I carry a camera everyday on the water for when those elusive hatches begin or that lunker trout appears on the line. Sometimes the unexpected things I capture on video are far more interesting than fish or bugs. Recently I noticed some young park users playing awfully close to these sunning copperheads, (the picture below is of a surprised Northern Black Racer) near the river’s edge. When I began shooting this video, their parents started hovering around to see what the fuss was about.
A few moments earlier, the adults had walked within steps of the snakes without noticing them. The snakes coloration was reminiscent of autumn, allowing them to blend in well their surroundings. Even with all the commotion the snakes held their ground, unafraid, which was a sign that we should be. You can never tell what you may encounter in the truly wild place that is the Gunpowder Falls State Park, Hereford Maryland. Watch your step out there and if you have never seen one of these beautiful snakes up close, enjoy.
On August 25, The following was added:
Thanks to Mark Z. for correctly identifying the snake pictured above as a black rat snake.
This is the time to fish the Gunpowder using nymph and streamer rigs for those hard to catch larger fish. Another reason to fish the Gunpowder is it has more flow than many regional streams and rivers. We are very lucky to be on a river that is used to send water from one storage reservoir to another, and to have the greatest human demand when the fish’s need for water is also greatest. Anglers have been seeing higher, cooler flows at the beginning of August on the Gunpowder River, near Baltimore, Maryland than anywhere in the region.The Gunpowder has nearly as much flow as the North Branch of the Potomac at Barnum.On August 6, The North Branch of the Potomac at Barnum was at 155 Cfs, the Savage at 55 Cfs and the Gunpowder was at 158 Cfs. The water is moving fast on the Gunpowder and fish are on the feed subsurface and on top.
In a few pools I noticed very large fish, which you rarely see, feeding on drifting nymphs. Many 12 to 17 inch fish have been on the feed and I caught two fish over 16 inches in the same day. I recently caught and released my second largest Gunpowder brown measuring nineteen inches and estimated to be over two pounds.
I was stripping a Zonker through the base of a riffle moments after a group of tubers had just passed when this dark shape lunged for the fly. The trout missed the fly and struck again, and again, but never touched the fly. The Zonker swung out below me and I let it hang mid-current. The angry trout finally engulfed the fly and he put a heavy bend in a demo Sage Z-Axis 10 foot 5 weight rod. He fought hard, bull dogging deep along the banks and as much as people talk about the fun of fighting big fish, I’ll be honest, I wanted it to be over quickly; with him in the net. The opportunity to net him arose very early while he tried to pass me and take off downstream. The stout rod put the brakes on him, alloed me to lift his head quickly and the longer length of the rod helped me swing him into net range. The 5X tippet held on this truly epic trout.
Tricos have been hatching in the morning around Falls Rd to as far downstream as Blue Mount Rd. People are raving that dozens of fish are working to these tiny bugs in the calmer areas before 10 a.m. I personally prefer to throw beetles, hoppers or nymphs whether tricos are hatching or not, but this year I’ve noticed too many fish feeding on these little flies to ignore them. Monkton access has been fishing good the past few weeks with Tricos in the morning, but the bug sightings are higher on the river now. Hoppers and large beetles with nymphs underneath 3-5 feet of 6X will work throughout the day. The trout were pouncing on size 10-14 stonefly nymph and chartreuse rock worm patterns the past few weeks, and a few are still taking them. Large Caddis with a sunk beetle or ant dropper has been a great combo rig.
I just fished the 10 foot five weight Sage Z-Axis rod for the second time after this morning’s float, along with a 11 foot 6 weight Sage Z-Axis Rod with a Spey grip. These rods can cast a mile, but more importantly, the ten foot rod length manages every inch of twenty to thirty feet of line anglers routinely fish on Maryland rivers.
The common response by anglers is why do you need all that rod for smaller fish and shorter casts?
Consider that using a shorter rod may mean not catching anything of size, because it is unable to effectively cover the water with as much efficiency as a long rod. If you have to cast three or four times to get the right drift down a seam you may be spooking the fish, instead of hitting the seam on the first cast. On a whole, these ten foot rods put a soaking wet size 6 Zonker a few feet off the bank every time at forty feet away with one false cast. The long rods work well for in-close high stick nymphing, and large hopper dropper rigs, too. I felt the Sage ten footers were lighter but stiffer than the Scott E2 ten footers, 1004-4 and 1006-4, I typically fish. If you enjoy heavy streamer fishing and look for extra distance in casting, the Sage is great. If you want the ability to throw heavy streamers, but prefer to nymph and toss the occasional dry fly, the Scott ten foot rods load more quickly and have a slightly softer touch.
