Posted on July 15 2020
Those of you who have read the blog for several years probably know that I'm not a big fan of fishing "The Sulfur Zone". Why? It's far too crowded with drift boaters and wade fishermen, the carnival like atmosphere is not to my liking, the fish have been beaten to a pulp and finally because I just get bored fishing the same pools over and over again.
Yesterday was not much fun for me. Couldn't find a place to even get into the river until after the afternoon hatch was over. When I did, a flotilla of boats came by me, all within 20 feet, ( it was no ones fault it was just the result of where I was standing in relation to all the other fishermen), and most of the fish I caught were so exhausted they were unable to put up even a semblance of a fight.
Decided today to take the cure and fish the Upper East (UE). The hot weather this month has pushed the water temp below Harvard over 70 much of the time. Above Harvard the temp is ok but the flow is at summer levels which means the fish are in the clear slow moving pool water. The toughest challenge on the Delaware River System is to be able to consistently take trout on dries in the UE under low water conditions.
Found a pool with sulfurs and a pod of fish eating them. First cast put the entire pod down. When two of the fish resumed feeding I made a second cast. Hooked a nice brown that came unstuck. Fished the next two hours without hooking another fish.
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Drove to another pool and could see rising fish from the road. The pool was in the shade and I had fish to cast to from arrival until dark. In fishing the UE you need to understand that the rate of fish growth is much slower than in the WB. Two year olds in the WB are now 11/13 inches and quite heavy, in the UE the ones I caught today were from 9.5/ 11 inches and quite thin. It wasn't until just before dark that some bigger fish decided to eat. Was able to convince a nice 16 inch brown to eat a sulfur spinner.
If you decide to try the UE, be prepared for the fact that you probably won't catch a lot of fish and that you are unlikely to hook a big one this time of year. On the other hand I was casting at rising fish from two 'til dark and I never saw another fisherman.
Yesterday was not much fun for me. Couldn't find a place to even get into the river until after the afternoon hatch was over. When I did, a flotilla of boats came by me, all within 20 feet, ( it was no ones fault it was just the result of where I was standing in relation to all the other fishermen), and most of the fish I caught were so exhausted they were unable to put up even a semblance of a fight.
Decided today to take the cure and fish the Upper East (UE). The hot weather this month has pushed the water temp below Harvard over 70 much of the time. Above Harvard the temp is ok but the flow is at summer levels which means the fish are in the clear slow moving pool water. The toughest challenge on the Delaware River System is to be able to consistently take trout on dries in the UE under low water conditions.
Found a pool with sulfurs and a pod of fish eating them. First cast put the entire pod down. When two of the fish resumed feeding I made a second cast. Hooked a nice brown that came unstuck. Fished the next two hours without hooking another fish.
,
Drove to another pool and could see rising fish from the road. The pool was in the shade and I had fish to cast to from arrival until dark. In fishing the UE you need to understand that the rate of fish growth is much slower than in the WB. Two year olds in the WB are now 11/13 inches and quite heavy, in the UE the ones I caught today were from 9.5/ 11 inches and quite thin. It wasn't until just before dark that some bigger fish decided to eat. Was able to convince a nice 16 inch brown to eat a sulfur spinner.
If you decide to try the UE, be prepared for the fact that you probably won't catch a lot of fish and that you are unlikely to hook a big one this time of year. On the other hand I was casting at rising fish from two 'til dark and I never saw another fisherman.
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