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I was on my regular springtime multi-day visit to the North Branch with the Intent of getting to the Barnum catch and release area before the crowd early on Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I overslept and did not roll out of the Oak-Mar Hotel in Oakland until around 7 AM. It must've been the huge dinner I had eaten the night before in the restaurant associated with the hotel. They have a ribeye steak special that I highly recommend. I grabbed a quick coffee at the Sheetz Gas station across the street and pointed the truck south on Rt 135 heading for Barnum via Kitzmiller and Elk Garden. Even though Oakland is fairly close to Barnum -- only about 30 miles away -- it takes an hour to get there on the small roads. When I rolled into the southern parking lot at around 8:30 AM, there were plenty of other trucks crammed into the broad parking lot.
I was hopeful that most of these guys were here to fish the "Put and Take" area since it had been stocked earlier in the week by both Maryland and West Virginia. The "Put and Take " starts at the parking lot and runs downstream for several miles. Knowing that the best fishing is upstream, I geared up and hit the fisherman's trail that parallels the river on its eastern bank. I decided to start fishing upstream of the first bend and carefully picked my way through the thorn bushes leading to a gap in the thickets that grow densely along the eastern bank.
I nudged my head out and looked up and downstream. It must be a sixth sense that I have, but it always seems like I choose to burst out onto the river right where other people are fishing. Just downstream from me, two other guys were already out in the middle of the channel whipping their fly rods at the clear water with obvious pleasure. Whoops.. had to find another spot. Knowing that it's better to fish the upstream section from the west bank, I decided to go ahead and cross the river since I was about 50 yards upstream from the other guys and would not disturb their fishing. After about 20 feet, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor and retreated to the eastern shore. The current was running strong and fast on this bright morning and I needed to find another place to cross.
I beat my way back to the dim trail, lost it as I usually do in the thicket tangle and pushed towards the mountain until I picked it up again. I followed it to the old rail bed and hopped on that as an option for a quick passage upstream. Reaching the top, I was disappointed again. I was not to be the first one to reach the upper lake. There were already a couple other guys fishing the calm pool that marked the boundary.
I turned and walked back down the rail bed; diverting to slide down the defined paths on the steep bank to the water 15 feet below. I was skunked on my first two attempts, but then found myself in the middle of the action on my third try. Streamers always seem to be the most effective pattern to use given the lack of decent hatch of anything on the North Branch and this morning was no exception.
I flipped a green and gold woolly bugger into the upstream current, stripped it to pace the velocity the water; twitching it as it came even with me. That's where the trout would wake up and react with a strike. I didn't catch anything big on this day but the pressure of the current made any fish hooked seemed huge. After fishing that spot until the action calmed down, I realized that I had this section of the river to myself. Everyone else was working the two bends. I slowly fished downstream - targeting the channels that ran between the larger boulders. While I did not have a banner day, there was enough action in these places to make it memorable. Eventually, I came even with the other guys who were working up river and decided to call it a day at this spot and move to another location.
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Remember to refer to my rating explanations - these are based on what I look for - so RED for Physical Fitness translates to easy physically - you do not need to be in shape to fish this section. I prefer terrain that is tough to get into and out of.
Bottom Line: I don't fish this section of the North Branch as often as I fish others because of the intense pressure it experiences. However, you have to acknowledge that there is a high density of fish in this section as a result of everyone's adherence to the spirit and the execution of the catch and release regulation. If you're spending a few days fishing the North Branch, you must fish this section.
Getting There:
For detailed directions, please purchase either the North Branch Map Book for $4.95 or the full 190 page Fishing guide to the North Branch for $9.95. After checkout, you can download the books instantly.
The fishing guide is also available in hardcopy - click here
Both books include detailed directions overlaid on topo maps with pictures for the confusing places to get you to the river. The key difference is that the full book walks you up the river from Westernport to Wilson using over 140 pictures with a detailed discussion of what to expect beyond the parking lot.
Sorry to have to do this, but selling these eBooks is how I support the cost of maintaining this site. Please support the site.
Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the following places:
Maryland DNR
Guide to Maryland Trout Fishing
Mid-Atlantic Budget Angler
Date Fished: 3/22/2009 |
