After four days of walking into empty pools and finding fly hatches with trout eagerly feeding on them I was pretty well convinced that if I wasn't the greatest dry fly fisherman in the world I was surely in the top three.
Fully expecting that today would continue the "anointed one's" hot streak I rode my fully inflated ego up to Stockport where I was sure that the increased release of cold WB...
Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
A better place to be.
Posted on July 20 2017
Got a late start today and didn't get on the river until 3:00. Fished a pool on the UEB which had pitched a shutout against me all three times I fished it this year. Last year it was full of 15 to 17 inch fish.
Saw fish rising from the road but when I got to the spot where they were rising - nothing. My wake had put them all down. It took about fifteen minutes for them to start up again and I...
Saw fish rising from the road but when I got to the spot where they were rising - nothing. My wake had put them all down. It took about fifteen minutes for them to start up again and I...
A get away day.
Posted on July 19 2017
Drove over to the UEB this morning to see if the tricos were going yet. They aren't.
After yesterday's stint in the "sulfur zone", I opted for the quiet and solitude of the UEB. It's low and clear and if there are two anglers in a pool no one catches any fish. I didn't have to worry, the only angler I saw was sitting on a fold up chair streamside smoking a cigar.
There were a few fish feeding on...
After yesterday's stint in the "sulfur zone", I opted for the quiet and solitude of the UEB. It's low and clear and if there are two anglers in a pool no one catches any fish. I didn't have to worry, the only angler I saw was sitting on a fold up chair streamside smoking a cigar.
There were a few fish feeding on...
It's summertime, summertime sum, sum summertime.
Posted on July 18 2017
The sulfur zone -
Hot sun and warm water from the tribs MAY have started the sulfurs early. There were bugs and fish going when I arrived at 1:30 and it was over at 3:45. The hatch was poor at best but the fish did get going for about 45 minutes. Make no mistake, the fish do not suffer fools. Change flies often. Never throw the same fly back at a fish that "missed it". If you put the fly over a...
Hot sun and warm water from the tribs MAY have started the sulfurs early. There were bugs and fish going when I arrived at 1:30 and it was over at 3:45. The hatch was poor at best but the fish did get going for about 45 minutes. Make no mistake, the fish do not suffer fools. Change flies often. Never throw the same fly back at a fish that "missed it". If you put the fly over a...
The gods were angry again.
Posted on July 17 2017
The day turned out to be a microcosm of the season. Weather (high water, muddy water, thunderstorms, wind) has limited the opportunities for everyone trying to fish northeastern rivers this year. When conditions are favorable the fishing on the Delaware has been quite good, however, there have been far too many days when we just couldn't play the game.
Today I arrived about two and under...
Today I arrived about two and under...
If you want to land big fish - leave your net home!
Posted on July 14 2017
With the "Flash Flood Watch" set to expire at 8:00 pm, wouldn't you know that at 7:30 a thunder boomer hit Deposit ending my fishing for the week. Drove back to camp and as I write this Lordville has at 8:15 (despite three days of the flash flood watch), not had enough rain to increase the flow in Humphrey's Brook.
Today, with morning rain spiking river levels everywhere else, I went above Oquaga...
Today, with morning rain spiking river levels everywhere else, I went above Oquaga...
Who doesn't like a "Flash Flood Watch"?
Posted on July 13 2017
With a "Flash Flood Watch" again issued by the weather service I drove up the UEB at 2:00 pm without seeing a single fisherman. I was going to look for sulfurs above Corbett but as I crossed over the bridge it was obvious that was not going to happen. The trib above the bridge was gushing mud and the river upstream of the bridge was already muddy. Did a u-turn and headed back down stream in search...
The "sulfur zone".
Posted on July 12 2017
With flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings in effect for the area I decided to fish close to the car. Ventured into the "sulfur zone" and found to my surprise that it was almost deserted. Perhaps the weather forecast kept people away or just maybe fishermen are finding the fish too difficult to catch. In any event I had a riff/pool all to myself.
Arrived riverside about 1:45. There were a...
Arrived riverside about 1:45. There were a...
Summer on the Delaware.
Posted on July 11 2017
After two weeks away from the river which included a trip out west and restoration work following the flood that hit our house a week ago last Saturday, it's good to be back. It's summer on the river. There are sulfurs 2:00 to 5:00 in the upper reaches of both branches. From 5:00 until 8:00 things are tough. From 8:00 until dark (got in the car at 9:45 tonight) there is good action wherever the...
The week in review.
