Posted on May 09 2026
Left the Lordville Estate at 7:15 this morning. Why? My GP spends Mondays with his grandchildren, so I have to get my annual physical on a Friday. The good news is that he scheduled me again for next year.
It was cold, windy and rainy on the drive home this morning, (there were even a few flakes of snow here in Lafayette). Saw that the temp in the lower WB did get up to bug hatching level, but the upper and even the middle sections were probably too cold for Hendricksons.
Had time to read all of the comments from the last few days and if you piece together the contributing anglers experience it sorta all makes sense. On most days there are places in the 90 miles of river system where there are bugs hatching and fish feeding. Being in the right place at the right time is obviously the key to success. The worst thing you can do is go to the same place every time you fish, (except perhaps during summer sulfurs). The best advise I can give is both read and contribute to the fishing reports AND take notes.
What should you keep track of?
1- Water levels, where you can fish at what levels.
2- Water temperatures, know at what temps the bugs hatch and look at all the USGS real time flow and temperature reports.
3- Learn the progression of bug hatches, not only in what order they hatch but how far apart the different hatches are likely to be.
4- Learn the timing and sequence of hatches on both the freestones, (Willow, BK, middle and lower BR), and on the tailwaters, upper BR, UEB, WB, and Neversink). In the Delaware River Syster, it's possible to catch a fish on a Hendrickson and another fish on a green drake on the same day.
After you've compiled all this info all you have to do is drive around trying to figure out why you were in the wrong place. It's why the average catch on the Delaware river system, (counting fishermen with and without guides), is two fish a day.
Query - A boat floated by me yesterday while I was playing a fish and the oarsman asked did he take a paralep or a Hendo. Was the person who asked Rich T. (one of our faithful reporters) who often refers to Hendticksons as Hendos?
Jim N. asked about fly selection during a heavy hatch. Chris Z. provided some good answers. Me? I tie on the best Hendrickson dun I have in my box and fish it until it's clear the fish won't eat it. Not being an exquisite tyer, I seldom have a problem distinguishing my fly from the real things no matter how many of them there are on the water.
Harry Luke asked about identifying Hendricksons. Paul Weamer's book New York Hatches, lists the fly hatches and provides tips for when they hatch as well as identifying features of each fly. Hendricksons share the river with several different caddis, occasionally with a few quill Gordon's, and almost always with paraleps, (aka blue or black quills). When both are on the water the big ones are the Hendricksons. I still find it useful to carry a little plastic box that you get for free with a dozen flies at the Troutfitter. I pick up live flies off the water, put 'em in the box, take 'em home, put 'em in the fridge overnight and try to copy them in the morning.
If Jean has had enough of my by Sunday, I may well drive down and try to catch a couple.
Thank you A119 (and associates)! I have not been able to get up there yet this year but I always look forward to reading the reports and comments. I’ve learned a lot and also live vicariously through all of you!
I fished the mid WB yesterday and it was a difficult day. There were plenty of bugs on the water but very few rises. I fished from 1.30 -5 and saw very few fish on top. I landed one15 in BT. And was refused once and lost another fish. That was it. Saw plenty of fishermen and boats with no fish landed that I saw. The bugs were Hendrickson and blue quills.
Balls to shehawken again. Rainy day from 12-4. The positive was hardly any wind and bugs after 3pm. Caught a nice brown, 16+ rainbow and another VERY large rainbow that I just couldn’t get on the reel before he popped off. All on BQ dry. Turned out to be a nice day. Water was stained from rain but pretty clear still hendrickson blue quills on lower river
Fished WB above catch and release section. Saw Hendricksons hatch when the clouds let the sun shine. Caught 4 youngsters (biggest was 10 inches) using a spinner last night and this morning.. Due to rain today, decided to nymph a riffle and dredged up a 14 inch rainbow. Hooked into a larger fish using same tactic, peeled line, and lost it in fast water. Caught the rainbow using a Caddis pupa. Haven’t fished the Delaware in 2 years so it was nice to pay it a visit
I was wondering when our “little ray of sunshine” would return…..and here Ed J is…🤢
Yes. The entire Upper Delaware system “Loved to Death”. Pin cushion fish, no sanctuaries for feeding fish, lazy ass fisherman in their fancy banana boats all over, SPEEDING their trailers to whatever pullout they are going to, where are the cops?, locals getting frustrated with this nonsense from the idiots, hero pictures of 16" fish, oh, hold them out as far as you can, good hatches that are slowly disappearing from degraded water quality from BOTH reservoirs, no place to even park at pull-offs/accesses, a wild, ABUSED fishery, more propaganda as always, on and on and on, getting much worse year after year, oh….and even give a tip to a bullsh-t guide that says 24" fish are pretty common!, …….sad state of affairs up here.
sorry to burst your bubble. Just facts as always.
Go low that should be! If I start glowing…
Hey 19, that was not me. Been haunting the UEB and finding some success.Now that the flows dropped and the crowd, 3 vehicles headed south with rod vaults at 6PM, showed I’ll be done sans weekdays there. It paid to be there before the flow dropped.Snowed here as well! Time to glow while the temps last.
May I ask where is DRC?
Fished yesterday, it was chilly and windy. I was not far from where I saw a good Hendrickson hatch the day before. There were no bugs this time.
Spoke to three other anglers who said the same.
I did drive by the pool by DRC and there were people in drift boats casting and pointing, so something was happening there. This was about 4:00pm.