Today was my kind of day, high about 70 and low of about 50. You can do yard work and not have to ring out your clothes, no worries of the streams being too warm to fish and you can take a good walk in your waders without fogging up your glasses. Took advantage of the cool morning to work on the yard. The new grass apparently likes the cooler temps too as it is now growing like crazy.
Left camp...
Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
Never crowd one of your "A" boxes.
Posted on September 04 2019
Fresh from yesterday's ego boosting day I went out at about 9:00 to fish the BR. It never cooled down last night and it was 70 by the time I parked the car. No tricos to be seen. Hooked a nice rainbow right off the bat and two jumps later - gone. No one loses as many first hookup fish as I do - no one. Ended up having a pleasant and productive morning with risers eating my fly and fish eating my...
A matter of pride.
Posted on September 03 2019
Have to admit my ego was a little bruised by the results of my Sunday/Monday fishing. Got up with the intention of putting things right. Had breakfast, packed a lunch and left the camp with the temp 62 degrees. Plenty of time to get to the UE before the trico spinner fall. The trico "hot spot" already had three cars parked and I didn't even bother to slow down. Farther up stream I found an empty...
Keeping it in perspective.
Posted on September 02 2019
Today was a tough day for me. Tried some pools over on the BK this afternoon. Three pools, three rises, two hookups and one 15 inch hatchery brown landed. The BK is just not ready for fall fishing, yet.
I was O for three with my raincoat. Put it on two times and the sun came out and I got sopping wet inside the "breathable" jacket. Don't care what it costs buy GORTEX. The third time I left the...
I was O for three with my raincoat. Put it on two times and the sun came out and I got sopping wet inside the "breathable" jacket. Don't care what it costs buy GORTEX. The third time I left the...
If you want to catch a bow, don't go too low.
Posted on September 01 2019
It's Sept 1st and the releases from all three reservoirs have been cut back, Cannonsville to 400, Pepacton to 133 and the Neversink to 100. Wallenpaupack is generating again so minimum flow targets are being met. If there is no substantial rain you can expect the Cannonsville flow to be substantially increased whenever Wallenpaupack is shut down. The other two releases are more likely to remain...
Before you go check the flow.
Posted on August 31 2019
Yesterday the release from Cannonsville Reservoir was bumped up to almost 1000 CFS before being lowered to 700. Why? The river has been below the minimum flow requirement at the Montague monitoring station for the past few days and apparently the river master has called for the release increase to meet the minimum flow requirement. There has been no power generation from Wallenpaupack during that...
Weekend musings.
Posted on August 30 2019
Some regular readers who know that I usually fish Monday through Friday are probably wondering what happened to Fridays report. Well, here it is. Drove back to Syracuse for an oil change, new tires and my annual physical. The bad wheel alignment that chewed up my tires will be corrected early tomorrow. My wife is fleeing Florida ahead of the storm and I will be picking her up at the airport just...
What's left after an untimely delete.
Posted on August 29 2019
Did you ever hit Delete instead of Backspace? Just did and the whole G.D. four paragraphs disappeared. With my perfect Manhattan gone, I'm in no mood to try to recreate my day of driving around the river system. Sorry but if someone can tell me how to find it, I will be glad to publish it.
Paragraph 4: It's now 6:30, I've eaten a sandwich, watered the newly planted grass and am heading out to fish...
Paragraph 4: It's now 6:30, I've eaten a sandwich, watered the newly planted grass and am heading out to fish...
Took one on the chin at Stockport.
Posted on August 28 2019
Fresh from the success of yesterday's "perfectly planned" day, I had no doubt, looking at the weather forecast, that I could do it again. "Overcast with afternoon and evening showers" the weatherman said. The day screamed olives and isos. If water conditions (temp and flow) permit, there is only one place for me to to be on this kind of day. The Big River.
Left camp at 3:15 (after a short snooze)...
Left camp at 3:15 (after a short snooze)...
Pleasantly tired.
Posted on August 27 2019
Today went according to Monday's plan. Worked on the topsoil pile from 9:00 until 11:55. Had lunch, tied flies and left for the UE sulfur hatch. It was quiet when I got there but within half an hour the bugs started coming and the fish started feeding in earnest. Had multiple targets to choose from on every cast but it proved difficult to pick out the dumb ones (there aren't any). Got a big open...
Getting it done in the dark.
Posted on August 26 2019
Had the best of intentions when planning the day. With the morning temp at 50 degrees, I would work on seperating my pile of gravel and topsoil, mow the grass and water the newly seeded areas before lunch. After lunch, I would to try to hook up with the UE sulfur hatch which had the fish up and feeding last week. When the sulfurs quieted down I'd head for the BR iso hatch.
Well, everything went as...
Well, everything went as...
At no extra cost to you, a Sunday report.
