Fishing

Patuxent River Monday

Micahdammeyer fishing report, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 …photos are at the bottom!

I took a ride around the north end of DC to Mongomery/Howard County to fish the Patuxent River. With the whole day to myself, I took the scenic route. This brought me past the Brighton Dam area, which I hadn’t fished since last season, so I decided to pull in and check it out. To my surprise, a stocking truck pulled up and a few volunteers helped toss buckets of fish into the river. It was nice to see fish going in there as it’s a great chunk of catch and release water for the new angler to cut their teeth on. It’s worth checking out after work on a weekday; just don’t stay too late and get locked in by the park staff!

A short run in the truck took me upriver to the Howard’s Chapel Rd crossing and I fished upstream almost to Hipsley Mill Rd. The early spring was giving the rose bushes a head start – I can’t wait to see how my waders hold up on the cold Gunpowder after this run – and the terrestrials too. I didn’t see many of the river’s crayfish but there were Japanese beetles and enough caddis to get me to prospect with an Elk Hair Caddis. I turned over a few rocks and found big mayflies, caddis and scuds in the riffles. I got a chance to watch from a high carved bank as two fish picked their lunch from the current below me and fed on the surface as well as sub-surface while I enjoyed a cigar from our pals over at W. Curtis Draper Tobacconists. Most of my hits and misses came on tan buggers and crayfish patterns despite the fish watch for smaller forage.

If you’re looking to explore this stream that’s right in our backyards, travel light with a few attractor patterns and streamers. If you’ve got some small hand pruners, save yourself some stress and a few scrapes, by tossing them in your wader pouch. Bring a camera to catch the birds and flowers that are popping up a couple weeks behind the city. Cast to the under-cut banks and downfalls and you’ll find lots of fish. Take your time and observe. You’ll be surprised what you discover. I left a few flies in the trees for you!  – Micah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March Comes In Like A Stonefly

Micahdammeyer Big Gunpowder Falls, fishing, Fly Tying, Spring, The Fly Fishing Show, Trout , , , , , , , , , , ,

Wrapping up the weekend here at Knee Deep Headquarters, I’m reflecting on a busy few weeks. The Fly Fishing Show in Lancaster, PA was a great time and a god chance to catch up with old friends and make a lot of new ones. Putting faces with lots of names and shaking hands with folks you’ve only traded emails with makes the world a little smaller. As a newbie on the show circuit I was impressed with my fellow fly tiers who really made me feel welcome and supported. I couldn’t have done the show without my go-to instructor, and brother, Mark. One of these days he’ll give up on the 9 to 5 life and fish full time, I know it.

After that, I had a few days to recover and unpack, then I tagged along with my wife to London. While she was working hard, I made sure to eat everything in sight and stop in a lot of pubs along the way while touring the city. I didn’t get out of the city to explore fishing options but I sure feel like I can check off the major sights. I kept the staff of the hotel laughing as I asked for directions every morning. While I can appreciate a nice hotel, the concierge “dudes” were joking with me that I was like Crocodile Dundee. Big Ben, the Tower of London, the Prime Meridian…I saw it all. It was more tiring than a day on the water.

Sometimes Micah gets to fish!

Speaking of the water, I was out on Friday and things are warming up. The air temps are starting to turn around and the water temps can’t be far behind. The wind was cranking and, at a few points, casting had to be paused while the gusts made their way down the river. I was lucky enough to have a friend along who actually snapped a rare picture of me with a fish. I love showing people around my local haunts and Friday was full of good joking around and relaxing. We had a few minutes when the sun burned through the clouds and the wind paused long enough for the stoneflies to take off from the grass and make a large cloud over the river before being blow away again. If you’re headed out in the next week pack heavy streamers and stick them close to the banks. 4x fluorocarbon and a loop knot will get you deep and help you pull the fish out of the undercut banks that the winter’s high flows have carved out.

