When other streams in the region become too warm, the Gunpowder’s cold flows, at 56 F during the first week of July, offer great trout fishing. During hot summer months some of the most exciting dry fly fishing on the Gunpowder River begins. Beetles, hoppers, caddis, tricos, blue wing olives, and ants are just a few of the dries that produce trout throughout ALL seventeen miles of river the next months. Consider twitching a large #8-12 Elk Hair Caddis through riffles to imitate all the moths that are flying around along the river. Spend time prospecting the banks, edges, under trees and around rocks with attractors, instead of trying to match a hatch. Mornings have been good for caddis hatches, and could reward anglers with the onset of the trico hatch. Fish are really looking up now, and as always will eat a variety of nymphs, midge and caddis pupa for anglers fishing subsurface.

This video post shows off the heaviest rainbow I have ever caught in the lower Gunpowder. The fingerling rainbow in the video was recently stocked above Falls Rd and has adipose fins unclipped, which used to differentiate between wild reproducing rainbows and these previously “clipped” fingerlings. While floating through miles of the Gunpowder River the past weeks, I rolled tape of some quality browns and Matt Devlin losing a big brown in the 18-19 inch range, which leaped in the air before bulldogging to the bottom. Few rivers can match the varied water, scenery, fish and icy cold water conditions the Gunpowder offers.