So maybe I need to buy a boat.

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon I was standing in the tailout of a pool in 1900 cfs of water in the lower West Branch -  surrounded by Paraleps.  It was a good enough hatch that I expected to see risers - there were none.  By 4:30 the hatch was on the wane and it had started to rain.

This morning the river system was blown out.  The Big East was over 20,000 cfs with most of the water coming from the Beaverkill. The West Branch at noon today is still not spilling.  Walton, above the reservoir is running at over 4,000 cfs. Cannonsville should start spilling sometime today.

The good news? 

             It was a warm rain. That and the warmer spill water will hasten the hatches.

            There are sure to be alewives coming into both branches in the spill water providing some good streamer fishing.

             Drift boaters have the river to themselves.

The bad news?

             Wade fishermen are once again shit out of luck.