The thought of killing trout, especially wild trout is certainly taboo amongst fly fishermen in the 21st century. A wild Gunpowder brown is worthy of more than just table fare. Despite good or bad days on the water, angler’s stomachs never suffer. Although, the other true fisherman on this river rely entirely on the bounty the cold flowing water provides. Herons stalk the shallows at Masemore with a deftness that anglers could only dream of acquiring. King fishers lie in wait on high perches and watch for risers to present a target; not for a fly, but for their beak. Snakes lie coiled on the banks, under rocks and in log jams. They eat trout and just this year alone three reports from anglers told of such tales. We now have video footage and stills sent in by a customer who witnessed the food chain in action.
The river is home to various types of Water, Garter and Black Snakes. Copperheads are also found along the river in more numbers than most people would like to hear about. I have seen four copperheads this year alone. The Bunker Hill access now has signs warning of sightings around the bridge abutments. This video features a Northen Brown Water Snake. If anyone sees a snake latched onto a trout resist the urge to intervene on the trout’s behalf, as I once did last year. I managed to avoid getting bit, safely released both creatures, and separated them as if they were two young kids in a tussle. Now you two get along. Afterwards I quickly realized I accomplished very little. The snake surely went on to procure another trout and worse yet the first trout may not have recovered from the battle. It can be hard to watch something as beautiful as a trout being killed by a creature that resonates an innate wickedness in our mind. Resist killing or intervening to free a trout from a water snake because you may need medical intervention, if your snake identification isn’t as good as your insect identification.
Western Maryland in June was tough fishing with low water. When I had a few days free this past week I called some friends and decided to give it another try.
The Savage River was fishing hot despite returning to 55 Cfs from 800 on Sunday July 1st. Sulphurs, Yellow and Lime Sallies, Olives, Caddis and even March Browns were still hatching. Fish were looking up in a big way, which was a change from last month. X-Caddis and Olives in a size 14 brought many fish up from the deep holes. In the tailouts and flat water fish were selectively rising to size 20-24 Olives. Size 16 Sulphurs caught fish, but only early or late in the day. Many fish were visibly holding inches under the surface, waiting for something to hit the water. In the evening the spinnerfall was pretty heavy, but short-lived. Fishing South on the river was more productive for spinnerfalls. I saw a mere dozen fish rising in the last twenty minutes one night in the PHD pool. A better stretch yielded dozens of risers the next night two miles farther south.
Prospecting with big dries all day was easier and more productive than trying to pick off the selective risers in the flats. One large trout rose to my X-Caddis but wouldn’t take. A quick tippet change and Pheasant tail nymph accounted for one 16 inch brown and one 13 inch brookie. Two browns lost in battle in the 17-18 inch range made me regret using 7x, but I guess you can’t catch what you can’t get to bite. I haven’t seen fish this large so active since the Brood X cicadas.
The North Branch of the Potomac was good fishing. Anyone who has put off fishing this river due to tough wading should make the trip now. Water levels are really low, concentrating fish into the better runs and allowing river crossing in many areas. The bottom is still pretty rough walking, but without the strong flows, it is much easier.
I mentioned to a couple of friends at the Barnum access that someone out of the three of us would hook into a fish pushing 22-25 inches. Three hours later a screaming reel and yells of “Big Fish” caused me to drop my Scott E2 10′ 4 weight. As tough as the river is to wade, running downstream 100 yards to help net a large rainbow was fairly easy. The 21-23 inch bow allowed me to close the distance a few times, but bulldogged downstream into a heavy rapid. Snap! I hate seeing the big ones get away on this river. Sorry Nick, I should have netted that fish.
Six hours later we had hooked thirty fish total between 12-23 inches, with fat 16-18 inch bows on the larger size of what we landed. Few fish were active on top except below the dam in the Cable Flat. Some sulphurs were hatching in the uppermost stretch of river. San Juan worms, copper johns, brassies and other attractor nymphs with red or brown were hot.