Posted on July 07 2017
Arrived home around midnight last night after dodging two thunderstorms in route. The first was horrific. Never before have I seen so much lightning. We passed the storm in Wisconsin north of Green Bay. We were just above and several miles to the north of the storm but I had a good view of the lightning which never stopped in the twenty minutes the storm was in sight.
Trip to the Owyhee...
Trip to the Owyhee...
'Til the next time.
Posted on June 27 2017
I wanted the month to end with a bang (not a boom). Unfortunately I spent most of the afternoon dodging thunderstorms. By 4:30 I hadn't fished more than half an hour. Called it quits and was headed back to the camp when the sky cleared and the sun came out.
Stopped at a place on the BE that has always had fish (until this year), and decided to give it a fair try. Fished from about 4:45 until...
Stopped at a place on the BE that has always had fish (until this year), and decided to give it a fair try. Fished from about 4:45 until...
The way it is.
Posted on June 26 2017
Decided to follow my own advice and turn my attention to the cold water in the WB and UEB. Had hopes of finding a good hatch of summer sulfurs mid afternoon. Arrived in Deposit a little before two and knew right away by the absence of fishermen that the sulfurs hadn't started. Tried two places one above the no kill and one in the no kill. There were a very few sulfurs hatching. The only fish up...
It's time to put a thermometer in your vest.
Posted on June 24 2017
With the warm nights and daytime sunshine the areas of thermal concern all hit temps in the low 70s today. While there may yet be periods of cooler temps and cloudy days when you can fish anywhere in the system, on most days the BK, BE (below confluence with the BK) and the big river below Stockport will be too warm to fish after early morning. The trout will begin congregating at thermal refuges...
Some days are like that.
Posted on June 23 2017
Buoyed by my success the last two days I again set out for the EB in the morning. Fished a riff/run where I had success early in the year and had a big zero the second time around. Today turned out to be sorta in between. There were no olives (or any other bugs for that matter) nor were there any (alright I saw one) risers. Started with an olive and later switched to an iso.
How'd I do? In three...
How'd I do? In three...
It's not all bad news.
Posted on June 22 2017
It was just 12 days ago that I was in the midst of rising fish, green drakes and 18 boats. Just a week ago I saw my last coffin flies of the season. Today I did not see a boat or for that matter another fisherman. The pictures of "fish of the day" on other sites have been replaced by pictures of the USGS water flow graphs. Some sites are reporting M-W-F, while other reports have become...
Almost didn't fish.
Posted on June 21 2017
I split the day again. Fished above Hale Eddy in the morning. Bright sunshine, cold water, no bugs or risers. As I was wading up to where I intended to fish I saw a nice fish out on a gravel bar. Made a poor cast that landed two feet to his left and he swam over and ate it. This at least gave me hope, in about two hours of fishing I rose six, hooked five and landed four.
With the bright sun...
With the bright sun...
The longest day.
Posted on June 20 2017
According to the people who keep track of such things today is one second longer than tomorrow will be. Tomorrow the pendulum begins its long swing back to a cold gray November day when it won't be light until after 7:30 in the morning and will be dark again by 4:30 in the afternoon. I savor the hour and a half of additional sun light we get upon our arrival in Florida in late November and...
Today the fat lady sang!
Posted on June 16 2017
It was a dark, overcast, foggy, misty kind of day, that you expect to see olives and isos on. There were olives but not isos. Tried a tailout on the big river and found fish eating something sub surface. A big brown lured me into the tailout by eating my olive and then running and jumping through 75 feet of backing before coming unstuck. The next two hours produced one refusal, three fall fish and...
A day on the West Branch
Posted on June 15 2017
With Cannonsville no longer spilling and the release cut back to 275 cfs it was time to spend a day on the WB. With the low water there were sure to be fewer boats and the wade fishermen probably wouldn't come in numbers until the weekend.
My morning fishing was above Hancock. It's a place I fish a couple of times a year. It's a good long walk along the tracks but there is seldom anyone there....
My morning fishing was above Hancock. It's a place I fish a couple of times a year. It's a good long walk along the tracks but there is seldom anyone there....
Done too soon.
Posted on June 14 2017
It kind of sneaks up on you. When the first hendricksons started hatching late in April you thought it would never end. We had a major period of high water where even floating was dangerous and wading was out of the question. The doldrums seemed to last forever and just when things started happening the second big rain washed out the better part of the gray fox, sulfur and drake fishing. The...
Fish pitch a shutout in second game to salvage split.
