As the frost was turning to vapor, a Bald Eagle flapped noiselessly downstream under the canopy of Poplars and just over the River Birch to drop into a Sycamore snag over a long, green flat. The Gunpowder River is flowing at 157 CFs, is clear and 42 degrees. The River has dropped in flow while warming a bit in temperature the past week. Black Flies are just starting above Falls Rd. Stoneflies are about in the lower river in the #14-16 range and throughout the catch and release section. These flies are tough to see without snow on the ground so as you’re walking the trails check your jacket sleeve every once in a while–then try a quill winged stonefly pattern in the flats and a deer hair stonefly pattern in the riffles. The wild fish have been slow to show themselves on the surface so fishing emergers that imitate the black flies can be an effective way to pass the time until one glimpses a rising fish-use enough split shot on the leader to get stuck in the gravel every half dozen casts. Snowshoe rabbit snow fly patterns are a good bet above Falls Rd. Streamers, dead drifted along log jams and cut banks have resulted in a few larger fish this week, including a 19″ wild Brown that Tom reported today.
Author Archive for Theaux Le Gardeur
The Gunpowder is flowing at 164 CFS, is 41 degrees and clear. A glimpse of winter weather late tonight in the form of sleet, snow and ice will likely make it tough going on the trails till tomorrow around mid-morning. With cold weather just starting in late January, anglers have plenty of winter fly fishing on the way. With black flies, midges and stoneflies commonly hatching from January through late February we are close to fishing dries again. Nymphing with small, heavy stonefly patterns in very shallow stretches of the river has been most effective in the catch and release area. A good strategy that will keep one warm on cold, blustery days is to hike the trails with a slightly heavier rod fitted with a short sink-tip line and a trace of 4x flourocarbon and a conehead bugger. Watch your step and fish the riffles and log jams outside of the catch and release area. These waters are typically a little warmer, (up to 5 degrees) than the waters immediately downstream of the Dam when it is spilling over.
We have Catskill style and snowshoe rabbit BWO’s from Mike Bachkosky, fresh lids from Patagonia and the Winter issue of The Drake on the front counter.
The shop will be closed Tuesday the 10th through Friday the 13th of this week.
The shop will be open Saturday the 14th, Sunday the 15th and Monday the 16th from 10 AM till 4 PM.
The shop will be closed on Tuesday the 17th of next week.
The shop will be open Wednesday the 18th from 10 AM till 4 PM and will resume normal hours on the 19th.
The Gunpowder is flowing at 155 Cfs and is 42.5 to 45F throughout the catch and release section. Spillover since mid-September has dramatically changed how anglers are approaching the river. Anglers adjusting to flows above 185 Cfs have been forced to bring along a wading staff use longer leaders in the 10 to 12 ft range and use heavier flies, such as Copper Johns to get to the bottom. Blue winged olives and cream midges are accounting for the majority of the dries present along the river. Little black stoneflies are just starting to show up on warm afternoons so be sure to pick up a few quill winged stoneflies from the muffin tins the next time you’re up visiting the shop.
Thanks to Alex for the stream report and photos he put together during his winter break:
Theaux
I spent a few afternoons on the Gunpowder throughout the past week. The water has been fluctuating around 200 cfs with rain and spillover. However, the spillover has led to colder than normal temperatures for this time of the year, as the water is in the upper 40s. I have mostly fished from Masemore Road upstream towards the Dam. On warmer days, black midges in the # 20-24 range have been coming off. Deep nymphing has been my approach to the higher flows. San juan worms, small hairs ears, and zebra midges have picked up a few fish on long 6x leaders. Make sure you carry split shot with you. This time of the year, you want to be ticking the bottom as the fish won’t move too much for a meal. I have also picked up a few fish on white and vanilla streamers. Stripping them in the back-eddies or swinging them through riffles has worked for me.-Alex
These lucky Hardy fly reels were just relined in anticipation of more fishing and more fish in 2012!
Last week I delivered eyed Kamloops Strain Rainbow eggs as part of Trout Unlimited’s TIC program to Bel Air High School. About 160 students will be exposed to the TIC program and the students will rear the fry, learn about basic water quality needs and release the fingerlings in the spring in regulated trout waters in the State of Maryland. The wall art adorning the halls was quite inspiring! Once the fertilized eggs hit 54 F, (approximately the same temperature as the receiving waters) they are ready to go into the brooding baskets in the TIC tanks and should hatch out in just a few days.
