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Alan Klotz, Fisheries Biologist - Total Reports: 48
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Posted on May 24, 2012 | Permalink
Green Drake hatch on the Yough
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Youghiogheny River
This week on the Youghiogheny River C&R Trout Fishing Area was the peak of the Green Drake mayfly hatch. This is the time when the larger trout are quite vulnerable as they become gluttons feeding on this large, beautiful aquatic insect. I caught several gorgeous brown and rainbow trout in the 12 - 17 inch size class that just had the reel screaming out line, as the river is at fairly high flow giving the fish plenty of room to swim. As often the case with these Warmwater-strain rainbow trout, they will make several jumps out of the water during the fight. The hatch should continue through Memorial Day weekend, and the last hour of daylight is best.
Posted on April 12, 2012 | Permalink
Good Fishing in Western Maryland
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake/Broadford Lake
While trout season is in full swing in Western Maryland, angling for warmwater fish species has been good as well, thanks to the warm spring we have experienced. Smallmouth bass action is picking up along the rocky shorelines of Deep Creek Lake, hitting Rapalas and Husky Jerks. Jumbo bluegills and yellow perch can be caught in Deep Creek Lake near shore at dusk using a piece of crawler fished in 4 feet of water. My son Kyle and I have also been fishing Broadford Lake in Oakland, and catching a mixed bag of rainbow trout, chain pickerel, and largemouth bass. Pictured 1) Kyle with DCL Smallmouth 2) Broadford Lake Largemouth Bass 3) DCL Bluegills and a 14.5 in Yellow Perch
Posted on March 26, 2012 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake Annual Walleye Population Survey
Type: Freshwater
Region:
Location: Deep Creek Lake
Western Region Fisheries Biologists recently conducted the annual Walleye Population Survey in Deep Creek Lake. Anglers should enjoy another great season in Deep Creek Lake (opening day is April 16) as we documented a high abundance level of adult Walleye during the electrofishing survey. Most of the Walleye were in the 16 - 18 inch size class, and we did collect a few larger fish greater than 20 inches. We also collected a large sample of Bluegills, and most of these fish were in the 8 to 10 inch size class.
Pictured are 1) Capt. Jody Johnson of the Western Region Research Vessel; 2) Fisheries Technician Terri Belasco with a large Walleye; 3) Brook Trout Biologist Matt Sell with another large Walleye; 4) Big DCL Bluegill
Posted on March 13, 2012 | Permalink
First Trout of the Season
Type: Freshwater
Region:
Location: Youghiogheny River
With the unseasonably warm weather we have been having in Western Maryland, there have been prolific hatches of winter stoneflies in our trout streams. Sunday was beautiful warm sunny day, so I headed down to the Youghiogheny River Catch and Release Trout Fishing Area, and the stoneflies were flying everywhere along the river! I had a black bead-head stonefly nymph already tied on, so I tried it in the first hole, and was rewarded by a nice wild Brown Trout – the first trout of the season! Working my way upstream, I noticed a pod of rising fish, so I switched to a black-bodied elk-hair caddis - and hooked up on several strong fighting Rainbow Trout. I ended up losing the fly on a big Rainbow, but a green-bodied caddis seemed to work just as well. Once the sun was off the water, the hatch trickled down, and so did the number of rising trout. It was a great day – landed about a dozen nice-sized Brown and Rainbow Trout, saw a mature bald eagle doing some fishing of his own, wood ducks, mallards, and a flock of common mergansers also looking for a few fish to eat.
Pictured are 1) winter stonefly 2) brown trout 3) rainbow trout 4) rainbow trout
Posted on November 28, 2011 | Permalink
Glades Park in Oakland
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Glades Park Youth & Blind Persons Pond (Oakland)
My son Kyle took a break from chasing deer with his bow and fished one of his favorite fishing holes - the Glades Park Youth and Blind Persons Pond in Oakland. The rainbow trout were very aggressive and he had a stringer of nice trout for the smoker in short order! Enjoy this pond while you can Kyle, you only have two more years before you are too old to fish here.
Posted on November 9, 2011 | Permalink
Jennings Randolph Lake Survey Report
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Jennings Randolph Lake
The Western Region crew conducted the Jennings Randolph Lake fish population survey last night (11/7), and this lake is worth the trip to the remote corner of Garrett County. We were really impressed with the numbers of Smallmouth bass throughout the lake, plenty of quality size fish in the 12 - 15 inch range, and lots of juveniles and stock-sized fish for the future. The Walleye appeared to have a good hatch this year as we collected young-of-year (YOY)Walleye in several of the sample stations, as well as legal-size walleye up to 17 inches. We introduced adult Yellow perch in the lake a couple of years ago to establish an additional forage fish for the Walleye, and the attempt was successful as juvenile Yellow perch were collected in several of the stations. Rock bass are abundant, and many were in the 8 to 10 inch size class. Schools of Emerald shiners numbering in the thousands were observed, indicating that a good food base is available for the lake's gamefish populations. We also found Green sunfish, Bluegills, and Yellow bullheads. Pictured 1)Green sunfish 2)YOY Walleye 3)Jon Folk with Smallmouth bass 4) juvenile Yellow perch 5)lunker Rock bass.
