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 are wet you could probably use some new waders or at the very least, a patch kit from MCNETT. Winter is no time for leaky waders! We’ve had a few anglers in the shop this week headed for the warmer climes of Argentina, Chile, and Tierra del Fuego where the only snow around this time of year is on the mountains. Thanks to Mick for the photo and the pithy stream report.
Theaux,
Got 1 today. Downstream from Bluemount. Note the fly! Released healthy.
Mick
And thanks to Joe for another succinct stream report:
Theaux,
Good catching up - slow fishing below the Dam this morning and plenty of ice on the guides, but could have been much….much worse, I could have not been fishing.
Cheers,
Joe
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.
We’ll have two Sweetgrass Mantra Series rods in hand from Twin Bridges, MT in about a week and a half.
Stay tuned…
We have a growing list of concerned citizens that are interested in these rods. If you have not joined the list yet, drop us a line at info@backwaterangler.com to register.
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!
The cold weather is back in Northern Baltimore County, and the recent snow storm dropped close to five inches in Monkton this past weekend. The Gunpowder flows dropped to 137 CFs on Sunday, and water temps are still below 40 degrees. Earlier this week I found some respite from numb toes and tough fishing by playing a hunch and venturing to some smaller water in search of warmer water temps. On a forty plus degree day, I took a ride to a tiny creek armed with only one small fly box, my Scott Fiberglass six foot one weight rod, and a pair of Hunter boots. A quick dip of the thermometer revealed 44 degree water temps, which confirmed that even the small freestones in the region would be more affected by warm air temps, versus the large volume of cold water in the Gunpowder.
The pockets and pools were tiny, but most held one to two brook trout, which would dart out from the cover of rock ledges to inspect the fly. The fish were aggressive, but would only take one look at the fly, forcing me to move frequently. Spotting fish and crawling into position was the typical scenario, and I was surprised to see some decent brookies from 7-9 inches, and a few browns a bit bigger than that in such a tiny stream. The great thing about small streams in Winter is they keep you moving (warm) and staying out of the water keeps the toes from freezing. After covering 20 pools/pockets I counted over 15 trout. I managed to spook half of those fish and miss most of the other strikes, but I brought two to hand; a french fry brookie and one small brown. The spot-and-stalk component, extremely skittish fish and tight casting on small water was a great change of pace from fishing the larger rivers in the region.
Thanks to Daniel for the fishing report and kind words from his trip to the Gunpowder this past Saturday.
Hey Theaux,
I just wanted to thank you for mapping out some of the local river crossings for me earlier today. I had an awesome time out there! It was my first trip on the Gunpowder and I must say I’m in love already. It was cold and the fishing was tough. I had to dip my tip often because of ice. I managed to fool a small brown into striking a brown bugger below a log jam, just as you suggested. Its been years since I’ve caught a brownie so it made my day. I spent the last 10 years in Texas fishing the Guadalupe, which TU stocks with Bows only. Guadalupe Bass, and Smallies are a much more typical catch throughout most of that river. It felt wonderful to fish for cold water species in their natural setting. You guys are truly blessed with a beautiful fishery. I will frequent your website, and have already become a huge fan of your writing and videography. I feel excited to be back home in Maryland, Texas stocked trout cannot compare to matching wits with a wild specimen. I hope to learn much about the area in the future and plan to fish the river as much as possible between now and May, when I will head to Alaska for my summer job. You guys run a great shop and I look forward to stopping in again soon. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction, it was by far the most informative first trip to a fly shop Ive ever had.
Sincerely,
Daniel J.Pacl
The Gunpowder river is flowing at 155 Cfs, is clear and river water temps are still below 40 F. The wind and cold this week has made for challenging fishing. Stoneflies are about but not many fish are willingly to commit to dries. We were paid a visit midweek by a hardy Nebraskan angler from the Cornhusker Fly-Fishers . They have a CCF CARPFEST listed on the site that looks interesting-any takers? Gunpowder regular Carl also stopped in this week with some old paper goods- a 1976 Leonard Spring Catalog and a 1969 issue of TU’s Trout magazine with a dead ringer for Curt Gowdy on the cover. What a treat! He also brought in his time machine for my inspection. It is a 6 1/2 ft 3wt Leonard with red wraps that he picked up used in the mid-80’s for around $200 bucks. Once it warmed up in the shop, we put it together and I have to tell you, all of a sudden, except for the absence of green bodied caddis, it felt like spring. He also had a Hardy Featherweight and a yellowed receipt that showed that the English made reel cost him about $65.00, (new) back then. If you have the gear and are getting a little stir-crazy around the house, large streamers, small Copper Johns #18-20 and Prince nymphs #14-16 are worth a shot. Because we still have a good bit of spillover, the lower river is still warmer than the upper so try any access downstream of York Rd. The fishing can be tough this time of year but you’ll likely remember a day afield better than anything on TV. How many Snuggie or Bumpit commercials can your mind take? The secret to fishing comfortably during the winter is to limit one’s wading, stay hydrated and catch a few fish-they always have a decided warming effect that is not quantifiable.
For those still on the fence about trying your luck on the river, we still have room in tomorrow’s Stonefly Lifecycle Class. Give us a call at 410-357-9557 if you’d like us to reserve a spot for you around the tying table. Who knows, it might be warm enough to wet a line after class lets out at noon.
With rain, sleet and snow in the forecast, we’ve been busy marking up the shop calendar with tying classes. Our Gunpowder Guides teach these classes in Monkton, Maryland with an emphasis on fun! Here’s a sampling of sixteen upcoming fly tying classes to be scheduled for this Winter:
Fly Tying For Beginners: An excellent introduction to tying
Nymph Patterns: Dredging bottom anyone?
Soft Hackle Patterns: Classic, simple and easy to fish.
Emerger and Cripple Patterns: Picky fish beware!
Parachute Patterns: Learn tricks that make tiny flies visible again!
Streamer Patterns: Big fish eat little fish…
Midge Lifecycle: Challenging patterns that work!
Mayfly Lifecycle #1: Hendricksons and March Browns
Mayfly Lifecycle #2 Sulphurs-enough said.
Stonefly Lifecycle: Deadly Winter patterns for hardy souls.
Caddis Lifecycle: Spring is just around the corner, get a head start…
Gunpowder Favorites: Gunpowder Guide’s Favorites for the Gunpowder
Chesapeake Favorites: Gunpowder Guide’s Favorites for Rockfish on the Bay
Warmwater Favorites: Backwater Guide’s Favorites for Bass and Panfish
Gulf Coast Favorites: Backwater Guide’s Favorites for Redfish and “Specks”
Bahamas Favorites: Backwater Guide’s Favorites for Bonefish and Permit
All classes are limited to six students per instructor, are $45 and must be prepaid. Please check the “EVENTS” sidebar for scheduled dates. If you’re thinking about trying tying this Winter consider picking up a gift certificate and call us at 410-357-9557 to reserve your spot at the tying table.