Posted on June 13 2017
Most who read this blog know I try to avoid boats at all costs. After a bang up night Friday on the UEB, I went back for more on Saturday and had 18 boats wend there way by me in JUST TWO HOURS!!! Now, some of those who rowed by were old river friends who I was glad to see. Others were fishermen who stopped and shared information as fishermen do, most were polite and tried to stay out of my way....
Lightning bugs out shine the fishing.
Posted on June 12 2017
With the heat turned up again today I fished early. Was on the river by 7:00 with mist on the water and the slurp of rising trout in the air. The spinner fall didn't amount to much. Either they all fell the night before or the hatch is waning. Actually did better than yesterday as there were more fish feeding where I fished today than yesterday. Quit about noon.
Didn't go out again until 7:00....
Didn't go out again until 7:00....
Lightning bugs out shine the fishing.
Posted on June 12 2017
With the heat turned up again today I fished early. Was on the river by 7:00 with mist on the water and the slurp of rising trout in the air. The spinner fall didn't amount to much. Either they all fell the night before or the hatch is waning. Actually did better than yesterday as there were more fish feeding where I fished today than yesterday. Quit about noon.
Didn't go out again until 7:00....
Didn't go out again until 7:00....
The teams played a day night doubleheader.
Posted on June 11 2017
With the weather forecast calling for near ninety, I decided on a split the day. It was a good idea and would have worked even better if I had started out earlier.
Went to the UEB in the morning where a brown/green drake spinner fall was well underway. My first two casts found fish willing to eat. Thereafter the fish sharpened their game and refusals outnumbered takes, It was calm when I started...
Went to the UEB in the morning where a brown/green drake spinner fall was well underway. My first two casts found fish willing to eat. Thereafter the fish sharpened their game and refusals outnumbered takes, It was calm when I started...
Took a refresher course today.
Posted on June 10 2017
There are several guiding principles that I adhere to when trout fishing. One of the most basic is "Don't fish a pool more than once in a week." Why you ask? Because trout "remember" to avoid flies that didn't taste good. Much like squirrels that are said to "remember" where they buried up to a thousand nuts, trout "remember" to avoid things they ate that left a bad after taste.
Yesterday when...
Yesterday when...
I just don't know what to say.
Posted on June 09 2017
With the drakes a good ten days behind schedule and sure to be hatching, I decided to head back to the river and try to find a place to fish. When I got to the camp I turned on the computer and learned that the releases had been increased (WB - 1000 cfs, EB - 300 cfs). While this is good news if you are concerned with the summer sulfurs blowing out in June due to the warn water temps created by...
Turn out the lights - the party's over.
Posted on June 06 2017
In case you slept through yesterdays series of storms - today's game has been postponed. Hopefully it can be rescheduled later in the season. All of the rivers are high, muddy and still rising. With both reservoirs spilling they will stay high for several days even without more rain.
On the positive side the spill water will be clear and probably full of alewives. Streamer fishermen will again...
On the positive side the spill water will be clear and probably full of alewives. Streamer fishermen will again...
You can't beat experience.
Posted on June 05 2017
Set out to fish earlier than usual today because I encountered cornutas yesterday. While they can and do hatch most anytime all summer, in the first week of June they can reliably be found hatching in the morning. Stopped to chat with my neighbor who was standing by the road. He asked where I was fishing today and I told him the Beaverkill. Just as I pulled away a Rhodes & Johnston flat bed loaded...
Big red spinners never fall!
Posted on June 04 2017
The day came as advertised, cloudy, rainy and cold. A three shirter for sure. But we didn't get the 3/4 of an inch of rain that was predicted. With the reservoirs already spilling that much rain could have made most of the river system unwadeable. We have more rain on tap but today was predicted to be the heaviest soaking. Looking at the weather radar, it seemed to go just south of us.
The...
The...
Sunday mornin coming down.
Posted on June 02 2017
It's 8:00 pm on Friday. I'm home trying to cross items off the "Honey-do" list . Some things have gone well, others not so well. With the bright sunshine I didn't miss the fishing today but the breeze has quieted and there will be a late hatch and if in fact it's calm, a spinner fall. I will miss both. Will miss tomorrows fishing also as there are things here at home yet to be done.
Sunday,...
Sunday,...
May in review
Posted on June 01 2017
Was finally able to get the lawn mowed here yesterday before the first storm and am heading home to tackle some chores there. Spent an hour last night reflecting on the season to date and came up with a few statistics of interest at least to me.
My fish total for May came in 9th out of the 25 years of record keeping. There seemed to be plenty of fish and the number of fish caught would probably...
My fish total for May came in 9th out of the 25 years of record keeping. There seemed to be plenty of fish and the number of fish caught would probably...
