The Gunpowder River is flowing at 30 Cfs, is 52 F and clear. Mixed reports point to Olives accounting for most of the fish brought to hand in the catch and release section this week. Be sure to bring along some 7x tippet as the fish have seemingly forever to inspect the fly in such low water. If you’re planning on nymphing, zebra midges are still very productive, especially when paired with small pheasant tails. Remember that we have almost 18 miles of water flowing from Pretty Boy to Loch Raven and this weekend would be a great time to do a little exploring outside of the catch and release area, (the river is flowing at 82 CFs at Glencoe Rd).Thanks to Jay Sheppard for the stream report featuring Paraleps from October 6:
I spent yesterday on the lower Gunpowder Falls from 11 AM-5 PM. Cool and very cloudy…barely reached 60 and the water was low, clear & 56. Only significant hatch was a little #18 Paraleptophlebia mayfly–brownish bodies with med gray wings…they hatched mostly in mid afternoon. There were also a few of the pure gray Baetis blue winged olives #20 hatching from late morning until I left ~5 PM. But fish would pounce on almost any buggy dry fly. Nothing bigger than ~9″….maybe a dozen landed all together, with another 6-8 LDR’d… Beat a day on the PC! Had hoped to see a hatch of slate drakes (Isonychia), but only saw one float by all day. I saw mostly sporadic rising all day…even when there were modest number of the Paralepts on the water. Best fly was a brown bodied, natural winged bucktail caddis #14. Had no hits on a chartreuse inch worm….!
Jay
If you’re not stacking firewood this Columbus Day weekend, try a little fly fishing on the Gunpowder!
Shop hours are:
8 AM till 4PM on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.