Posted on June 06 2022
Left Lafayette at 6:30 this morning determined to get in a full morning's fishing and was glad I did. It more than made up for tonight's shellacking. Fished from 7:30 this evening until 9:15 with every cast at a rising fish. Got about a dozen refusals, hooked and landed a 12 inch bass, and two rainbows one 8 inches, the other 17. There were a few black caddis and very small (think pseudos) spinners on the water early and a very good sulfur spinner fall late, the fish paid them no mind. They were too busy eating midges.
Occupied myself on the trip down counting dead deer, 7 if you are wondering. Should have given my annual - Watch out for the yearling deer - warning a good three weeks ago.
As long as we are counting, last Friday there were about 25 trailers at Buckingham when I went by and my GHOF said there were a combo of 17 cars and trailers at Stockport when he went by. Shehawken had more cars and trailers than you could count and the Balls Eddy lot was full almost out to the road. Both game land lots were full to overflowing with wade fishermen's cars. I just can't believe someone would park the 17th car at upper gamelands and walk down to the river so they could watch 30 boats go by.
The Friday drive was made to see where the green drake spinner fall was scheduled to take place. I knew right away where I wasn't going to fish. I've fished a good many GD spinner falls and had some great fishing but not on the Delaware River System. Don't like crowds. Drove up Rte.30 along the UEB, where the lower section was crowded with drake chasers. Had to go above Corbett before I found a spot with but one car and a lone fisherman donning his waders. We talked for 15 minutes about the crowded conditions and how we both liked to fish alone and then we each headed in seperate directions. He was gone when I made my way back to the car, hope he did as well as I did.
If anyone is keeping score, I may have set a modern day record for most consecutive days fished on the DRS without having had a boat float by. The last boat to float past me was on May 26th which is 7 fishing days ago (and still counting).
Stayed with, and fished the WB with, a really nice new friend on the 6th and 7th. We were at the Upper GL, but waded upstream quite a ways. On the sunny 6th I saw lots of boats, canoes and floaters go by but all were courteous and fun to chat to. There were plenty of waders, but again all were well spaced and polite. On the cloudy/rainy 7th, much less boat and wader traffic, and again very nice people on the water.
I guess I haven’t run into the rudeness that others have described. Maybe I’m just lucky, or not as easily offended. Or maybe I’m just happy to be fishing a beautiful river system and not focusing on all of the problems that really matter in our country right now. I won’t take out my frustrations over gas prices, border crisis, lying politicians, etc…. on a boat that floats over my trout. There are more important things for so many people in our country right now. Fly fishing should be a get-away from the stresses of everyday life…..please remember that.
As for the fishing….the fish were focused on sulfurs, but not always. A well placed caddis or olive could get them to bite. The rises were not consistent, more coming from the bottom to the top when they wanted to eat, but with a well placed fly, at the right time you could get a take (or a solid refusal). I didn’t catch a lot, but it was enough to make me come back.
Thanks Angler119 for continuing to post. I still hope to meet you on the river some day.
Thanks again for the report. It all sounds familiar.
I fished the last 10 days and it was good, not great. Mornings were best with caddis and big olives. Evenings were hit or miss, some pretty good, some were a dud.
Fished 2 good coffin falls and barely saw a fish rise…?
Made the rookie mistake of fishing upstream from a boat launch (Shehawken) at night. Must say the guides were really good and gave me plenty of room. It was also my best night but not certain I’ll do that again.
Best fishing was on the BE when fishable, worst was BR.
No matter what I’ll be back, hopefully in the fall but certainly a week or 2 next spring. I hope you continue your reports in some fashion, they are the best! Thanks.
The last boat to pass me almost hit me a couple weeks ago. A gentleman across from me even said “I thought they were going to hit you”. This was after a pontoon boat drifted right down the middle with the “There want room behind you” excuse. Followed by a “Learn to row a boat” responce from the gentleman. I to have come to hate boats!! I have had some good interactions but the negative ones far out way the good. Boats dragging the bottom on the upper east through every riffle to “this is our living” excuse for bad behavior. I was one of the drake chasers. One for the challenge, I always se to gety but kicked at long flat. And two I have not fished very far up the little east, so I didn’t chance it. There were Drake spinners, not the huge ones but plenty of them, a good amount of march browns, some large sulfers, and a lot of caddis. The rises were sporadic at best!! And about 15 ppl showed up at long flat before headed out.