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Keith Albright
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 10, 2001 - 1:51 am: | |
Subject: The Western Maryland Report
The Western Maryland Report
By Keith Albright
Summer brings about some great fishing in Western Maryland. Water conditions are usually excellent at this time of year. If you choose your locations right, you can have good fishing all the way through fall. Lets
look at the rivers so you can plan your attack. Special emphasis on the Savage and Yough
Casselman - If you are going to fish the Casselman, do it before the delayed harvest kicks in on June 16. This can be some of the best dry fly action you will get. It gets hit hard during the first week you can keep fish
so I don't bother with it at this time. Remember, as a delayed harvest river; you may keep two trout a day until fall. Not that you can't catch fish, but the water warms so rapidly that the trout stack up on the spring
heads and have a hard time surviving if you pull them off. If the water is high enough, Nymphing light beadhead nymphs, prince nymphs, Zug bugs and soft hackles will produce when dead drifted as close to the bottom as possible in the deeper holes. A dead drift is important so watch your drag. Some hookups will occur on the swing at the bottom of the drift, so don't be in a hurry for the next cast. Dry fly fishing can be especially good at dusk, if you can set up on a concentration of fish. Feeding fish tend to move to the head of the pools at the rapids to pick off their quarry as they emerge. Match the color and size of the insects and you will be in business. I've done well on sulphur comparaduns right up to the end of delayed harvest.
The North Branch - Lower - Its going to be a great summer. The large numbers of fish put in the lower North Branch have hardly been touched and high spring water has kept the number of fisherman and the catch down. Water
conditions have been improving and should be perfect in the next few weeks. The lower north branch is a tail water release from the deepest and coldest reservoir in the state. This plays in our favor in the fall when water
temperatures remain good for a long time. I like to fish this area from late June on. I like low water conditions (below 250 cfs). Nymphs, Buggers and Clousers will all take fish if you can get down to them. I will fish a 5ft
or 10ft sink tip in some of the deeper holes. Dry fly action is not spectacular but is improving each year. I carry a good supply of Terrestrials, Caddis, Midges and BW Olives (18) that can pay good dividends when the timing is right. Also crayfish, moth and damselfly patterns can be a blast. A stimulator with a nymph dropper is a favorite searching set up on the lower North Branch. Some of the Cutthroat fingerlings that have been
stocked in the catch and release sections the last few years are now approaching decent size. A grand slam (Bow, Brown, Brookie and Cutthroat all over 12") may be possible. The put and take area is absolutely loaded at this
time and can fish as well as both catch and release areas. Many of these fish have been in there long enough that they will readily take conventional nymphs. Concentrate on the lower catch and release area (below Bluehole)
early in the summer and the upper catch and release area as the water released from the dam warms later in the summer.
The North Branch - Upper - This has been a better year than 2000 on theupper North Branch. Unfishable water conditions have been common with all the storms, so the fish have not been beat on to bad. Another delayed harvest
area, you may keep two fish after June 16. Lostland and Wallman are my top choices for the upper North Branch. Since most of the fish were stocked off the railroad tracks, if you walk away from the access areas (I walk the
Railroad tracks) and your success will increase. Add a few streamers to your offerings and you will be ready to go.
The Savage - upper - The upper Savage (Put and Take area) has been well stocked and the crowds are down. Fish hold over all summer and there are a fair number of native brookies. This is easy water to access and wade and can
save the day when other rivers are not fishable. When the other rivers are high this can be prime. If the other rivers are low, then the water level here is usually too low to make it worthwhile.
The Savage - lower - The lower Savage (Fly fishing only and Trophy trout sections) has been fishing great. Because of the dam, the lower savage water conditions don't vary as much as elsewhere. Many fishermen get frustrated on the Savage. Here are some tips that should increase your success.
1. Pick your time - Morning and late evening are prime times on the savage. You probably won't get that big hatch at 2 in the afternoon. But the last half-hour of light can be phenomenal.