The April schedule is filling up fast. If you’ve been putting off booking an outing for spring,don’t wait. Time is flying by. If this week’s weather forecast is true we should see Spring really showing it’s colors around the Gunpowder. Give us a call or e-mail and we’ll help you use up those fresh 2012 sick days!

 

Orvis Days, Care For Kids and a big Thank You!

Micahdammeyer Big Gunpowder Falls, fishing, Fly Tying, Mayflies, Spring, Trout, Uncategorized, Winter , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

On October 8th, I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the Orvis Store in Bethesda, MD during their “Orvis Days” event. I was flattered to have a great crowd of folks turn out to hear me talk about the Big Gunpowder Falls and show off some of my photography with a presentation following the seasons on the river.

Also presenting during the event was Trent Jones, who schooled us on fishing in DC on the Tidal Potomac River, all while we were entertained for most of the day by jazz guitarist Bart Stringham. Joe from the shop brouth in Sandwiches from PotBelly and other snacks and refreshments. Except for being on the water, what else could a fly-fisher want?

I couldn’t have asked for a better reception and I’m grateful for all the kind feedback I’ve received. Thank you to everyone who turned out and to Orvis for having me at the shop!

If you missed you missed the Orvis Days promotions last weekend there’s a chance to save at the store coming up the week of October 21st through Oct. 30th with a Care For Kids Card from the folks at the Children’s National Medical Center. The cards are $50 and get you 20% discounts on regularly priced merchandise. It’s perfect if you’ve had your eye on new boots and waders or a new rod for under the tree not to mention the long list of first class merchants who’re participating! I’ll even be working at the store Sunday the 23rd if you want to come and say hello.

Cooler Air and Warmer Water

Micahdammeyer Big Gunpowder Falls, fishing, Fly Tying, Trout, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

With the water dropping all over the East Coast the fishing is heating up. A few trips in the last week have been a great chance to check out Mother Nature’s handy work. Seeing the piles of trees 10 feet high are a reminder of just how powerful water is. There’s lots of new structure in streams like the Gunpowder and the river bottom has new contours to explore. I found a few gravel bars in the last few days that were still settling and shifting. Nothing keeps you on your toes like quicksand!

 The fishing has been great and trout are hungry and aggressive with warm water temps getting them feeding. Big streamers are the ticket to lots of strikes. Fishing with 4x tippet makes casting heavy flies a breeze and the high, off-color, water helps hide the thicker line.

I shrunk a few photos down and put them in a slideshow below. 

[Show picture list]

Nothing says fall like getting out those waders that you’ve been going without all summer. Give us a call today and talk about scheduling an outing for fall!

 

The Dog Days…

Micahdammeyer Bass, Warm Water , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comment

The Dog Days of Summer are here; it’s a good thing I really like dogs. I’ve spent a lot of weekend mornings teaching fly fishing and casting classes at the Bethesda Orvis store and, now that those are mostly wrapped up, I’ve got my weekends back and can hit the water early and had a free Saturday to get out and do some fishing myself.

Just warm enough for the smallies on smaller creeks.

While the local chatter is all about how hot things are and how the fishing has slowed, the fish are still feeding. What most anglers miss is when conditions change, so should your tactics. The smallmouth hunt is no different than fishing trout and observation is the key to hooking up. Matching the “hatch” is the most important even if the hatch is baitfish and or crayfish. Smallies are piled high in shaded and cooler feeder creeks and getting fat on bait that’s had a few months to grow and school up in eddies. Getting out in the mornings before sun-up or after sundown will help your chances and help you beat crowds of tubers and canoeists.

Remember, if your friends tell you to stay home and watch fishing DVDs you need to find some new friends to talk fishing with.

When the bite slows down call 'em up from the deep with poppers.

