The Gunpowder River has risen with recent rains, and is dropping, but more rain is forecast before the weekend. The added spillover and warm air temps have improved the fishing and jump started the hatches. This nice brown pictured above was caught on a size 24 blackfly dry, as many fish keyed into the tiny bugs. Stoneflies, midges and blackflies hatching in good numbers had the fish sipping small flies throughout miles of river on Monday. The dry fly action can be sporadic, or fish feeding intensely for brief periods of time in the middle of the day. Expect to fish over selectively midging trout in the flat water areas, twitching stoneflies near woody debris and swinging or dead drifting nymphs in riffles.
I expected to see the occasional Blue Wing Olive, but was surprised to see six Hendrickson mayflies, weeks early. I took this pic before catching a few browns on a small pheasant tail nymph in the same riffle.