Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
Practice social distancing and wear your long johns.
Posted on April 05 2020
Today I planned to take my first drive around the river system this year. Left the camp about 1:30 and drove up the PA side of the big river. They are attempting to fix two areas of 191 upstream from Equinunk and have reduced traffic to one lane with stop lights at both ends. Got two long reds. Buckingham had three trailers and half a dozen cars. Two anglers were fishing near the launch ramp....
The way things are
Posted on April 04 2020
In a normal year I'd be down in the Bahamas right now casting at bones. This year I'm here at my camp planting apricot and plum trees and trying to get Verizon to hook up my internet (so far they have refused.
Covid-19 - It's clear now that it will bury thousands of people. It will also change the lives of everyone. For fishermen on the Delaware - The DEC has said ok to fishing but all lodges and...
Covid-19 - It's clear now that it will bury thousands of people. It will also change the lives of everyone. For fishermen on the Delaware - The DEC has said ok to fishing but all lodges and...
To post or not to post
Posted on March 29 2020
After cancelling my long anticipated bonefishing trip, my wife and I made the decision to cut short our time in Florida and head back to New York, which has since become the hotbed of the Covid-19 pandemic. We did this primarily to be where we have the best medical insurance and a long term relationship with our doctors....
A clean garage and pseudo fishing in the wind.
Posted on October 22 2019
I am in the process of closing the camp but after 28 years even the garage needs a good hoeing out. Have spent the last two mornings in there filling trash bags and sweeping up sunflower husks (the mice/chipmunks once chewed through a plastic garbage can during the winter and ate 50 pounds of them). Finished up at 12:45, ate lunch and went out looking for rising fish.
It was windy and I drove up...
It was windy and I drove up...
A day of bugs, risers and sore lipped fish.
Posted on October 22 2019
The sun finally poked through the clouds about noon. Most times you don't want sunshine if you are looking for olives but it's fall and the water is cold, a little sun is not always a bad thing.
Took a drive up the PA side of the BR (bad idea), two major road repairs underway with traffic signals - both red. No fishermen, bugs or risers all the way up to Hancock. Took the PA side of the WB up to...
Took a drive up the PA side of the BR (bad idea), two major road repairs underway with traffic signals - both red. No fishermen, bugs or risers all the way up to Hancock. Took the PA side of the WB up to...
And the beat goes on.
Posted on October 20 2019
Have yet to see a deer (buck or doe) from my tree stands this season. That made the decision easy. Rivers dropping, warm weather in the forecast and here I am, back at camp. On the way down I saw four does, three fawns and three bucks, (one was a good one).
The weather was overcast with an all day drizzle, temp below 50 all day, not what they predicted but with long johns, three shirts and a...
The weather was overcast with an all day drizzle, temp below 50 all day, not what they predicted but with long johns, three shirts and a...
The "Last Day".
Posted on October 15 2019
Back when the world was young, the trout season closed everywhere on September 30th. Today if you put the proper additives in your bloodstream you can trout fish year 'round. It was, however, the last day for the UE above Shinhopple and the WB above Monument. The intent of the closures is to protect the spawning browns.
Not sure what is going on with the River Master but the minimum flow...
Not sure what is going on with the River Master but the minimum flow...
Check the flow before you go.
Posted on October 09 2019
The camp close down is underway. Storms up, grill in the garage and one load of accumulated trash taken to the dump. Fly tying room was scheduled to be put in mothballs (literally) today but I got into cleaning the closet and things slowed down. Will attempt to finish the job tomorrow.
In the confusion I forgot to check the USGS water flows before leaving camp. Drove all the way up to Corbett...
In the confusion I forgot to check the USGS water flows before leaving camp. Drove all the way up to Corbett...
Rainy days and pseudos - - -
Posted on October 07 2019
At 7:00 this morning it had still not wet the ground under the trees in Lordville. By 8:00 it was raining and it has rained most of the day. If the browns are going to get up the tribs we need much more of the same but at least it's a start.
Couldn't mow the lawn, so I left early hoping to find some olives hatching (I didn't). Caught a nice rainbow on a blind cast in the BE and lost a another nice...
Couldn't mow the lawn, so I left early hoping to find some olives hatching (I didn't). Caught a nice rainbow on a blind cast in the BE and lost a another nice...
It's good to be back on the river.
Posted on October 06 2019
The weather forecast calling for two rainy days in a row got me packing the car and heading back down to the camp. It was a little chilly inside the camp and I had to turn on the heat to get things warmed up. Left camp at about 1:30 hoping for pseudos and rising fish.
