Gunpowder River Sulfur Mayfly Hatch Begins

Sulfur Mayflies have begun to show themselves on the Gunpowder River this week.  I have been fishing trips on the River the last 3 days and we have had some great fly fishing in the evenings. The sulfurs provide some of the best dry fly fishing of the year. The first mayflies to hatch are usually the biggest, around a size 14.  The fun part about fishing sulfurs is that they are easy to see too.

The best of the hatch has been later than usual with bugs starting to come off at about 4 pm or so. Our best pattern seemed to be a traditional dress sulfur dun in size 16.  We also caught some fish on soft hackles and sulfur emerger patterns.

We should continue to see the hatch strengthen through early June and hopefully the mayflies will hatch a little earlier in the day offering a good spinnerfall before dark. During mid day periods with no bug activity nymphs and swung wet flies took fish.  Partridge and yellow and partridge and orange wets are hard to beat.