Winter temperatures, high flows and ice on the guides hasn’t kept many anglers from wetting a line this past week on the Gunpowder. My last day of fishing in 2009 was on Monday of last week, with a few friends willing to fish in the dropping 400 CFs flow. Each of us landed a few fish in as many hours nymphing the soft edges of riffles and bends. Big streamers produced a few strikes, but the browns were not really aggressive in the colder water temps. My last brown trout of 2009 was hard fighting and took me around some trees requiring an assist on the net by Matt, who snapped the pic above. Alex McCrickard stopped by the shop Tuesday afternoon to report a nice brown caught on a stonefly dry on the Gunpowder. Alex and Max (BWA shop interns) should be experiencing some good dry fly fishing this week, as they explore some rivers in Chile. Good luck guys!

For the rest of us fishing locally this January, high flows on the Gunpowder dropped midweek and leveled out today in the 200 CFs range. Angler’s reports relay fairly tough fishing, but the majority of anglers are catching fish by getting flies down on the bottom. Water temps will fluctuate with the volume of spillover and dropping night time air temps, so midday is a prime time for warmer water temps. While the next few months are usually the coldest of the year, many anglers enjoy bundling up and having miles of river to themselves. A thermos of coffee, good pair of gloves, and frequently moving from spot to spot, can help locate some fish and fend off the cold. Be sure to stop in the shop for fly pattern and access recommendations.