Drove up the PA side and saw nothing but muddy water. The river was just starting to come down from the cut back in the release...
Drove up the PA side and saw nothing but muddy water. The river was just starting to come down from the cut back in the release...
Never rose a fish.
Posted on September 27 2019
With the last day of my "regular season" at hand I had planned on fishing the Lordville riff. It is the "home pool" after all. When I arrived on the scene someone else was already there. Got back in the car and drove up river on the PA side. It wasn't nearly as crowded as last Friday but there were still both drift boats and fishermen at all the usual places.
Decided to drive on up the WB and...
Decided to drive on up the WB and...
Someone cue the fat lady.
Posted on September 26 2019
It was an overcast drizzly day and yes there were olives from two to four on the UE. Saw a few caddis on the two Bk pools that I tried and no bugs on the BE pool I fished.
Took a drive down the BR as far as Hankins, water was off color even down there. Stopped at Basket Brook and Kellums Bridge looking for risers - nothing. Cut cross lots over to Fishs Eddy (kind of a neat drive) with the intention...
Took a drive down the BR as far as Hankins, water was off color even down there. Stopped at Basket Brook and Kellums Bridge looking for risers - nothing. Cut cross lots over to Fishs Eddy (kind of a neat drive) with the intention...
What you should know if you are going to go.
Posted on September 25 2019
With my time on the river drawing to a close I thought it would be helpful to those of you who are planning on fishing this fall to give you a current status report on the rivers making up the Delaware River System. Keep in mind that a good rainstorm could change everything.
Beaverkill - The river is crystal clear with a current flow of under 75 CFS. There is no flow to the water in the pools....
Beaverkill - The river is crystal clear with a current flow of under 75 CFS. There is no flow to the water in the pools....
Asters are in bloom and the Sumacs are nearing their peak.
Posted on September 24 2019
If you were looking for my report yesterday - there wasn't any. I had fished for 7 straight days and thought clean underwear might be in order. Put up two tree stands and had Monday lunch with a couple of my old friends. They pointed out that it was the first day of fall.
Driving back down late yesterday afternoon I realized that this is my last regular week on the river this season. Bow season...
Driving back down late yesterday afternoon I realized that this is my last regular week on the river this season. Bow season...
The DEC knows and does nothing to stop the carnage.
Posted on September 22 2019
Stayed at camp this weekend, primarily to work on my yard project. With the continued hot sunny days even my enthusiasm for fishing wanes. Am not often here on weekends and was amazed by the turnout of fishermen. Boats and wade fishermen everywhere. Had no desire to fish the high and silt laden WB. There were far to many boats for me on the BR and so many wade fishermen on the UE that finding an...
Weekend outlook - bright sun, low water and lots of fishermen.
Posted on September 20 2019
I know these are some of the most beautiful September days you could ever have but c'mon, if not rain at least a few afternoon clouds.
Today I headed for the UE around 3:30, drove up to Corbett, turned around and headed back towards East Branch. Why? Power Line and Long Flat didn't have a single car but every other pool had multiple fishermen. Sure there are afternoon hatches of olives (pseudos...
Today I headed for the UE around 3:30, drove up to Corbett, turned around and headed back towards East Branch. Why? Power Line and Long Flat didn't have a single car but every other pool had multiple fishermen. Sure there are afternoon hatches of olives (pseudos...
Sometimes bigger isn't better.
Posted on September 19 2019
Will it ever rain again? The part of the lawn I've been working on (seeding and watering) is growing while the backyard looks like the Sahara desert. Refused to be lured into morning or early afternoon fishing. Fishermen have been as thick as maggots on a road kill on the UE above Shinhopple. I had trouble catching fish there before the crowds arrived I've no need to put my shortcoming on display....
Ever see a rainbow on a sunny day?
Posted on September 18 2019
Wanted to go out early this morning but with the temp in the mid 40s, I had to wait until almost ten before the bugs were in the air. Saw a few brown caddis over the water and a small group of tricos jumping up and down trying to keep warm. Was back at camp by 11:05. Sometimes you just know it isn't going to happen.
Went out this afternoon about 3:30. Not a cloud in the sky, temp in the low 70s,...
Went out this afternoon about 3:30. Not a cloud in the sky, temp in the low 70s,...
Fishing the humbler.
Posted on September 17 2019
With the lawn in need of a mowing and the wood stacker empty, I passed on early morning fishing and took care of chores. Spent the early afternoon steaming some battered flies and reorganizing my olives, isos and spinners. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the bright sunshine coupled with a stiff breeze made it easy to delay the start of fishing.
