The Gunpowder river is resilient. After countless flood watches this week the river is in great shape. It is currently flowing at 119 CFs, is 59 F, and is clear from Masemore Rd upstream. Bunkerhill, York, and Big Falls Rd access points also look great. The river is a little off color upstream of the Blue Mount Rd access but should be clearing quickly. Remember folks, the Gunpowder river flows through over 3,600 acres of State park land and protected under a Maryland state “wildlands” designation. By comparison, the North Branch at Barnum is flowing 2, 850 Cfs. Caddis emergers and dries and small traditional streamers have been the ticket each morning this week. Sulphurs duns and, not surprisingly, given the cloud cover, blue winged olives have been hatching sporadically throughout the rainy afternoons. Concentrated Sulphur spinner falls are still worth waiting for. The Sulphurs are getting smaller with more #18’s spotted in the past few evenings. So, bring a light, a magnifier, a sense of humor and join the crowd-it will be worth it…

The following stream report and picture was provided by Backwater Angler staffer Alex McCrickard,

In the past week, anglers fishing the Gunpowder River have had great dry fly action. Caddis in sizes # 16 – 18 in tan and olive have been emerging throughout the morning and into the middle part of the day. The sulphurs are still hatching and in prolific numbers. The bugs have scaled down to sizes #16 and #18. Duns have been emerging in the middle part of the day increasing in numbers as the day goes on. The sulphur spinner fall has brought nearly all the fish in the river to the surface lately. The last hour before dark has been extremely productive as spinners have been laying their yellow eggs over the water. The birds and trout have responded as feeding frenzies usually start every evening. Anglers need to fish long and light leaders, tapered in 7X. A rusty spinner pattern or Mike Bachkosky’s sulphur quill bodied spinner have been producing lots of fish. During the day, search the riffles and pockets with bushy dun patterns. A lot of anglers have been fishing tandem dry fly rigs. A size # 16 compardun with a size # 18 loop wing emerger dropped 18 inches on 7X is a good bet. Small pheasant tails and hares ears in sizes #16 through # 18 have also been producing.
Working in the shop for the past few days I have received reports from people fishing the sulphur hatch at different access points along the river. Pretty much anywhere in the 7.2 mile stretch of Catch and Release water is fishing great. Reports of steady spinner falls at Falls, Masemore, Bunker Hill, and Big Falls show that the hatch seems to be just about everywhere. Last weekend I managed to spend some time fishing at Monkton Station. Lime sallies and sulphurs in sizes # 14 and # 18 respectively were coming off and the fish were feeding. The fishing is good so definitely wet a line before the hatch tapers down as the month goes on.