Shorter days and cooler temps are starting to make it feel like summer may be coming to an end. You won’t hear many anglers complaining about an end to the heat. Warm weather and waders are anything but a match made in heaven.
Just this week The Big Gunpowder saw a bump up in flows and the fishing is changing too. This is the time of year when the big bugs like the fall caddis and hoppers are in play and a great way to catch fish that’ve been eating small snacks all summer. If you’re still into those long, slow, pools we can find you a fish or two that are keyed in on midges!
There’s no better way to spend a fall day than on the river. With October right around the corner we’ve got a few openings set aside. Give us a call or email and we’ll get you on the water while the weather is great!
It’s been a long winter. You’ve hidden in the basement or your den tying flies for months and, after a few tastes of warm weather (and that time the weather-man said it would be 85 but it was only 58) you woke up this morning to get cracking on your taxes! When will the fishing begin?
A favorite spring day making memories on the stream.
It starts right after you get an e-mail off to Knee Deep Fly Fishing and book your next weekend! We know you spent the winter chasing down deals on gear that Santa didn’t deliver and you’re itching to get those new rubber soled wading boots wet. We want to help make the most of your time on the water but we also know the value of taking a deep breath and there’s nothing better than a “full day” outing complete with a real streamside lunch (no soggy sandwiches here).
What’s new for the 2015 season? We’re going to get you out there with no haggling. You have a pal who wants to tag along but he doesn’t have gear? We’ll get him kitted out for the day at no extra charge. As we’ve always done, there’s no bill at the end of the day for flies and leaders; we just want you to worry about fishing. Check out our Booking and Rates page.
April is filling up fast but we’ve got a couple weekend days left in the second half of the month so shoot us a line fast and get on the calender. Need flies to kit yourself out? Send us an email and we can get cranking at the vise and to the UPS store.
It’s been busy over at Knee Deep Headquarters for the past few months. We’ve added a second intern here at the “office” and the buildup kept us pretty busy for a while. Now that there are two interns here, we’re having a ball cleaning up spills and changing diapers.
It was great to see everyone at the NJ Fly Fishing Show. Thanks to everyone who asked to see baby pictures and brought me coffee! I was lucky enough to sit with my old pal Matt Grobert. We rarely get to see each other outside of show season but it’s like it was last week every time we catch up. He’s been a good role model of mine since I was a kid (he’s not that old) and nobody enjoys sharing the art of fly tying and fishing more than Matt. I can’t wait to see everyone again at Lancaster!
Bromance
Hey, you East coasters, there’s a new book out by Tom Gilmore just for us and I’m IN IT! I can’t believe it either. Tom must not have been thinking straight when he asked for some input on The Big Gunpowder; I’m grateful for his lapse in judgment. Call your local shop and ask them to get you a copy…then plan a road trip to some new water. It’s got all the info you need on the how and where andsome great extras like real maps! (imagine a guide book with usable maps!)
The International Fly Tying Symposium is this coming weekend and you need to get yourself there. If you’ve never tied a fly but want to learn, this is the place to see the world’s best tiers and talk to them about technique as well as pick up a few flies for your box along the way. If you’ve already got the bug and have been thinking about making the trip to ‘Jersey for the show, you owe it to yourself. There’s no better place to pick up hard to find materials and spend some time talking to the people who raise the birds and dye the fur.
I’ll be there, sharing a table with my good pal Ken Walrath. Stop by and say “Hi”. If you don’t already follow Knee Deep on Facebook and Twitter, this is a good time to connect. We’ll let you know what isle we’re in and post some pics for the folks who can’t attend.
Remember those school days writing essays about all the places your parents trucked you to as a child. I sure do. It was like a reminder that you didn’t kick back and enjoy summer enough and now you were going to be strapped to a desk until it came around again. Thankfully we’re almost grown up and don’t have to sit in the back of the family wagon anymore.
I’m happy to report that, while we’ve had great summer fishing on The Big Gunpowder Falls, there’s plenty of summer left! We’ve had lots of cold water all season with higher than normal flows coming from Prettyboy Reservoir. This means there have been some cold days on the river and a few where the trout have been tight lipped. Midge fishing has saved the day more than a handful of times this year. Even in the coldest temps, they find a way to stay active. Of course, while we haven’t had tons of updates on the kneedeepff.com, you’ve been following us on Facebook and Twitter, so you know we’ve been lucky enough to travel a bit this summer….right?
Looking ahead, we’ve still got a few openings, so think about catching that cold you’ve been fighting. There’s plenty of terrestrial fishing to be had and the Tricos have started emerging. There’s even some fall caddis action to be had as we get into October. Give us a call and get a date on the books before summer passes you by. (202) 681-8765 or email us at info@kneedeepff.com
Special thanks to everyone who’s helped keep Knee Deep busy this season.
As we dig into July it’s got me thinking how hot it’s been all June. While there was a lot of sweat I was fortunate enough to see a lot of fish go into the net (and back in the water). With temps in the mid 90’s I joked today that “it’s been hotter!” Maybe we’re all just adjusting but it could be the 50 to 52 degree water.
