Thanks to Doug Coats for the update and picture taken while fishing the Savage river with his boys.
Theaux,
Me and my three boys went to the Savage River this weekend – we stopped by your shop on Friday – one of my boys, Jamie, is always calling your shop and stopping by. Attached are a couple of pictures from our trip. Jamie says thanks for the info.Thanks,
Doug Coats
Fly Fisherman Magazine paid the shop a visit this Summer after the magazine accepted an article that Backwater Angler intern Alex McCrickard submitted on the Gunpowder river. The article should appear in the publication in 2010. Stay tuned! Way to go Alex-all of that time on the water paid off!
Alex McCrickard explains the writing process:
Theaux
It started during the 3rd quarter of my senior year when my English teacher allowed us to compose our own syllabuses. I suggested that I write one essay a week on a topic of my choice within the art of fly fishing. My plan was to also submit an article or two to a magazine in an attempt to get published. My English teacher, Mr. Brown, was all for it. After a few weeks of mediocre essays, I decided to write about the Gunpowder. I submitted an article on the sulphur hatch to Fly Fisherman Magazine. I received a great response, but my article still needed work. I took a step back and wrote about fishing the Gunpowder River through the seasons. Three months later, out of the blue, I received an email from Fly Fisherman Magazine saying they wanted the article. Look for the article to appear in the magazine this coming spring.Alex
Thanks to Mike Feldman for the Simms Vibram Boot Review and Stream report.
Theaux,
Spent Friday morning and Saturday mid-day on the GP. After some decent success Friday on the upper section near the dam I stopped in to the store. After trying on two pairs of rubber soled boots, decided on the Simms. Wore them on Saturday and they were great! Extremely comfortable right away, lightweight and grippy! In addition a short converstation with guide Jeff Lewatowski who gave me some great tips! Nymphed with a March Brown and a prince dropper with 2 small weights in the pools near Whale Rock. Caught about 6 decent size browns in 2 hours, and missed strikes on several more. Barely a cast,, caught them all within 10 feet of where I was standing using a technique I certainly knew, but had forgotten until Jeff made me think!!!! I suspect it would be well worth a 1/2 day of being guided even for reasonably experienced anglers like myself who get into the same old habits. Thanks for the shoes and the tips Theaux/Jeff.Regards,
Mike
Thanks to Roman for the fishing report and pictures from Flat Creek, Wyoming
Hi Theaux and Jason
Just wanted to say hello from Jackson Hole. Its been unseasonably warm and very sunny. Spent a couple days fishing Flat Creek despite the local shops telling me it’s not fishing too well. Mahogany duns, rusty spinners, the 3wt Scott you recommended, and 7x seem to be the ticket. Check out these guys! I also did a float on the Snake River. Spent today on the Henry’s Fork. Too much sun; only caught smaller fish and managed to spook the only consistently rising large rainbow that I was able to find. In the next few days I am hoping to get up to Yellowstone and maybe fish some more of the local Jackson Hole rivers. Supposedly the weather is going to turn in a few days.
Hope all is well,
Roman
A change in the seasons is ushering in a shift along the river, as Fall has finally arrived. Both air and water temps have dropped, favoring anglers in waders versus Summer temps drawing tubers, swimmers and boaters to the river. Fishing midweek will offer the most solitude along miles of water with fewer vehicles in the parking lots. Weekends are even quiet at times on the Gunpowder, especially in the afternoons when the football fans have long left for home. After the shop closed on Sunday, I wet a line after a week of “taking it easy” and saw four hikers, but no anglers. The lack of pressure would explain why three drifts later a colorful, hard fighting brown nailed a caddis pupa paired with a pink San Juan under an indicator. I snapped a quick pic above which about sums up my current situation, and left for home while I was ahead.
The heron pictured above was doing well with a slow stalk, and a quick stab in the shallow riffles. Anglers may find similar success with small nymphs, caddis pupas and attractor nymphs on the Gunpowder. The weekend release has leveled out at 117 Cfs and will remain constant until early Monday morning. San Juan worms, Green weenies, Ice Dub larvae and all variety of patterns with flash and flair catch fish in the higher flows. Large Copper Johns, Princes, or Pheasant Tails paired with smaller nymphs will reach fish without the need for split shot in shallow riffles. Now that boat traffic is light consider accessing areas South of Blue Mount or Monkton for deeper pools and riffles. Many of the patterns producing in the catch and release water will work farther down river, just add more weight and slide the indicator farther up the leader.
