Not a bad way to spend your time with Dad before going back to school!
While it may be “back to school” time, the fishing isn’t stopping. There’s still plenty of action to be found on The Big Gunpowder Falls. The “trico” hatch is going on now and there are caddis to be found throughout the catch and release section. There’s no better time of the year for getting out with the family to fish and have a streamside picnic.
Late Summer flows are perfect for wading on the Potomac River for smallies.
Over on the Potomac River, there is still great fishing for smallmouth bass. Getting out on the big river for a few hours is a great way to get your casting dialed in without the bother of trees! Any way you go, there’s some great fishing to be found in September. Give Knee Deep Fly Fishing a call and we’ll get you to the fish! (202) 681-8765 or Email us!
It’s been a while since the last Knee Deep update. The fishing has turned around in the last couple weeks. I never thought I’d see a summer where I wished for less rain. Now that the usual southern heat has set in the fishing is a bit more consistent. Caddis, ants, and beetles are on the menu now and will be until the weather cools down again.
We’ve had a great few weeks on the water fishing large Elk Hair Caddis. They are a great fly for covering a lot of water and make a great point fly for a dropper rig. Even fishing a big foam ant, a 6x dropper with a caddis larva has proven to be a wining combo. My ant seemed to receive 25% more takes than my fishing companion’s beetle on Sunday but I thing that could change depending on conditions.
Over on the Potomac the smallmouth fishing has been great. The rain has tapered off and just outside town there is good wading to be found when the Point Of Rocks gauge is below 5,000cfs. Olive and white Clouser Minnows are a good start and poppers fished over openings in the weeds and boulders will bring the exciting surface hits. Speaking of Clousers, check out his FB page for a shot of his new floating minnow. What’s not to love?
Get out there and get your line wet. It’s a great time to break out the swim trunks and get out after work. These long days won’t last forever. If you’re not sure where to start, give Knee Deep a call and we’ll get you into the fish!
Have you signed up for the Knee Deep Fly Fishing newsletter? If you’re not on the list then you never knew about all the deals we’ve had going. There’s a sweet one going for the month of July and we don’t want you to miss out! Click HERE to sign up and never miss out on a good reason to go make some new fishy friends. While you’re at it, LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. There’s no better way to keep up with Knee Deep Fly Fishing’s regretful social media updates. It’s fun. Trust us!
Speaking of making new friends. This fish has been hiding behind the same rock for weeks now. We want YOU to be the one to hook ‘em! The water is COLD up on the Big Gunpowder falls and we’ve got lots of bugs and sunshine. So what if you’re back from your beach vacation and you’re back in the office. Don’t let the summer fun stop now. Trout not your thing? Give us a call and we can put you on some great smallmouths and have you home for dinner…if you’ve got any energy left to lift a fork. The Potomac River has been fishing great in the mornings and there’s nothing like watching your rod bend while checking out the Bald Eagles flying overhead!
We’ve been putting 3 and 4wt 10’3” rods, from our friends at Mystic, to work for a few weeks now and we’ve had a BLAST with the longer rods. They actually built up a couple fresh rods in a week or so just to get us fishing fast. Talk about a company who gets it! A big thanks to Dennis for making it happen even with the busy spring show schedule.
The extra length means you can reach runs on the far side of the river without wading in and spooking fish. They can tuck a lot of line upstream under the branches while standing on the bank for presenting to the still pools for rising fish too. The 3wt is perfect for putting wet flies in runs on along the other bank all day long. My shoulder was happier with me at the end of the day than if I’d high-sticked with a 9’5wt for hours. I’m not getting old, just a little squeaky in the joints. I felt like I’d borrowed a friend’s rod and was cheating on my usual rig.
I don’t always get to fish when the guide calendar is busy so most of my fishing days are when the weather is rotten. My friends who fish the Gunpowder know that the wind can crank up when it is pushed up and down the river basin. When angling pressure is high, being able to make a longer cast can make a big difference in the number of hook-ups. I pulled out the 4wt last week on such a day last week and was able to load that rod up in the stiff breeze and put my tandem wet-fly rig exactly where I wanted it. It was so much fun that I had to pull out my phone and call my brother to tell him about it. I also had the pleasure of hanging up and stuffing my phone in my waders because I hooked up while talking to him.
In a nutshell, I had a blast trying out these new rods from Mystic. I’m looking forward to a long summer putting them to work. Not a broomstick-stiff 10’ rod that was designed for competition casting but one that was built to cast and catch fish. A little extra tip for anglers like myself who have made an art of busting 7x tippet and light enough to fish all day – these rods are fun. That’s what it’s all about isn’t it? Want to give one a try? Give us a call and we’ll make it happen.
Keep your tip on the water (or really high!) – Micah
The sulfur hatch is finally going up on The Big Gunpowder Falls. Fishing has been great in the afternoon and into the evening hours. Comparaduns and wet flies are the ticket when the fish are being shy. Fuller style patterns that you can skate on the surface will get you the takes when you see bigger splashy rises. Watch for more on our new favorite rods from from Mystic in the shot below.
SWEET new 10’3″ 4wt from Mystic – this rod is perfect for swinging wet flies on the Gunpowder.
