Posted on July 25 2026
With very little new happening, this is probably a good time to list my abbreviations for the rivers in the Delaware System:
WB - West Branch
Willow - Willowemac
BK - Beaverkill
UEB - East Branch Branch from Downsville down to where it meets the BK.
EB- East Branch from Junction Pool to Jaws, (confluence of BK and UEB).
BR - The Delaware River from Junction Pool to Callicoon, (also called the Main Stem).
Don't know when everybody enters the water to stake out their claim in the sulfur zone, but clearly 1:30 is too late. Found a little corner of a riff with half a dozen rising fish. Rose five of them, two refused, three ate, all on different flies, none of them sulfurs of any kind. With nothing else to throw at, I walked back to the car, and drove up to Stilesville, was awed by the number of boats and fishermen on the WB, and left.
Took 17 over to East Branch and 30 all the way up past Corbett. At 3:30 there wasn't an angler on the stream. Drove into the yard of an old acquaintance, saw a parked car, but the stairs to the front door were covered with pine needles, and there were trees down all over the yard from a relatively recent storm, (not last weeks). Was about to leave when I saw someone walking towards the house. It was a Troutfitter regular who recognized me, he told me that the gentleman who owned the house had had a stroke a couple years ago and that he no longer lived there. We walked down by the river and swapped stories about fishing, both on the Delaware, and out west, about the changes we've seen, the friends that are no longer with us, and how precious each day we get to spend on the river is. It was a delightful hour, spent sharing experiences with a fellow fisherman who has walked many of the same trails I have .
Drove back to the Lordville Estate, decided to get up early tomorrow to do the cleaning, (Jean's coming down), and went fishing. So did a lot of other people, (it's Friday night you know). Fished a spot that I was sure no one had fished in weeks, until I saw wet boot marks on the rocks in the trail I was walking in on. Whoever it was was gone and I had the place to myself, but maybe, just maybe, it's the reason I got so many refusals.
Keep your eyes on the road, had to brake hard twice this week when deer bolted out of the woods and across the road right in front of me.
To Charlie: Can’t always trust AI.
“EB- East Branch from Junction Pool to Jaws, (confluence of BK and UEB).” is correct but going up stream. BK and UEB is Jaws. Where EB joins WB is Junction pool.
Long time reader here and first poster. Thank you so much for these “reports,” which wonderfully read like short stories. The only thing, for those like me who may only get a few days a year on the system, they build expectations incredibly high! Now, not to interfere with the work of the associate editors, but I got a little confused with the description of the East Branch, in that it says the UEB ends at the BK and then reads as if the EB starts at the “Junction Pool” and goes to “Jaws (confluence of UEB and BK).”
So I visited ai, which spit out the below, so just to clarify, EB means from Jaws (confluence of UEB and BK) to Junction Pool (confuence of EB and WB)? Also, does anyone use “Junction Pool” to refer to the confluence of the BK and Willow? (Thanks again for all the time, education and entertainment you provide here!
There is a slight mix-up in terms: the famous Junction Pool is not located directly on the East Branch of the Delaware River. Instead, it refers to the legendary confluence of the Beaverkill River and Willowemoc Creek in Roscoe, New York. However, anglers also frequently use “Junction Pool” to describe the vital merging point of the East and West Branches of the Delaware River in Hancock, New York, which forms the main stem of the Delaware.
Understanding the “Junction Pools”
• The Famous Fly-Fishing Junction Pool: Located in Roscoe, NY (“Trout Town, USA”), where the Willowemoc Creek flows into the Beaverkill River. The lower Beaverkill then flows west to eventually empty into the East Branch of the Delaware River near the hamlet of East Branch
• The Delaware River Confluence: Located in Hancock, NY, where the East Branch and the West Branch of the Delaware River meet to officially create the main stem of the Delaware River.
Look…Ed “Little Ray of Sunshine” Jones is back spreading his message of cheer and positivity.
