Posted on April 30 2024
Back on the river with pearly white teeth after driving home for my annual dentist appointment. Had a nice dinner out with Jean Sunday night, washed both the car and my clothes and was on my way back down by 9:00AM this morning.
It's Mark's final day before heading back to North Carolina. He teamed up with my GHOF yesterday and had his best day of the trip hooking seven and landing six. This morning we found bugs (caddis and Hendricksons), but the fish have had so much to eat they seemed indifferent to the smorgasbord Mother Nature was providing.
Went up above "Barking Dog" launch on the WB and had a brief flurry of action on Hendricksons about 3:00. It was over by 3:30. We had heard good things about paralep and Hendrickson hatches on the UEB, so we drove over. To put it kindly, the hatch at about 4:00 was sparse and rising fish were hard to find.
Drove back to where we first encountered bugs sans fish and more or less saved the day. There were fish going when we got there and we each hooked a couple of nice rainbows, then the sun (which had been hiding behind a cloud bank) came out and the fished stopped feeding. When the sun finally went behind the hill in the last hour of daylight the water was covered with Apple Caddis spinners, Hendrickson duns and spinners and an assortment of other bugs too numerous to count. How'd we do? Not very well. The fish were slow to get going and when they did you had no idea which fly was yours. But, Mark got to see what I've been blathering to him about for years. There were big fish everywhere. We did OK in the hooking department (13), but we left a lot to be desired in the landing (6).
It's a big river system. The bugs are hatching, no question about it. But being in the right place at the right time is another matter. Come try it. If you are in the right place at the right time - you'll be hooked.
fished the East Branch upstream of Harvard. we have a good Hendrickson hatch, many one and done risers. I was able to land 2 nice Browns. I saw pods of risers 3 times, water was clear and low— the fish did not tolerate fisherman, as soon as I approached them, carefully, by the way, they moved or stopped rising.
Steady rain drove me off the river about 5:30.
Greg Lots of Paraleps/Blue Quills on the shop windows the last few days. I bet that’s the dark fly you saw.
Got to the upper WB around 130PM and around 230 saw some Hendricksons on water but never materialized into a steady stream of bugs. Some random feeders, mostly out of range thanks to 900+CFS. Also saw some risers not take the Hendricksons but a smaller dark fly instead. Got zippo hits. Stopped of at a Beaverkill famous pool around 6PM. Caddis everywhere. Saw one riser only and a couple of splashy rises on far shore. . Spent 15 minutes trying for him and went home. Fellow fisherman said he took water temp earlier in the afternoon and it was 64 ! A beautiful day but no fish.
Angler119- Sounds like you had a wonderful time with your GHOF. Fabulous. I was on the BK and Willow yesterday and it was fun but not so fabulous. Sunny with enough of an upstream wind to hurt casting accuracy ( that’s my excuse) Lots of #18 and some #16 black caddis flights not much of anything on the water. and a handful of one time risers.Managed to land two 15” browns on a #18 spent black caddis.No Hendrickson or blue quill duns or spinners. Always interesting. Ed
Made first trip up yesterday fished lower WB all day. Arrived 8:30 which was my best move of day as a great spinner fall took place with warm temps and fish gorging. Broke off more than landed but caught some nice fish. Rest of day was hot/sunny and a struggle.. Dead 10-2 then sparse Hendrickson hatch with sporadic risers 2-5. Landed 3 more but worked hard for them. Lots of boats anchoring up and not catching much from what I saw.