Gunpowder Falls, Maryland 5/3/2011

[DaveKile]

Made it out on the Gunpowder on really nice day for a change. The Gunpowder is a tailwater stream off Route 83 just north of Baltimore. I ended up fishing at the Bunker Hill Road location.

Sunny, fairly breezy, air was 80 degrees, water temp at 64 degrees, fairly clear and running at about 180 CFS. Very nice conditions while I was there from about 2-6:30.

No real hatches or any fish rising. I did have luck with a green/grey wooly bugger and BHN. Most of the fish caught were pretty small under 10".

I had not been there in a while and good to see the stream looking in such good condition. Freaking attacked by the biggest beaver I have ever seen. I was sitting on the bank putting on a new fly and about two feet to my left the beaver jumped in the stream. I though it was a small bear cub at first it was so big. Now it really didn't attack me and there are no bears in the area, but man it did startle the hell out of me. Big I tell you!

 

[CodorusTUTom]

They've scared the crap out of me a few times on that stream too - usually right at dusk when I could barely see. Sounded like a person doing a cannonball!

See any signs of their infamous Didymo?

 

[ryguyfi]

I had a co worker at an old job who used to trap them for a neighbor who had a farm and a big swamp area. Said the biggest one he trapped was pushing 100lbs!

 

[wbranch]

I bought a MD license two years in a row since the Gunpowder is just forty minutes from my home. But after two years of licenses at $57.50 I've decided the fish are just not big enough, at least the ones I catch, to continue to spend money on another license. Yes, they are wild and the stream flows through a nice valley with no road noise, but they are still, for the most part, dinks and not many rising fish unless you want to wait for the half an hour before dark when the Sulphurs are emerging.

 

[DaveKile]

No signs of didymo and I really have not done a very good job keeping up with the issue on that stream. The stream looked in great shape.

 

[RonKolman]

Dave: I once knew a fly guy who was attacked by a wild beaver on a Potter Co. stream, but he still fished on. I assume you did, too.

 

[Stevie-B]

Pssssssst. Dave. There are bears in the area. Shhhhhhhh

 

[DaveKile]

Ron the guy up in Potter wisely left the stream and went to the Wharton shortly after that terrible event.

And Steve (hands over my ears) Lalalalalala.

 

[pete41]

Did a lot of nite fishing in Montana-those tail slaps can be more than a little un nerving in the dark.lol

 

[sholgate]

Last spring I saw a pretty good sized family of beavers on the Little Lehigh.

 

[albud1962]

nessie at the Lehigh???

 

[BPS]

yup. lotsa black bears in Maryland.

See a bunch on the savage.

 

[BelAirSteve]

Dave,

Glad you made it to my home water. Last year, a beaver attacked two fisherman...actually bit through the waders of one.

The average size brown in the Gun is under 10", but if you want to get to the bigger ones you either have to chuck big streamers or get down deep nymphing. That's according to the guides at Backwater Angler. Typically, the risers are on the smaller side.

There are some decent wild bows too...I caught one over 12" last year.

Regarding the didymo, the heavy spring rains and rising temps have washed it all out.

 

[wbranch]

"Regarding the didymo, the heavy spring rains and rising temps have washed it all out."

This is a joke right?

 

[Fishidiot]

wbranch wrote:
"Regarding the didymo, the heavy spring rains and rising temps have washed it all out."

This is a joke right?

I don't think he meant it as a joke. Snot mats are often heaviest early in the year, and low water springtimes (like 2009) often see very heavy accumulations on the rocks. When a heavy rain hits, much of it does break loose and wash away. Afterwards, the rocks appear to be clear. Of course, the stuff isn't permanently gone - just currently unoticeable.

 

[nimrod]

As Lt. Frank Drebin said in The Naked Gun: "Nice beaver".

 

[BelAirSteve]

Fishidiot wrote:

wbranch wrote:
"Regarding the didymo, the heavy spring rains and rising temps have washed it all out."

This is a joke right?

I don't think he meant it as a joke. Snot mats are often heaviest early in the year, and low water springtimes (like 2009) often see very heavy accumulations on the rocks. When a heavy rain hits, much of it does break loose and wash away. Afterwards, the rocks appear to be clear. Of course, the stuff isn't permanently gone - just currently unoticeable.

Thanks for clarifying...what I meant to say was that the didymo will not affect your fishing, even when nymphing. The spores are still there, but once the temps rise and a few blowouts happen, fishing conditions are fine.

 

[Dale49]

With respect to comments on just catching "dinks" in the Gun, I would have to disagree with that statement. I do agree that there are many small fish in the Gun, but this year I have taken many fish in the 12-14" range and several larger than that. I did not use streamers or large nymphs, mostly midges and am very pleased with the size of the fish that I have taken so far this year. I have fished the Gun at least 14-16 times so far this year including January, February and March.

Dale

 

[BelAirSteve]

Dale49 wrote:
With respect to comments on just catching "dinks" in the Gun, I would have to disagree with that statement. I do agree that there are many small fish in the Gun, but this year I have taken many fish in the 12-14" range and several larger than that. I did not use streamers or large nymphs, mostly midges and am very pleased with the size of the fish that I have taken so far this year. I have fished the Gun at least 14-16 times so far this year including January, February and March.

Dale

Dale,

Agreed. I had a great day last fall when I brought 13 fish to hand and the average was near 12 inches.