In any case, there are lots of happy fish in that cold, oxygen rich, water. I spent one afternoon with two great anglers from our pals at Backwater angler. One of them landed this beautiful rainbow. I’m not going to lie, I haven’t hooked a rainbow all summer so I was excited but a little jealous.
A nice healthy wild rainbow
If you’re headed out, don’t forget those midges and the fluorocarbon tippet. If you need a little more help, don’t hesitate to shoot us an e-mail. We’re happy to help and we’d love to take you and your fishing partners out on the water for the day. It’s the perfect time of year for some fishing and a streamside lunch to help you forget about that long winter we had.
So we’ve been (read “I’ve” been) slow to update. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever done. On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve been lucky enough to be busy and spending a lot of time on the water. Along the way I’ve been fortunate enough to share the Big Gunpowder Falls fishery with some great folks. In the last week I even got to spend the day with Mike Abramowitz and his fantastic spouse. You all may know him from the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide and perhaps from being the friendliest guy on the water. A great Family and good friends of CCA, an organization that’s close to my heart, I just had a fun day sharing my view of the Gunpowder with them. While Mike is no stranger to trout fishing, his wonderful wife managed to hook up all day, seemingly without trying!
The Big Gunpowder Falls has finally shaken off the cold wet spring. Flows are back to a manageable level and the Sulfurs are emerging from that long year of rock-crawling to find their mates. I’ve had a few passes from the home-work and caught the spinner-fall and it feels like summer again. The regular crowd has some great stories about big fish lost and landed and, though I’m late to report the news, it’s shandy time at dusk while watching the fish wake up the water’s surface.
While the Knee Deep Schedule is filling up fast we’ve got a couple openings (even this coming Friday). If you’re looking to get out with us, call or email fast! info@kneedeepff.com (202) 681-8765
A refill for my box and enough to get me through a few days of guiding.
Fly selection is a funny thing. I love to share tips and swap flies in the parking lot with my pals. Sometimes, it’s the most basic flies that catch fish. I can remember fishing the Claremont Stretch with my friend John when I was a teenager and him insisting that wet flies were the ticket. Now as I spend my time on the Gunpowder, I find myself swinging wet flies more and more.
Part of why I chose wets is past performance and the other is faith in a particular pattern or two. When a method produces fish, anglers are a hard lot to change. If it worked last time in these conditions, why not this time. I often find myself starting the day with a dry-dropper combo but later swinging wets. If it keeps working, I’ll never change!
My faith in a few simple flies contributes to my style of fishing as well. I tie a few simple soft hackle and caddis patterns that I believe in. My “Fast Caddis” is a winner when swung in tandem and the simple orange or yellow bodied fly with a light colored hackle is a go-to for the sulfur hatch. I believe that having faith in the fly on the end of your line enables you to catch more fish. If you believe in that fly, you’ll work harder to present it to the fish, making sure it drifts or swings perfectly though the strike zone, and taking your time while wading and not getting distracted by “walking” during the swing or by a good cigar that’s threatening to shorten your mustache. If you think the fly will catch fish, and you give it an earnest attempt, you’ll hook up more.
Assembling a box full of tried-and-true flies that you believe in can ensure that you catch fish. Spending the day with a guide who knows the water is a great way to see what secrets are in his box. I bet you’ll be surprised at what you find in there!
Got some time on your hands and want to get out? We’ve got two openings next week. Tuesday and Wednesday are up for grabs and we’d love to show you around our favorite spring spots. Temps are good even if flows are high and it’s a great time to work on your streamer game.
Brown Stones
Spring is here and it’s been a wet one. While drying out, we’ve been getting busier and busier here at Knee Deep Headquarters. It’s time to start thinking wet flies for the spring hatches and streamers are a good bet when the water is high up on the Gunpowder. The sulfur hatch is a ways off but we’ll have Hendricksons, caddis, and stoneflies right now. Every day is different this time of year and we could find ourselves nymphing, swing wets, or tossing big minnow patterns to create our own bite.
We’ll be on the road for the next few days but available. Give us a call to book at (202) 681-8765 or email us at Info@kneedeepff.com
Just when I thought the show season was over, it’s time to pack up and head to my old stomping grounds at NJ’s Hacklebarney Trout Unlimited meeting. This Thursday night, we’ll be there talking about fishing The Big Gunpowder Falls and telling all sorts of lies. I hope you can make it if you’re in the area. I’m really looking forward to it!
I owe a big thanks to everyone who came out to Lefty’s Tie Fest last weekend and especially to everyone who came to hear my talk at the show. I couldn’t have asked for a better reception! It was great to see so many kids at Tie Fest. While it makes me feel old, I’m excited to see what the future holds for the world of fly tying. If you’ve got kids who are interested in tying, it’s a must attend event to put on the list for next year.
Hey, it’s still cold but the stoneflies are coming. we’ve got some new stuff in the works so keep checking in!
