Posted on May 28 2023
My plans for an early start this morning went out the window when dawn didn't crack for me until 8:30. Was on the road by 9:45 and had light traffic all the way down, arriving at 11:50. Decided to mow the lawn before lunch and was done and ready for lunch by 1:15. Drove up to Deposit and was casting at rising fish by 2:00. Fished from then until 6:00. Had rising fish the entire time. Feeling a bit tired but hopeful of a couple hours of good freestone fishing, I drove over to the EB and once again fished to rising fish for another two and a half hours.
The bugs - If there is anywhere else you can do what I did today, I don't know about it. Had apple caddis and the little Hendricksons in Deposit. Quite a few caddis and enough Hendricksons to get the fish up and eating them. In the evening I was treated to a plethora of bugs, march browns, gray foxes, isos, caddis, sulfurs, and yes, green drakes (both duns and coffin flies). The entire array of "big bugs" was present somewhere on the Delaware River System today. Of course I might have done better if I hadn't left the drake duns and coffin flies back at the Lordville Estate.
The fishing - For sure I upped my game during the four hours spent on the WB. Couldn't get a look at first. Added more tippet, worked on better presentations, sorted out flies and fished only the ones that got looks. As time went by I got more refusals and more takes, lost the only two big fish I hooked, landed five or six yearlings about 6/7 inches long and five counters (all between 11 and 16 inches). The evening effort was hampered somewhat by the flies I didn't have with me and my inability to land rainbows. Hooked more fish in the evening and did land a 17.5 inch rainbow among those that made it to the net.
Just say 'in, watch out for the yearling deer, Mom's booted them out and is busy keeping the fawns safe from bears and coyotes. Counted five dead yearlings on the way down and had two live ones cross right in front of me on this morning on Lordville Road.
Great report and it’s really nice to hear about all of the bugs that are on the river!
As to anywhere else you can find this…..Penns Creek demonstrated that to me this week. I hit a day when everything was on the water except caddis. The huge Green Drakes and Coffin flies were amazing to finally see in person.
While it was incredible to get the opportunity to see and fish the Penns bug factory, I must say the experience on the Delaware is much more pleasurable for some reason. Maybe it’s the ease of access, or just the familiarity of it all. I guess the Catskills are really becoming my “home waters”.
Thanks again for your reports!