Gunpowder One Fly Contest

Where: Gunpowder Falls, meet at Bunker Hill (south) parking area for official registration of your fly.
When: September 30, 2023, Saturday @ 8:00 am (start) – 12:00 noon

1st Place Winner Prize:  1st Place Winner has bragging rights for 1 Year and their name posted on the Honor Roll of Winners!  Winner will have the most total inches of trout.

The 2022 1-Fly Winner – Scott Cernick.

The PPTU One Fly Contest will be held on September 30th, Saturday, on the Gunpowder Falls, Baltimore County, MD, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon.  Please meet early, at least by 7:35 am so there is time to register the fly before the start time of 8:00 am.

All new members and new to fly fishing are welcomed.

The Gunpowder is a Catch & Release stream and Md Fishing and Trout Stamp required.

Meet at Bunker Hill (south) parking area for registration of your fly with Lou, Outings Coordinator.  Will need name of fly and size of hook. Once the fly is registered, photographed, weighed, and measured, you’re off to your favorite spot.  Must return no later than 12:20 pm to register your catch report requiring number and total inches of trout.

Rules: 

1. Must register official fly with Outings Coordinator, size of hook, type of fly, and picture taken. 
2. Only (1) one fly can be fished. If you lose that fly, then you are finished with the contest. Of course, you may enter total inches of fish up to that time. You may continue to fish with any non-official fly.
3. The winner will be judged by the Outings Coordinator with the most total inches of trout. Also provide number of trout for the record. So, make sure you bring some measuring device and record keeping. If there is a tie, then two winners will be announced. Measure trout lengths from snout to fork length (middle of tail). May send pictures to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
4. You must report back to register your total inches of trout and present fly to the Outings Coordinator no later than 12:20 pm.  Do Not Be Late. NOTE: THIS IS A NEW TIME.
5. Barbless hook. Or barb press down flat.
6. There are no assigned sections or beats. Any section and multiple sections of the Gunpowder may be fished.
7. May use indicators (but not dry fly – dropper system), spilt shot weight, and change tippet. 
8. We are not using FIPS rules. We are using PPTU Rules. 

If time permits, we can all stop for lunch at Casa Mia's and hear all the stories from the 1-Fly Contest winner!

To sign up for the One Fly Contest, please complete the Outing Registration form.

Directions:

I-83 N
Exit 27 to MD 137, Mt Carmel Rd.
Take right on Mt Carmel Rd to York Rd (Rt 45)
Take left on York Rd.
Just past the Hereford High School, turn left onto Bunker Hill Rd.
Go to end of road to the parking area. It is a large parking area, part of the road is gravel.

Please contact the Outings Coordinator with any questions or for more information.

Thank you for participating, good luck and tight lines.

Lou Reichel
2013 PPTU One Fly Contest Winner
Outings Coordinator
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
cell 443-745-0313 (please leave message if no answer)

Savage River, Monroe Pavilion Camp Out, October 7-9, 2023 

When: October 7, 8, 9. Saturday - Monday (Columbus Day, Indigenous People’s Day)
Where: Big Run State Park, Monroe Pavilion, next to Savage River, Garret County, Maryland

The October Outing and Campout in Western Maryland will be on October 7, 8, and 9, 2023, Saturday (2 pm set up) thru Monday (1:00 pm pack up), 3 days and 2 nights.  Join us and fish the wonderful Savage River, North Branch of Potomac and the many other mountain brook streams in the beautiful autumn foliage of Western Maryland.  You may camp with us or stay at other facilities or lodgings in the area.  But all should join us at the evening campfires.  Reservations for camping have been made at the Big Run State Park, in the Monroe Pavilion shelter for group camping, from Saturday (2:00 pm official set up, depends if previous campers have moved out) till Monday (1:00 pm pack up), 3 days and 2 nights.  We do require at least 4 people to sign up to keep shared payment at a reasonable price.

New members and new to fly fishing are welcome.  Let Lou know if you need assistance.  There will be fishermen there that can show you the rivers.

Savage River

For new PPTU members or those unfamiliar with Savage River, it is difficult to have a meeting place on the River on the first day since we all arrive at different times.  I suggest checking out the PHD pool, at the upper cement bridge, or the Garrett and Alleghany suspension bridges, which have tight turns into small parking areas.  See for details, “Guide to Maryland Trout Fishing, the Catch and Release Streams” by Charlie Gelso and Larry Coburn.  I will try to be at Pavilion by 4-4:30 pm.  Please be aware that the picnic tables in the Pavilion will need to be moved/arranged as to the Outing Coordinator’s specifications, so I do need strong members to help moving heavy picnic tables.

Fishing on the Savage and North Branch is great during the fall months.  Nights are cool and days are warm. The leaves are just starting to turn colors. There are small mountain creeks with brookies hidden beneath rhododendron and mountain laurel.  Pocket water fishing on the Savage River with pools called the PHD pool, for the trout are too smart.  Some of those brown trout can get large on the Savage.  And if you are lucky one can catch a rainbow, brown and brook trout all on the same day. And then move to the large North Branch which can resemble a large Western style river or a mountain brook trout stream.  See for details, “Guide to Maryland Trout Fishing, the Catch and Release Streams” by Charlie Gelso and Larry Coburn.

