Gunpowder Stream Report and Great Feathers Fly Shop Blog

The Gunpowder River is picking up nicely. As of this morning, the Parkton flow was at 102cfs and the temp was 49degrees. At Glencoe, the flow was 200cfs and the temp was 52degrees. The water clarity in the northern section is clear and the lower was a little dingy. The rain expected in the following days should make the conditions below Blue Mount Rd. more muddy. Barring any vast amounts of rain, the river below the dam to Blue Mount should be fine.

The bugs have become more active as well. Hendricksons, blue-winged olives and midges have been seen flying in many areas. Griffith's gnats have been productive for the midge hatches on mostly sunny days. Hendrickson dries have worked on the surface and similar spiders and soft hackles have caught fish on the swing. Nymphs to use include pheasant tails, hare's ear, copper john, and caddis pupa. Caddis have been flying but not in great numbers. The nymph and emerging caddis patterns will elicit takes. Remember that streamers work if the water is mucked and try to use colors that stand out from the murky water, like white, chartreuse and black. The fish will feed when there is run-off due to the vast array of food sources that get washed into the rivers.

After a late spring and colder temperatures, the shad have begun to show up in the upper Bay and it's tributaries. Shad have been caught in the Susquehanna as well as in Deer Creek. If you have never given it a go, shad fishing can be very productive and great fun. They will sit in the seams in the river and if your drifts find those seams, you have the potential to catch great numbers. It has not kicked in completely, but the best should be coming very soon. It is not uncommon to catch up to 50 fish in a day. Unfortunately, when they are running well, you will have a lot of company on the water. Weekdays are a good bet but don't be surprised to see lots of fisherman.

Labels: Better Conditions and Shad