Gunpowder (Md) 10/26
- Thread starter BelAirSteve
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BelAirSteve
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I agree. The spillover has had flows up lately. Right now, its at about 180. If it's around 100 on Saturday morning, I won't be able to get there early enough and fast enough! Look for another report!
VTPAangler
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In 2007 I walked from the dam downstream a mile or two. Wonderful water. Water was churning at the dam but the wading wasn't bad at all. One of my favorite stretches of the Gunpowder is that long sections of staircase like plunge pools.
sundrunk
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I have to laugh when ever I hear the Gunowder associated with small brown trout, there are some lunkers in the Gun..In fact, I would go as far to say "lots of lunkers in the Gun",,Their just hard to catch..Fishing drys, the biggest brown I ever pulled out of the Gun was about 17", (sulfur hatch)...If you are willing to lower your standards and strip streamers at dawn, you'll move big fish..Because, I believe most big browns in the Gunpowder are nocturnal cannibalistic feeders..
salvelinusfontinalis
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Id say thats a safe bet sundrunk
I am a regular on the Gunpowder. Even though I live in PA, It's only a 13 mile drive. I love fishing during the colder months as you avoid the people rafting and swiming dogs,
Didymo is a problem during the winter but I found that fishing small (24 to 28s) nymphs, microcaddis and midge larva and pupa, with little to no weight, you can't minimize geeting caught on the junk, I fish quite a bit above Falls Road and have caught some nice fish this year including rainbows. There is also good fishing for many miles below the dam.
I fish the PA central and south central limestoners and feel that the Gunpowder is every bit as good a they are, granted the average size of the fish may be smaller.
Didymo is a problem during the winter but I found that fishing small (24 to 28s) nymphs, microcaddis and midge larva and pupa, with little to no weight, you can't minimize geeting caught on the junk, I fish quite a bit above Falls Road and have caught some nice fish this year including rainbows. There is also good fishing for many miles below the dam.
I fish the PA central and south central limestoners and feel that the Gunpowder is every bit as good a they are, granted the average size of the fish may be smaller.
sundrunk
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Glad to see you fishing the Powder. I have a friend who lives in York. He won't fish the Gun. He would drive over it, every day, to and from work and not fish it..I used to say he was crazy not to. I don't know what it was, just woundn't break down and get a MD trout stamp I guess..He said he'd rather fish the Codorus..All I could ever do is shoot him a look like, " HUH" Plus In those days he wasn't fishing much and I think all those wilds in the Gun put the zap on his brain...
Maurice
Well-known member
The gunpowder in MD is THE closest thing we have to a BONA FIDE Freestone trout stream in the South Central PA region. Too bad it has to be an artificial fishery with the tail race from Pretty Boy. But if thats its only knock, I'll take it.
It blows the codorus out of the water. Case closed. That said, I fished it twice this year cuz its perzined wit da Didmyo. I'm skeired ta trak that junk back to my home turf.
the Gunpowder is like a good looking hooker you can daydream about but if you "get involved" you have to disinfect yourself before you go home. That sucks. Takes all the fun out of it.
It blows the codorus out of the water. Case closed. That said, I fished it twice this year cuz its perzined wit da Didmyo. I'm skeired ta trak that junk back to my home turf.
the Gunpowder is like a good looking hooker you can daydream about but if you "get involved" you have to disinfect yourself before you go home. That sucks. Takes all the fun out of it.
sundrunk
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Maurice,
There have always been brook trout in the Gunpowder water shed, even before Prettyboy dam was constructed in the 20's..
I like the Codorus for what it is, but would have to agree the Gunpowder is a much better fishery, from hatches to being able to spread your wings on a back cast..If you live in MD or VA, and you're a trout fisherman, you fish the Gunpowder..I happen to live right on the MD, PA line so I get to have it all, with easy access to I83..
Funny, since the Gun was diagnosed with "pee didy" the hatches have never been better..You will find robust trico's; which are taking place as I write these words right now..Olives, caddis, even a strong Hendrickson hatch on the Gunpowder now..Not to mention Sulfurs. Didymo hasn't had an ill affect on the hatches..
Just put on an older pair of waders and boots, and come on down to MD, hun...Get your self a crab cake.
There have always been brook trout in the Gunpowder water shed, even before Prettyboy dam was constructed in the 20's..
I like the Codorus for what it is, but would have to agree the Gunpowder is a much better fishery, from hatches to being able to spread your wings on a back cast..If you live in MD or VA, and you're a trout fisherman, you fish the Gunpowder..I happen to live right on the MD, PA line so I get to have it all, with easy access to I83..
Funny, since the Gun was diagnosed with "pee didy" the hatches have never been better..You will find robust trico's; which are taking place as I write these words right now..Olives, caddis, even a strong Hendrickson hatch on the Gunpowder now..Not to mention Sulfurs. Didymo hasn't had an ill affect on the hatches..
Just put on an older pair of waders and boots, and come on down to MD, hun...Get your self a crab cake.
sundrunk
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It's going on 3-4 years since didymo was detected and the hatches are still going strong. I know what you mean about Winter early Spring though. "Oh the day didymo broke my heart" 🙁..
When I fish the Gunpowder I'll wear muck boots, I try not to get into a lot of heavy wading cause of didymo..I do a lot of dry fly fishing so didymo doesn't get on my flys much. But if you nymph, I would suggest you let your fly dry out really well before fishing differnet water, never know...
When I fish the Gunpowder I'll wear muck boots, I try not to get into a lot of heavy wading cause of didymo..I do a lot of dry fly fishing so didymo doesn't get on my flys much. But if you nymph, I would suggest you let your fly dry out really well before fishing differnet water, never know...
Moe: next time you are ready for a new pair of boots, save the old ones and make them your Gunpowder boots. Problem solved. My working theory, and I have reason to believe this is right, is that many of the large (17 plus) fish caught in the Gun, and there are not so many of those, run up from Loch Raven. If you check out when reports/pics of larger browns are posted it is nearly always in the fall. It would be interesting to see if a naturally reproducing steelhead population could be established there, although that could have both good and bad aspects to it. There is a lot to recommend the Gunpowder, but I don't necessarily agree its a better fishery than Codorus. Personally, I consistently catch more and bigger fish in Codorus. But the Gunpowder is a lot closer to me in NoVA, and there is lots of room to spread out if you are willing to walk.