Four days of fishing in Western Maryland took me on a whirlwind of hatch matching on the Savage River for large browns, dissecting the massive North Branch for huge rainbows and slowing things down on local brook trout tributaries. I even saw my first Western Maryland black bear on a hillside off of I-68.
Time for a recap on the Gunpowder fishing the past few weeks. The low water has made some access points very difficult to fish. Options include targeting boulder pools, rougher water versus shallow riffles, and heading south below the catch and release sections. 12-15 foot leaders and staying nearly out of the water are required for fishing the catch and release sections.
Anglers fishing the lower river should know that water temperatures which allow comfortable wet wading may be getting a bit warm for trout fishing. Bring a thermometer and look for a temp less than seventy degrees. Be sure to reach deep into the water in the moving areas to obtain an accurate temperature. At Blue Mount Rd the Gunpowder was 64 at 1:30 p.m. when the air temperature was reaching the high nineties. Twenty minutes later the shallow Lower Glencoe access was reaching 70 at the height of the day. Get to these spots early when trout will be more active in warmer temps, but before it gets too warm for them.
What are the trout eating? We are on the cusp of some incredible beetle fishing. The Japanese beetles are now flying about and should be dining on the Gunpowder stream-side foliage very soon. Hoppers are already out along with cicadas and some chernobyl sized horned beetles. Fishing a big Para-hopper is bringing up the larger fish (10-14 inches) that have no interest in small caddis and sulphur mayflies. A size 14 Green X-Caddis has been working wonders when sized 16-18 caddis patterns seem to get only small fish. If your getting smaller trout, switch to bigger dry flies sized 14-8 and drop a caddis pupae two feet off the hook to give yourself a sense of confidence. Keep this fly on all day and target deeper areas along banks, under trees and alongside logs.
The current low flows are not an accurate gauge for the amount of water available in PrettyBoy Reservoir. The 34 CfS flow level means that the City is managing water to prevent spillover from occurring on Loch Raven, as it is nearly full. This plan ensures no water will be wasted, versus sending more water downriver that would cause Loch Raven to spill over. At least we should have plenty of water in August, and remember it could be worse, it could be 19 CFS. With all the heat and lack of rain we can expect Loch Raven to drop as water is used. We have been in close contact with the City and State regarding gate changes and the resulting temperature changes. We can just hope for a lot of isolated rain in this area during the late Summer so that Prettyboy Reservoir maintains a safe level to provide for future needs downstream at Loch Raven. It appears that storm systems have been replenishing Loch Raven, as the increased development and roads mean more raindrops trickle downhill versus the sponge-like surrounding countryside of PrettyBoy Reservoir.
The update on the Western Maryland scene is, despite comparably low precipitation levels and low flows on the Gunpowder, the Savage River received an 800 Cfs White Water release from 9-1 p.m. today, July 1st. The ACOE, (Army Corp of Engineers) is complying with whitewater groups requests to release a volume of water over five hours, that will send more water downriver than in the past two weeks, (at 50 Cfs a day). Data is showing that the Savage reservoir is at a 12 year June low, yet the ACOE assures that the levels would allow a 800 Cfs for five hours of recreation, which leaves trout 55 Cfs for the Savage for the remainder of the YEAR. That is the best-case scenario if planning and calculations go as expected.
The North Branch is facing a similar problem as local fishing guides and white water outfitters are struggling with the ACOE at Jennings Randolph Dam. The North Branch at Barnum flowing at a medium level would be about 250-350 Cfs, and now is at 160 Cfs.–Sort of like the Gunpowder at 34 Cfs versus at 100 Cfs. Fly fishing guides want 300 Cfs for float trips to make navigation over large rock gardens possible. White water guides want 800-1000 Cfs to create a white water environment. White water releases have been made as recently as late May, but fishing guides have received only a few days of water at 275 Cfs, which is not meeting floating angler’s needs. All groups have been notified that further releases may not occur, as the region is dry.
