Gunpowder River Report: 4/24/26

Heading out to the Gunpowder River? Check out the most recent report of the stream from Mike Slepesky

If you want to put some of the skills I mention in this blog to the test, reach out to mike@tightliningmd.com to schedule a trip. My spring is full, summer has a few days left, and I will be hosting a Euro Dry Dropper/Single Nymph Clinic, for four participants, on 7/5 on the Gunpowder River. Come out and learn about fishing below and above the surface with a consistent drag free drift, while using Tight Line Tactics!

**Orders are available, but I am running one week behind. I always try my best to fill/tie orders within 2-3 business days and ship so you have it within a week of placing the order. Therefore, if you want any flies mentioned in this article for your next adventure, know I will send out ASAP, but I am behind from the clinic, and a few recent large custom boxes. Any orders placed you would receive in roughly 10-15 days. I should be back to regular timelines in two weeks.Thank you all for your continued support!

Above is Jason, from a recent guided trip, who quickly got onto some nice rainbows and wild brown trout using Euro Nymphing tactics. We were able to cycle between single and double nymph rigs, which will be discussed below, and found some early spring success!

Current Stream Temps- -42-57 degrees. Mornings have been cold, but the heat, and strong sun, have spiked temps each day. In general, mornings have been slow, but late morning and evening have been great.

Current Stream Levels- 29 CFS; levels are low for spring. I like it 60-100 CFS this time of year. My biggest fear is what summer will look like if something doesn't change.

Current Bugs- BWO, Midges, Little Black Stones, Quill Gordons, Hendricksons, and I swear I have seen a couple, not many, Sulphurs already.

Use the advice below to help you net a few more fish the next time you step out on the water!

Tip #1 - We. NEED. Rain!

We are now on TWO YEARS of well below average rainfall. I tell anyone who will listen, we are now over 20 inches of rain in deficit of rain for the water tables. You can now see, in the image below, it has been classified as "Severe" drought. Here is what I can tell you, as a guide this has been my slowest spring in 10 years, including personal fishing. Are we still catching fish, ABSOLUTELY! Is it harder than usual, given the fish have very little water to move around in and enjoy? No doubt! The Gunpowder River is lucky, because it can always draw from Prettyboy Reservoir. However, if you have driven around that impoundment, it is getting very low and a danger for the future if something doesn't change soon.

I will conclude by saying I just saw a video on Instagram this morning where, in a similar situation, they drained the entire upper reservoir of an area, in Colorado, to make sure the lower reservoir had enough water. Loch Raven Reservoir, our main source of drinking water for Baltimore County, is what they truly care about. Therefore, if push came to shove they would have some hard decisions to make. I hope we never get there, I am just saying I have seen states, like Colorado, kill and entire fish population to make sure they have enough drinking water, by draining the ENTIRE upper reservoice of all of its water. Moral of the story, start doing your rain dances!

Tip #2 - Swing for the fences!

In a baseball era where "launch angle" is everything, why not adapt the same philosophy on the stream? What I am suggesting is your swing your flies. For the next month or two these are the best times of year to extend your drift and swing bugs. At the most recent Euro Nymphing Clinic, I was working with a guest and we were focused on longer drifts and getting near structure. We were working a run into a lay down, with 4 feet of depth. As a result, we could not get a clean drift, from downstream, into the log. However, we were able to get a fantastic swung drift right into the face of the log, while standing about 20-30 feet upstream of the log. What was the result? A DOUBLE! We ended up landing two nice rainbows and closing out the clinic with a bang!

Keep this in mind, spring is when bugs are most active and hatches are robust. Before those flies are duns and flying all around, the Mayfly nymphs are shedding their exoskeletons as they emerge to the surface. My advice, fish a lot of soft hackles or CDC feathered nymphs. I do extremely well fishing flies like Blow Torches, CDC PTs, Tasmanian Devils, CDC France flies, etc. I never leave home without these from April-June, seriously! Sz 14-18, mostly 16-18 at the moment.

Pictured here is Chris, who crushed it at the Euro Nymphing clinic. When I worked with Chris we focused on tandem nymph rigs and how to approach fish, with a double nymph rig, from upstream, while swinging out flies and getting an extended drift. The fish surely enjoyed the PT and Soft Hackle PT combo! Chris capitlaized by smacking TWO fish and it was an epic was to close out the clinic in the closing minutes. Great job!

Tip #3 - Go small!

When the water is low, go small. You don't need much weight to get down in low water conditions. I usually fish a lot of sz 14 flies in the spring. However, this year I am already fishing more like it is summer. I have been fishing tandem rigs with sz 16 and sz18 flies, or single nymph sz 16 flies often. All it takes is a good cast, possibly a tuck cast, to get your flies to depth and get a clean drift near the bottom. Don't be afraid to fish a sz 16 nymph and an unweighted smaller fly on the tag too. Both would be very successful at getting flies in feeding lanes.

For example, this is a great time of year for fish to be eating "mid-column". Therefore, I love having a fly on the tag and being fished more off the bottom. I get more eats on the tag this time of year than others, in many cases. As a result, when you can, fish tandem nymph rigs and be sure to get one, your "tag fly" 18-24 inches off the bottom and then your "point fly", or bottom fly, near the river bottom. Trust me, you are going to catch more fish.

Tip #4 - Get comfortable being uncomfortable

What does this mean, try different things. Recently, another guide reflected about how different this spring has been. He was fishing a beetle, yes I said a beetle in April, and able to get fish on the surface, near the banks. Usually, this is a July-September tactic. However, fish are responding. Another thing you should be doing is fishing ankle to shin deep water. Most anglers walk right by it every time they hit the stream. I am telling you with the utmost confidence, this is what sets apart good and great anglers. They fish it all and fish it confidently. If you can't fish a single nymph, in ankle deep water and have immediate contact upon entry, you really should sign up for the Single Nymph/Dry Dropper Clinic I mentioned earlier. Those challenging moments, where we are anglers find the most discomfort, is what ultimately improves your catch rate and overall success on the water.

Pictured above is what time on the water refining your skills look like. These are from my most recent Euro Clinic. I demonstrate, I teach, and I provide individual instruction while you practice. It makes for a great day filled with on and off the stream learning, and thankfully lots of fish caught. Join me on July 5th to dial in your surface and sub-surface tactics all while fishing the same rig on a Euro Rod!

Get your boots wet and chase down some fish!

I hope this report, with tips included, helps you the next time you head out to the Gunpowder River. Be sure to head over to my Youtube Channel and see the latest adventure, head over to the store for euro nymphs for your next outing, and consider booking a trip for the summer through the website.