Gunpowder Falls River Brown Trout - Feb 2018

[Johnsfolly]

It was a long week here in Maryland and I was looking forward to getting out and not having to go to work. I had heard about a trout stream in northern Baltimore CO that has naturalized ("wild") brown trout population. I had seen a brown from that river that was caught by one of guys in our lab. He fished that brown for over a month and landed it using a mouse fly pattern at night. It was over 30". All that I had read about this fishery tempered my expectations for fish in the 8 to 12" range. The Gunpowder is a highland tail water river. It has a fairly steep gradient and is surprisingly narrow in the spots that I would fish. It was 40 deg and had been raining since noon and I got to the access just around 4 pm this afternoon. I followed a trail that went over an oak ridge and then down through an extensive mountain laurel thicket. The trail was slick with ice in many sections.

The river (stream) was tight quarters and loaded with small to very large boulders.

I was fishing spin tackle so the tight quarters with the laurel lined banks did not affect my fishing. This would be roll casting waters. I'm sure that I will try to fly fish this river at some point. I better have a lot of flies. I fished a 1/16 oz tri-olive Zig Jig. I mixed up my drift strategy, fishing cross and down stream as well as upstream. With the dark conditions on new water, I did not force trying to retrieve Folly Rigged jigs. Before I lost my first jig, I drifted the tri-olive jig down a current seem, as I gently bounced the jig over a flat boulder it got hit just as it drifted below that boulder. I could tell if it was a trout, a chub, or a large sculpin. Turned out to be my first naturalized brown trout in Maryland.

I fished for about another 60-70 mins. I climbed large boulders and fished deep plunge pools and between large boulders. The ice on the rocks and rain made my footing really dangerous. It often changed from just misting to steady rain the whole time. I made a long cast into a plunge pool and drifted the bait between the current seam and the rock shelf on bank side. I got my last trout of the day, another brown just under 11" in length. It was also as darkly colored as my first one. Sorry no Photo !

I did spook a large sculpin and it stopped out in the middle of the creek. I tried to get a bait near it, but I spooked the fish before I could get a good look or interest in my bait. Based upon the distributions that I have seen there are two species of sculpin in MD and this would be the Blue Ridge Sculpin. If I could catch one, it will be a new life list species. Maybe next time. Hopefully we don't continue to get rain through next weekend.

 

[BilletHead]

33 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

It was a long week here in Maryland and I was looking forward to getting out and not having to go to work. I had heard about a trout stream in northern Baltimore CO that has naturalized ("wild") brown trout population. I had seen a brown from that river that was caught by one of guys in our lab. He fished that brown for over a month and landed it using a mouse fly pattern at night. It was over 30". All that I had read about this fishery tempered my expectations for fish in the 8 to 12" range. The Gunpowder is a highland tail water river. It has a fairly steep gradient and is surprisingly narrow in the spots that I would fish. It was 40 deg and had been raining since noon and I got to the access just around 4 pm this afternoon. I followed a trail that went over an oak ridge and then down through an extensive mountain laurel thicket. The trail was slick with ice in many sections.

The river (stream) was tight quarters and loaded with small to very large boulders.

I was fishing spin tackle so the tight quarters with the laurel lined banks did not affect my fishing. This would be roll casting waters. I'm sure that I will try to fly fish this river at some point. I better have a lot of flies. I fished a 1/16 oz tri-olive Zig Jig. I mixed up my drift strategy, fishing cross and down stream as well as upstream. With the dark conditions on new water, I did not force trying to retrieve Folly Rigged jigs. Before I lost my first jig, I drifted the tri-olive jig down a current seem, as I gently bounced the jig over a flat boulder it got hit just as it drifted below that boulder. I could tell if it was a trout, a chub, or a large sculpin. Turned out to be my first naturalized brown trout in Maryland.

I fished for about another 60-70 mins. I climbed large boulders and fished deep plunge pools and between large boulders. The ice on the rocks and rain made my footing really dangerous. It often changed from just misting to steady rain the whole time. I made a long cast into a plunge pool and drifted the bait between the current seam and the rock shelf on bank side. I got my last trout of the day, another brown just under 11" in length. It was also as darkly colored as my first one. Sorry no Photo !

I did spook a large sculpin and it stopped out in the middle of the creek. I tried to get a bait near it, but I spooked the fish before I could get a good look or interest in my bait. Based upon the distributions that I have seen there are two species of sculpin in MD and this would be the Blue Ridge Sculpin. If I could catch one, it will be a new life list species. Maybe next time. Hopefully we don't continue to get rain through next weekend.

 

             Good deal John even though the browns were not native . You answered the sculpin question I had but was he big enough to eat?

BilletHead

[Johnsfolly]

9 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

You answered the sculpin question I had but was he big enough to eat?

It was close to 6 inches long. Would still need a few for anything more than a snack / appetizer !

[Quillback]

Pretty neat, nice to have a wild trout stream in the neighborhood.  

[JestersHK]

 Adding Maryland to my states to catch a trout in!  Looks awesome buddy,  and that brownie is a beaut.

[Gavin]

Good for you! Exploring new water is always fun.

[Johnsfolly]

7 hours ago, JestersHK said:

 Adding Maryland to my states to catch a trout in!  Looks awesome buddy,  and that brownie is a beaut.

I should have some streams figured out if you get out this way ! I'm sure that we can get you a freshwater trout in MD maybe a saltwater one in Delaware.

[cmoore03]

Your venture sure beats being in COMO with and ice issue, glad to see you were successful.  CM