With air temps in the single digits bringing water temps into the 37-39 degree range earlier this week, then torrential rains sending flows on the Gunpowder to roughly 650cfs (80 to 140cfs flows are ideal in my book) this was a tough week for fishing. I was able to get out Friday, and found my go-to zebra midge still enticing to a couple trout. The wooly bugger not so much.
The less than ideal weather has given me a chance to think back over the past year, and appreciate some of the things I truly love about fly fishing. A huge draw for me is the wildlife…
Fly fishing in general puts you in a position to be closer to nature than you would be otherwise. Despite being only 30 minutes from Baltimore, many sections of the Gunpowder really do give you the impression of being in the wilderness. Frequent interactions with wildlife reinforce that impression.
Take this video for example. I saw some bushes shaking, and I could only guess what was on the other end…
His handiwork is everywhere, and if you fish a certain section, you can almost be assured that he will discreetly swim past you fully submerged at some point.
Just this past year, in the various places I’ve fished I have seen eagles–both bald and golden, bison, a black bear, a mink, a marmot, a wolf, red foxes and a grey fox, along with a bunch of beavers, otters and muskrats. Here are some other shots seen fly fishing around the country…
Sorry for the digital zoom, but this guy is just awesome. Stay warm this week, the best fishing will probably be towards the end of the week.
James Kibler 