Gunpowder Stream Report and Great Feathers Fly Shop Blog

The spring weather has made the conditions great for getting out to the stream. The flows are 119cfs at Parkton and 261cfs at Glencoe. Temps are hovering around 60 degrees. Clarity is good, but the periodic rains will cloud the lower river more readily.

Fishing has been good and the hatches are a little late, but due any time. Hendricksons have been seen, but sparse.
Nymphs are abundant on the rocks! Caddis have been coming off also. The small stones have been the most successful dry patterns but that is due to change with the mayflies ready to go.

Swinging wets and streamers has produced good results. Black buggers have been the call. Caddis emergers, April gray emergers and wets, and standard nymph patterns(i.e. pheasant tails and hares ear) have worked well. Dry fly fisherman get ready. The hatches are overdue and the time is coming soon!

After a long and snowy winter, the springtime weather has arrived. Water temps have risen to 50 degrees and the torrent has receeded to large, but wadable flows. As of this morning, Parkton guage reads 174cfs and Glencoe is 359cfs.


As the water temps rise, the fish are becoming more active and the bug life is improving. Stoneflies have been relatively abundant and the fish are reacting to them. Fluttering stone patterns in black and brown are working on the surface. Grouse and herl, Stewart Spider, Red Ass and Snipe/starling and purple are great wets to be using right now. Nymphs include caddis pupa, March Brown nymph, BH soft-hackled pheasant tails, and black pheasant tails. When the water is chalky or off-color, Buggers and Matukas in black and white are the streamers to use.

Swinging wets and streamers have been the most productive methods so far this season. Attention to details is always important, but especially when starting the season. Get into good habits early. 5x and 6x tippets and leaders are the sizes for the dries, wets and nymphs. Use shorter and stronger sizes for the streamers.

During the Holiday weekend, there will be plenty of people out enjoying the great spring weather. Please be considerate and make stream etiquette a priority!!





BTW   Interested in tying flies?  We have the best selection of fly tying feathers and a variety of fly tying materials at Great Feathers.