Last cast saves the day!
Posted on May 31 2017
It never happened - or - I was in the wrong place all day. Never cast to a rising fish. Saw less than ten rises. Suffered through two thunderstorms and a temperature drop of about 20 degrees. Saw almost no big bugs. The few spinners I did see were drowned by the second "severe T-storm" of the day.
Did have a nice chat with a Troutfitter regular during the first T-boomer. Said he reads the...
Did have a nice chat with a Troutfitter regular during the first T-boomer. Said he reads the...
Sulfurs brighten the day, black caddis turn out the lights.
Posted on May 30 2017
After yesterdays marathon 10;30 am until 9:00 pm fishing spree, I took it somewhat easier today. Left camp around noon and did a tour of the EB, lower BK and UEB and BR. Saw a few big bugs hatching on the lower part of the BE but nothing going farther up or on the BK and UEB. It was overcast, raining (very heavy downpour on the ride back to Hancock) and quite breezy. Not seeing bugs at 1:00...
The sweet of the year.
Posted on May 29 2017
Dave and Rick from the Troutfitter took advantage of the Memorial Day holiday and came down to fish the BR. It spit rain all day out of a heavily overcast sky. An upstream wind at times created instant drag on the best of casts. But the bugs got going mid afternoon and the fish looked up often enough to let you get a cast off in their direction.
Bugs of almost every kind imaginable were seen on...
Bugs of almost every kind imaginable were seen on...
Sulfur hatch gets fish up late on big river!
Posted on May 28 2017
The number of fisherman on the river today was much lower than on Saturday. My wife and I toured the river system during the afternoon. Buckingham easily won the award for most trailers. There seemed to be very few boats in sight on the WB. Perhaps the flow of 400 cfs is proving difficult to both navigate and catch fish in. The UEB at about 200 cfs had no boats and very few fishermen. The BE is...
You're never lonely on a trout stream.
Posted on May 27 2017
Split the day between the BR and the UEB. Fished noon 'til four on the BR just below a take out where there were three trailers parked. There was one drift boat in the area I fished. They put in at the take out above me and floated past me shortly after I started. They were the only fishermen I saw on the BR. At about four thirty I drove from Hankins to Roscoe and then down the Beaverkill. EVERY...
A place for T to try.
Posted on May 26 2017
Decided to give the BR a try down at Callicoon. Fished it years ago whenever water levels permitted. In the past few years there have been so many boats floating the lower river that I have found other places more enjoyable.
This year with the extreme high water and now the doldrums the lower river has been lightly fished. Once the bugs start you can count on an armada fishing down there.
The...
This year with the extreme high water and now the doldrums the lower river has been lightly fished. Once the bugs start you can count on an armada fishing down there.
The...
The table is set!
Posted on May 25 2017
Grackles were lined up along a gravel bar in the Beaverkill today eating Dragonfly nymphs as they crawled up on rocks to hatch. The Dragonflies hatch just before the stone fly and drake hatches and feed on the duns. You can see them darting around over the water catching and eating the mayflies. Wings and other uneaten body parts often cover the water.
Ragged Robin, long the precursor of the...
Ragged Robin, long the precursor of the...
So maybe I changed my mind.
Posted on May 24 2017
Well, lets be up front about it - I didn't go to the big river today. I know I said I was going there but it turned out to be a beautiful day. Bright sunshine with a cool and refreshing breeze are not the best weather for a fun day on the big river. Add to that about a dozen trailers at Buckingham and I found myself less enthusiastic about fishing the big river.
I saw sulfurs on the BE on Monday...
I saw sulfurs on the BE on Monday...
A day on the Big River.
Posted on May 23 2017
To me the Big River is a special place. Parts of it go through remote areas where seeing bears, rattle snakes, eagles and deer are as likely as not. It can be intimidating to wade anglers and often times being able to reach a rising fish tests your courage, and both your wading and casting ability. It is the reason I fly fish.
Sadly, drift boats have changed the experience of fishing the big...
Sadly, drift boats have changed the experience of fishing the big...
Monday morning coming down.
Posted on May 22 2017
I fished my way downriver today as I usually do on my return from the weekend spent at home with my wife. It was a gray overcast day with scattered showers (some heavy - like the one when I was ready to leave BJ's with a basket of food and no raincoat or umbrella).
The WB had bugs at three. I saw tiny olives and small hendricksons. There were also spinners of various sizes but a dearth of risers....
The WB had bugs at three. I saw tiny olives and small hendricksons. There were also spinners of various sizes but a dearth of risers....
