Record Snowfall of 79.9 Inches this Season in Baltimore

What I would give to see a blade of grass. The plug the CAT C 12 gingerly placed across the front of my drive is now cleared. The impending snow shovel shortage awaits! I have one snow shovel left, the other expired in the early dawn hours Wednesday on the warm side of the house where the heat from the big wood stove full of red oak turned the powdery light stuff on the walk into an ice crystal slurry mess. “Split handle?” “Cracked blade?” “See it all the time,” may be part of the new fly shop vernacular. I’m certain that by the weekend, …

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Fly Fishing the Torres del Paine and the Rio Puelo, Chile

Thanks to Max for the stream report and photos from a recent fly fishing trip to Chile. Testament that Backwater Angler interns know how to spend a few weeks in January down South. Hi Theaux! Just wanted to tell you a bit about our trip to Chile this past month. We fished in the Torres del Paine National Park near Punta Arenas for a few days, catching big browns in the 22 inch range. We were fishing with a few guys who are opening a guide service next year, and they were really helpful in showing us where the fish were. We fished small rivers …

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The Gunpowder River After The Blizzard

The heavy snowfall in Baltimore county accumulated to well over two feet in many areas over this past weekend. The road conditions finally improved yesterday and I took a drive to the river to take a few pictures. I was fortunate to find the only parking space at Masemore, as the lot was plowed in under mounds of snow. I also noticed both Falls Rd lots were unplowed, so anyone traveling to fish the Gunpowder may need to tour a few access points to see where parking is available. The lots usually get cleared, but with an additional foot of snow forecasted for tonight, they …

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Fly Fishing Tough but Necessary for Some

The Gunpowder river is flowing at 142 CFs, is gin clear and 38 F. Small #16-18 stonefly nymphs, san juan worms and large wooly buggers and sculpin patterns have been accounting for a few wild fish. Cabin fever is upon us! Fishing conditions are, well, tough out there, especially with headlines looming like, Snow Appetizer to the Main Event, but some lucky folks are at least managing to get their lines wet. As illustrated by the following stream reports, when it comes down to it, fly fishing is necessary and important to some no matter what the weather. However, if your feet, shins or knees …

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Sweetgrass Fly Rods Update

This shot of Glenn Brackett giving drying bamboo the once over was sent to us from Dave at Sweetgrass rods-Thanks Dave! We unpacked a Sweetgrass 8ft 5wt 3pc 2/2 Hex, and a 7′ 3″ 4/5wt 2/2 Pent over the weekend. If you haven’t heard, the “Boo Boys” have a new series, called Mantra as described on the Sweetgrass site: These 1-tip rods represent an unparalleled value in bamboo rods. With the same taper as our regular, Sweetgrass Series, the Mantra rods will delight with the same action you would expect from a Sweetgrass Rod. And at half the price, it’s a bargain in artisanal craftsmanship. …

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Winter Fly Fishing the Frying Pan, Colorado

Thanks to Fred for the great picture from a recent Winter trip to the Frying Pan River in Colorado. This big brown trout was caught while fishing 36 F water in deep depressions along the Flats of the Frying Pan on a 22 F day. The next day, a seemingly unrelated article from The Aspen Times titled; Angling for Solitude, Fryingpan, Roaring Fork Lure Wintertime Fishing Fans appeared. Great timing Fred!