Went out about 3:30 and headed for the Upper East...
Went out about 3:30 and headed for the Upper East...
Head to Pulaski, the salmon run is on.
Posted on September 16 2019
After five days touring the northeast I was ready to get back to the peace and quiet that is found at the Delaware River this time of year.
Started off by taking a ride up to Deposit to check out the WB. It's muddy but there were rising fish in the usual spot just downstream from the grass island below the 17 bridge. One boat (the only one I saw all day) was anchored there with a sport casting at...
Started off by taking a ride up to Deposit to check out the WB. It's muddy but there were rising fish in the usual spot just downstream from the grass island below the 17 bridge. One boat (the only one I saw all day) was anchored there with a sport casting at...
Chasing 'bows is the way to go.
Posted on September 10 2019
With Don Holton's funeral services and burial scheduled for mid day here in Lordville there was no thought given to fishing this morning or afternoon.
Went out this evening expecting isos, there were next to none. It was slow until about an hour before dark when there was quite a bit of bug activity. There were olives in various sizes, epherons and swarms of midges hovering about head high over...
Went out this evening expecting isos, there were next to none. It was slow until about an hour before dark when there was quite a bit of bug activity. There were olives in various sizes, epherons and swarms of midges hovering about head high over...
The choice is yours.
Posted on September 09 2019
Had a number of stops to make in town including lunch at Ruston's Diner (the cholesterol capital of the world) with two old friends that I haven't seen in over a month. Left for camp about 1:00 with hopes of catching the afternoon iso hatch. By the time I had unpacked and watered the lawn it was 3:30, a little late for the isos but better than not fishing at all.
It turned out that the...
It turned out that the...
The Mayor of Lordville is - gone.
Posted on September 06 2019
I've spent summers in Lordville since I bought the "Lordville Estate" back in '91. Don Holton was the Mayor of Lordville then and in my mind he always will be. Received an email from Grace his wife that Don, who had battled congestive heart failure, passed away Wednesday while taking a nap (we should all be so lucky). Spent an hour talking with him a week or so ago never dreaming that I would...
Eating at the Circle E Diner.
Posted on September 05 2019
Today was my kind of day, high about 70 and low of about 50. You can do yard work and not have to ring out your clothes, no worries of the streams being too warm to fish and you can take a good walk in your waders without fogging up your glasses. Took advantage of the cool morning to work on the yard. The new grass apparently likes the cooler temps too as it is now growing like crazy.
Left camp...
Left camp...
Never crowd one of your "A" boxes.
Posted on September 04 2019
Fresh from yesterday's ego boosting day I went out at about 9:00 to fish the BR. It never cooled down last night and it was 70 by the time I parked the car. No tricos to be seen. Hooked a nice rainbow right off the bat and two jumps later - gone. No one loses as many first hookup fish as I do - no one. Ended up having a pleasant and productive morning with risers eating my fly and fish eating my...
A matter of pride.
Posted on September 03 2019
Have to admit my ego was a little bruised by the results of my Sunday/Monday fishing. Got up with the intention of putting things right. Had breakfast, packed a lunch and left the camp with the temp 62 degrees. Plenty of time to get to the UE before the trico spinner fall. The trico "hot spot" already had three cars parked and I didn't even bother to slow down. Farther up stream I found an empty...
Keeping it in perspective.
Posted on September 02 2019
Today was a tough day for me. Tried some pools over on the BK this afternoon. Three pools, three rises, two hookups and one 15 inch hatchery brown landed. The BK is just not ready for fall fishing, yet.
I was O for three with my raincoat. Put it on two times and the sun came out and I got sopping wet inside the "breathable" jacket. Don't care what it costs buy GORTEX. The third time I left the...
I was O for three with my raincoat. Put it on two times and the sun came out and I got sopping wet inside the "breathable" jacket. Don't care what it costs buy GORTEX. The third time I left the...
If you want to catch a bow, don't go too low.
Posted on September 01 2019
It's Sept 1st and the releases from all three reservoirs have been cut back, Cannonsville to 400, Pepacton to 133 and the Neversink to 100. Wallenpaupack is generating again so minimum flow targets are being met. If there is no substantial rain you can expect the Cannonsville flow to be substantially increased whenever Wallenpaupack is shut down. The other two releases are more likely to remain...
Before you go check the flow.
Posted on August 31 2019
Yesterday the release from Cannonsville Reservoir was bumped up to almost 1000 CFS before being lowered to 700. Why? The river has been below the minimum flow requirement at the Montague monitoring station for the past few days and apparently the river master has called for the release increase to meet the minimum flow requirement. There has been no power generation from Wallenpaupack during that...