Yes, those days have been long gone, and, getting worse year after year. More beat up and thin fish than ever. No more santuaries for ANY feeding fish with the banana boats everywhere. I do not call any person sitting their ass in a banana boat anchoring 15’ from feeding fish, that one could spit too, a fly fisherman. I call them lazy ass fisherman. And some still say the system IS NOT loved to death. Come on already. Open your eyes. Water quality on the decline, decreased hatches, overcrowdedness, no sanctuaries, pin cushion fish, feeding fish blasted daily with a line over them, ahhhh, enough, you get the picture whoever reads this anywhere in the country. Geez. Brings tears to my eyes. So sad.
Bob -Regarding Angler119’ books. You may want to give Dave at the Troutfitter a call. Ed
Angler119’- Sharing time and stories with an old fishing friend is wonderful. Sounds like you had a great time. Dennis- I’ll save you a space on the bench. I have a standing reservation. It’s been tough. Jim N – love your Yesterday haiku. Very neat. Paul- If you see me on the river, give me a wave and a smile. I’ll wave and smile back and be happy to share info. I’m the guy not catching fish. Enjoy. Ed
Thanks for your daily posts. I read them everyday from sunny South Florida.
I started out at hale eddy at 1:30 I left at 5:30 with only casting at 3 fish. I drove up to the mens club and saw fish rising. I waded in and was treated to a great hatch of small sulfurs. I didn’t catch a fish but refusals were plenty on sulfurs and olives. It amazes me that so many fish are there and so difficult to catch. Hello Bench!!!!
Angler 119, what is the name of your book mentioned I
in one of the comments .. is it still available for sale ? Can I order one ? If so where ? Thank you
Yesterday….
…..,why is the Delaware so far away?
…..,now I have to drive and pay to stay,
Oh I believe in yesterday.
And don’t forget one last abbreviation (albeit not a river)….PM = Perfect Manhattan.
Although it is not advised to drink PMs while fishing on the BK, BR, UEB, EB or WB.
I am a frequent reader, but first time contributor. I recently read Angler 119’s book from 2020. Great stuff. I echo everyone’s appreciation for this blog, full of real information and techniques that were learned over a lifetime and shared shared freely with all. Frequent readers are bound to catch more fish if they are paying attention!
I have to say at times I have felt an anti-boater vibe in this blog and in the comments section from time to time. I also love wading, but… I also love rowing and just being on boats! So much in fact that I have built 3 drift boats. Drift boats have a tremendous advantage on the river, allowing one to fish in high water and in places waders can’t reach. Sometime I just use my boat to get away from the crowds and get from one wading spot to another, always doing my best to steer around waders, and not ruin, (ie…temporarily disturb), their fishing. The rivers are a shared resource and one constituent does not have priority over another. I don’t low hole other boats, or step on waders. Some days the conga line of waders is a tremendous navigational challenge for rowers. Sometimes wading anglers seem to relish standing in a pinch point where the water is too shallow or tight for a boat to pass behind them without getting out and dragging. A real drag indeed.
I write to say…let’s all just get along. This river is loved to death and we are all part of the problem. Next time I pass behind you in my beautiful wooden boat, I’ll smile, wave, wish you luck and pass along any info I have that may be helpful. After all, even a day of fishing when you are constantly dealing with waders and other boats who are blocking the best spots is still a day on the water fishing. We would all catch more with less competition. Those days are gone.
Tight lines.
Paul
After my 3 hour drive I finally got to fish Barking Dog on Thursday. Started at 10:30 and fished until 2:30. I finally got to see all the sulphurs for my first time. There were a few risers here and there, but no hits. Not too many fishermen out there, maybe more came later. I wish I lived closer. Next time I will stay overnight so I can fish in the evening. I really enjoy your blogs, read them first thing in the morning.
I was driving down the upper west after fishing the stilling basin early AM. There were two fellows settling up lawn chairs on the Red Barn pool at eight in the morning.
Seems to be an abundance of does and fawns everywhere this summer darting across roads in my travels. Be careful everyone!