Posted on July 10 2024
One of the bridges on Lordville Road is being rebuilt, which necessitates driving up and back the PA side of the river until the bridge work is done. Forgot about the detour and was late for my hair cut appointment at Vicky's this morning. It's a little over 11 miles on PA191 and its solid double lines in the middle of the road all the way. Saw four foxes last night, a dead one this morning and but one tonight.
As I have been reporting, the sulfur hatch has been very good. The fish, where the sulfurs are hatching have almost all been hooked on sulfur duns. Someone asked what emerger I found worked best, easy answer, none. I have a box full of various emergers and have not found a single one that works worth a dam. I have no shame, if anyone wants me to try their killer emerger, drop it off at the Troutfitter in a wax sealed envelope, (shop owners are whores, they will tell everyone what the hot fly is), and I will faithfully report how it works for me.
Because the trout feed on both duns and emerging nymphs, they quickly learn that duns have hooks and most of the emergers, (that they are eating), do not. Positive reinforcement eating nymphs, painful experience eating duns. In an incredibly short period of time the fish feeding on sulfurs do so almost exclusively on emerging nymphs and become very hard to catch.
This blog is written to help you catch fish. I have done better, so far this year, on the sulfur hatch than ever before. Why? Because I've found a new miracle drug that --- no, no, no, because I do things I tell you to do but you say, "What does he know.", and ignore the advice.
Here is a list to help you to catch more fish on sulfurs:
1- Use flies that look exactly like the real thing.
2- Cast only at rising fish.
3- Wait at least a minute before throwing at a rising fish. (I have trouble with this one because fish always use to eat two flies when they came up, and now I can't remember where the fish rose if I wait a minute).
4- Try to fish where the hatch is just starting, (where, not when).
5- Know that fish see everything, and that if they refused your fly, or didn't even come up to an on target cast, you are wasting your time and insulting the fish by continuing to throw at him.
6- Never ever throw a "refused" fly back at the same fish.
7- Try to find a less crowded place where you can move from fish to fish, casting at the same few fish for hours on end is insanity.
8- If the fly you cast to a fish is moving the slightest bit faster or slower than the bubbles around it, you are wasting your time throwing at that fish, he knows you are there and just won't eat your fly.
9- Try to fish to different fish every day, fish remember your flies and become harder and harder to catch the more often you fish to them.
10- Improvements in dry-fly fishing, like all sports, come slowly. Increases in the number of refusals is progress, catching more fish sometimes takes a lifetime, (trust me, I know).
Trout know that duns have hooks and emerges don’t…. Really!!
Dave, you will have to add A-119 to Ron’s middle finger club!! ;)
This is great advice from A119 and Greg T., thank you both!
As for emergers…maybe TF doesn’t let A119 have the secret emerger that was recommended to Dennis? ;)
Angler119 and Greg- Great advice guys. Thanks. Dave at Troutfittet-I don’t think he means you. Does he?!? Ed
Now this blog is getting spicy!!
I’m seeing a TV series on the horizon. The Real Flyfishermen of Deposit!
You guys may want to drop off your flies for 119 at another location. He has lost his Troutfitter fly shop privileges until an acceptable apology has been made regarding disparaging comment directed towards fly shop owners.
I am taking my frustrations on the river to my tying bench. Still have not come up with a winning combo.
Last few times the trout were keying on the duns during the evening hatch.
Anyone care to share an effective sulphur dun and emerger pattern that worked for them in recent years. Thanks in advance for the inspiration and therapeutic support.
A119 great list to go by. This year for me I have caught more fish on a emerger. The pattern was recommended to me at the TF. Even last year this was my go to fly. The other day I reported 17 refusals and netted 1 fish was on that pattern. I have caught fish on Dunn’s but not nearly a many as I have on this sulpher emerger pattern.
This indicates to me that I don’t have the right sulpher Dunn fly in my box.
Great words of wisdom. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I will follow your 10 commandments of upper Delaware sulphur hatch to the T, except from point #9. I don’t think fish are that smart. Within the same day and same hatch, may be. But day to day, I do not believe so.
Greg T., great suggestions.
Point 1 above: In a previous post you state that hackle does a poor job of imitating an insect’s legs. Do you fish Comparadun style flies or use something else for the legs?
To add a few things to your list. Get yourself an insect net that fits over your landing net, ( and can be easily be removed), and hold it in the water to capture a fly and see what the color it is. Not necessarily yellow! - If they are looking at your fly but not taking it, try downsizing the fly.- If a fly does not work, go thru the rest of your sulphur box. In other words don’t be shy about changing flies.—-Don’t stay in one position working fish. There could be micro currents that are screwing with your fly. Move!—Always make sure the fly lands first. Use a reach cast and do not make many false casts.