Weekend musings.
Posted on August 30 2019
Some regular readers who know that I usually fish Monday through Friday are probably wondering what happened to Fridays report. Well, here it is. Drove back to Syracuse for an oil change, new tires and my annual physical. The bad wheel alignment that chewed up my tires will be corrected early tomorrow. My wife is fleeing Florida ahead of the storm and I will be picking her up at the airport just...
What's left after an untimely delete.
Posted on August 29 2019
Did you ever hit Delete instead of Backspace? Just did and the whole G.D. four paragraphs disappeared. With my perfect Manhattan gone, I'm in no mood to try to recreate my day of driving around the river system. Sorry but if someone can tell me how to find it, I will be glad to publish it.
Paragraph 4: It's now 6:30, I've eaten a sandwich, watered the newly planted grass and am heading out to fish...
Paragraph 4: It's now 6:30, I've eaten a sandwich, watered the newly planted grass and am heading out to fish...
Took one on the chin at Stockport.
Posted on August 28 2019
Fresh from the success of yesterday's "perfectly planned" day, I had no doubt, looking at the weather forecast, that I could do it again. "Overcast with afternoon and evening showers" the weatherman said. The day screamed olives and isos. If water conditions (temp and flow) permit, there is only one place for me to to be on this kind of day. The Big River.
Left camp at 3:15 (after a short snooze)...
Left camp at 3:15 (after a short snooze)...
Pleasantly tired.
Posted on August 27 2019
Today went according to Monday's plan. Worked on the topsoil pile from 9:00 until 11:55. Had lunch, tied flies and left for the UE sulfur hatch. It was quiet when I got there but within half an hour the bugs started coming and the fish started feeding in earnest. Had multiple targets to choose from on every cast but it proved difficult to pick out the dumb ones (there aren't any). Got a big open...
Getting it done in the dark.
Posted on August 26 2019
Had the best of intentions when planning the day. With the morning temp at 50 degrees, I would work on seperating my pile of gravel and topsoil, mow the grass and water the newly seeded areas before lunch. After lunch, I would to try to hook up with the UE sulfur hatch which had the fish up and feeding last week. When the sulfurs quieted down I'd head for the BR iso hatch.
Well, everything went as...
Well, everything went as...
At no extra cost to you, a Sunday report.
Posted on August 25 2019
With my wife down in Florida visiting our daughter and granddaughter I hustled through my to do list back home and got back to the camp in time to spend the evening scouting out a couple of pools on the big river down near the camp. One had a few fish but is overlooked by a house in which a fisherman resides. He has made the fish difficult to catch. They look at every fly with their bifocals...
It's just not coming easy.
Posted on August 23 2019
Often times I'm my own worst enemy. I have an aversion to doing the same thing over and over. Earlier in the week I stumbled upon a good mid day sulfur hatch that had good fish up and feeding and I was able to fool enough of them to make it my best day of the week. I didn't go back. Why? See the first sentence above.
I'm easily bored, need to explore, try new places, find rising trout around the...
I'm easily bored, need to explore, try new places, find rising trout around the...
I don't want to go on a rant, but - - -
Posted on August 22 2019
Sometimes you just need to vent, it's not so much about the fishing as it is the weatherman. Last Saturday the prediction was for hot and humid Sun. and Mon., then a major cooling trend with daytime temps in the low to mid 70's with nights down in the low 50's. Over 3/4 of an inch of rain was to fall on Tues. I was psyched, the river system would be freshened by the rain and cool temps and my new...
To go or not to go?
Posted on August 21 2019
Morning olives on the UE and BR have been the most consistent hatch this summer, save for the sulfurs in the sulfur zone. The olives don't come off in big numbers but the fish are looking for them. Always a good thing for dry fly guys/gals. Drove over to the UE where I have enjoyed several good morning olive hatches. The river was in fog but you could see well enough to make out the occasional...
I wasn't up to the task.
Posted on August 20 2019
Opted out of the morning fishing to take advantage of the "cool" morning air to do yard work. By 11:00 I was soaking wet and dead tired. A long time neighborhood friend walked over just as I was quitting to say hello after spending a week in the hospital with congestive heart failure. We had a nice chat and before I new it it was noon. Cleaned up, had lunch and decided to read a book rather than...
Monday morning coming down.
Posted on August 19 2019
Got back to camp at 11:30 this morning. Ride down had pavement still wet from last night's rain and a solid overcast sky. Perhaps olives this afternoon. By the time I finished lunch the sun came out, burned off the clouds and turned it into another very warm day.