Wet or dry…

Micahdammeyer Big Gunpowder Falls, Fly Tying, Mayflies, Spring, Trout, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
Wet or Dry?
Wet or dry...have it your way

Nothing is new about fishing wet flies but I thought I’d share my go-to wet/dry sulphur pattern. Fishing the Gunpowder Falls anglers are treated to some great hatches of sulphurs and caddis. I think there are more caddis in the river but feel free to debate it with me. In any case, I fish this fly both dry and wet. I even fish a combo of it with just the wings dried off by a powdered fly drying agent. There’s nothing fancy about it except maybe the snowshoe-hares foot wing. The more fish you catch the worse it looks and the better it seems to work. I don’t leave the house without a full compartment of this fly if I’m taking other people along. As the season goes by I tie it smaller and smaller and even with a dun colored wing. I credit an old friend for turning me onto the snowshoe hare years ago and I put it in everything.

Wet flies are one of those things you just can’t get in your local fly shop (unless you have a great local shop…if so get in there and buy some flies and other stuff from them and keep them open) and when I hear people say “It’s not worth tying my own flies” I think of this one. They’re  becoming a lost art. There are dozens of patterns that you just can’t pick up everywhere. Many tiers are picky about little details and swear by minor adjustments of old patterns. I’m definitely one of those folks; for me it’s the little tweaks that give flies the “life” that some store bought flies are lacking. Spending a few hours at the vise refining and learning can pay off on the stream. There’s nothing more rewarding than learning to tie your own flies and hitting the water and CATHCHING FISH with something you made!

Get out there while it’s still spring! And get on some of those sulphurs. Maybe call your favorite local fishing guide (hint, hint!) and ask about some fly tying lessons. It’s a sure-fire cure for cabin feaver when winter comes around again.

While You Were Sleeping…

Micahdammeyer News, Uncategorized , , , , , 0 Comment

While I was at The Fly Fishing Show catching up with old friends and learning about all the typos I’m so fond of posting here in the Internet, Virginia’s legislators were hard at work stomping out wetlands.

http://cbf.typepad.com/bay_daily/2011/01/virginia-wetlands-again-in-jeopardy.html

If you’re a Virginia Voter, get on that one – it won’t kill you to send an e-mail. I came across this one through the Potomac Riverkeeper’s facebook page. If you’re on there become a fan! They need your help and they’re good with the news.

If you missed the Fly Fishing Show in NJ, there’s still a chance coming up in the spring to catch up with your favorite fishing guru at the Valley Forge show this spring! The NJ show is a great time and I’m expecting the Philly show to be just as fun.

The Stoneflies Are Comming

Micahdammeyer fishing, Fly Tying , , , 0 Comment
#14 Brown Stones
Brown Stones

Every year I can be found fishing on the New Years weekend. When I was a teenager the holidays were a time when my family was home together and we’d get out of the house as a group (a group of trouble makers) and slide our way to a local trout stream. Our mother was a saint to put up with us and this holiday routine. I recall a few years where I caused us all to be late for Thanksgiving because we were chasing brookies in Jockey Hollow or Christmases where new gear was tested right after it was unwrapped out at Ken Lockwood Gorge; always a fun spot once it was coated with ice. As the years went on and my brothers and I moved further from each other there are less afternoon outings following big early meals. I will never forget being out-fished by one of my brothers who threw a giant purple leach in a honey hole of hatchery rainbows. I’m still scratching my head over that 15 years later.

Nowadays, I still get out in the winter but recall those times with my brothers and father fondly. With the “early black stoneflies” just around the corner I hope to call them on New Year’s Morning and tell them about how they were thick in the air and how they missed it. Next year I’ll be lobbying hard to get everyone together for some icy fishing for sure. Living below the Mason Dixon Line means that there’s a chance for warmer days in the winter than our snowbound friends up North. Warm days and rising water temps signal the little stoneflies to crawl out onto rocks and snow piles to hatch. Snow is a great place to spot them as their dark bodies cure nicely with the reflection from a white background. Even a few adults buzzing around can let you know the time is right for fishing some nymphs in the riffles. As one of the first real hatches of the year, I get pretty excited when I see them fluttering around.

 Don’t forget to stop by your local shop and pick up a new license for 2011 and be safe while getting Knee Deep Friday night – DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.