2. Look before you leap - The lower savage, because of its popularity, does not allow for a lot of movement up and down the river. Many times I'm limited to 50 yds of stream or less. Before you step into the river, study what is happening. What insects are coming off? Where are the best holding areas and how are you going to approach them? I'm amazed at the flailers and beaters that attack the Savage. I've watch people walk right into the river and beat an area with casts for a half-hour. When they have no success, they move up or down the river and continue casting. It's not unusual for me to spend 20 minutes on the bank studying the water before I make a cast. The fish are there if you take the time to look.
3. Plan your attack - After you have located fish or areas you think hold fish, decide what casting position would be best to reach them without spooking them. Opt for a harder casting position if it is less likely to
spook the fish. I choose the position that will allow me to cast to the maximum number of fish with the minimum amount of movement or the position that will allow me to move with a minimum of disturbance. Many Savage river
fishermen stand where they should fishing and fish where they should be standing.
4. Take what they give you - I will often put a good floating fly on the line and make a cast or two to each area to see how the water currents are affecting my drift. Now, decide your fly selection based on what you've
observed and make a few casts to each fish or area. If you don't catch, wait, change flies and repeat. If you have enough patience you will catch fish. If you catch a fish and the area shuts down, wait them out. Savage river fish
tend to be spooky and selective, but have short memories. You can also move to close pocket water and return when you see activity resume. Fly selection during a single hatch is simple. Match the color and size and you're in
business. On multiple hatches, which area common, keep changing until you get the right fly. Make only a few casts to each fish or area before changing flies. Beating on a fish until you put him down is a waste of time.
5. Don't prejudge Savage river fish - On most rivers, I can judge the size of a fish by how they feed. On the Savage, that is very difficult. Currents and shadows can deceive. Many times what you think is a dink can be a 15-18 inch fish. The quality of fish on the Savage has improved the last two years.
These techniques work for me on the Savage, they will also work on other more technical rivers. The Savage forces me to slow down and take my time. I think this can help us all.
Hatches on both the upper and lower Savage can be spectacular. I fish the Savage right through the summer. The Sulphurs are here now and its caddis all summer. Make sure you have B.W. olives and midge patterns with you. I've also done well with humpies in size 14 and 16 and assorted terrestrials. If your Nymphing; besides your usual supply of beadheads carry some scud patterns. I use float indicators when Nymphing the Savage to help keep my
nymphs from becoming encased in the slippery goo so famous on the rocks of the river.
The Yough- The Yough is my first choice for summer fishing. Water levels on the Yough have been less than perfect this spring but should improve as summer progresses. Fish have been small but the larger fish will co-operate as temperatures stabilize and water levels become more normal. If water levels become low, your casts will have to be longer but as you move across the river you will have more room. The good news is that we actually another decent Green Drake hatch this year. This should spell good news for June and the rest of the summer. Even though various sulfurs are coming off as this goes to press, for dry fly fishing my bread and butter is the caddis. Carry them in tan and slate gray. Size 16 seems to work on most hatches. I also carry a good supply of size 16 and 18 sparkle comparaduns. Between these two flies I usually am successful no matter what surface action is going on.
Don’t forget your Crayfish, Sculpin and Hellgrammite patterns besides your usual nymph supply. Terrestrials can also score big. My favorite being the hoppers in various shades of green. I'd fish size 10 now and go no larger
than 8 later in the summer. I also like moth patterns early in the morning and firefly patterns at dusk. Also you want to carry a good supply of midges. There are some days when that’s all the fish will take. I usually don't fish midges because I can no longer see flies that small; but on the midge only days I make an exception. The negative thing about the Yough is the unscheduled releases. Call 814-533-8911 for releases before you go; but be prepared for releases at any time. The deregulation of electricity has the Energy Company releasing at peak power demand periods. Hopefully we can get a schedule worked out some time this year.
