Muddy Creek FFO section, York County PA, and Gunpowder near Monkton, Baltimore County MD (10/17/2022)

[bdhoover77]

I decided to take the day off and spent the morning on Muddy Creek for the first time. I parked at the lower end of the FFO section and fished maybe half the way up. The air temp was about 55-60* with partly cloudy skies, and the water temp was about 55-57*. The stream was running clear but perhaps a bit low. I saw some BWOs (maybe size 20 but that’s just a guess) and small midges. No rising fish during my time on the water. The leaves were not too much of an issue but enough to occasionally get snagged on the leader. I ended up catching maybe 5-6 smaller wild browns (no stockers were seen) and a couple creek chubs using a tightline nymphing rig. The olive France fly and caddis pupa were the most productive nymph patters for me, although the chubs keyed in on the olive perdigon nymph.

On the way home, I decided to spend an hour or two on the Gunpowder just above Monkton Station. Similar air and water temps, although it got cooler throughout the afternoon with some occasional rain showers. Flows are still fairly low on the Gunpowder, and hopefully Baltimore County will allow increased releases from Prettyboy soon, but below Little Falls the stream picks up additional volume. I saw a few smaller BWOs (maybe size 22) and plenty of midges, but no rising fish were seen. I wanted to switch up the method and tried swinging some wet flies (bead head soft hackle pheasant tail and partridge and orange). I picked up another 5-6 small wild browns and a couple chubs. I did miss a larger 14-15” brown, which would have been my largest on the Gunpowder.

I definitely want to go back to Muddy Creek this fall/winter. It really isn’t that much farther for me than the Gunpowider already is. The guy I met in the parking lot told me he’s been catching some larger 14-18” wild browns recently. I definitely didn’t see any larger fish today, but maybe farther up the FFO section holds better fish than the lower end?

 

[caddisflyer]

I decided to take the day off and spent the morning on Muddy Creek for the first time. I parked at the lower end of the FFO section and fished maybe half the way up. The air temp was about 55-60* with partly cloudy skies, and the water temp was about 55-57*. The stream was running clear but perhaps a bit low. I saw some BWOs (maybe size 20 but that’s just a guess) and small midges. No rising fish during my time on the water. The leaves were not too much of an issue but enough to occasionally get snagged on the leader. I ended up catching maybe 5-6 smaller wild browns (no stockers were seen) and a couple creek chubs using a tightline nymphing rig. The olive France fly and caddis pupa were the most productive nymph patters for me, although the chubs keyed in on the olive perdigon nymph.

On the way home, I decided to spend an hour or two on the Gunpowder just above Monkton Station. Similar air and water temps, although it got cooler throughout the afternoon with some occasional rain showers. Flows are still fairly low on the Gunpowder, and hopefully Baltimore County will allow increased releases from Prettyboy soon, but below Little Falls the stream picks up additional volume. I saw a few smaller BWOs (maybe size 22) and plenty of midges, but no rising fish were seen. I wanted to switch up the method and tried swinging some wet flies (bead head soft hackle pheasant tail and partridge and orange). I picked up another 5-6 small wild browns and a couple chubs. I did miss a larger 14-15” brown, which would have been my largest on the Gunpowder.

I definitely want to go back to Muddy Creek this fall/winter. It really isn’t that much farther for me than the Gunpowider already is. The guy I met in the parking lot told me he’s been catching some larger 14-18” wild browns recently. I definitely didn’t see any larger fish today, but maybe farther up the FFO section holds better fish than the lower end?

Nice colors on your fish and in the woods.. I would guess the fish the guy caught are very likely stocked. 18' wild fish in Muddy Cr. would be a rarity. Not impossible I suppose and not that there is anything wrong with stocked fish .

 

[Schaefer406]

Nice colors on your fish and in the woods.. I would guess the fish the guy caught are very likely stocked. 18' wild fish in Muddy Cr. would be a rarity. Not impossible I suppose and not that there is anything wrong with stocked fish .

I second this, an 18" wild brown on Muddy would be an anomaly (from my experiences), HOWEVER, it is definitely possible. I know the South Branch of Muddy is a Class A water, and I'm sure these fish can migrate up/down/to the Susky and forage a good bit and come back up. This kinda ties in with the migratory fish conversation that this forum had a bit ago!

 

[Mike]

It would be a one way trip to the Susquehanna given the barrier in the gorge area.

 

[Schaefer406]

It would be a one way trip to the Susquehanna given the barrier in the gorge area.

I'm not as familiar with it as you. What is the barrier? I've been wanting to explore the Gorge area but haven't gotten time.

 

[bdhoover77]

Nice colors on your fish and in the woods.. I would guess the fish the guy caught are very likely stocked. 18' wild fish in Muddy Cr. would be a rarity. Not impossible I suppose and not that there is anything wrong with stocked fish .

The fish in that photo was from the Gunpowder, not Muddy Creek. The other photo of the stream was Muddy Creek.

I always prefer catching wild fish (I have not yet been able to find any native fish, except for the fallfish, and I am in favor of ceasing to stock over native fish). But although I prefer wild over stocked, I have not caught enough of either to complain about catching a stocked fish. If I can hook into some large stocked trout, I’m not going to complain.

 

[Mike]

If part of your interest in native fish above is referring to wild Brook Trout, I know of only one stream in the Muddy Creek drainage that harbors wild Brook Trout and if they are still present in that short stretch of the stream, they would be a bugger to get to. It’s a multiflora rose tunnel, still memorable in that regard as it really tore up our arms when electrofishing. Just joking…but the crew could have almost left a blood trail.

 

[bdhoover77]

I thought about trying the upper Gunpowder above Prettyboy Reservoir yesterday to see if I could find any brook trout. But from what I’ve heard and read the creek flows mostly through private land up there and there are few public access points. Good for the brook trout, less so for the anglers; but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

 

[McSneek]

14” to 18” wild browns in Muddy Creek? No way. More like 4” to 8”. Love the stream but any wild fish over 10” is a unicorn.

 

[bdhoover77]

14” to 18” wild browns in Muddy Creek? No way. More like 4” to 8”. Love the stream but any wild fish over 10” is a unicorn.

I was mistaken. Apologies.

 

[McSneek]

I was mistaken. Apologies.

You don’t have to apologize. I just don’t think it’s possible despite what that guy told you. I have fished the FFO a lot as well as the South Branch. Never caught a wild fish of any size. Also, there is little difference between the upper end of the FFO and lower end. You’ll get into faster water about midway, then another long flat stretch and then some nice holes and riffles at the top. Worth fishing that stretch too.

 

[caddisflyer]

I am not sure but I also think a lot of those cookie cutter smaller fish that appear wild are actually raised in some of the tributaries in some type of boxes. I think maybe by TU? I am no longer a member but I recall something like that. They are wild in a sense I suppose. I know this was the case some years ago.

 

[Mike]

Re: South Branch Class A section……
Not trying to contradict anyone, just providing more info….survey in the mid-80’s to early 1990’s period produced some bigger (17-18” trout, perhaps larger) in the now Class A stretch in some very good large fish habitat. That particular site is now posted. A survey about 5 yrs ago did not produce fish of that size, even from some limited but good larger fish habitat. It did produce fish larger than the 8-10 sizes though, but I don’t recall the exact sizes. All I know is that I was impressed enough to say to myself that I wished I lived closer to this stream. I would not have said that for “a bunch of small fish.” So, it must have been pretty darn good.