Morning Fly Fishing on the Gunpowder

July 2, 2010June 27, 2010

I fished this week in the mornings at Masemore, and didn’t see any anglers before 10 AM. Small caddis and ants were producing fish in the riffles above the bridge. The Acid Ant pattern we have in the shop was really working well I think due to the sparkle under the wing, Alex and I fished on Thursday morning and saw tons of flying ants on the windshield of his car so we decided to fish the flat water using a very small black ant pattern, 7X was the key along with a 14 foot leader and light rod. Nymphing with caddis pupas also produced …

Sight Fishing For Wild Brown Trout On The Gunpowder River

June 26, 2010June 26, 2010

The Gunpowder River is flowing at 37 CFs and is 55 degrees at the Falls Road bridge. Wet wading is an option in the shin to knee deep water, as air temps reach the upper 80s and 90s. Conditions in the upper miles of the Gunpowder are similar to spring creek fishing. Low, clear water and wary browns require stealth, long leaders and delicate casts. The anglers who enjoy sight fishing will find the trout are easy to spot in these lower flows. While walking the river I spotted dozens of trout, and quite a few browns in the 10-15 inch range. In many cases …

The Sights And Sounds Of Warm Water Fly Fishing

June 19, 2010

Fly fishing warm water gives anglers a chance to experience completely different situations than cold water fishing. Insect hatches tend to not be something of importance on warm water, but I witnessed another type of “hatch” over a month ago. Thousands and thousands of small tadpoles covered the shorelines of the reservoir, and looked like peppercorns scattered across the sandy bottom. Weeks later I returned and found that these small tadpoles matured, and were everywhere along the shoreline. It appeared as though the ground was moving, as I stepped along the water’s edge. I filmed while trying to avoid stepping on the tiny, leaping amphibians. …

Father’s Day Fly Fishing T-Shirts and Gift Certificates

June 17, 2010

We now have short and long sleeved, “Mary K the Fish Lady” Backwater Angler Brown trout t-shirts available in both short, ($24.00) and long sleeved, ($26.00) versions. The shirts are screen printed with a beautiful brown trout on the back and the Backwater Angler logo on the front left chest. They are pre-shrunk 100% cotton and are a bit oversized. We have sizes Medium, Large and Extra Large in stock. If you have a Visa or Mastercard handy, buy Backwater Angler t-shirts online and have them shipped to your address in a jiffy. If you need a gift certificate for gear, fly fishing schools, tying …

June Fly Fishing On The Gunpowder River

June 15, 2010

Summer hasn’t officially arrived in Baltimore County, but we got a taste of the heat this past week. Fortunately the recent gate changes and increased flows from Prettyboy Dam have dropped water temperatures 8-10 degrees. In the upper miles the water temperature is a chilly 52 degrees, although a few miles downriver may see temps reach 55 degrees. Yesterday the water was well below 60 degrees at Montkon, and was only 62 degrees as far down as Glencoe Rd. The Gunpowder has miles of fishable water, flows in the 82 CFs range and sections offering a variety of water holding wild trout. Recent trips and …

Mayflies And Rising Trout On The Gunpowder River

June 12, 2010

The flows on the Gunpowder are at great levels at 91 Cfs, and a gate change yesterday released more cold water. A slight increase in flow from the bottom is negating the warm spillover, so temps are down in the 56-58 degree range in the upper miles of river. Yesterday I wet a line down at Sparks Rd and the water temp was 65 degrees at 3 pm. The Gunpowder has over fourteen miles of fishable water, and wild browns looking for a meal. In the different sections of river anglers will encounter different hatches. In the upper sections the sulphurs are still hanging on, …