Summer is one of the best times to trout fish in Western Maryland. Even though your choices are less, the fishable times are more. Also the crowds are almost non existent. Because of the tailwater releases from the North
Branch, Savage and Yough it seems to be forever June. Good luck and good fishing. Next report: September.
Due to a severe back problem, my guiding days are over. I want to apologize to those of you that I put off last fall and the beginning of this spring. I plan on using my good back days for my own fishing. I also plan on
continuing the Western Maryland report so keep the results of those trips coming. As far as Western Maryland is concerned I would highly recommend the following:
Jay Sheppard - Jay is probably the most knowledgeable person on the Savage that I know. His knowledge of insects is fantastic and I would highly recommend him for all Western Maryland Guiding. He can be contacted at
JMSheppar@aol.com
Spring Creek Outfitters - This full service fly shop is located in McHenry just off 219 at the lake. They offer guide services on all of the Garrett county rivers. Their specialty is float trips on both the lower North
Branch and the Yough. They keep a good supply of all the flies and accessories you will need to fish Western Maryland. Allen Noland also makes some very nice custom rods. No trip to Garrett County would be complete
without stopping by the shop. They can be reached at their web site at:
http://www.springcreekoutfitter.com/
Streams and Dreams - A bed and breakfast located just across from the parking lot at the Yough. Everyone I know that has stayed there has commented on the facility and the friendliness of Don and Sue Hershfeld, the
proprietors. In an E-mail just received, 16 members of Potomac Patuxent Trout Unlimited who spent Memorial Day weekend at Streams and Dreams spoke nothing but flowing praises of the setup. Don Hershfeld is especially
knowledgeable on the Yough and offers both Guiding and Fly fishing lessons. Streams and Dreams can be reached at 301-387-6881 & web site:
www.streams-and-dreams.net.
Or
E-mailed at
Fishing4U2@Juno.com
There are other good guides for Western Maryland and I don't mean to slight any of them. Jay, Allen and Don are individuals I know personally and feel will provide top of the line service for your Western Maryland trip. |
Keith Albright
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 12, 2001 - 9:24 pm: | |
Subject: The Western Maryland Report
My apologies for the latenest of the report. I needed some extra time to fish all of the Garrett County rivers this spring.
It's May in Western Maryland and the fishing is starting to turn on. The high waters of March and early April have receded. If you have access to the net go to http://water.usgs.gov/public/district/md/ This will give you the
up to date conditions on water levels. I've found in the past that high April waters make for excellent May/June fishing. Water temperature wise things are about normal for this time of year. Let's take a look at each of the rivers in the area.
Casselman - Right now, the Casselman fishing has been good if you are lucky enough to get a day of few fishermen. Water levels are a little low (1.1 ft. as of this writing) but quite fishable. I personally like from 1.8 - 2.2. The Gauge is located on the far side of the River Road Bridge. Check it when you arrive. Fish can be taken from the route 68 bridge all the way to the Pa. State line. (Into Pa. if you have a pa license) Although the fish seem to be more concentrated in the larger pools, don't overlook any part of the river, the local TU chapter along with help has done a nice job float stocking. This is a delayed harvest area that is artificial only until the middle of June. Both browns and rainbows are present, some over 18 inches.
For fly fisherman, various beadhead nymphs, Prince Nymphs and Zug Bugs will work. Experiment with color on the beadheads. When in doubt go lighter. Some fisherman is doing well on soft hackles. Sculpins and small Clousers are working, when fished with six-inch strips or hung in the deeper holes. When the water is low, I like to go to dries. I get tired of the hang-ups in the many Casselman rocks. Have a supply of small Gnats and Elk hair caddis. The last two times on the river I fished only dries and did quite well. Approach is everything under low water conditions, so keep wading to a minimum. I saw Hendricksons, March Browns, two different caddis and numerous gnats and mi ges in one pool. I also saw a sulphur in the same pool. We had a decent sulphur hatch last year on the Casselman, and I expect it again this year.
