The Gunpowder river is clear, flowing at 49 Cfs and is warming slightly from the high 30’s to the low 40’s. Much of the spillover that had been contributing to lower than normal stream temps throughout January and February has lessened, and river temps will start moving up the thermometer in the next few days. Snowshoe rabbit midges sized #20-22, Z-lon, quill and deer hair winged stoneflies #16 and small streamers are worth a shot. If you’re starting early, bring your nymphing game. Dark bead head nymphs in the #16-18 range are typically great Winter go to flies, but until temps move into the high 40’s, one might need to place a brighter lead fly in front of these small flies to trick a fish. Thanks to Gary Edwards for the following report and picture,
Hey Theaux,
Great day on the river- winter stones were sporadically coming off– made for fun nymphing!!
Gary
The shop is open at 8:00 AM every Saturday and Sunday, before you suit up, stop in and pick up some local patterns that are sure to put a smile on your face.
Glimpses of the Gunpowder is a fly fishing movie by Jason du Pont that spans a year of fly fishing along the Gunpowder river. It is an “up close” narrative describing hatches, the river and its wild fish framed with original music by Cantrip, a well-versed quartet of Scottish musicians playing “high energy,” traditional music. The DVD also features a film short focusing on Didymo in the Gunpowder River.
I not only wanted to record all of the things that were unique to this river but also capture moments that seem to dissolve so quickly.
Jason du Pont
It’s here folks at $21.95 and there are four ways to play,
1.Stop in the shop and pick up a copy.
2.Give us a call at 410-357-9557.
3.Drop us an email at info@backwaterangler.com
4.Simply order the fly fishing film online with a Mastercard or Visa.
With more Winter weather in the forecast, We’ve just received a few items from Cloudveil, that, when applied in combination, get us one step closer to a cure for the Winter fly fishing blues.
Considered essential Winter fly fishing gear, the Cloudveil Two Trigger glove at $35, exposes the first two fingers and thumb, is made of Windstopper fleece with wraptor construction and has a Scholler WB400 knuckle panel with a Clarino synthetic leather palm. The Banks Beanie at $32 is made of 100% merino wool and has a microfleece headband. Snow is optional and recommended on both items. Can’t live without them? Please give us a call at 410-357-9557 or drop us a line at info@backwaterangler.com to purchase.
Thanks to Ben Kim for the following feedback,
Hi Theaux,
Just wanted to let you know that I had a great time this past Sunday.Thanks for fitting me into the class. Looking forward to sitting in on another class with Dave once my schedule opens up.
Take care!
Ben
We still have room in most of the fly tying classes on the event calendar.
If one, or more of these classes strikes you, give us a call at 410-357-9557,
or drop us a line at info@backwaterangler.com to pre-register.
The Gunpowder river is flowing at 68 Cfs and is clear. The sun is shining and river temps are 38 to 42 F throughout the catch and release section. Nymphing with small bead heads, and red butts is an effective way to cover water. Most of the fish are holding in shallow riffles near logs and downed branches in the river-the stonefly nymphs crawl out onto these before pulling out of their shucks. So, if you don’t mind covering a lot of water, (not a bad way to stay warm) use the great trail network, a stream thermometer and keep moving until you find slightly warmer water near woody debris. Persistence can pay big dividends this time of year. Even during the Winter, larger fish still need to eat, and one must go fishing in order to catch fish.
If you’re fly fishing from the tying bench this weekend, we’ve provided a glimpse of what you’re missing in the following historical posts:
Related Posts:
From Feb 15, 2008: Gunpowder River Fishing Report
From Feb 20, 2007, Snow is Melting along the Gunpowder River
From Feb 24, 2006, Nymphs in the wind…Rainbows on the line
From Feb 24, 2005, It’s Snowing Stoneflies
From Feb 20, 2004, Ice is Melting
Thanks to Josh for the following review:
Hey Theaux,
Thanks for letting me use the Sharkskin fly line, it is awesome! I have used it for nearly every kind of fishing in the area, small creeks, the Gunpowder, and on ponds. It has performed great for each one. It loads the rod quicker than the I ever thought was possible. Its light weight, and the dull gray color helps me on those cloudy days. I just wanted to thank you for letting me use this magnificent fly line. Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Josh R.
Thanks to Jim Macneal for the kind words
Gentlemen,
A perfect day was spent driving through Monkton on Sat., Feb. 7th - made all the better by making a stop at the fly shop. Thank you Jason for making our visit enjoyable plus showing us pictures of how the dwelling appeared years ago. My wife really enjoyed playing with the fly shop mascot - forgot to get his name. We left your shop and drove down Masemore Road to the Gunpowder - a few cars , but we didn’t see anyone fishing. I’ll contact the shop soon to check on the progress of the DVD Jason told us about. Thank you again for the nice day, see you soon.
Tight lines,
Jim Macneal, Jr.
