Monthly Archives: April 2007

Maryland Fly Fishing School 4/29

Please join us for a fly fishing school. On Sunday, April 29, a Gunpowder River guide will be teaching a fly fishing school that is ideal for beginners. The school covers knots, casting, gear and fly selection.Cost is $100 per person and includes the use of gear. Class size is limited to 4 and pre-registration is required. Please give us a call at 410-329-6821 or drop us a line at info@backwaterangler.com to pre-register.

Flyfishing for Shad in Maryland

This video short by Jason du Pont should inspire everone to get out and fly fish for shad while they’re runnin’.

Shad are now migrating up many river systems in the Mid-Atlantic region. Thousands of fifteen to twenty inch plus shad will be moving upriver in greater numbers as warmer weather arrives. The Potomac, James and Susquehanna Rivers are regional hotspots, along with Deer Creek.

Flyfishing in Maryland? Hendricksons Afoot…

The water is still on the cool side, and water temps in mid 40’s have slowed the fishing down a bit. The river is clear and flowing at 110 Cfs. We’re just starting to hear about a few Hendricksons about…but this week fish have been more apt to take emergers and larger than usual nymphs, (#10-14) than dries.This just in… the Fentons, a father and son team that drove down from Monmouth County, NJ, (along the shore) stopped in to report a half dozen fish on a #14 Adams parachute.. The fish were taking Hendricksons…thanks Eben and Bruce for making the drive down to fish dry flies.

Midday Gunpowder River Hendrickson Dun

If you’re planning hike up from Falls Rd., flies in the #20-24 range are still worth a shot. A double dry fly rig is best–Just bring along some 7x and spend some time marking fish before you show them something with a hook in it.Tired of nymphing? Hit the log jams and runs with small streamers in the #12-8 range. We have lots of YOY,(young of the year) that are becoming trout food in the shallows and falling prey to larger and smarter fish holding near cut banks and deadfalls.

Maryland Fly Fishing Guides have a Field Day with Black Flies

The Gunpowder river is flowing at 106 Cfs and is 43 F throughout the catch and release area. Fish are holding in shallow riffles and taking stoneflies nymphs and dries in the #14-16 range along the banks between Bunkerhill Rd and Bluemount Rd access. Black flies have been coming off well above Falls Rd and may be found as far downstream as Masemore. Imitating these flies challenges even the most experienced anglers. Lots of 7x Tippet and patterns in the #20-24 range have been the norm. We had several guide trips this past weekend. Guides reported consistent catches of fish in the 10″ to 14″ range.
Blackflies

Gunpowder River Report from Laurel, MD Fly Fishing Regular

Jason, last Saturday, after buying the soft weight, I tried the section of water below York Road. I fished far enough downstream that my walk back to York Road at a good clip took me 25 minutes. I managed 4 fish caught and 2 lost, one of which was above Masemore, before the intended planting at Bush Cabin Run. They all fell to bead head wooly buggers in size 8 and 10 with ginger and olive bodies. That was when the water was moving by at 210 or so cfs. I even had a chance to see 1 nice take as I cast into water surrounding a tree trunk and leading to a deep undercut bank. A nice fish came out to swipe the wooly bugger as I cast from the bank. I saw no stoneflies out; just saw a few black midges and a couple cream ones. Nothing at all rising with all that volume to the water. Up at Masemore there were a fair amount of skunk cabbage poking out, but below York Road for the whole distance I fished not a one was seen. Many kingfisher out and about. The soft weight cast o.k. but I did lose a couple pieces on the line, and a few times it slipped down to the hook eye.
Cheers,
Jed