The river is flowing around 34 CFS and is peaking around 55 degrees on most days.  We typically don’t see major hatches this time of year, but the fish definitely have a wide variety of food options.  Recently I’ve found a small caddis dry to be the most productive fly when prospecting, especially in the riffles.  However, the fish in slower pools and runs prefer smaller midge and ant patterns.  Look for fish gently rising amongst the fallen leaves in the glassy water throughout the catch and release section.

The brown trout are getting a little more aggressive toward streamers as their spawning date approaches.  With the water being on the low end, streamers are best fished downstream of Bluemount Rd where the Gunpowder starts gaining more volume.  Streamer and nymph fishing have also proven effective in the deeper plunge pools above Falls rd, particularly in the early morning, but can be frustrating due to the leaves in the water.

As always, enjoy the river! This is my favorite time of year to be in the park!

Also, please note that the shop will be closed on Monday October 11th.

As just about everyone in the Baltimore area has seen (and heard) the cicadas are out in full force. Water levels on the gunpowder this week are just over 80cfs at falls rd. Now is a great time to get out and splash down your favorite cicada pattern in hopes of finding an opportunistic trout, especially on hot and sunny days when the cicadas are most active. The BWA staff have spotted a few trout eating cicadas and caught a number of them on cicada patterns, but it�s important to remember that the gunpowder trout don�t remember 17 years ago. So it may take a little longer for the fish to recognize what a delicious and protein filled meal a cicada is. If you don�t feel like tying your own, we have a number of different cicada patterns in the shop that are proving to be very effective. Although cicadas have our full attention, we can�t forget about the other bugs on the Gunpowder. We�ve been seeing healthy hatches of sulphurs in the river, especially at the access points up-river from York rd. When fishing during a sulphur hatch I recommend having a few different patterns in hand including a high floating pattern and a low floating pattern. Gunpowder fish are fast learners so switching back and forth between a comparadun style sulphur and a more traditional �Catskill� style sulphur is a great way to keep the fish on their toes and catch a few extra.

The Gunpowder River is in great shape for fishing and has been continuously improving throughout the month.  At Falls rd, the river is flowing around 70 cfs with water temps ranging from the low to mid 50s.

There is quite a bit of didymo on the rocks at the moment, which can cause frustration while nymphing.  Luckily there has been good opportunity for dry fly fishing this month, particularly in the upper portion of the catch and release section.  In the past two weeks we have seen the first  of the annual sulfurs and fish seem more than happy to pick them off.  The heaviest hatches are yet to come, but its worthwhile to bring your sulfur patterns to the river from here on out.  Swinging a wet fly is a great way to cover water and kill time while you search for rising fish.

Jacob’s first fish on a Sulphur this year.

On cooler days, when sulfurs are inactive, we have also been seeing a number of fish rise to small midges usually in the size 20-24# range.

After a few days of summer like weather this past week, the Gunpowder is starting to act a little more like spring.  Water levels are great for fishing, around 88 Cfs at Falls rd, while water temperate has finally broken the 40 degree mark and is peaking around 42-46degrees on a daily basis.Along with the warm temperatures and sun, we are seeing some very small black stoneflies and a number of fish rising to them. Although fishing with nymphs is still the primary way to catch fish, it’s wise to have a few small dries handy like an elk hair caddis in the #16-18 range for when you spot a splashy rise to a stonefly.
If you want a relaxing way to blend the two techniques, swinging small dark wet flies has been effective. When swinging, focus on getting your flies in front of and around rocks and log jams where the emerging stoneflies will congregate to climb out of the water.

A great leech for tightlining

As 2021 kicks off, it seems like we’ve gotten into a pattern of crisp winter weather.  Water flow on the Gunpowder is good, around 65 cfs.  However, the water is on the colder side, peaking at around 42-43 degrees on most days.  Due to the chilly temps rising fish are difficult to find, but these conditions provide a great opportunity to practice your tightline nymphing skills.

We’ve also had a number of anglers in the shop reporting good results from streamer fishing.  Personally, I’ve enjoyed dead drifting small streamers close to the bottom this winter.  Sometimes giving your fly an occasional jigging motion while it drifts through a run can go a very long way. 

A chilly day in the Boulder pools

After a long period of low water, Friday nights (12/4) rain increased the flow on the Gunpowder to ~100cfs.  The higher water levels have temporarily put down most of the rising fish in the river, but streamer fishing and nymphing have increased in effectiveness.

When streamer fishing we recommend using small streamers in darker colors such as black and olive.  In slower runs and deep pools a short strip of ~6inches can be effective, while dead drifting a streamer on a tight line tends to be more effective in riffles and fast cuts. Nymphing with small zebra midges, caddis pupae, and pheasant tails has been productive, as always.  Heavy leech patterns dead drifted near the bottom have been particularly effective since the increase of water.  if you’re hitting the river blind, rigging up a leech pattern along with one of the aforementioned nymphs in a size 18-22 is a great way to start the day.