Last Updated: 29 May 2021 29 May 2021

Savage River, Monroe Pavilion Camp Out, May 31 thru June 6, 2021. Cicada Extravaganza!

Note: Do not bring firewood.

The May Outing is the campout to western Maryland for fishing on May 31 thru June 6, 2021, Monday – Sunday (6 nights, 7 days). This is timed to fish the wonderful Savage River and the North Branch in western Maryland streams during the 17-year cicada emergence. The Monroe Pavilion at the Big Run State Park has been reserved by PPTU. This modern shelter is for group camping that allows up to 24 people. We are restricting the number to 15 campers and 2 trailers or RVs at this time. Pre-registration and payment is required no later than May 28 thru PayPal on the PPTU website. The fees are $10/night/person or $55 for the whole week.

Any new participants that plan on camping or meeting us there may contact Lou Reichel for assistance. Also for new members, we can mentor you and show the famous holes where the 18-22” browns and 15" brookies are caught.

The cicadas will only be emerging on the east side of the Eastern Continental Divide; that is, no cicadas will be found at the Youghiogheny, Casselman or other streams of the Ohio River watershed. So Savage River and Big Run State Park are a great place to be. The Monroe shelter has a fire place for great campfires (we will be supplying the wood), picnic tables, and a place to gather after the days fishing to sit in front of campfire and swap stories. This is a dry camp site, has no running water, no fresh water at Big Run SP, so you must bring your own water. The Pavilion has electricity.

For those not interested in camping, there is lodging available in Keyser, WV or Grantsville, MD. In addition, there are cabins in nearby New Germany State Park and cozy rentals at the Savage River Outfitters. The New Germany State Park at least has running water with bathrooms and showers that campers at Monroe Run also can use. Come by and join everyone in the evening for fishing reports around the campfire.

Cooking and sharing of dinners are expected, but plans are not yet firmed up. We will cook on the charcoal grill (charcoal provided with cooking utensils) on that Friday night (not yet finalized), so bring your favorite grilling food. Many people bring extra potato salad or macaroni salad or desserts for all to share. If anyone can provide a special group dinner (chili, stew, pull pork, etc), please let Lou know. So be prepared and bring food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since fishing will be best from dawn to Noon, breakfasts will be rushed and likely every fisher for him/herself. Generally, Lou provides a camp Coleman stove if someone needs something cooked, has coffee in the mornings for all that need it, and extra water. Note - precook potato in microwave oven at home and heat in coals for dinner. There are places to eat near Grantsville, MD and Keyser, WV, as well as a McDonalds in Westernport, MD.

Take into consideration when packing clothes and gear for this is late spring in the mountains. It can get cool at night and be quite warm by afternoon. Tents may be set up in the Pavilion, for protection from rain, but be sure to bring some type of air mattress for the hard stone floor.

Reservations for this outing are no longer available.

P.S., We have had men and women, husbands and wives, attend the outing.

Directions to Monroe Pavilion from Baltimore:
Of course there are many different ways to get there. This is my route. Take I70 West. At Hancock interstate I70 splits into I68 and I70. Bear left onto I68. Proceed on I68 through Cumberland, just before Grantsville, take Exit 22, turn south (left) and follow to New Germany Road. Turn left and follow New Germany Road past New Germany State Park and proceed on to Big Run Road (small road, be prepared). Turn left on Big Run Road and proceed to Park entrance. Monroe Pavilion will be on your right, a short distance before road ends, just past the sign for Monroe Run Trail and bathrooms. Afterwards, to get to the Savage River, follow Big Run Rd to Savage River Rd, turn right onto Savage River Rd, and follow to your favorite fishing area on Savage River below the dam.

Items Needed:
Tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, lantern/flashlight, food (breakfast, lunch, grill cookout, dinner), water, and toiletries, basically everything needed to sustain you for the whole period. There are basic bathrooms with no running water. We can use showers at New Germany State Park. I do ask for people to bring store packaged firewood for the campfire (bring wood from local western MD sources only). A 4 to 5 wt, 9 ft fly rod is good. For the small brookie streams a 3 wt, short 6-7 ft rod works great.

Flies:
If fishing the lower Savage and North Branch, bring only a pile of cicada fly imitations and 3X tippet material!

If fishing for the wild brookies in the upper Savage watershed: Flies that have worked for me are Caddis, Mayflies, Midges, Griffiths gnat, BWO's, Adams Parachutes, Blue Quill, Slate Drake, Simple 3-Hackle, Wet flies, all sorts of nymphs, wooly buggers and streamer. Heck, just bring everything!

Thanks. See you there!

Lou Reichel
Outings Coordinator
443-745-0313 (cell)
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