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Jason du Pont

Spawning Suckers and Gizzard Shad In The Gunpowder River

While I was fishing to a good Hendrickson emergence a few months ago, an angler passing me on the trail told me he saw spawning fish in some shallow riffles. I continued fishing a snow shoe emerger with success until I thought I’d take a look at the area he mentioned. Suckers, some nearly twenty inches long, had gathered in a section of riffle water to spawn. Prior to this I spotted groups of smaller suckers spawning in Little Falls, as well as in the Lower Gunpowder. The clear, shallow water of the upper river at that time made for some prime viewing and videotaping. These fish had either migrated or congregated in riffles …

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Cloudveil 8X Stealth Boot

I was able to test a pair out for a few weeks in the Fall on different rivers in the region. These shoes excel at climbing up and down slabs, or inclined rocks, which are common along many Maryland rivers. The shoe is lighter in weight than a shoe with a felt sole when hitting the trail for long hikes. Under the water’s surface the soft rubber grips the rocks, and without the studs, allow a totally quiet approach to the “fishy” spots. I also tested the Cloudveil 8x Stealth Boot on the Salmon River in New York while steelhead fishing. The shoe worked great …

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Didymo in the Gunpowder River

Didymo, an invasive algae, has been confirmed in the Gunpowder river. This video short describes distribution of Didymo, a description of the algae, and some gear treatment and containment methods for anglers. The increased time fishing and guiding on the Gunpowder River the past month only solidified my suspicions that something wasn’t right. Nymphing and swinging streamers still produced fish, but the increased frequency of cleaning “slime” off the hook was not normal. Many anglers and guides noted similar masses of slime on the hook and also the river bottom, throughout much of the catch and release areas. Fearing the worst I contacted MD Fisheries …

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Gearing Up For The Shad Run

Shad can be great quarry for fly rod anglers. Although due to the limited time they occupy Maryland rivers and streams many people miss out on these great fish. The phone at Backwater Angler routinely rings each March as questions about the shad’s whereabouts, gear and locations pour in. Generally we see the shad in good numbers by the second week in April. Shad, especially Hickory Shad can be caught on three to six weight rods. Lighter rods may limit the ability to present flies to fish in deeper water, as a three can’t handle a short sinking leader like a five weight rod. The …

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Savage and North Branch River April Fishing Report

Last week I journeyed to western Maryland for some big water fishing. The tailwaters in the region have been flowing extremely high all winter, and I took the first chance to fish once the levels dropped. Many anglers are learning the Savage Reservoir has been releasing water to lower levels so a broken dam release gate can be repaired. The reservoir has been nearly emptied from extended releases in the 600 Cfs range through winter. Depending on how quickly work is completed the reservoir may or may not gain back enough water in time to provide cold flows through summer. According to MD Fisheries freshwater …

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Time Lapse Photos Of March Water Levels In Prettyboy Reservoir

When will we see an increase in flow on the Gunpowder River? In the shop we are asked this question almost daily. These lower flows the past six months have resulted in tough fishing, but on the bright side it has allowed Prettyboy to gain a lot of water back. I have monitored the levels in Prettyboy in March using a camera to document the rise of water against the dam wall.I snapped this photo below on March 7th 2008. The elevation of the water level at that time was roughly 12 feet from the point of spillover. I snapped this photo below on March …

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