Posted on August 30 2025
Decided to try the tricos this morning, it was cold so there was no rush. Took a page out of my GHOF's book and decided I needed to replace the olives that got chewed up yesterday, and wouldn't you know it, both the time and temperature got away from me, (11:00am and 64 degrees when I remembered to look). With the spinner fall being so late I quickly made a sandwich so I could stay and see if there were any afternoon sulfurs or olives, jumped in the car and headed for East Branch. Felt better at the top of Lordville Hill as the temp was down to 62, it fluctuated with the terrain and was 64 streamside.
Found an open pool right away and waded in with fish up and eating tricos everywhere. Funny thing, even before I started to cast, the fish kept rising but got further away. My first cast landed the fly about five feet upstream of the fish and they all stopped rising and moved further downstream. Had to land the trico 15 feet upstream of the fish for them to keep rising and when the trico got to the line of fish, they created a three foot wide no rise zone for the trico could drift by in. Changed flies, caught a 12 inch brown on an olive spinner, a 14 inch brown on an ant, and a 13 inch rainbow on the little puff of white I got a refusal on a night or two ago, hooked another one on the puff that came unstuck, and had two refusals. If you didn't read Hackelhouse's comment yesterday, go back and do so. Fish learn and adapt, (faster than a huge majority of fishermen). With the low fuel light on and the Sunoco station closed for repairs ???, I scrapped the idea of driving up past Corbett to look for sulfurs, ate my sandwich and headed back to the Lordville Estate. Would like to say, "It being Labor Day Weekend, the traffic was very heavy", but being old and forgetful, I said, " Where the hell is everyone going at noon on Friday." The answer came to me shortly thereafter.
The evening fishing was somewhat anticlimactic, there were olives galore, a good number of rising fish, and a drift boat that went by me and fished to fish rising along the bank, out of the wind, that I couldn't have reached, (they landed two nice fish). The flies I tied that made me late to the trico hatch in the morning were too big, and the trout let me know it, and there was a sneaky draft of about 12/15 blowing downstream that took finesse out of a game that desperately needed it. Landed a nice rainbow right off the bat, a handful of 9 inchers and a 18 inch rainbow that has been receiving Social Security longer than I have. He was missing a mandible and sporting a callus as big as a pea where every mistake he ever made had been impaled, mine included.
What a great story Ed! The rest of us usually just hit them on the head and throw them up on the bank.
To Wade Deep:
Ridiculous, silly comment. Shows you know very little about how the system has been pressured and abused over the last 15 years. And an example of ignorance. A 22.25" brown landed recently for example had a hook mark in its’ left lower jaw, a large sulfur stuck in the upper mouth roof, with a good 24" tippet hanging out. He said “thank you” legend for removing it prior to setting him free. Told him to" be careful of those boats and pontoons who have left the Delaware with NO fish sanctuaries anymor."
I know of no NYS DEC electrofishing over the last few years. PA Fish and Boat Commission does, but as far as I know electrofishing the same areas all the time. Less than 10% showing signs of being caught is bogus….especially on the Mardi Gras WB.
Just who is it your blaming Ed? You ARE the problem. You and the other lifers who hog this river and whine about all the pressure. Wouldn’t it be better if we all left it just for Ed? I’m pretty sure you didn’t invent the Delaware River smuck. Hope to low hole you someday soon legend.
According to the New established Fisheries Plan for the Delaware System a REPORT CARD on the State of the Fisheries will be forthcoming in early 2026….all stakeholders should call the Regional NY DEC Office as to when and where that information will be presented….
NYS DEC has electro fished thousands of trout over the past few years on the Delaware system. Less than %10 show any visible signs of being caught. I’ve seen the data………..
Gentlemen, just look at the hero pictures posted from the DRC outrageously priced float trips and you will see more smaller, thin, stressed fish than ever. Yes, than ever before in the history of the Upper Delaware system. you people live in your own fantasy world. Open your eyes. And the Wyoming study pertains to the Delaware and MANY other abused fisheries in this day and age.
Yes, it makes me puke that you people just don’t get it. Oh, it is NOT an enormous system by any means, especially when the fish migrate as the season progresses, etc……get with reality these days. TOO MUCH PRESSURE EACH AND EVERY DAY!
I do not want to engage in “ a blog war” that has ruined other blogs. However I think the article Mr.Jones referenced is from a study done on Wyoming’s Platte River. I am not aware of any such study done on the Delaware system. As Hacklehouse noted, the majority of the fish caught are healthy and strong. Yes, some do have hook marks from being previous caught,but they are not weak and emachiated(sp?) . Are some areas overfished. Perhaps. I am one of the guys at the red barn. It’s an enormous system and a wonderful resource for all to enjoy. Ed
Bitter dumb and greedy is no way to go through life Ed. If fishing pressure is your primary complaint then you need look no further than the mirror. Why is everyone but you responsible for overcrowding? Who has spent more hours on the river abusing its trout than an Upper Delaware legend? Instead of whining like a little bitch maybe it’s time for you to admit you’ve had MORE than your share and leave the river to the newcomers so they might have a chance. Complaints of overfishing from old men who’ve overfishing their whole lives makes all of us want to puke
I deliberated for some time over breakfast this morning about responding to the recent “heroes “ comment,
I’ve been fortunate to have been successful on the WB and having said this can present a well based opinion regardingrthe condition of the WB fish. “As a rule” they are healthy and not stressed or “beat up”. In areas like the Red Barn they are caught numerous times and that takes its toll, but in the rest of the river the health of the fish is not a question.
Catch a 18 inch rainbow any where on the WB and the question is moot.
“Hero” doesn’t apply to the hundreds of fishermen to take their time on the WB seriously
If you don’t agree, purchase golf clubs!
Oh great…Look who is back.
Ed “Ray of Sunshine” Jones.
Here with another uplifting and encouraging post.
Makes me puke!
Check out the article below.
Thin, stressed out, beat up fish are now the Delaware rule more than ever. What are all you “hero’s” doing? So sad anymore. Makes me puke.
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/wyoming-wildlife-magazine/being-loved-death
Heading into autumn what’’s your opinion on best conditions/times for the Fall olives? I like going up in Sept/oct but have had little success with this hatch. I just rarely see bugs or risers. Is the BR the best option in Fall? I usually fish WB but seems dead in Fall.