The Gunpowder river is low, clear and 48F. If you’re nymphing the most important question this week has been;  fish or leaf? Quite a few large fish have been reported this week and anglers are stalking fish from the plunge pool below the dam all the way to Upper Glencoe Rd. You’ll find more water, more flow and less pressure below Bluemount Rd. Black flies  in the #18-20 range are just starting above Falls Rd, and if you’re dead set on fishing smaller dries, try an Olive sparkle dun in a #20-22 from Masemore through York Rd. Pools full of log jams and deadfalls are great …

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The low water, at 24 CFs, has changed the fishing on the Gunpowder River compared to the higher flows we’ve seen the past three months. Gone are the days of big indicators, three spilt shot rigs and waist high water that threatens to knock you down. The soft edges that held trout weeks ago are now bone dry, but trout are still taking flies eagerly. Let’s face it, we dodged the low water bullet all summer while most rivers in the region suffered. Dry flies are a great option as they land softer than bead heads and won’t hang up in shallow riffles. Many good sized pools …

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The river is flowing at 24 Cfs and is cooling a bit at 52 F. Leaves are making fishing dries challenging but the fish are looking up and blue winged olives in the #18-20 range are a good bet . Long leaders in the 10-12 ft range ending in 6x are necessary to deliver small flies at a distance that won’t spook fish. Riffles and flats are holding fish, particuarly near log jams and deadfalls from Falls Rd through Masemore RD.Small prince nymphs, pheasant tails and brassies should account for fish feeding in the “skinny water.” Many anglers in the past week have been reporting …

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