The Gunpowder river is clear, warming to 43 F and flowing at a very respectable 93 Cfs. The river will be dropping and warming a bit until we get some much needed rain at the end of the week. Midges and stoneflies were reported over the weekend from Masemore through Bunkerhill. As windy as it is today, traditional streamers like grey ghosts might be a safer bet and they can be fished on 6x instead of 7x-read less tangles! If you’re nymphing, try a bead head prince sized #16. Dry flies to bring along would be a mix of quill winged stoneflies#14-16, snowshoe rabbit midges and tiny Olives in the #20-22 range.

Thanks to Scott for sending along a mid-March stream report:

Hi Theaux. Just a quick note to say that it appears spring is finally here on the Gunpowder. I fished the stretch upstream of Panther Branch on a warm afternoon this week. The peepers were doing their thing loudly in the vernal pools, skunk cabbage and may apples were beginning to poke through the streamside soil and (more importantly) the trout were hungry.When I arrived at the stream a little before noon there was no apparent activity on the surface. A beadhead prince nymph quickly produced a few fish in the deeper runs though. At around one PM the sun broke through the clouds, and suddenly there were stone flies everywhere. It didn’t take long for the trout to pick up on this, as several risers quickly appeared in the pool I was fishing at the time. In the end I landed eight – all on the CDC stonefly pattern you recommended. Hopefully the fishing will continue to improve as the weather warms.

Scott

PS: I really like the Maui Jim sunglasses you sold me a couple of weeks ago. Even on cloudy days you can really see the fish with them.