im headed up tot he gunpowder at the end of june, any idea what hatches will be there?
i’ve read there are sulphur now. just curious
mdram:
I can’t offer any personal info but I recall there being some info and links in this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18094&hilit=Baltimore
Good luck & have fun!
Sulphurs and caddis.
Roger,
Give Theo a check for reports - www.backwaterangler.com
Great Feathers has a shop in Sparks, MD (Mike L. would know - can’t remember if they have a web-site) Haven’t heard much from anyone lately going up that way. Water was low because of lack of rain - think I had read they were mixing the release from Pretty Boy. Wish ya the best, thinking of a run up that way myself - let us hear how you did. Thanks,
Mike K.
Great Feathers is http://www.greatfeathers.com
i read theos site for several weeks before i go up, and im registeredon greatfeathers board as mdram also 
yo roger,
sulphurs, caddis, BWOs. you might also run into some isonychia farther down around the Sparks area if you choose to fish down there. fun to fish those big old state drakes!!!
the sulphurs around right now are the little dorothea, around #20. they are quite sporadic but the fish are still keyed in on them. I fished masemore to falls on Monday night and got around a dozen or so, almost all of which came on a Quigley’s cripple. Small dun patterns and spent spinners got a few rises but nothing exciting.
the caddis are also on the smallish side, around #18, mainly olive-bodied. EH caddis will work just fine fished on 7X. I noticed a few really late march browns the other night, but nothing was looking at them.
olives are always around, especially later in the afternoon or all day if it’s cloudy.
keep in mind that since it’s been hot and dry, the ANTS are out in force. you might see a few japanese beetles, too. there are good numbers of small green and light tan. I got a good take on a #12 stimulator a few nights ago and busted the fish off on the hookset…nothing large, my own fault.
I’ll be up there tonight while the water is up, so I’ll check it out and send you a PM. let me know when you’re up, we really do have to get together one of these times…
Marty
no problem coming into town jun 30th leaving july 3rd so i’ll fish at least 1 day. 2 if i can sneak out
I’ll be around for a change! Let’s hook up.
Took a few on an emerger/cripple last night, but it was tough fishing. Release was up to 78 vs 34 the past few weeks, but not much looking up. Had a good take last night on a #14 stim while I was scratchin my backside (not paying attention as usual).
Here’s one I got right around Masemore:
Marty
i’ll drop you a line next week, after i iron the schedule out with the wife
roger -
just a quick note. I’m in Richmond this coming Saturday but otherwise free the rest of the weekend.
Marty
Roger and others,
Hope you had a chance to get out on the river this weekend. I haven’t experienced fishing (and catching) this good in a looooong time, low flow aside. Lots of fish (and a few big ones), lots of bugs, very few anglers as the shadows grow long.
Marty
Big like how?
Mike,
Well beyond your 11" benchmark. 8)
Marty
Like what? 16" big?
I got two browns that taped at over 15", got a similar-sized rainbow almost to the net before my hook went straight. Here’s one of the two browns:
Did most of the day’s fishing high up, though I also fished around Monkton and got a few down there, one right around 12". Too many “Gunpowder bonefish” down there in between trout. Moved a large fish (guessing 16" or better) on a sculpin but couldn’t get him to commit. Here’s the best fish from the Monkton part of the trip:
There are definitely some decent fish willing to come out and play, and I suppose I could have had luck on my side yesterday too. I will say that up until yesterday I hadn’t taken a fish over 12" all year. Wondering if it’s just the cyclical nature of population dynamics - saw this happening around 6 years ago. No matter, I’ll take what I can get before we’re off to Richmond for good and I’m fishing for those “rough fish”… :lol:
Marty
Those are good fish for the stream. Congrats.
I definately attribute the fishing to the cyclical nature of the stream. There are more fish in there than there have ever been but with that comes more competition for food and stunted growth. In the couple years after the 2002 drought there were less fish and I caught much less numberwise but they were bigger with some real brutes thrown in. If these low flows continue all summer the same thing could happen the next couple years. Regardless, the fishing is still great. It is just for more, smaller fish now.
We will have to fish again before you move.
Stopped through on our way south from PA on Sunday eve. Took two browns and a decent brookie. No pix - camera went further “south”. Nice fish Marty. I found a ciniman ant and a bead head pheasant tail did the trick for me. Didn’t have much for time - headed upstream from Masemore. Lower flows than I thought they would have been.
Mike K.
Definitely yes to everything you said. Especially fishing again. We also have to hit the NBP this fall - you can play guide and I’ll try to keep from swimming!
The 15"er pictured, although definitely healthy and strong, wasn’t fat. Not a complaint - gave the 4wt and my beater Bass Pro reel a workout - but the other good-sized brown was plump. I certainly do wonder what the water games do to aquatic life - though I’m sure it’s still a better scenario than what any of the Mid-Atlantic/Northeastern freestoners are going through. Judging by my simple observation yesterday, the caddis and small mayflies are doing just fine. But the stoneflies were weak this winter. And now I’m just rambling.
I suppose it all boils down to angler expectations - I’m happy with catching numerous smaller, albeit scrappy, fish just as much as with a few hogs. One of these days I’ll drag something big and ugly through the plunge pool…
Marty
well i headed out saturday, but every spot i wanted to head in at was filled with tubers, so i waited till monday morning.
every spot i went to had rising trout, but they didnt like anything i drifted past them. after talking to the guys at backwater i decided it was emergers that i just didnt have the right color combo of.
i did see several big browns laying at the bottom of a pool, but again i couldnt entice them to even take a sniff at anything. guess thats why its fishing and not catching.
it was still a good day on the river, as is any day