All this for just $118 split however many ways we have participants.  We do need at least 4 people ($30.00 ea) to sign up.  Pay me at the Pavilion, direct amount in cash or check, there will not be change available.  Donations are appreciated.  Cost is per participant and not the days.  Join us for as many days that you can make it. 

We generally put 2-4 persons size tents inside the Monroe Pavilion on the stone floor. Can hold up to 6-7 tents.  So bring an air mattress to sleep on the stone floor.  Larger tents and campers can be placed around the Pavilion.  The Pavilion has a grand stone fireplace for great campfires (bring store bought bundles of firewood), picnic tables, and a place to gather after the days fishing to cook, make coffee, swap stories, and if it rains, we have some shelter.  Bring firewood, store bought wrapped bundles, which can be purchased at the New Germany Ranger station or other gas stations and convenient stores in the area (Grantsville exits).  The campsite has no running water, no fresh water at Big Run SP so you must bring your own water.  The camp is rugged and has men and ladies dry bathrooms.  We do have access to the showers at New Germany SP (15-20-min away).  Alcohol is not permitted (within reason).  In previous times we have been checked by Park Rangers looking for suspicious people, and they did not arrest us even with a lone bottle of good whiskey sitting on the table.  There is electricity in the shelter which I do require for my sleep apnea CPAP machine.  No TV’s, and only Blue Grass music allowed!  Please bring a ghost story for the October Halloween late night campfire.  Don’t forget that the Blaire Witch and Goatman live in western Maryland.  And if we are lucky, Jay will be talking to the hoot owl at night.

Bring food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  For breakfast I eat oatmeal (for I want to be on the river early), but others have cooked bacon and eggs, etc..  I do bring for sharing a camp stove, extra water and some pots and utensils, and washing basin if you need to cook and clean.  I generally have coffee brewing in the mornings. There is a charcoal grill setup at the Pavilion if you plan on grilling.  On Saturday night bring your favorite grilling meat to cook for we will cook on the charcoal grill.  Charcoal for grilling will be provided.  If you have a favorite side dish, please bring and share with us (peach pies, cobbler, potato and macaroni salads, backed beans, fruit salad, etc).  It seems in the past, the Sunday dinner is hotdogs cooked on the grill and we finish up all the side dishes.  But if someone would like to bring something to cook for all of us, that is appreciated, let Lou know.  In the past we have had Jay’s grandmothers famous French toast, Steve’s award winning chili and fresh elk steaks. There are places to eat near Grantsville and Westernport, MD and Keyser,WV.

For those not interested in camping, there is lodging available in Keyser, WV (Keyser Inn) or Grantsville, MD (Casselman Inn), within 30 min to Savage River.  There is also a large hotel, Comfort Inn just off I-68 at exit 22 (just before Grantsville).  In addition, there are camping sites and cabins in nearby New Germany State Park, but generally need a month reservation for cabins. 

There are no trash cans in the Park.  Please be considerate and pick up trash and no food outside at night for there are wild black bears and feral cats.  Trash will need to be stored inside cars at night and taken away by us when we leave. Thanks.

Items Needed:  MD Fishing License and Trout Stamp. 

Take into consideration when packing gear, for this is October in the mountains.  There can be a cold frost at night and mornings and be quite warm by afternoon.

Camping stuff like tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, flashlight, etc.  Food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and cooking utensils.  Water. Again, I will have a lot of things share. Toiletries, basically everything needed to sustain you for 3 days.  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 bought wrap bundles of firewood for the campfire.  Firewood can be bought there or buy packaged parcels at your local stores. Do not bring wood from your home wood pile.

Rods:  Bring 3 to 5 wt rods (7ft to 9ft) for either small brook trout stream or large brown trout in lower Savage and North Branch. 

Flies:  Stop by the Savage River Outfitters on Savage River Rd, to find out what flies are active.  Fall hatches contain dark to mahogany flies, #14-16.  However, there has been talk of slate drakes (#10-12) on the North Branch.  Savage River contains midges, mayflies and multiple caddis including the #10 October caddis.  Griffith gnat, BWO, paralep mahogany dun, Blue Quill, Adams and Parachutes,  Slate Drake, Simple 3 hackle (Gelso and Coburn book), purple to brown soft hackles (s.h.), pheasant tail s.h., Leadwing Coachman s.h., peacock and brown s.h., tan, olive, black, brown, and October caddis, and every kind of nymph, San Juan worm, Don Juan worm, mop fly and terrestrials; heck just bring everything.

See Jay’s Maryland Fall Fly List.

Directions to Monroe Pavilion from Baltimore:

Of course there are many different ways to get there.  This is my route.  Take I-70 West.  At Hancock I-70 splits, bear left onto I-68.  Proceed on I-68 through Cumberland, just before Grantsville, take Exit 22, turn south (left) on Chestnut Ridge Rd.  Follow and turn left at stop sign at New Germany Road. Follow 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 the road ends and just past the sign for Monroe Run Trail and bathrooms.

At end of Big Run Rd, turn right onto Savage River Rd, and follow past the damn to lower Savage River.  First cement bridge is the PHD pool, followed by two suspension bridges Garrett and Alleghany, onwards to Savage River Outfitters and after 2-4 miles downstream to the metal bridge near end of the Catch and Return fishing area and followed by Rt 135.

To sign up for this outing, please complete the Outing Registration form.

Please contact Lou Reichel if you have any questions.   

Thanks.

Lou Reichel

Outings Coordinator
443-745-0313 (cell)  
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.