flyfishing – Page 4

An Outgoing Tide

Micahdammeyer Big Gunpowder Falls, fishing, Fly Tying September 14, 2011September 14, 2011Big Gunpowder Falls, flooding, flyfishing, high water, Maryland trout fishing 0 Comment

The sun is shining and we’re drying out. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity over at Knee Deep Headquarters. I was lucky enough to have my brother Mark and my father Eric come help me out with a great fly fishing school over at Discovery Communications. Both of them are first rate fishermen and I was proud to have them at my side wrangling fly lines. The folks at Discovery were eager to learn and their laughs and smiles made me wish we had all afternoon to spend together perfecting their loops. I can’t wait to see them on the water in the future.

Thanks Mark and Rick!

The day of that school was the calm before the storm and as sailors, my parents crashed at my house for the weekend. We watched a LOT of weather channel but I was happy to have them and know that they were safe and off their boat. I’ll miss them when they take off next week for warmer parts of the world! I hope to see lots of great posts from their blog HERE!

After all the earthquakes and hurricanes and plagues it’s exciting to hit the water and see all the changes that come with record high water. Getting out and doing some hiking on your local stream is a great way to find new structure and holding areas for fish. It’s great to get out and fish those downed trees before the paddlers and chainsaw happy do-gooders get busy “fixing” things. Streams like the Patuxant and The Big Gunpowder had lots of wood before the storm and with the water dropping it’s a great chance to see how they’ve been floated around. I like big zonkers and wooly buggers fished slow in seams around structure like downed trees and scoured out rocks to imitate baitfish weakened from fighting fast water for days. I am looking forward to getting out for the tail end of this week and checking out the changes on many local streams. Don’t ferget to check the USGS gauges before you head out.

See you on the water!

The Dog Days…

Micahdammeyer Bass, Warm Water August 1, 2011August Smallmouth, Fishing, flyfishing, Hot Weather, Maryland Smallmouth Bass, Potomac Feeder Creeks, Potomac River, Small Mouth Bass, Smallies, Summer, Warm Water Fly Fishing, Where to Fish Maryland 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.

IMG_9015 (853x1280) — 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.

IMG_9018 (1280x853) — When the bite slows down call 'em up from the deep with poppers.

Welcome To Knee Deep Fly Fishing

Micahdammeyer Uncategorized July 5, 2011August 20, 2012Big Gunpowder Falls, Capitol Hill, DC Fishing, Fishing Camp, fly fishing big gunpowder falls, fly fishing gunpowder falls, flyfishing, Gunpowder, Gunpowder Falls, Hendricksons, March Trout, Maryland, Maryland DNR, Maryland trout fishing, National Saltwater Angler Registry, NCC-TU, Patapsco, Potomac, Potomac River, Stoneflies, Streamer Fishing, trout gunpowder falls

Sharing the joy of fly fishing and the region’s streams with others is a passion of Knee Deep guides. Whether you’re an expert angler or a first-time fisherman, the Knee Deep experience is tailored to your specific interests and experience. Our offerings range from in-home casting and fly tying instruction to multi-day on-water escapes. And, of course, we can design custom packages for corporate events and special occasions, including bachelor outings, anniversaries, and girls day out.

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Wet or dry…

Micahdammeyer Big Gunpowder Falls, Fly Tying, Mayflies, Spring, Trout, Uncategorized May 25, 2011Big Gunpowder Falls, bugs, Fishing, flyfishing, Gunpowder, Gunpowder Falls, Maryland, Sulphur, Sulphur dry, Sulphur wet, Sulphurs, Wet FLies, wet-fly 1 Comment

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.

It Was The Winter…The Cold Winter

Micahdammeyer fishing, Uncategorized, Winter February 16, 2011DC, flyfishing, ice, Maryland, MD, Potomac, Potomac River 2 Comments

Some years winter really drags on. Living in Washington, DC it can seem like winter is canceled one week and back at work the next. It’s what makes cabin fever soar over 103 degrees. I get the fever pretty bad every year and, after spending a LOT of time hibernating, have to find ways to get out. Sometimes the timing isn’t always perfect and, more often than not, the weather is at its worst. One such trip last month was exactly that.

The wind was blowing 15-20mph steady with gusts up to 40mph and there were a few inches of snow on the ground. It was definitely winter. A serious blow out in my waders cut my day short and made me happy I was only a mile from the truck and a bag full of spare clothes. We found a good post-fishing homestyle Mexican place on the way home and the day was saved.

Sometimes you have to get out no matter what the Weatherman says. In a few more weeks we’ll be sporting short sleeves tossing caddis and mayflies. I can’t wait!