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Looking back, I am horrified that I only made it out to the North Branch once this season. Granted, I had the aborted attempt in May that was rained out which caused increasing desperation over the following weeks as I tried to find a window of time that would support the 3 hour drive each way. Finally, in mid-June, I was able to make the trip.
I left the DC area at 03:30 in the morning and rolled to a quiet stop at the end of East Main Street in Kitzmiller at 0645. I had ambitious plans for the day. My goal was to walk to the railroad bridge about 2.5 miles downstream and fish my way back. I was excited about the prospect of catching both trout and smallies. Kitzmiller is a location that the Maryland DNR stocks; something that was confirmed by the "stocked trout water" sign stapled to the tree next to my parking spot. While it was June, I was betting on the fact that the rain and cold in May had maintained good temperatures for the fish. In addition, I hoped that there would be significant "washdowns" with the violent rain that would have spread the stocked trout throughout the lower reaches of the North Branch. My previous visits to other sections of the North Branch confirmed that smallies live throughout the stretch.
With all of the above swirling in my mind, I waded across the river and climbed up the steep bank to get onto the railbed. 2.5 miles is a long hike as the preamble to a full day of fishing, but I made good time. Beyond the bridge, the railroad veers away from the river a bit and I figured that 2.5 miles was plenty of water to work in a day. Also, I did not want to get too far away from the opportunity for any washed down trout from the Kitzmiller stocking. My hope was to begin catching smallies as I worked upstream and then tangle with some trout closer to the town.
My first challenge was to climb down to the river once I hit the bridge. The bridge is high and the banks down to the river are steep on both sides. I identified a marginally safe option to the left of the bridge and carefully slid down to the rocky bank below. I was startled by the raw beauty of the river in the section as I looked up and downstream. Picture perfect crashing water, not high, but clear and fast, framed against the steep hills with their carpet of green. With a few sniffs as the cool fresh air, I loaded up my fly rod with a grasshopper and started to attack.
I got off to a fast start and picked up a smallie in the run directly under the bridge. I walked downstream about 100 yards to hit the water below the set of rocks there and switched to nymphs to dredge the bottom of the run. Nothing on them. Knowing I had a long trek back to the truck, I turned around and started to fish my way upstream.
Along the way, I became more and more impressed with the scenic perfection of the North Branch. While the upper sections at Lostland and Wallman all have their good points and good spots, they are tight. You do not get the breadth of view that you do below Kitzmiller. But, I do have to admit, I caught more fish in those two areas.
While the fishing is not difficult on this section, the day I was here was not going to be a banner catch day. I continued to pick up a smallie here and there, but not many. The ones I did catch were in the 8 to 10 inch range. The big guys were not interested in what I was throwing. In hindsight, I recognize that I was far to fixated on trying to catch those washdown trout and was using trout flies and streamers. As I developed my smallie skills with a fly rod over the summer, I have discovered better ways to target that species.
And trout? Nothing. Not a one. The washdown strategy was a washout. Now, given the spectacular nature of the water which coughed up perfect habitat, I have to conclude that it was my skill that led to this result.
As I fished up from the bridge, I the water was perfect. There were many moderate gradient areas that had all the perfect places for either a smallie or a trout. There were plenty of deep cuts huddled up near rocks, plenty of faster runs bleeding out into calmer water and plenty of downed trees that would protect the fish from predators. With the exception of the calm, flat area about 1/2 mile downstream of Kitzmiller, this is as close to perfect as you can get.
You need a wading staff as this is the North Branch and features all the slippery rocks that you expect in this river. If you walk up the river like I did, you need to be in decent shape as you will have to stay in the river. You cannot fish from the railbed and once you leave it, there are no trails.
The only place where you will have easier movement is in the flatwater area downstream of Kitzmiller. On the northern side, there is a plateau of sorts that you can use to leave the river and move quickly upstream. I saw a few hunting stands perched in the trees in this area and they mark the downstream penetration of evidence of other humans. Likewise, you can also move faster on the southern bank in this section, but you will be on rocks as opposed to smooth ground on the other side.
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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 did not see anyone else, or evidence of anyone else once I got about 1/2 mile downstream of Kitzmiller. This, of course, can mean a few things:
- No fish which translates to no pressure
- No pressure because of the walk and the competition from easier to access spots at Barnum or upstream from Kitzmiller
I believe that there are fish here, I just did not have good luck on the day I visited. You should take your smallie flies and tackle with you and alternate use - focusing more on the smallies until you approach within a reasonable distance of Kitzmiller in the hope of finding some of those stocked fish. I doubt there is much hope for any holdover trout given that this part of the North Branch blows through 80 degrees in the summer.
So, no pressure, the potential for fish that need additional visits to discover, and great scenery. This is a place where you need to bring a decent lunch so you can perch on a rock and savor the sun and listen to the roar of the river.
I'm leaving this Yellow as an overall rating until I can confirm that others have had better luck on 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 public location that is documented in the trout stocking tables that are published by the Maryland DNR. The North Branch is also a key destination documented in the
Guide to Maryland Trout Fishing |
