Gunpowder, Baltimore Co, MD 5/19/2013

[BelAirSteve]

Fished the sulphurs this evening - counting gearing up, walking in and out, was there for about 2 1/2 hours. Landed 7, LDR'd 2, missed 5 or 6. Most fish caught swinging soft hackles - partridge and yellow, and gold ribbed hares hear.

The water started boiling just like its always does right at dusk, but these eyes are getting too old for this stuff! Wanted to switch to a dry, but waited too long and couldn't see enough to make the switch, so I caught one more on the soft hackle. If I wear my contacts, the readers just don't do enought - if I wear my glasses I can see perfectly to tie flies, but can't see the damn fly!

All in all, a pleasant evening. Fished Masemore Road downstream.

edit: Conditions - air temp 67, water temp 59, cloudy and overcast

 

[greywolf]

I was at Gunpowder this morning trying to get some strikes on nymphs with little success. Is there some standard patterns that consistently work well at Gunpowder? The one's I used today did not get much interest.

 

[BelAirSteve]

Curious...what did you use?

For me, smaller pheasant tails in traditional and olive, 16 and 18, and gold ribbed hares ears. If it is your style, soft hackles always seem to take fish on the Gunpowder - add a soft hackle to any of the above, or traditional partridge & orange, partridge & green, partridge & yellow. Since I started fishing soft hackles, gold ribbed hares ear soft hackle in 14 or 16 have caught me more fish than I can count.

For what its worth, I have never had much luck with any kind of caddis pupa on the Gunpowder. Midges and brassies work well.

 

[midgeman]

Back in 2005 my FF mentor built a homemade strain out of a window screen. He placed the screen in a small gravel riffle and I scooted my feet across the bottom from above. The amount of midge larvae was astonishing to say the least. Hence my avatar name....

A fantastic set up for the gun is a tandem zebra midge size 20 or smaller. 24-28 is ideal if you can thread the eyes of the hook. Dark colors and white work best.

Black caddis larvae are devastating from March through December.

Fish one hook size smaller when fishing a hatch.

Move slow!

 

[YoughnessMonster]

Red san Juan consistently catches fish for mr at the GP. Speaking of homemade dip nets go to lowes an buy a 5 gallon bucket paint strainer. $4 for 2. The fit right over your net