By now many of you have heard that I am now serving as the Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®,(GRK). If you’ve visited the shop this season you’ve likely become familiar with some of the issues and resulting GRK project areas that we are focusing on along the 217 miles of tributaries and 53 miles of the mainstem that comprise the Gunpowder River Watershed. As a new nonprofit charged with protecting the Gunpowder River, we feel that the RIVERKEEPER®, model is an effective, grassroots advocacy tool which safeguards tributary and river health. GRK champions the compliance of existing environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act to protect downstream waters including the Chesapeake Bay and assures that public waterways in the Gunpowder Watershed remain swimmable, drinkable and fishable. For those Gunpowder River users interested in our work I’ve provided a year end wrap up:
In 2011, Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®:
Filed formal complaints with Baltimore County, Maryland Department of the
Environment, (MDE) and the Office of the Attorney General related to alleged agricultural compliance violations of a conservation easement along a Brook Trout tributary of the Gunpowder.
Gave testimony before the Sport Fish Advisory Commission and asked the Maryland Park Service to regulate recreational tubing and enforce no alcohol laws throughout Gunpowder State Park to address community concerns about public safety and habit degradation.
Formally asked MDE to reopen a federal discharge permit and provided comments with the Environmental Integrity Project that asked for a reduction in the discharge of heavy metals from a coal fired power plant located along the Lower Gunpowder River.
Lead a panel discussion on Invasive Species at the Waterkeeper Alliance Annual
Conference at Northwestern University, near Chicago, IL and at Trout Unlimited’s
Coldwater Summit at the USFWS NCTC in Shepardstown, WV.
Commented on a Water Quality Assessment of the Lower Gunpowder River and asked MDE to include a compliance record of waste water treatment plants that discharge into the Lower Gunpowder River to better typify the water body prior to reclassification and removal from the 303(d) impaired waters list.
Attended Regional, (Baltimore, Harford and Carroll County) Watershed Implementation Plan and Total Maximum Daily Load meetings to discuss implementation of the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Pollution Diet.
Gave testimony before MDE on Stormwater and Sediment and Erosion Control
Regulations and asked the Department to strengthen regulations to protect water quality in streams along and downstream of construction sites.
Supported three three fertilizer bills that resulted in a prohibition of quick release
phosphorous in residential lawn fertilizers sold in Maryland in 2012.
Sampled the watershed with 13 volunteers for MDDNR Stream Waders Program.
Hosted an American Rivers Gunpowder River wide cleanup. Recruited volunteers and took part in a stream planting project to stabilize the Little Falls, an important tributary of the River.
2011 Awards: Maryland Department of Natural Resources Conservation Award,
Baltimore County Executive Citation, Baltimore County Council Resolution, Mid
Atlantic Council Trout Unlimited’s Elliot Donnelly Award.
Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® is recognized by the IRS as a 501 c(3) non-profit classified under natural resource conservation and protection and your charitable contribution is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
If you feel that the work of Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® described above has value, please consider an end of the year donation and become a member to further the cause of protecting the Gunpowder River for future generations.
Your continuing support is vital to our efforts,
Theaux M. Le Gardeur
Related Posts:
Spillover leads to another Gunpowder River Flood: From Unfishable to Unfathomable
Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER® call for Volunteers
Felt Sole Ban and a Membership to Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER®
The Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill One Year Later
Aldo Leopold’s Birthday and the Launch of the Gunpowder RIVERKEEPER Website
Theaux Le Gardeur Widely Quoted in an Acid Mine Remediation Economic Impact Study
Lefty Kreh with his namesake Deceiver is featured on the 2012 Maryland Fishing Guide. Get a copy of the guide when you pick up your 2012 Maryland Fishing License. Please be sure to bring your drivers license and check or cash for the license payment.
Note: The shop will be open this Saturday till 4:00 PM and will be closed on New Years day.
The river is clear, flowing at 264 CF dropping from the mid-300’s.Water temps are cooling down to 46.5 F. Bees are still crawling and the grass is still growing along the Gunpowder. Folks are still fishing flats and backeddies with olives. In higher flows, nymphing with brassies, zebra midges and tiny pheasant tails is most effective with leaders over 10 feet. Swinging streamers over the gravel with a sink-tip is also worth a shot. The grass is still growing along the river. This weekend, the TV can wait and lord knows your help in the kitchen won’t be appreciated. The fishing will be tough but remember that you are far less likely to catch a glimpse of a bald eagle, river otter or wild fish in a mall parking lot.
