Fly Fishing Destinations: Western Maryland
After reading about the trout fisheries in Western Maryland for about two or
three years, I finally made it out that way in late April, 2003. This area is
home to the Casselman River, Youghiogheny River (the Yock), Savage River, and
the North Branch of the Potomac River. These are all excellent trout streams.
Some of these rivers include beautiful wild trout and trophy sections. I visited
the area several times per year from 2003 through 2005. I stayed at
Streams & Dreams,
a B&B resort right on the Yock. It's not often that your expectations are far
exceeded when visiting a new place, but thanks to my host at Streams & Dreams,
Don Hershfeld, that's exactly what happened. Don is a fly fishing instructor and
a great host, and he is extremely knowledgeable about the area's rivers and their
hatches.
Western Maryland (Savage River) - July 2005
It was shaping up to be another challenging summer for bass fishing in Virginia,
with a major fish-kill on the Shenandoah River along with high muddy water on
most of the smallmouth rivers. So I kept the trout gear handy and headed to my
favorite tailwater. I fished the Savage River during the afternoon/evening of
July 11th and the morning of July 12th. It was a quick trip out and back, but I
had a great time.
Western Maryland - April 2005
This was my third annual trip out to Western Maryland in early spring to fish
the Savage and Youghiogheny Rivers. The weather had been very warm and the early
season mayfly hatches were on, but a cold front came through bringing some rain
with it. It was overcast and misty the two days that I fished, and luckily I was
able to get two great days of fishing in before a big rain storm hit. I stayed
with Don Hershfeld at Streams & Dreams again, right on the Yock. Don and I
fished the Yock together on my second day. I fished the Savage River on the
first day.
Western Maryland - October 2004
Shelley and I decided to head out to Western Maryland for a few days to
celebrate our 10th anniversary. We stayed at the Savage River Lodge, where we
had a really nice cabin in the woods. We had beautiful weather and hit the peak
of the fall colors. We only had three days, but we still managed to get a couple
of days of fall trout fishing in. It was Shelley's first time fly fishing for
trout, and our first time fishing together. We had a great trip.
Western Maryland - April 2004
I made it back out to Western Maryland to fish the Casselman, Savage, and
Youghiogheny Rivers again. This time Jimmer made the trip, and we fished
together for a couple of days. I also fished an extra day and a half on my own.
The weather was great, and we were hoping for a nice Blue Quill hatch on the
lower Savage. We stayed with Don at Streams & Dreams again, right on the Yock.
We caught a lot of fish on the Casselman on the first day. It was a full day of
nymphing, but a very productive one, especially in the morning. The second day,
we hit the lower Savage to fish the pocket water. The flow was a bit high with
strong currents, so it made wade-fishing the pocket water challenging. There
were some hatches, but not enough to really get the fish going. It was a tough
day of wading with few fish landed. I returned to the Savage the next day, and
had a much better day as a result of the lower flow and a few more bugs. I
fished the Yock on my way home on the last day, and got into some nice caddis
hatches and some decent fishing.
Western Maryland - April 2003
After reading about the great trout fishing out in Western Maryland for several
years, I finally made it out that way in the spring of 2003. This was my first
visit to the area and my first time fishing the Casselman River, Youghiogheny
River (the Yock), and Savage River. I stayed at Streams & Dreams, where I met my
host, Don Hershfeld, for the first time. It was a great trip, and I couldn't
wait to get back out there again.
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