Dismiss

Late May Fishing Report

With hot temperatures in the forecast we can only expect the fishing to heat up over the weekend! The river is flowing at 113 CFS and fluctuating between 55 and 62 degrees F. There have been great sulphur hatches throughout the day and into the evenings allowing for exceptional dry fly and wet fly fishing. Swinging wet flies like a partridge and yellow have been very effective throughout the warmer portions of the day. Into the evening this will continue to be effective however we begin to see more dry fly action as the day goes on. The heat this weekend could provoke some really …

Read more

May Stream Report and New Shop Hours

The Gunpowder River is flowing at a beautiful 127 Cfs and fluctuating between 57 and 59 degrees throughout the day. The decreasing flow and warm temperatures have created incredible conditions for fishing of all kinds. Earlier in the day nymphing has been the most effective while imitating the mayfly nymphs. If you watch your waders you will see these bugs latched onto you as your day goes on. As the water warms up throughout the day more sulphurs have been hatching and the fish respond accordingly. Having several different patterns and patience are the key to fishing the hatches. Take your time through the pools …

Read more

Vernal Spring Equinox on the Gunpowder River

The Gunpowder River this week after blessings from the vernal Spring Equinox-equal time dark to light. After 21 years along the River, I still find it hard to believe that 16 million people live within fours hours of this invaluable resource. In spite of this or maybe in part because of it, on most days, it’s still easy to spend time in quiet reflection among some of the oldest rock formations on the East coast and bear witness to the only other sounds of flowing waters and bird songs greeting the warming air.

Backwater Angler Celebrates 21 Years on Mardi Gras

The adage, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” clearly applies in the case of continuing Wally Vait’s On The Fly since 2001. While not necessarily an auspicious year to restart a retail specialty fly shop, many that year found solace and comfort from the happenings of 9/11 along the river. Since then we have proudly served both Gunpowder regulars and anglers who have been lucky enough to travel further afield in search of beautiful fish in stunning landscapes. In this way, and in the moment our hope is that these fishers have found a bit of peace from the stresses of the 24 hour news …

Read more

New Abel Vaya’s in Stock

We have just restocked our reel case with some beautiful Abel Vaya’s. There is simply no other reel like it. The Vaya is one of our favorite reels here at Backwater Angler not only for its stunning looks but also for it durability and technology. Crafted by avid Colorado anglers, the VAYA series debuts an all-new technical look and feel paired with outstanding performance. The partially-ported VAYA frame offers the unique combination of minimized weight, incredible rigidity, and just enough surface area to highlight Abel’s hand-anodized finishes. The frame interior also features varying sets of CNC-milled fly patterns, relevant to each size of reel. The large-arbor …

Read more