If water is everyone’s resource that should be shared, how can one group’s needs be met when those needs threaten the ability of the resource to survive, not to mention an other group’s ability to use the resource? Trout anglers hope tail water fisheries have plenty of water to ensure the fish survive over the hot summers. As conservation minded group, fly fishermen adapt and even alter our recreation when it comes to conditions being less than ideal. We deal with low water, no water and high water. If the river is flood stage, we don’t cry to the folks at the dam to cut the water back because we need to recreate. Why should the white water group’s request seem any less ridiculous? Imagine sharing a water bottle on a hot day and you get a sip, but the other guy pours it all over himself. When any recreational activity endangers wildlife, drinking water supplies and equal user access, the time for change is upon us.
The influence of the whitewater community on the ACOE in Western Maryland has negatively impacted reservoir levels and flow rates in the Savage and North Branch of the Potomac. These releases are not only unfair to anglers, but also the fish, which deal with scouring torrents; subsequent insect loss and structure change. The low flows will ensue for months. These low flows make trout more susceptible to predators, cannibalism of young of year, and warming temperatures. The white water community has asked for releases once every month this summer for both the North Branch and The Savage River. Meanwhile trout and anglers have been allocated a minimum flow on these western Maryland fisheries while the Army Corp of Engineers “conserves” water for the next white water release. As of this writing, water management by the ACOE appears to be biased towards the white water community.
What’s your take?
Please feel free to contact the shop at info@backwaterangler.com to voice your concerns over this matter.
The river was fishing slow this week in Western Maryland. Levels were down between 50-75 CFS and warming to 56-59 degrees midday at the uppermost bridge access. Hatches were coming off great, but the fish were only rising to midges size #22-26 in the flat pools. Pounding the pocket water was surprisingly ineffective despite an abundance of size twelve March Browns, Sulphurs and Cahills in the early afternoon. Caddis, Blue Wing Olives, Craneflies and smaller mayflies were hatching midday in small numbers. Gypsy Moth Caterpillars were everywhere on the river, and two trout rose to ones I saw fall into the water. My caterpillar fly just wasn’t up to code, though I will soon be busy at the vise. A heavily hackled, long shanked size ten Griffith’s Gnat looks pretty close.
The overall consensus from other anglers and guides was the fishing was tough, despite impressive hatches and decent flow. One thing I noticed was the fish were only rising to dries when I skated them close to rocks during emergence time. One brook trout struck my client’s fly so close to a rock that it appeared to snag a piece of the rock, which was actually the trout’s head. A higher flow may pull the trout from their hiding places and make them more willing to rise to the untouched naturals. Flat water fish were picky, refusing size #24-26 black, gray and tan midge patterns. Look for more active fish in coming weeks when the water temperature warms and the hatch ends in an intense spinner fall at dark.
The North Branch of the Potomac:
The river was low 225-275 CFS , warming to 65 degrees midday at Barnum and fishing excellent with large fish rising to dries in pocket water areas. These levels offered easy wading to cross the river and helped concentrate fish into the better runs. Stimulators and caddis in sizes 10-16 were good searching patterns. Dropper nymphs like copper johns, green weenies, pheasant tail nymphs and San Juan worms all work well.
These rivers have extremely slick bottoms so studded or Sticky Rubber soles are a good idea.
Wading staffs can be a good idea for the North Branch or even the Savage river in higher flows. A big net is a good idea for the North Branch as you may hang a monster trout that may not be able to fit into conventional sized nets. Seriously.
A few notes on Whirling Disease:
Anglers should bring a small bottle of bleach to disinfect boots, waders and nets to prevent the spread of whirling disease from the North Branch, Yough or Bear Creek. Dilute the bleach (98% water/2% bleach), soak the gear ten minutes and then rinse numerous times to remove all traces of bleach, which can be very harmful to fish and insects. This bleach solution should be disposed of properly away from watersheds. Anglers should consider fishing the North Branch LAST on a multi day or weekend trip to further prevent any transfer of the spores. Anglers should start practicing this cleaning process when traveling from any fishery to another. Testing has yet to reveal the extent of the spread of whirling disease in Maryland and neighboring states. When leaving any river and assume it is infected and that your gear will need to be cleaned before fishing another stream. Prevention is the ONLY method in stopping this disease from preying on our trout populations.
On June 19th, the following was added to this post:
I just spoke to Susan Rivers from DNR Fisheries, a 10% cleaning solution is comprised of 1 part household bleach to 9 parts water. Theaux
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