If only my vest had more pockets!
Posted on May 22 2017
At home on the weekend I took the time to reorganize my fishing vest. I added march browns to the arsenal already in the vest just last week. You don't dare take the hendricksons or grannoms out just yet and now I need to add sulfurs, green drakes and isos. About the only flies not in the vest are tricos and epherons.
It's an exciting time to be a fly fisherman as it will all happen sometime in...
It's an exciting time to be a fly fisherman as it will all happen sometime in...
Frontal systems and toads.
Posted on May 19 2017
Its accepted by anglers almost everywhere that the first day of a high pressure system is a poor day to fish. Well, this week we had two of 'em. Monday's got rid of Sundays rain with a wind that exceeded 20 mph not counting gusts. I drove around all afternoon and saw nary a riser.
Today started out much warmer than the forecast high of seventy degrees and by 3:30 it had reached 85. I was...
Today started out much warmer than the forecast high of seventy degrees and by 3:30 it had reached 85. I was...
Just so you know.
Posted on May 19 2017
At midnight last night NYC reduced the flow from its reservoirs. This will make wading easier but it will result in warmer water temps since the bulk of the water coming from the reservoirs is now overflow off the top which has been warmed by the recent hot weather.
At present this poses no threat to the fish, however, unless we get cool cloudy rainy days the bug activity and fishing will be...
At present this poses no threat to the fish, however, unless we get cool cloudy rainy days the bug activity and fishing will be...
The spinner falls are too good to miss!
Posted on May 18 2017
Fished the WB in the morning hoping to beat the heat and find some fish eating leftover spinners. The water is now at a level where the WB can be waded (with care). At noon when I headed back to mow the lawn there were nine cars in the upper gamelands lot. There were spinners on the water when I got there (paraleps, hendricksons and caddis) and there were fish up feeding. With no wind (yet) the...
The first one shirter
Posted on May 17 2017
They said it was going to be hot and sunny and it was. My car thermometer registered 90 most of the afternoon.
Went out early to beat the heat and hooked and lost two more rainbows. Took the middle of the day off and returned in time to catch a apple caddis/hendrickson hatch. Stopped at the first empty pool with risers and promptly lost the first two fish I hooked. Was fast to a nice brown when I...
Went out early to beat the heat and hooked and lost two more rainbows. Took the middle of the day off and returned in time to catch a apple caddis/hendrickson hatch. Stopped at the first empty pool with risers and promptly lost the first two fish I hooked. Was fast to a nice brown when I...
Rainbows best Angler 119!
Posted on May 16 2017
Fished the BE, BK and the UEB today. Found rainbows lunching on a hatch of small caddis just after noon. Had no problem getting them to eat my flies, landing them, however, was another story. Three left wearing an Angler119 fly as a remembrance of the occasion. Managed to get only one of the six that I hooked into the net.
Mid afternoon I headed for the UEB in search of Hendricksons. Found...
Mid afternoon I headed for the UEB in search of Hendricksons. Found...
Not to be the one to throw a wet blanket but - - -
Posted on May 15 2017
From the 5th to the 11th of this month whenever I was able to get into the water on the WB and the UEB I found myself in the midst of epic hatches of paraleps and Hendricksons. Wading was limited but the fishing was very good. Last Thursday and Friday there was a marked decline in the hatches. (The fishing was better as you had a better chance of getting a rising fish to look at your fly.)
I...
I...
Are the Hendricksons petering out?
Posted on May 12 2017
With rumors that March Browns were hatching, I tried a pool on the lower Beaverkill. Never saw a MB or a rise.
At about two I started my journey up the UEB. From the Sunoco station at East Branch to the pool above Thayer Hollow, there were multiple cars at every pull off and parking area. It was not until I got above Corbett that I found a pool with no cars. Saw a few Hendricksons on the water...
At about two I started my journey up the UEB. From the Sunoco station at East Branch to the pool above Thayer Hollow, there were multiple cars at every pull off and parking area. It was not until I got above Corbett that I found a pool with no cars. Saw a few Hendricksons on the water...
Warmer temp extends the fishing.
Posted on May 11 2017
Left camp early as I had a long walk to get to where I wanted to be on the WB for my date with the bugs and the fish. Neither showed up. At 2:00 I pulled the plug and returned to the car more lathered up than Always Dreaming after his Derby win. Drove over to the UEB and encountered more boats, cars and fishermen than I'd seen since the One Bug Weekend.
At 2:45 fishermen were sitting down (not a...
At 2:45 fishermen were sitting down (not a...