I got to spend Friday morning fishing with first rate angler Tim Worrell, of Timothy Paul Carpets and Textiles , out on the Potomac river for smallmouth bass. Now that the weather has warmed up and the flows are down, it’s the perfect time to wet-wade and soak up some sun. We had a blast swinging Clousers and even flinging a few poppers. To say the fish were hungry would be an understatement. We caught so many fish I lost count! If you’re headed out, look for flows below 6,500cfs on the Point of Rocks gauge. The river is still dropping but there’s a lot of volume and a slip can mean a swim; I proved that one yesterday. Leave the cell phone in the car in case of a swim. Wading boots, swim trunks and a big hat will make the day.
If you need to get out and aren’t sure where to start, give Knee Deep Fly Fishing a call. We can help you hook up and get those lines stretched out. If you’re just starting out, throwing flies to bass on the Potomac is a great way to get a feel for casting and stay cool.
Training Knee Deep Fly Fishing’s newest employee, Luke, has taken us away from posting in the last couple weeks. Who would have guessed it! We’re putting in lots of time on the water though and it’s been a great past few weeks. The fishing is finally turning up towards the surface. Caddis have been making their way to the top in waves depending on the conditions. Pack a lunch and plan to fish all day if you’re headed out. There will be lulls in the action but when the switch flips, the bugs hit the surface and the fish begin feeding again. Last week’s outings saw fish on a mixed bag of surface and sub-surface caddis patterns.
Adam lands a beautiful brown fishing sub-surface caddis last week. Thanks for fishing with Knee Deep, Adam!
There are still hendricksons emerging as well as a few sulfurs. The sulfur hatch should start to take off a bit more as the days go by. I’m excited about hitting the water this weekend and in the coming week and am hoping to get some late evening time in on those spinner falls. Give Knee Deep a call (202-681-8765) and we’ll help you put the right flies over fish!
We’ve been a bit busy here at Knee Deep Headquarters. We’re proud to announce we have a new team member/son, Luke Patrick Dammeyer, who joined us last Friday. We can’t wait to get him on the water and busy cranking out flies at the vise. He and mom are healthy and happy as can be. Thanks to everyone for your well wishes and patience while we’ve taken a few days off.
Knee Deep’s newest little helper, Luke
I stopped by Orvis in Bethesda today for the Fly Fishing 101 program and dropped off a fly order. Joe and Trent have a fresh couple dozen Pax specials in the bins and some “super” versions coming by next weekend. If you need sulfurs, get your orders in fast – we’ll be tying them like crazy but the suply won’t last long. What can I say, we have to keep a few dozen for the personal stash!
Just before we went to the hospital, the fishing was hot and cold with the weather but with this new warm blast we expect the sulfurs and caddis to take flight in earnest. Keep that box of midges in your pack as a day-saver.Hang in there, it’s almost sunscreen time!
I had the pleasure of guiding two wonderful young ladies last week and introducing them to fly fishing for the first time. It was a great day on the water and the perfect picnic weather. I had to post a few pictures and say “Thank You” to the Sitar Art’s Center for connecting us. For those of you who don’t know about “sitar”, it’s a wonderful organization that’s putting art and music in the hands of DC’s kids. I can’t think of a tool that’s more powerful than creativity to help propel them into the future. Check them out and think about getting involved. It’s a remarkable place filled with some great folks.
Not a bad day for a steamside lunch!
With Spring dragging its feet and the air temps making wild swings, the Hendricksons have been slow to show themselves and hot/cold depending on the day. Fortunately there are still a few stoneflies buzzing around the Big Gunpowder Falls to keep anglers out of trouble. Grey comparaduns (think #12 & 14) have been working on rising fish feeding on emerges. A pocket full of midges can save an evening. Last night was no exception to that rule. Finally, there have been a few sulfurs popping out of the water here and there. Get you snow-shoe patterns and your Frog’s Fanny ready!
The early black stoneflies are the first real chance we get to fish dry flies in Maryland. Trout are looking up and skittering stones across the surface of the water is a great way to cover a lot of water and catch fish!
We’re booking up for April but still have a couple days left on the calendar for the month. If you’ve not had success in the spring on Maryland’s streams in the early spring, give Knee Deep Fly Fishing a call and let us guide you. We’ll help you make the most of your time on the water.
Ok, it’s only Wednesday but we’re planning ahead. The forecast looks great for Friday and Saturday. With highs close to 60 degrees, there should be some great stonefly action.
What’s that mean for fishing? Dry little black stoneflies and nymphs will be a safe bet but the warm water will be getting bugs of all types stirring. They’ll be moving around in search of the perfect place to take off for their upcoming emergences. Employing wet flies and small streamers (think small wooly buggers and Pax Specials) will bring spring strikes out of the slack water and seams. Don’t forget to wing a wet fly through shallow riffles before crossing the streams and slashing through! I’ve spooked a dozen or more fish out of what seemed like 8” of water while heading to “the good water”. It’s a lesson that’s hard to learn.
In short: fish it all! Don’t be afraid to switch flies often and switch that tippet out when you need to float or sink faster. Can’t escape till Sunday when the forecast looks wet? Grab that rain jacket and hit it anyway. The fish should be active.
