Heading out to the Gunpowder River? Check out the most recent report of the stream from Mike Slepesky
If you want to put some of the skills I mention in this blog to the test, reach out to mike@tightliningmd.com to schedule a trip. Also, I have ONE hat left for sale if you missed the pre-order. Thanks to all who supported! Tight lines and I hope you gain something from reading this.
Current Stream Temps- 51-55 degrees! Ideal temps for fishing.
Current Stream Levels- 84.7cfs; levels are PERFECT, but won't last forever! It has been "up" for about 2-3 weeks and you need to take advantage!
Current Bugs- BWO, Occasional Caddis/Sulphur, Terrestrial/Inch Worms/Ants/Beetles are much more prevalent.
Use the advice below to help you net a few more fish the next time you step out on the water!
Tip #1 - It's Terrestrial Season
A friend of mine, and guide for this website, Mike Pendelton, recently was out fishing and mentioned his success on the Green Weenie. This is a fly developed out of Pennsylvania, by Ken Igo and Russ Mowry. The fly was created to simulate an inchworm that had fallen into the water. I am sure, if you have been out to the river lately, you have probably noticed one of these inchworms making their way down from the tree. Given their presence, and a good report from a fellow guide/angler, I decided to tie up some Green Weenies. The results were FANTASTIC.
One of the many eager trout willing to eat a Green Weenie in the faster water. What fun!
I nymphed from 8 AM until 11 AM, using a sz 16 Green Weenie and a sz 16 Walts Worm. I caught around 50-60 trout in that window and it was about a 3:1 ratio of how many trout took the Green Weenie over the Walt's. I had never experienced where one fly dominated so much and with such numbers of fish. I Euro Nymphed the two flies in riffles and runs and in each hole I could count on a fish, or more, and minimally a bite to occur. The fish hit the fly with ferocity and takes were abundant. Truly one of the more rewarding days on the water for me. Tie some up for yourself, or grab some from the website and take them out while the terrestrial season is upon us.
Lastly, I did fish my Orvis Superfine Fiberglass 7'6" 3 wt with a 9' 6x leader. I put on a Bionic Ant for my dry and dropped a Walt's Worm about 10-12" off the bend of the hook. I did this for an hour and brought a couple fish to hand on the dry, as well as a few on the Walt's. It was nice to make some more traditional gear, while being rewarded with some Wild Brown Trout mid-day on the Gunpowder. Furthermore, I have been getting reports that Beetles are also in play and doing quite well. As always, fish on light tippet, cast from a further distance of 20 or so feet and fish near structure and riffles, especially if those riffles are near a bank.
A pic of a fish taken on a Bionic Ant fishing traditionally. They were somewhat eagerly looking up!
Tip #2 - Early Bird gets the worm
I do believe in "Bite Windows". This could be because of a few different factors:
1.) Cloud cover
2.) Recent Rains and elevated flows/off color
3.) Cooler or warmer water temps than average
4.) Before the sun comes over the horizon/tree line
Recently, the bite window that has been fairly consistent is the first and last mentioned. Any chance you can find to fish before the sun is on the water yields positive results. Some of the best success for myself and guided trips has been from 7-9 (maybe 10 on a good day) AM. The reason for this window is the sun has not peaked over the trees yet and the river is still quite shaded. I am sure if one also fished before 7 AM they would find similar results. However, those waiting until later in the morning, or mid-day, are losing out on a wonderful window of opportunity. It is not that a savvy angler won't catch fish after 10 AM, it just gets harder.
Tip #3 - Find your contours
For those who have fished the Gunpowder, you know it is a beautiful river. For those who haven't, get out there ASAP! While on the water, look for the differences in color of the river bottom, depth changes, structure underneath the water. Here are some examples of contours recently on personal, and guide trips, that have landed nice fish, when a drift has gone through it:
1.) When the river bed goes from a silty brown to a emerald green, or darker brown/black bottom; this indicates the stream now has depth and also a gravel/rocky bottom. Trout much prefer this type of water.
2.) Looking for "buckets" or troughs; within river systems it is quite common a consistent depth of water within a riffle/run will have one spot that is just a bit deeper by a foot. You can usually see these with a good pair of polarized glasses. When I come across these "buckets", where the river now has extra cover for fish to get down deeper and hide from overhead predation, it is quite common a fish or two are taken from this hideout.
I was fishing a pretty shallow riffle, but one area I could tell was just a little deeper than the rest, I put my tandem nymph rig of the Green Weenie and Walt's Worm through it and caught TWO fish on ONE cast!
3.) Find bigger rocks/logs/etc that are submerged and get a drift as close to the structure as possible. Troutbitten, a wonderful FREE online resource, publishes many videos, articles, podcasts, and more. One of their phrases is "Hook up, or hang up"; when fishing the river be searching for submerged obstructions where a drift and be presented closely to it. Quite commonly along these there are eager trout willing to dart out and grab a fly drifted within inches of their hiding place.
Get your boots wet and chase down some fish!
I hope this report, with tips included, helps you the next time you head out to the Gunpowder River. Be sure to head over to my Youtube Channel and see the latest adventure, head over to the store for euro nymphs for your next outing, and consider booking a trip for the summer through the website.
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