Don’t Let October Slip By you!

 

The girls ALWAYS out-fish the guys.

Don’t miss out on Fall’s changing colors! The leaves are changing and they won’t last long after this dry summer we’ve had. Take advantage of the low temps and crisp fall air by spending some time on the water. Knee Deep Fly Fishing is here to help get you out and catching fish.

In the last week we’ve seen water flows level out on the Big Gunpowder Falls and the fishing had picked up. We’re lucky to have shared the water with some great folks and had some fun streamside picnics. Last weekend Micah spent the day fishing with Adam Franceschini, head guide from Housatonic River Outfitters, Inc., and his girlfriend Jennifer – a first rate angler herself – through Backwater Angler. The weather was picture perfect and we shared a lot of laughs all while proving that the girls always out-fish the guys. The proof is in the photo above. It was a treat to watch Adam cast to some fish feeding on midges late in the day and, as surface action is always sweet, it was a great way to end the day.  Big Thanks to Theaux and his team at Backwater.

It took everything from caddis, tiny hare’s ear and pheasant-tail nymphs, to tiny midges on the surface but we pulled up a bunch of fish. We saw a lot of young fish offering plenty of encouragement for seasons to come. If you’re headed out this week, watch those river gauges and the weather forecast. If they call for high winds, leaves could make it tough but Fall is the time to get your line wet. If you’re just starting out, Kne Deep Fly Fishing is ready to show you how to un-complicate fly fishing. Give us a call and get on the calendar this fall.

Ants In Your Pockets

Got ants in your pants? Maybe you hadn’t noticed but ants are everywhere this time of year. Sure, beetles and hoppers are cool and get lots of attention but ants are small and, when you find them, you find lots of them.

Last week I found myself and a guest fishing on the Big Gunpowder Falls hunting fish in the shade of overhanging trees. We had one of those “Cast it in there like this” moments and as the fly hit the water it was crashed by a nice brown trout that was watching for food in the trees.

As necessity breeds creation, I’ve come up with a fast and durable foam ant pattern that I can tie lots of in a short time. You can get a PDF with step by step tying instructions HERE. I recommend tying a good number of them so the trees can have a few without it ruining your day.

Put some ants in your pocket!

-Micah

Technology & Fishing In The Rain

A welcome, rainy, break from the heat

 

The weather is cooling down a bit and there was even some fishing in the rain last week.  It felt strange to put on waders, rather than wet wade, and even put on a wading jacket. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to have my polarized glasses covered in drops of rain. After weeks of dry weather and record high temperatures, it was a welcome change.

The day was an exercise in applying technology to fly fishing long before we hit the stream. I found myself loading gear into a hotel room the previous evening around 9:30pm in a heavy rain shower. Of course, by the time I’d finished unloading everything, the rain had reduced itself to a light mist. Not enough rain to raise the Gunpowder any noticeable amount.  I gobbled down some salty fast food while anxiously starting up my laptop and logging into the weather radar for the region. Lines of storms seemed to be passing us over with only one large clump of Doppler-green hours away. A quick check of the river gauges confirmed the rain had made no change in the flows. With rain forecasted for the over-night hours, the morning’s fishing was at risk of becoming a long casting class and a trip to the pub.

Thunder woke me up at some point in the early morning hours. I laid in my hotel bed listening to the heavy rain blow against the windows and waited for thunder to follow up faint flashes of lightning. A look at the clock confirmed that it was still an hour when I should have been logging some sleep. Fading in and out of consciousness for another few hours, I found out the hard way that the previous occupant had set the alarm clock for 6:00am.

I stumbled into the oddly large kitchen and made a tiny pot of no-name coffee. With the news on TV and my laptop going, the time it took for the USGS river gauge pages to load seemed to take forever. With my first sips of some of the worst coffee I’d ever had, my nerves were slightly calmed by the tiny blue graphs confirming little had changed in the river’s flows overnight.  A look at the weather radar showed that the rain would pass over mid-morning and it looked like we’d stay fairly dry after that. There was no lightning in the forecast and the day was a go.

Waiting in a parking lot for my day’s fishing companions, the clouds gave it everything they had, and I still felt a little nervous about the day. While we geared up in the parking lot next to the river, getting waders on and sealing up in jackets was the first order of business. I kept reminding myself of the clear, rain-free, window of weather I’d seen on-line before leaving the hotel. Everyone was smiling as we headed out for a quick casting lesson and the amount of attention I was devoting to the rain seemed to dwindle. An hour into the day, the sun began to fight its way through the clouds and I thought about how far we’ve come in predicting weather. The ability to check river gauges, water temps, and weather radar on-the-go has changed the way we live and fish. I can’t wait to see where we go from here.

 -Micah

Low Water on The Gunpowder – Think Smaller!

Low water turns the riverbed into heat-sink for the Gunpowder.

