Beware The Falls Road Beaver!

Apparently there is a beaver in the upper Falls Road section of the Gunpowder terrorizing anglers and boaters. We had two reports yesterday morning of beaver attacks, and a pair of shredded Patagonia waders to prove it. The beaver actually latched onto both angler’s waders, and knocked them down. Fortunately no one was actually bitten or injured. Today we received a call from an angler who was in the shop yesterday, and he mentioned three separate incidents in the afternoon. The angler, his friend and a kayaker all had encounters with this aggressive (possibly rabid) beaver. The two anglers were charged, and chased out of …

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Fly Fishing The Frying Pan River, Colorado:Day 2

I spent my second morning on the Frying Pan River nymphing midges in shallow riffles. I started out on a wide riffle at a lower access point, and caught a brown on a holographic midge larva. After fishing for thirty minutes I wasn’t seeing the midge hatches I had the previous morning in the upper sections, so I moved upriver. I found a good midge hatch and rising trout that lasted for two hours. Dead drifting zebra midges, holographic midges, and black fly larvae under an indicator accounted for a dozen fish by lunch time. The majority of the browns and bows I caught were …

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Sign up for the Gunpowder River Shocking Survey

Thanks to Mark Staley for the shocking survey update and invite: We plan to conduct our annual electrofishing survey of the Gunpowder Falls tailwater on the following dates: Sept. 27—Dam/Falls Station Meet 9:30 am at the upper lot on Falls Rd. Backpack electrofishers-2 or 3 Sept. 28—Masemore Station · Meet 9:30 am at the Masemore Rd. lot · Barge shocker Sept.29—Bluemount Station · Meet 9:30 am at the Bluemount Rd. lots and carpool down the NCR trail to the station. · Barge shocker Chest waders will be necessary for those who want to participate in the electrofishing. Anyone is welcome to attend and observe, however …

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Harvest Moon over the Gunpowder River

The Gunpowder is flowing at 156 CFs, is 52F and clear. This week I’ve been looking skyward as the autumnal equinox, the alignment of Jupiter and Uranus, and a looming harvest moon signals an official end to summer. Excellent flows this week have allowed folks that have very little water left in Northern Virgina and South Central PA to give the Gunpowder a try. If you’re fishing dries, Caddis, Olives and Tricos are still in the mix. Small Copper Johns with a caddis larva droppers are also accounting for quite a few fish in the riffles. The water will be dropping by Monday for the …

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Fly Fishing The Frying Pan River, Colorado: Day 1

I recently returned from a week long trip to Colorado. This was my first time fishing in Colorado, and I narrowed down my efforts to the Frying Pan River near the town of Basalt. I landed in Denver and picked up a rental, driving four hours through the mountains. The Frying Pan, a tailwater, offered many miles of public access, and connected to the Roaring Fork River a short walk from my motel. I arrived on Sunday just in time to get a fishing license, check in and wet a line for thirty minutes. On Monday morning I drove up the Frying Pan to the …

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Baltimore Harborkeeper Trash Bash is Tomorrow!

Want to do something to protect the water in the harbor? Please join Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper, Eliza Smith Steinmeier on September 18, from 12:00- 5:00 PM at Nick’s Fish House overlooking Middle Branch for a silent auction fundraiser including a seafood buffet, oyster bar and live music. Backwater Angler has donated a full day guided fly fishing trip on the Gunpowder River for the event and encourage all to attend. The Mission of the Baltimore Harbor Waterkeeper is to protect and restore the Baltimore Harbor and the greater Patapsco River & its tributaries through enforcement, fieldwork and citizen action in order to make the river …

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