news

the news section is for shop events and programs

Greater Baltimore Canoe Club Members Illegally Cut Trees in Gunpowder State Park Wildlands Area

Thanks to Candus Thompson, from the Baltimore Sun, for writing about the recent illegal tree cutting by members of the Greater Baltimore Canoe Club that took place in a “Wildlands” designated area of Gunpowder State Park in her Outdoors column. Her article aptly titled, “Paddlers with Chainsaws Bark Up the Wrong Tree” hopefully reminded all of us that Maryland’s State Parks were established, and still serve to protect, the natural resources of the State of Maryland. For those of you unfamiliar with State “Wildlands”, the following description was posted by a dissenting bulletin board member of the Greater Baltimore Canoe Club under a since removed …

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Backwater Angler Hat & Customer Sighted While Fly Fishing the Taylor River in Colorado

Thanks to Leland Newcomb for the following: I just read your last two posts on your website and thought this story may be of some interest: This past August, a friend and I were traveling through Colorado, fishing some of the well known streams. Early one morning we were gearing up on the Taylor River when a guy came off the stream to his car that was parked next to mine. We said hello and asked how he’d done. He had caught one of the slabs that the Taylor is known for. He said he hits this stream once a year, gets on the water …

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Backwater Angler Now Open on Wednesdays, Means that the Shop is Open 7 Days Each Week in December

You heard it here first. Whether you’re fishing or rounding up a few gifts leading up to the holidays, we’re here seven days a week in December. That’s right! The shop will be open from 10AM till 6PM on Weekdays,  including Wednesdays in December . We’re also open from 10AM till 4PM Saturdays and Sundays Shop early,  shop often, and thanks for supporting a Full Service Fly Shop along the Gunpowder River  only 35 Minutes from downtown Baltimore, Maryland.

Maryland Fly Tying Materials and Patterns

Fall can be the time for pursuing wild browns amidst the changing colors of leaves and reflecting on the past year’s fishing. Journals can help, often times a fly box can be a great place to look to bring back memories from months ago. The tattered snow shoe hendricksons and soft hackle nymphs in my box bring back early Spring evenings. Size twenty midge pupaes, zebra midges, caddis larvae and the faithful San Juan kept things hot on cold winter days. Wet flies, caddis pupae and pheasant tails in many colors and sizes dominate rows and rows of slitted foam in my boxes. My “fur …

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Gunpowder Trout By The Bucketful

The shocking survey on the Gunpowder River is pretty incredible to witness. On September 24th a team of Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Biologists shocked the Falls Rd area on Gunpowder River. A line of wader clad, net wielding biologists and volunteers pushed upstream behind biologists wearing electro-fishing backpacks. The shocking prod stunned anything within a five to six foot range with a low volt charge. The stunned trout floated to the surface where they were gently netted and placed in buckets. Trout and the occasional big sucker floated up from every little hole. The contents of the buckets were placed into tubs with …

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Fly Tying In Maryland? Time To Dust Off The Vise

Backwater Angler will continue offering fly tying classes on both Saturdays and Sundays on weekends through the Fall and Winter. Classes will vary from beginner to advanced and many will focus on tying techniques, hatches or special materials. This is the time of the year when days get shorter and an angler’s time can be best spent at the vise restocking the fly box. If you put off tying, or thought it was too difficult, costly, or time consuming sign up for a class and learn how to produce easy fish catching patterns on the cheap. For all the experienced fly tiers our classes are …

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