Late April Gunpowder River Stream Report

Water levels in the Gunpowder have been falling steadily from the 180’s last week to 110 mid-week and are plateauing a little below 70 Cfs and well into ideal wading and fishing conditions. With the cold nights seemingly hanging on water temps have been swinging down from 56-57 F earlier this week to 49.5 F this morning. As to hatches, we’ve seen a few speckled, gray winged caddis and tiny Blue Winged Olives. Find time to explore the tributaries bounded by Mt.Laurels and Rhododendrons and fringed by Mayapples. Now is the time to fish below the confluence of these small noisy runs moving groundwater from the upland seeps and springs dotted with Skunk cabbage and leaving only bits of mirrored Mica confetti strewn in the quiet gravel filled pools. Though small, they have enough flow to warm up the downstream segments if for just a few yards adding vital surface water from the land to the otherwise frigid cold waters emanating from the Dam. Here one can catch a glimpse of a ramshackle cadre of Sulphur yellow mayflies with wings too wet to lift off mired in current and fumbling around the surface film before they disappear down the hatch of a wild trout nosing in the foam laden shallows.