Left camp at about 2:00, made a couple of stops in town and then headed up to the UE in search of olives and rising fish. On my first...
Left camp at about 2:00, made a couple of stops in town and then headed up to the UE in search of olives and rising fish. On my first...
Fridays really aren't all bad.
Posted on August 16 2019
As most regular readers know, my fishing is done Monday through Friday. My bride is in charge of the weekends and this weekend is our 34th wedding anniversary. We had originally planned a three day trip but the forecast for rain each day led us to postpone the travel until sometime after Labor Day. The net result is that I fished today and am now obligated to write the report.
It's a Friday and it...
It's a Friday and it...
Just an any old kind of day.
Posted on August 15 2019
Last night I got back to the car at 9:05. The night was clear, I was on the Big River facing the western sky and there was a full moon just coming up over the hill. Tonight I was fishing into steep bank that blocked the sky, it was overcast and the moon hadn't risen yet. I was heading back to camp at 8:25. Its mid August and the days are getting shorter by 2.5 minutes per day. I don't like it, but...
I saw the full moon a rising.
Posted on August 14 2019
Did a split day again today. With the August nights getting longer the rivers have a longer time to cool off and the morning fishing opportunities are increasing. The Sulfur Zone offers the only real opportunity for fishing to rising fish during the mid day. When the sun goes behind the hills things pick up again and there are feeding fish to be fished to wherever water temps are below 70.
Today I...
Today I...
If you want a test against the best.
Posted on August 13 2019
I've always felt that if you get fish eating duns off the surface, you can't ask for anything more. Well over on the UE late this afternoon there were olives and there were rising fish (lots of 'em - good ones too). The roofs of their mouths were so far out of the water you could have checked for cavities. They were happy, relaxed and feeding steadily. I slowly worked my way into casting range...
Love the Big River.
Posted on August 12 2019
Arrived at camp about noon and elected to take care of chores around camp rather than heading out fishing in the midday sun. With water temps lower than they have been in weeks the upper pools of the BR were in play and I fished there hoping to find Epherons (white flies) and or Isos.
Epherons are a warm water loving fly that hatches, molts, mates and dies all in the hour just after sunset. The...
Epherons are a warm water loving fly that hatches, molts, mates and dies all in the hour just after sunset. The...
Tricos, sulfurs and olives.
Posted on August 09 2019
If someone tells you he is killing them on tricos, find out where and tell me. Took another trico trip up the UE this morning. Was actually early as I arrived in East Branch with the temp still 64. Glassed every riff I could see from there to Long Flat and never saw a waxwing or a trico. One car was parked at the "hot spot" but I saw no one fishing. There were no tricos where I fished, not in the...
Today,s thunderstorm had no rainbow, just some big browns.
Posted on August 08 2019
The thunderstorms of the past three days have continued to affect the fishing on the Delaware system. Last night's rain hit the Beaverkill which peaked at about 1100 CFS. The warm muddy water went down the EB and into the Big River raising the water flow, temperature and turbidity.
After crossing a morning trip to the BR off the list of options, I settled on a reprise of yesterday's 11:00 sulfur...
After crossing a morning trip to the BR off the list of options, I settled on a reprise of yesterday's 11:00 sulfur...
Thunderstorms produce two beautiful rainbows.
Posted on August 07 2019
With an overcast morning and good water temps the upper reaches of the BR seemed a good bet. Tricos and olives were on the menu and I was hoping for generous servings of both. Didn't happen. There were some tricos and I hooked two fish on them but it was hardly a feeding frenzy. Olives were even scarcer. Reeled it in after less than two hours and drove over to the WB for the eleven o'clock sulfur...
It just wasn't my day!
Posted on August 06 2019
Some days are diamonds, some are just the stones in my pile of topsoil. With the temp on the porch at 6:00 this morning 54 degrees, I had lots of time before heading up to the UE in search of tricos. Went outside and attacked the pile of topsoil. At 54 degrees its a little harder to work up a sweat. Was about to head back in to the camp and get ready to go fishing when my neighbor came out and...
Spent Saturday patching my waders, they still leak in the same two places.
Posted on August 05 2019
Was up early this morning but had enough things that needed doing that I didn't get back on the water until about 4:00 this afternoon. Fished a run on the UE that was good to me last week. It gets early shade and there have been afternoon olives enough to get the fish looking up. Last week it was big fish, today not so much. I caught a 18 inch holdover hatchery fish right away and it was the fish...