more.

The Gunpowder river is currently moving at 56 CFS with an average temperature of 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Water height is steady at 1.72ft. Be mindful of where you wade and try not to disturb any redds. Recently, even on warmer days, I have chosen to stay away from dry flies. From my experience and the ever so useful chatter amongst fisherman in the shop, it seems the fish are choosing almost entirely wet flies. Zebra midges, orange hot spot nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs, and stone flies have been extra productive this week. I absolutely recommend having at least one of these flies in your box before heading to the Gunpowder. Tight lining has been lucrative, and the results are proof. I caught the fish shown above on a stone fly pattern yesterday and managed to get two other fish to the net as well in less than 1 hour. I happened to run into a fellow angler on the water who was happy to share that he netted three fish on a similar rig. It should be noted that the river is particularly beautiful this time of year. The image bellow shows that the trees are almost all in peak color change with a few exceptions. Vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and greens line the bank of the river. Get out there soon if you wish to see the leaves change because it won’t last for too long. A cold front has subsequently moved in today and conditions will soon change.

Stop by the shop to stock up on flies/gear this Sunday and get a free drake magazine and BWA hat with any purchase of $100 or more.

 Cold weather is slowly rolling in with the occasional warm day mixing things up. Fall fishing can be as tricky as it is good because of this variability. The river is moving at an average of 56 CFS with a steady temperature of around 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, river height is averaging 1.72 ft. It is important to keep in mind that the height gauge does not factor in deep pools so the water will be much deeper in certain sections. I have found that the warmer days bring with them good conditions for dry fly fishing. We have switched almost entirely from elk hair caddis to October caddis in favor of their bright orange coloration true to the caddis we see this time of year. In addition, tricos are still proving to be very effective on these days as well. On colder days I have been throwing almost entirely wet flies. Don’t count out the dry dropper rig though. Nymphs, midges, and streamers have all produced fish on these days. Pheasant tail nymphs and wooly buggers are the stars of the show. Black colored buggers have been very productive in deep pools where the water is not as clear. This coloration stands out well in dark / murky water allowing fish to spot the fly with ease. If you fish at dawn or dusk, you will want some bright colored streamers as well for a similar reason. When light levels are low the fish have trouble seeing flies. Thus, bright colors give you a better chance of catching the attention of a trout. Come visit the shop to grab some flies or book a guided trip. Good luck out there!

As of about 7:00am this morning flows on the Gunpowder have changed greatly and most importantly, for the better. The City of Baltimore has increased discharge out of the Pretty Boy Dam and the water is now moving at 58.2 CFS. In addition, water levels have increased from 1.50ft to 1.75ft and temperature is staying consistent around 55 degrees. We expect fishing to be very good in the coming weeks. Fly recommendations are consistent with our last stream report with a new emphasis on Tricos. These tiny little mayflies have been out in numbers on the Gunpowder, and we highly recommend adding a few to your fly box for your next trip to the river. Streamers, caddis & mayfly emergers, as well as nymphs will certainly prove useful in these conditions. As always, stop by the shop to stock up on flies or give us a call to book a guided trip.

Low flows have been the name of the game as of late. The river is currently moving at 27.4 cfs with a high temperature of 57 degrees (Mid-day) and a low of 50 degrees (Morning and evening). Water height is variable depending on what spot you are planning to fish but overall levels are very low. This makes for some incredibly clear water and picky fish. The trout will be able to clearly see your fly so make sure that floats are good and flies stay dry. Powdered or gel floatant can absolutely make the difference. Maxwell and I went out on Saturday evening and observed plenty of fish sipping bugs off the top. We recommend classic elk hair caddis in a tan/brown coloration, sulphur’s in yellow, and tiny little trico flies when all else fails. One of our guides, Brian Donoway, also reported success with dry dropper setups over the weekend. He recommended caddis in the same aforementioned color patterns with small nymphs trailing beneath. Streamer fishing has been notably slow. We are hoping for some rain later in the week to boost water levels and decrease clarity. Make sure to stop by the shop to stock up on flies or give us a call to book a guided trip.