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In my last post regarding Great Seneca Creek, I commented on the stretch walking downstream from the Riffle Ford access point. This short posting completes the story by discussing the upstream section.
Riffle Ford and Black Rock are the two key stocking locations along Great Seneca Creek. Of the two, Riffle Ford is probably better in terms of the structure. There’s a big, deep pool underneath the bridge that would allow the easy insertion of plenty of fish.
On this day, I walked upstream in search of trout. There’s an easy trail that runs along the creek, eventually moving through an open field and then back to the water. I followed my normal strategy of distancing myself and the parking lot before I began to fish. The stream is typical of central Maryland. The banks are densely packed with trees and overhanging vegetation that guard the muddy, sandy bottom of the stream. It is easy to wade, with pools tucked in every bend.
In hindsight, moving upstream was a bad strategy. A year after I fished here, I researched stocked trout behavior that I summarized in this post. The typical stocked fish moves downstream, not up. Therefore, I walked in the exact wrong direction since there are no stocking locations farther upstream. There should only be a few adventurous fish moving upstream from the pool underneath the bridge and, even then, they would not have gone upstream as far as I walked.
There were plenty of sunfish and a few fallfish to give a tug on the line, but no trout.
Great Seneca Creek Trout Fishing Bottom Line: I recommend not moving in this direction – fish downstream.
Getting There: In Gaithersburg, MD, go south on Quince Orchard Road (Rt 124). Turn right on Rt 28 and then right onto Riffle Ford Road. Follow it to the creek. There is plenty of parking at this access point.
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore