Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
The Middle Of The Afternoon Is Fast Becoming The Prime Time.
Posted on September 15 2026
Had several chores to do this morning before heading for the fishing camp. Met with the guy who brought in stone to level the site for our new shed, sprayed Roundup on the patch of Knotweed that has, so far, survived our efforts to kill it, continued work on the...
I Feel Lucky!!!
Posted on September 11 2026
Bright sun and warm temps may work for summer sulfurs but they sure don't help the olive and iso hatches. I don't think it got as hot temperature wise today as the weatherman predicted but the bright sun heated up the water well past where the olives and isos are...
Wednesday Morning, You Gave Me No Warning Of What Was To Be - - -
Posted on September 10 2026
Today was to be cloudy, (it was), and rainy, (it wasn't). I was hopeful of seeing a few bugs and rising fish before the last hour or two of daylight, and I did. Here's the story. Had a date with Vicky at her unisex salon in Deposit at 12:30. Arrived...
Let Me Tell You Where It's At.
Posted on September 09 2026
If you are planning a late season trip to the Delaware expecting to catch some of those big browns everyone was talking about during the sulfur hatch you should probably trim your sails and lower your expectations. Why? The summer sulfurs started to wane about the middle of August, and...
The Times They Are A Changin' - - -
Posted on September 08 2026
Never mind what the calendar says, it's fall. Started the first fire in the stove this morning since sometime back in May. It was 47 out on the porch and a chilly 68 inside. Made three trips to the big apple tree to pick up drops, (the deer just can't...
I Can't Get No Satisfaction - - -
Posted on September 07 2026
Returned to the Lordville Estate today, in part because I'd gotten several major tasks out of the way at home, in part because I didn't want to deal with Memorial Day traffic tomorrow, and in part because I just plain missed the fishing. The first two are done deals. The...
Homeward Bound - - -
Posted on September 05 2026
Woke this morning to more surprises, there were two wet spots on the porch which was a clue that it had rained. Looked out at the river and it was clear that I would be heading home again. Looked at the screens and they were again covered with isos. Mowed...
Sometimes A Simple Change Of Perspective Can Change The Kind Of Day You're Having.
Posted on September 04 2026
Yesterday's "drive by" did nothing to boost my enthusiasm for the fishing, neither did the absence of bugs under the porch light, and the thunderstorms that passed through during the night. Awoke this morning to see muddy water flowing by on the BR, checked the USGS gages and where I...
Five Days Off Without A Cut In Pay!
Posted on September 03 2026
It's not that I couldn't have driven back down Monday morning, fished two days, then driven back to Lafayette for the Wednesday appointments, just didn't think it was worth it, had things that needed doing back home, and sometimes I just like to spend time with Jean. Wasn't able to...
I'm Done With Hot August Nights.
Posted on August 29 2026
It's been an interesting couple of days. Two serious storms skirted downtown Lordville, (pavement under the trees was dry), one went to the north and one to the south. River out back was muddy all day today from the Beaverkill which shot up from 200 cfs to 800 cfs. It's...
Wind Knots And Tailing Loops.
Posted on August 28 2026
With a strong thunderstorm watch posted for the area from 6:00 until 9:00 tonight it's doubtful that I'll even wet a line. It's 3:45 now and a good time to answer some questions. James - wants to know about algae, is it good or bad? I've written about it many...
It's Easier To Find A Landing Net Than A Rising Fish.
Posted on August 27 2026
Encouraged by both the bugs on the water and the fish in the net last night, I woke up this morning with the thought of seeing if I could find some fish eating tricos. It was chilly and I had plenty of time before the spinner fall but I ended...
Five Short Minutes Of Lovin', Is Probably Not Worth A Four Hour Drive.
Posted on August 26 2026
Can't help but notice that the length of the days are shrinking like a cheap cotton tee that got put in the dryer. Close to three minutes a day. Was back in the car tonight at 8:12, in June it was 9:45. Spent idle time weeding my "flower garden", others...
I Think I'm Going To Sprinkle Some Yeast On The Water.
Posted on August 25 2026
Spent Sunday at Saratoga watching the races with a neighborhood friend from back in 4th grade. His horse did not do well but we had a delightful day, toured the barn where his group of owners has a half dozen horses stabled. Scratched a few muzzles just in case they...
Small Olives Are Hard To See In The Dark.
Posted on August 22 2026
Things are looking up and some of them are fish. Did more yard work this morning. Quit at noon and wasn't soaking wet for a change. The night time temps have been going down into the fifties, there is fog in the morning and the sun's rays just aren't as...
Striped Bass Belong In The Ocean!
Posted on August 21 2026
You know things are slow when 7 out of the 10 blog comments were about the blog title. It's 6:30, have had my first sip of the Perfect Manhattan and a couple handfuls of Act II's extra butter popcorn, (have paper towels in my lap to wipe the butter off...
Just Wishin' And Hoping - - -
Posted on August 20 2026
Hopefully today will turn out to be the nadir of this years fly fishing season. Was amazed at how much work I could get done by just not driving around hoping to find rising fish. Worked in the yard, paid some bills, made an appointment to get my trigger finger...
I'm Feeling Sad; It's Bad All Over.
Posted on August 19 2026
Making a conscious effort this week to take care of things that have been on the to do list since April, and to fish places I haven't visited this year. Didn't mow until the sun dried the dew off the lawn but was able to prune the apple and peach...
Has Anyone Seen A White Fly Or An Ant On The Water?
Posted on August 18 2026
My ploy to get the fishermen off the river with the, "Let me tell you where it's at", offering on Friday worked like a charm. At 4:30 when I drove up to Deposit, there were but two cars in the Men's Club lot, neither JF or Mike-the-Cop were parked at...
Wind Knots And Tailing Loops.
Posted on August 17 2026
Home in Lafayette resting up after some yard work and figured it was a good time to answer questions. James gets the Dennis Molter award for most questions asked. I measure the trout by holding it up against my rod where the nice people at Winston put little white lines...
Come On, Let Me Tell You Where It's At.
Posted on August 15 2026
Spent a minute or to before writing tonight reading fishing reports from DRC, WBA, and AI. All gild the lily to varying degrees. I don't blame DRC and WBA one bit they are trying to rent rooms/cabins and keep the boats floating. AI, however, should be able to see through...
At Least The Fish There Were Willing To Eat My Flies.
Posted on August 14 2026
After yesterday's lackluster, rain shortened effort, I resolved to do better today. Got to Deposit at 1:30 and drove up to the Red Barn where two cars and two fisherman told the story. Stilesville had five cars and unless I missed someone, an equal number of fishermen. Glassed the water...
Sometimes the Sulfur Zone Is Just "A Better Place To Be".
Posted on August 13 2026
After yesterday's woeful fishing performance, my usual reaction would have been to spend more time fishing and less time doing crosswords. Today it was 6:45 before I pulled the suspenders up over my shoulders, put on the fishing vest and headed for the river. Why? I'm tired of fishing the...
My Day Produced Some Shocking Results!
Posted on August 12 2026
Mowed the lawn this morning as soon as the sun dried the dew off the back yard grass. Felt no need to hurry up to Deposit as I had rising fish from two until almost five yesterday. There are bugs on the water from at least noon until dark, but...
There Are Some Yearling Rainbows In The Lower West Branch.
Posted on August 11 2026
#29 got his new crown at 8:00 this morning. Went from the Dentist to the car wash, and then filled the car up with gas. Arrived at the liquor store at 8:52 and had to wait until 9:00 to replenish my whiskey and vermouth. Stopped at home to pick up...
Food For Thought.
Posted on August 10 2026
July, helped by a very good Dorothea hatch, was a surprisingly good month for me. I have never, in the 36 years I have owned the Lordville Estate, caught as high a percentage of big fish. While statistics are often misleading I think this months are interesting enough for you...
Refusals Are Kind Of A Drag.
Posted on August 09 2026
When I picked on Double Haul's shortcomings back on July 6th, I said I would talk further about eliminating drag which I consider to be one of the two biggest causes of refusals. Drag exists when the fly is moving at a different rate of speed than the water it...
MRI's Aren't Bad As Long As You Are Hard Of Hearing And They Play Old Time Rock And Roll In The Earphones.
Posted on August 07 2026
With an MRI scheduled for tomorrow morning, I put the trash bag and dirty clothes in the car and headed out to fish at 12:30, uncertain if I would stay for the evening fishing or head home when the afternoon sulfurs abated. Skipped the trip up to Stilesville as the...
If Only I Could Remember Her Name.
Posted on August 06 2026
Couldn't get excited about the Sulfur Zone today. There were sulfurs on the water in limited numbers while I was there but, few fish seemed to be interested. Yesterday I fished a good enough hatch to get fish up but it was well off the peak hatches I've seen this...
I Didn't Impress Them Much.
Posted on August 05 2026
After three days at home in Lafayette, mowing the pond area grass, seeing the ENT Dr., meeting with the excavator to discuss restoration of the bass pond, and a delightful dinner at the Blue Canoe with Jean and Susan, the surviving spouse of one of the original "couples" who participated...
Shake, Rattle and Roll.
Posted on August 01 2026
Woke early, got the chores out of the way and was in Deposit by 11:45. There were already bugs and fishermen. Found an empty pool in which I've seen little and done little this year and decided to give it another try. Bugs got going by 12:15 and the fish...
STOP Right Now Before You Go Any Further
Posted on July 31 2026
Hopefully everyone understands that basically I enjoy writing the reports, but that the summer sulfur season is a challenge. There are only three miles of stream in play, one bug hatching, lots of fishermen, tough fish, (thankfully they are HUGE this year), and a writer trying to make it sound...
Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head - - -
Posted on July 30 2026
With a large stationary low front using Albany as it's axis and rotating it's rain clouds over the entire north east there was no way to fish without a raincoat. Yesterday the heavy rain hit the Willow and Bk and sent the water level at Cook's Falls to about 15,000...
A Barn Sale Worth Attending.
