Flows on the Gunpowder have been favorable recently, fluctuating between 60-120cfs.  This provides enough water to make the fish feel comfortable, but not so much that wading is too difficult.  That being said, please use care when walking the banks of the river as recent snows have formed a lot of ice.  This is particularly true for rocky sections such as the boulder pools above the Falls rd access point where the sunlight rarely reaches the trail deep in the river valley.

As for the fishing, it seems to be improving as December progresses.  On days when the water level is rising streamer fishing tends to be most productive.  For days like that it’s best to pick your favorite streamer pattern and fish it close to the bottom.  More commonly, when the water level is dropping, nymphing will be most effective.  Trout in the Gunpowder have seen quite a lot of pressure from anglers this year.  So don’t be afraid to experiment with different nymph patterns, hotspot colors, and rigging options until you discover a combination that works for you!

Despite cold temperatures, midges are still hatching quite abundantly and trout can be seen rising to them.  Most midge hatches have been occurring during the heat of the day (12-2pm) and require 6-7x tippet and small dries around size #22.  Luckily, the slight increase in water has made the fish just a bit less discerning toward flies than they were when the water level was at 30cfs.

From the sulphur hatch, to the brief fishing ban, to the tuber hatch, to last Wednesday’s snowfall, 2020 has certainly been an eventful and challenging year.  As this year full of uncertainty comes to a close we can’t help but reflect on all the fishing we’ve done and we invite all of you to tag our instagram account @backwaterangler with photos of your favorite fishing moments of 2020!

Happy Holidays Hours:
December 22 10-3PM
December 23 10-3PM
December 24 Closed
December 25 Closed
December 26 9-3
December 27 10-3
December 28 10-3
December 29 10-3
December 30 10-3
December 31 Closed
January 1 Closed
January 2 10-3
January 3 10-3