While flows on the Big Gunpowder Falls are abysmally low, smaller streams in the area are looking nice and full for July. Exposed rocks in the Big Gunpowder falls will raise temps below Masemore Rd. fast on hot sunny days while the Baltimore DPW has the valves cranked low. If you’re headed up to there to fish, focus your efforts above Falls Road to avoid tubers and give the fish down-stream a break while they’re under stress from the herons. I think even the tubers and canoeists will have a tough time with flows below 30cfs.

With that said, the Baltimore/DC regions  other streams are looking great for July. The Pax rivers are running a bit stained but there’s fishable water to be found around Savage Mill (a favorite of Micah’s for cloudy water smallies) as well as upstream in the other special regs areas. The brookie streams have more water than can usually be expected this time of year and anglers who brave the high grass with a short rod can find fish. We’ll be out tossing the 7-footers in the tiny creeks this week for sure. This is a great time to grab the swim trunks and a few Clouser Minnows to hit the Potomac and cool off. Early and late are going to be your best bets no matter where you go.

If you’re undecided about where to fish, give us a call this week!

The Water’s Cold, Wish You Were Here!

With the heat setting in, standing in the mid 50’s water on the Big Gunpowder Falls has been a GREAT way to beat the heat. Just recovering from a hot week on the road, Thursday was a great day of fishing before the air temps hit 100. I spent the day sharing some of my favorite parts of the Gunpowder with a great fellow angler and we had success with summer patterns like the classic Elk Hair Caddis and my “fast caddis” fished as a dropper and in tandem wet-fly rigs.

Great cold water brown from The Big Gunpowder

Weekdays are a treat on The Big Gunpowder Falls as the crowds are sparse. I was amazed how few anglers were on the water yesterday. The weather forecast may have scared a few folks off but the temps on the water were comfortable. With neoprene booties in my wading boots, I was comfortable going without my waders. An occasional trip into deep water for a snagged fly was refreshing!

If you’re headed out in the heat this weekend/coming week, be sure and pack some water as well as some kind of “sports drink” and travel light. Check your boxes for a few light colored Elk Hair Caddis, bright green larvae for subsurface as well as some trusty PT nymphs and midges. Friends are reporting Tricos but I haven’t been lucky enough to see them.  I spotted a few bright green hoppers on the banks and am excited to fish hopper patterns again; nothing else produces such a big splash.  It’s going to be hot for a while but the fish don’t seem to mind! Give us a call and we’ll help get you out there.

Tight lines,

Micah

Stormy Weather

 
Sunny Days and Brown Trout

 

With stormy weather in the forecast for this afternoon, it’s nice to look back at some of the sunnier days.

The sulfurs won’t mind if it’s raining. In thinking about it, a few years ago I left the city only to get stuck in traffic for hours and arrive at the river just as the sky opened up. I fished all evening at Falls Road and caught fish after fish while cars drove over the bridge, pausing, to watch me unhook and release the fish. I waved at a couple of the passing cars as the rain poured down around me. One of them gave a toot of the horn as they pulled away. It seemed like I had the entire river to myself – I probably did. The sulfurs emerged through a storm of nickle sized rain drops and the fish splashed at the surface like nothing was happening.

Rain and trout

Stay dry and safe this afternoon. If we’re lucky it’ll all blow over and we’ll see a nice spinner fall tonight!

 

Some Nights

Spinner Fall on The Big Gunpowder

Some nights are just better than others. If you can stay late for the next couple weeks, your reward will be spinner falls and big pools to yourself. Pack a few Rusty Spinners and coffee for the ride home. Check out Matt Grobert and Tim Flagler’s Rusty spinners over at Caddis Chronicles. I like mine with an egg sack and a bit of orange foam on top.

Go get your feet wet!

Super Duper

The water is a bit cool but it’ll feel nice when the temps crank up this weekend. Flows are what we call “nice and flush” here at Knee Deep and things are looking perfect for the next few days. We’ll see you on the water!

 

Sunny Days and Sulfurs

Father and Son

 

First trout!

 

 You can’t help but have a great time when the sun is shining and the sulfurs are coming off the water on a nice afternoon. The fishing’s been great even with the higher flows. If you can stay late for the spinner fall, you’ll be rewarded with plenty of elbow room and bold trout. Give Knee Deep Fly Fishing a call today and we’ll get you out there. It’s a GREAT time to catch your first trout!

 

Getting Knee Deep …Late Night

This is past your bed-time.

Lots of anglers can put in the 8 hour day or even longer. Other anglers only need 45 minutes to catch as many fish as you did all day. Those anglers are making the most of their time on the water by dialing their fishing hours in to the most productive. The minutes just at dusk can provide some of the hottest action if the conditions are right. In May, anglers on the Big Gunpowder Falls often head home to their dinners and families as those in-the-know are just making their way to the river for the spinner-fall. Having fresh tippet and a straight leader before the light fades is key. A powdered floatant and a headlamp with a red light make a world of difference. Scouting out a place to fish the spinner fall during the day is important though it may take a few nights to find a spot to fish that fits your casting and vision needs.

 When booking with Knee Deep Fly Fishing, LLC this month, be sure and let us know if you can stay late into the evening. It’s worthwhile!