Posted on July 08 2026
This one is sure to stir up controversy and dissenting opinions, but I believe I'm more right than wrong.
To begin with, trout like an easy meal and what is easier to do than to get in a spot where mayfly duns are floating along in soft current and sip them as they drift by. Trout do this the first few days at the start of every species of mayfly that hatches. If you are lucky enough to be in the water on one of those days and see the noses coming out of the water as they eat duns one after another you can become, for an hour or so, the fisherman you've dreamed of being, but, with the pressure that is put on the Delaware River trout, the "dun sipping" phase of a hatch is over almost before it has begun.
As soon as a fish has been hooked on a mayfly dun, (this probably varies from fish to fish, some need to be caught eating duns more than once), he starts to concentrate on eating the nymphs as they swim up from the bottom. It's harder work and requires the expenditure of more energy, but they receive positive reinforcement because they are rarely hooked. Why? Because it's difficult to impossible, (for me anyway), to duplicate the movement of a nymph coming up from the bottom to hatch. When you see splashy rises or boils, what you are witnessing is a fish turning around after he has eaten a nymph in the water column.
Why is it so hard to catch these fish? Because whether you are fishing a mayfly dun, an emerger, or Ed S's still born dun, you, as a dry fly fisherman are placing your fly on the surface and the fish aren't looking there. They are looking down in the water column for a nymph that's just starting it's journey to the surface.
Being obsessed with what the fish are eating is what we fishermen do. Back when every fisherman's goal was to put 10 hatchery fish in his creel, I cleaned a lot of fish and believe me they ate everything from worms, to floating red berries, to filter tips from discarded cigarettes. Not once did I ever examine the stomach and esophagus of a fish and find it was only eating emergers, or even just one species of mayfly for that matter. With the decrease in the number of smokers today, finding a filter tip in a fish's gullet might be a rarity, but I bet some of the smaller strike indicators surely end up there.
What's a fisherman to do? Look for the fish that is sticking his nose out of the water sipping duns along the bank somewhere, he's either stupid and easily caught, or smart, knows the game and is the ultimate challenge for a dry fly fisherman, (I tipped my hat to one on Sunday). Every once in a while during a hatch, (think the red barn), a fish will just get an urge to eat a dun and if your fly is in the water you have a chance. Also late in the hatch when the bugs start to wane, (a wain for those of you who didn't know, is a large heavy farm wagon), trout that are still hungry often resort to eating a few duns, be ready. And if you don't have a long ride home, wait for the spinner fall, if the trout wants to eat a late dinner of spinners he has to look up.
Flush floating flies with cdc wings are your friend. Add an antron shuck. Curved shank hook with a dark abdomen and sulfur yellow thorax. I love finding a solitary bank feeder and will spend a lot of time trying to catch one. On the other hand sometimes multiple feeding fish just give you a better chance. Fish A might not want what you’re selling but Fish B just might.
Flush floating flies with cdc wings are your friend. Add an antron shuck. Curved shank hook with a dark abdomen and sulfur yellow thorax. I love finding a solitary bank feeder and will spend a lot of time trying to catch one. On the other hand sometimes multiple feeding fish just give you a better chance. Fish A might not want what you’re selling but Fish B just might.
That tick post is very disturbing. I’ve never had a tick on me on the west Branch yet.
It’s been my experience that a “boil” is the result of a fish turning toward the river bottom after taking an insect below the water surface. A “splashy rise” is the result of the fish breaking the water surface chasing an insect not usually a nymph. In many cases an emerging dun or a caddis, but seldom a nymph.
PSA: a few days ago, I had a lone star tick lodged in my torso after two days of fishing on the Upper West Branch. these buggers can cause severe allergic reaction to red meat (beef, pork, lamb). I am trying to figure out what to do next. But, If I develop the allergy, I may have to carry an epi-pen. Giving up red meat is going to be devastating for me. Be safe out there.
East and West branch of Delaware river are dry fly only water for me. I do not have to catch too many fish to be happy. I have caught enough.
Dry fly fishing on the Upper Delaware is similar to drinking fine red wine. It makes me appreciate the essence of fly fishing – higher skills in casting/presentation, understanding hatches/bugs, understanding fish behavior, and understanding current/micro drag….There is so much more to this than hooking a darn fish….just like the aforementioned fine red wine.
A119 – I agree with the single feeding fish presentation. My other thought is Pete Seeger.
Angler119’- I agree that most of the bugs are taken subsurface (90%??) and the fish feeding on duns are getting harder to catch. At least for me. Sometimes an emerger , cripple or a stillborn will work. I guess your advice is the best— look for a single feeding fish and work him till you catch him or he( or she) stops working. I’ve been too scattershot lately with limited successe. Take care. Ed
Amen,
Spent four hours in the sulphuric zone yesterday, and didn’t see a dun eaten.
Did get two small browns on Gallup cripple.
My unproven theory is that the fish that eat only nymphs are more likely to reproduce, so that over time you will have no more fish feeding on top. Is this too silly to entertain?
A119,
I think you accurately describe the dry fly fisherman/dry fly tyer’s dilemma. How to get a fly into the film and still have it be a dry fly. I know I was working on that yesterday at the vise. But while this is a problem, I would still rather see a fish eat or refuse my dry fly than dredge the bottom with a nymph. Just my personal opinion.
Great info. once again. As a long time, dry guy I guess I should try more nymphing on the WB.
Again A119 thanks for the great information!! As a relatively new fly fisherman I seem to catch a fair amount of fish on emerger dry flies. Could it be it’s a different pattern floating by!!
I am only speaking to my experience on the river.