Posted on July 29 2026
Drove up to Deposit to try and get in an hour or two of fishing during what is predicted to be a couple very rainy days. Drove down to the Men's Club and saw a giant tree that was growing on the riverbank just back of the club house laying...
Five Short Minutes Of Lovin - - -
Posted on July 28 2026
I don't care if I never fish another "A" spot, I'm not getting in line the night before the tickets go on sale to be sure I get to fish "my spot". That said, I did get to Deposit at 11:45, (early for me), and found the river sparsely populated...
The Difference Between A Striper And A Stripper Is More Than One P.
Posted on July 27 2026
Jean came down and we spent the better part of Saturday driving around taking in the damaged areas where the tornado touched down. I've seen videos of F-5's sweeping across flat grass land where there is nothing to break them up except towns and trailer parks. The ones we get...
Yesterday - - -
Posted on July 25 2026
With very little new happening, this is probably a good time to list my abbreviations for the rivers in the Delaware System: WB - West Branch Willow - Willowemac BK - Beaverkill UEB - East Branch Branch from Downsville down to where it meets the BK. EB- East Branch from...
I'm Not Ready To Quit Cold Turkey Yet, But I'm Looking Around.
Posted on July 24 2026
The sulfurs continue to hatch, the fish continue to feed, the algae continues to flow, and the fishermen continue to line up, curse the algae, marvel at the number of sulfurs, and try, with very limited success, to hook a trout or two. My resistance to the affair with the...
Everyone Needs A Day Like Today Once In A While.
Posted on July 23 2026
It's 9:45 and I'm beat. Got in the water on the WB at 12:30, which was about an hour too early. There were plenty of bugs on the water but the fish knew what was coming and were in no hurry to get started. It was crazy windy, or to...
Query, Was It A Rain Out Or A Skunking?
Posted on July 22 2026
The Dorotheas have been here for three weeks, most all of the fish have been fooled at least once, they are as difficult a challenge to take on a dry as you would ever want. If you are up for the challenge, here's what you need to know. 1-We are...
Gone, Gone, Gone The Fish Are Gone, Gone, Gone, Where'd They Go, Go, Go - - -
Posted on July 21 2026
In Saturday's Wind Knots and Tailing loops page, I wrote at length about the situation here in the Delaware River System regarding the fish population. Brian, unless he's being factious, said I was correct, and went to the trouble of looking up and posting a statement from the "fish and...
Wind Knots And Tailing Loops.
Posted on July 19 2026
Home watching t-boomers pass by while awaiting my dentist appointment on Monday, (possible new crown or root canal then new crown). Not many questions in the past month but found a few things to comment on. Rich T. - Jean and I winter on the original Zane Grey Creek on...
If I Could Save Time In A Bottle, The First Thing That I'd Like To Do - - - -
Posted on July 18 2026
The worst of the smoke seemed to have gone elsewhere today, blue sky, white clouds and sunshine. The bugs started a little after one and went until three with fish up and feeding the entire time. The bugs actually continued hatching in more modest numbers but the fish were full...
Sunshine On The Water Looks So Lovely - - -
Posted on July 17 2026
With the smoke again blocking the sun and turning the Catskills into the "Blue" Ridge Mountains, there was no need to hurry to Deposit. Without the sun's rays, the water took much longer to heat up and there was little to no bug activity before 1:30. Spent a pleasant hour...
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
Posted on July 16 2026
Headed out at noon today with a fresh batch of sulfurs that I had put on the car dash to cure the water shed I put on them. Usually an hour in the hot car and they are dry as a bone, not today, with a heavy cover of Canadian...
If You Want It, Here It Is, Come And Get It, Better Hurry 'Cause It May Not Last.
Posted on July 15 2026
On a day like today with air temp in the 90's, the best place to be was in the water, and I that's where I was. Started at noon with Sulfurs already on the water and fish on them. Hooked a couple of fish early, then went through a couple...
The Delaware Always Has Humble Pie On The Menu, Today I Was Served A Big Slice.
Posted on July 14 2026
Last week I carried a magic wand wherever I went. I walked into good hatches, had lots of big rising fish and they were happy to eat my flies. Today, not so much. Fished a pool where I have probably caught more fish than any other pool in the WB....
It's Not Easy Being Me
Posted on July 12 2026
Left for home about eleven this morning, stopped at the Troutfitter to put my small bag of trash in the dumpster and to talk with Dave, then decided to swing down along the river "just for a look". Stopped to chat with two river friends and wouldn't you know it...
Another Day Another Dollar.
Posted on July 11 2026
With Dorotheas on the water from before noon until dark, (yes there was a lull from 4:30 until 6:30, but there were always a few on the water), no one should have had trouble finding rising fish to cast to. Hookups for most anglers are a challenge. If you are...
No Bath Before It's Time.
Posted on July 10 2026
There are still Invaria up at Stilesville being attended to by unprecedented hoards of anglers. Just a historical note and suggestion. When the little Stilesville lot was purchased the farmer complained when cars were parked along the road, and no parking signs were put up, which was fair, (the State...