Is it really Spring? I just got the first real sign today: rising fish on the Gunpowder.
I decided to check in on the Gunpowder today, after avoiding the rock-snotty mess the river had become in February for a few weeks. I’m glad I did. What really makes the Gunpowder special for me is sightfishing to rising trout. Seeing a pod of wild browns taking emergers under a tree below the Masemore bridge reminded me why I love this river.
Gunpowder trout are both spooky and selective. The fish in the flat at Masemore are even more so. These are tough fish to catch–if you consistently catch them you have some bragging rights in the flyfishing world. I do not consistently catch trout at Masemore, and when I do it makes my day.
With water temps of 41-42 degrees, there was a consistent hatch most of the afternoon of size 20 gray midges (could have been BWO’s, but I think they were midges). The trout were rising almost aggressively, mostly ignoring the adults in favor of subsurface emergers. Some of the rises were really cool, with the tails of the trout becoming visible as they arced back down after taking an emerger. I caught this trout on a really simple CDC emerger I tied (size 18, black dubbed body, olive CDC puff wing and that’s it).
We’re expecting snow tomorrow, but the river should be fishing well again by the end of the week. It looks like the rock snot is nearing the end of it’s life cycle as well. Maybe Spring is really here…
James Kibler 