The Gunpowder river is gin clear, flowing at 34 Cfs and is 52 F. Small caddis and olives have been accounting for a number of fish on Guide trips this week. Gunpowder guides Capt Jeff Lewatowski and Dave Smith reported solid catches on dries with clients this morning. Need flies that work on the Gunpowder? One need not go any further than the muffin tins. Each week we hand pick a dozen patterns that have been working and place them on the front counter for your inspection. In low flows, fly fishing the Gunpowder river is challenging but with the right mindset and plenty of 7x it can be very productive. We might see higher flows this weekend in anticipation of very low flows on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Please consider volunteering some time on the water with the Backwater Angler staff, biologists from MD DNR Fisheries, folks from Baltimore City Watershed and Baltimore County DEPRM during MD DNR’S Annual Shocking Survey.
Related Video Post: Gunpowder Trout by the Bucketful
We just received the 2010 Scott Fly Rods catalog with a special section dedicated to custom mods on your favorite Scott Fly Rod. Choices abound in the Scott Custom Shop. The Scott site won’t be live till October, but the previews we’ve seen and a quick sampling of options on Scott Custom Shop Rods are nothing short of amazing. Pick your new Scott rod then choose the grip, reel seat, spacer, hook keepers, guides, colored wraps and the trim of your choice. Pricing for the program ranges from $850 to $1,300 and availability is in the four to six week range. Please contact the shop at 410-357-9557 or drop us a line at info@backwaterangler.com to place an order. In the meantime, if you’d like to pick up a Scott catalog describing the program, feel free to stop on in-we have a few to spare…
Thanks to Andy Simmons for the following report and picture from a recent fly fishing trip to the North Branch of the Potomac,
Jason-
I just wanted to thank you for your help and suggestions regarding my trip to the NB…We had a great 2 days of fishing, catching some very nice rainbows..per your advice, we decided to focus on the C&R section below the put and take area…we covered a great deal of water and caught 4 fish between 17-22 inches..I caught my 2 largest on nymphs and my spinfishing buddy caught 2 nice ones with spinners..we saw at least 8 large fish that we never caught, including 3 very nice palimino trout…streamers produced some chases, but no hookups…I caught several small fish on dries, but nymphing was the main producer..Anyway, thanks so much for the help..I’ve attached a few pictures of the nicer trout we caught.
-Andy
Please join us for a flyfishing school. On Sunday, October 11, a Backwater Angler Guide will be teaching a fly fishing school that is ideal for beginners. If you’re planning on fly fishing near Baltimore, Maryland, or anywhere else for that matter, this course is a great introduction to the sport. The school covers knots, casting, gear, fly selection and an hour of on-stream instruction. Schools are held in a meadow overlooking the Gunpowder river by a Maryland state licensed and insured fishing guide. Class is held from 11:00 AM till 2:00 PM. Cost is $100 per person and includes the use of gear. A Maryland Non-tidal fishing license and trout stamp is required and may be purchased prior to the class with check or cash at the shop. Class size is limited to 4 and pre-payment is required. Please give us a call at 410-357-9557 or drop us a line at info@backwaterangler.com to register.
After a rainy Friday morning, the Gunpowder river is flowing at a near ideal 75 Cfs, is clear and 56 F. Olives and caddis from mid-morning through the afternoon have accounted for a few fish this week. If you’re after wild browns X-caddis and small olives are a good bet. Mickey Finns have been very productive on guide trips. Capt. Jeff Lewatowski was guiding Steffi Hone in the Catch and release area of the Gunpowder river this week during low flows, (31 Cfs) and was all smiles after this fish was safely released.
Related Post:
Fly Fishing for Wild brown trout Near Philadelphia, PA on the Gunpowder
Related Video Post:
High Flows and Big Gunpowder Trout