Rain brought some relief today from the heat wave that we experienced this past week. The river is still low and clear at 35 CFs at the Falls Road Bridge. The water temperature on the Gunpowder is a frigid 50 degrees, and despite the hot weather most anglers are still wearing waders. The fishing on the Gunpowder during mornings is good for the Trico hatch, which has finally started to get the trout’s attention. Tricos in small numbers over the past few weeks have grown into the typical morning event we experienced in previous years. I noticed small numbers of Tricos in the Monkton stretch weeks ago, but saw clouds of them yesterday. The browns were rising steady for a few hours late in the morning on both dun and spinner patterns sized 22-24. The occasional fish will take a larger pattern, but with plenty of naturals on the water, most of the browns are pretty selective. The shop has a number of patterns shown above for those unwilling to tie flies down to size 24. The reverse hackle and spinner patterns arrived this week from Mike in NY, and have proven effective during this hatch. Small midge or nymph patterns down to size 20-24 work great drifted under a float in the deeper pools or riffles. Terrestrial fishing can be the most effective way to fish after the trout stop rising. Ants, beetles and small hoppers cast into shaded areas are producing trout during the middle of the day. Sight fishing opportunities are present in all sections, and especially in the deeper pools where trout feel a little less wary in these lower flows. Shallow water is a challenge, as a trout easily spotted in shallow water will also easily spot an approaching angler. Yesterday after a morning of working on the river during the Trico hatch, I spent the afternoon walking the grassy banks in one section of the Gunpowder. The clear water, tight cover on the banks and spot-stalk component made for rewarding fishing on a hot day.