Most of the fish have been in long enough that they are beginning to key in on conventional flies. Unfortunately, the Casselman has become very popular and can get crowded on May and June weekends.
The North Branch- Great news. The North Branch is loaded with fish and the water levels have dropped to fishable levels (210 at Barnum as of this writing). If you can get a day when the water levels are low (200-250 is ideal), you will catch fish. The lower catch and release area that runs from Blue Hole down for 4 miles has browns, bows and some small cuts. Same for the upper catch and release area. Beadheads, Nymphs, Buggers and small Clousers or Sculpins will all take fish.
Don't expect much dry fly action because the water coming out of Jennings Randolph is still cold; but I would carry some midges (20-24), Caddis (16) and maybe a few March Browns (12). The put and take area between Blue Hole and the upper catch and release area is absolutely loaded from the many stockings and should not be over looked if it is not crowded. As of this writing, thousands of fish have been stocked in the put and take area, few of which have been caught due to the higher water early this spring. The state has stocked some really nice fish in the put and take area. Anywhere you can fish in this put and take area can be good.
Check the DNR web page for whitewater releases before you go. The delayed harvest area above Jennings Randolph has also been stocked and is at fishable levels. (119 as of this writing, 100 - 200 ideal) Fishing is fair to good but you will have to work for your fish. The same assortments that work on the lower will work on the upper. Add a Mickey Finn and a Crayfish pattern and your ready to go. Lostland would be my first choice. A word of warning. Don't try to fish the upper North Branch if the waters are high; its just to easy to get swept away.
The Savage- The upper Savage (Put and Take area) has been well stocked and the crowds are beginning to thin. This is easy water to access and wade and can save the day when other rivers are not fishable. It also drops very rapidly after a heavy rain. The lower area (Fly fishing only and Trophy trout sections) is low but fishing well. (50-100 cfs is a good range. As of this writing the level is 61) Sculpins, stonefly nymphs and beadheads are usually good producers. Look for Midges (22-24) anytime; Blue Duns (14), March Browns (12), and the Gray Fox early in the month; and if we are lucky
some Green Drakes about the third weekend and sulphurs after that. I like the Savage in late May and June, especially if there is high or dirty water on the other rivers. Unfortunately so do a lot of other people. If you like to cover a lot of water fishing I would rule out the Savage. Also, remember that the water gods have greased those wonderful Savage River rocks, so felt soles and wading staff are the minimum unless you plan on doing a little swimming. Many of the same hatches on the lower Savage occur on the upper Savage only earlier. I've had some wonderful days in the past on the upper Savage in May fishing dries, when the lower Savage was crowded or unfishable.
The Yough- Water levels on the Yough were high earlier this spring but are OK now. (140 as of this writing. 150-200 is ideal) For Dry fly fishing small midges and Gnats (22-26) should do well anytime this month. So will Tan, Brown or Slate Gray caddis. My pet Yough dry fly is a Slate Gray Caddis in size 16. It seems to work on almost all of the hatches. I'm also never without the old standby the Griffiths Gnat. Blue Duns (14) and March Browns (12) and Hendricksons during May, and the Green Drakes the end of May.
Although I feel the Drake is over rated in Western Maryland, we actually had a fishable hatch last 2 years. Sulphurs will follow. Terrestrials such as ants can be deadly near the bank areas. Beadheads, Sculpins, small Clousers and Buggers will work underneath. Don’t forget the Crayfish on either side of the new moon. Hatches on the Yough are not as spectacular as the Savage, but much more consistent.
The bad news on the Yough has been the unscheduled releases. Call 814-533-8911 for the release schedule; but keep an eye out for rising water.
The unscheduled releases seem to be at peak demand periods, so early and late in the day seem to be a little safer. There are a lot of fish in the Yough but most are small from the fingerling stocking. If you have your heart set
on large fish, go to the Casselman or the North Branch.
Weather wise Garrett County this year is about even with central Md. in temperature and precip. All rivers are in fishable conditions, but are getting low fast. |
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