Posted on October 27, 2011 | Permalink
Deep Creek Lake Fall Sampling
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Deep Creek Lake
Anglers – don’t stow away your fishing gear for the season - fishing Deep Creek Lake can be quite rewarding this time of the year! The Western Region crew pulled an all-nighter, sampling the lake from dusk to dawn earlier this week, and the amount and variety of fish we collected was amazing. The fish are in the fall feeding frenzy and most all of the gamefish were in very good condition. Nice-sized walleye (including a trophy 10 lb fish) were collected in every sample station and the amount of young of year walleye suggest a record year-class was produced. Chunky smallmouth bass and largemouth bass up to 4 lbs were collected. Jumbo-size yellow perch in the 10 to 13 inch range were common. Chain pickerel were abundant in each station, some measuring more than 20 inches. Northern pike are showing up more frequently in our samples, the largest was a thick-bodied fish that bottomed out our scale.
Posted on October 14, 2011 | Permalink
Youth Fishing Tip
Type: Freshwater
Region:
Location:
“Be patient and enjoy the whole outdoor experience.” Every one would like to be catching fish as soon as they make the first cast. Well, fish don’t always bite when you want them to, but be patient and soon enough hungry fish will find your bait! In the meantime, maybe take a small walk around the pond, looking at frogs, tadpoles, snails, turtles, and birds as they can be quite interesting to observe. My kids also take trash bags along with them, and clean up their favorite fishing spot when the bite slows down a bit. Maybe Mother Nature will reward you with a nice fish if you appreciate and protect the world which fish live.
Alan W. Klotz, Western Region Fisheries Manager
Posted on October 3, 2011 | Permalink
North Branch Potomac River Catch and Return Trout Fishing Area
Type: Freshwater
Region: Garrett County
Location: North Branch Potomac
Western Region Fisheries staff with the assistance of the Garrett College’s Fisheries Management Class recently conducted the annual fish population survey in the upper C&R Trout Fishing Area downstream of Jennings Randolph Lake. We collected some fine specimens of rainbow trout greater than 20 inches as well as some wild young of year rainbow trout. Brown trout measuring up to 14 inches were also collected. The students performed exceptionally well, pulling the inflatable electro-fishing barge and wading in some strong current atop of substrate that is likened to “greased bowling balls” – without a single person falling in the river! I did observe a good number of caddis fly larvae in the river, and there was a decent hatch of small mayflies and a few caddisflies while we conducting the survey. (note: the trout in the live well are alive and healthy – just sedated to make weighing and measuring a lot easier. They soon “come around” and were released back into the river). [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mddnrfish/6207763080/][img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/6207763080_f14b242dc5.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/mddnrfish/6207763080/]Courtesy of Alan Klotz[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/mddnrfish/]mddnrfish[/url], on Flickr
Posted on September 21, 2011 | Permalink
Bamboo Fly Rod on the Yough River
Type: Freshwater
Region: Western
Location: Youghiogheny River
Earlier this week I received one of the best gifts ever from a good friend – an Orvis 5-wt Bamboo Flyrod. I always dreamed of owning one, and thought I would wait until the kids were out of college before treating myself to one. So, having not fished in more a month, I rigged the rod up and headed down to the Youghiogheny River C&R Trout Fishing Area. In my haste, I forgot my vest along with all my flies, but fortunately I had an Elk-hair Caddis and a bead-head caddis emerger already tied on the leader. The river was flowing high but a few caddis and some very large Pteronarcys stoneflies were hatching. I missed a couple trout in the deep fast water, and then a nice brown trout jumped clear out of the water and grabbed the dry fly. And what a fight, it uncharacteristically jumped several time like a rainbow trout, then started peeling off line downstream into the faster deep water. It then started fighting like brown trout often do, that is, by trying to wedge itself under a boulder in a deep hole. I did manage to land this fine brown trout, took a couple of quick pictures and released him back to the river. I walked back upstream and cast the Elk-hair to the same spot, and amazingly another twin brown trout took the dry fly and I had a repeat of the first fight! I landed a rainbow and another brown, and missed more trout than I care to admit before darkness settle in. What a great experience with the first time ever I fished with a bamboo rod – thanks a million Neil!