Posted on August 25 2019
With my wife down in Florida visiting our daughter and granddaughter I hustled through my to do list back home and got back to the camp in time to spend the evening scouting out a couple of pools on the big river down near the camp. One had a few fish but is overlooked by a house in which a fisherman resides. He has made the fish difficult to catch. They look at every fly with their bifocals...
It's just not coming easy.
Posted on August 23 2019
Often times I'm my own worst enemy. I have an aversion to doing the same thing over and over. Earlier in the week I stumbled upon a good mid day sulfur hatch that had good fish up and feeding and I was able to fool enough of them to make it my best day of the week. I didn't go back. Why? See the first sentence above.
I'm easily bored, need to explore, try new places, find rising trout around the...
I'm easily bored, need to explore, try new places, find rising trout around the...
I don't want to go on a rant, but - - -
Posted on August 22 2019
Sometimes you just need to vent, it's not so much about the fishing as it is the weatherman. Last Saturday the prediction was for hot and humid Sun. and Mon., then a major cooling trend with daytime temps in the low to mid 70's with nights down in the low 50's. Over 3/4 of an inch of rain was to fall on Tues. I was psyched, the river system would be freshened by the rain and cool temps and my new...
To go or not to go?
Posted on August 21 2019
Morning olives on the UE and BR have been the most consistent hatch this summer, save for the sulfurs in the sulfur zone. The olives don't come off in big numbers but the fish are looking for them. Always a good thing for dry fly guys/gals. Drove over to the UE where I have enjoyed several good morning olive hatches. The river was in fog but you could see well enough to make out the occasional...
I wasn't up to the task.
Posted on August 20 2019
Opted out of the morning fishing to take advantage of the "cool" morning air to do yard work. By 11:00 I was soaking wet and dead tired. A long time neighborhood friend walked over just as I was quitting to say hello after spending a week in the hospital with congestive heart failure. We had a nice chat and before I new it it was noon. Cleaned up, had lunch and decided to read a book rather than...
Monday morning coming down.
Posted on August 19 2019
Got back to camp at 11:30 this morning. Ride down had pavement still wet from last night's rain and a solid overcast sky. Perhaps olives this afternoon. By the time I finished lunch the sun came out, burned off the clouds and turned it into another very warm day.
Left camp at about 2:00, made a couple of stops in town and then headed up to the UE in search of olives and rising fish. On my first...
Left camp at about 2:00, made a couple of stops in town and then headed up to the UE in search of olives and rising fish. On my first...
Fridays really aren't all bad.
Posted on August 16 2019
As most regular readers know, my fishing is done Monday through Friday. My bride is in charge of the weekends and this weekend is our 34th wedding anniversary. We had originally planned a three day trip but the forecast for rain each day led us to postpone the travel until sometime after Labor Day. The net result is that I fished today and am now obligated to write the report.
It's a Friday and it...
It's a Friday and it...
Just an any old kind of day.
Posted on August 15 2019
Last night I got back to the car at 9:05. The night was clear, I was on the Big River facing the western sky and there was a full moon just coming up over the hill. Tonight I was fishing into steep bank that blocked the sky, it was overcast and the moon hadn't risen yet. I was heading back to camp at 8:25. Its mid August and the days are getting shorter by 2.5 minutes per day. I don't like it, but...
I saw the full moon a rising.
Posted on August 14 2019
Did a split day again today. With the August nights getting longer the rivers have a longer time to cool off and the morning fishing opportunities are increasing. The Sulfur Zone offers the only real opportunity for fishing to rising fish during the mid day. When the sun goes behind the hills things pick up again and there are feeding fish to be fished to wherever water temps are below 70.
Today I...
Today I...
If you want a test against the best.
Posted on August 13 2019
I've always felt that if you get fish eating duns off the surface, you can't ask for anything more. Well over on the UE late this afternoon there were olives and there were rising fish (lots of 'em - good ones too). The roofs of their mouths were so far out of the water you could have checked for cavities. They were happy, relaxed and feeding steadily. I slowly worked my way into casting range...
Love the Big River.
Posted on August 12 2019
Arrived at camp about noon and elected to take care of chores around camp rather than heading out fishing in the midday sun. With water temps lower than they have been in weeks the upper pools of the BR were in play and I fished there hoping to find Epherons (white flies) and or Isos.
Epherons are a warm water loving fly that hatches, molts, mates and dies all in the hour just after sunset. The...
Epherons are a warm water loving fly that hatches, molts, mates and dies all in the hour just after sunset. The...
Tricos, sulfurs and olives.
Posted on August 09 2019
If someone tells you he is killing them on tricos, find out where and tell me. Took another trico trip up the UE this morning. Was actually early as I arrived in East Branch with the temp still 64. Glassed every riff I could see from there to Long Flat and never saw a waxwing or a trico. One car was parked at the "hot spot" but I saw no one fishing. There were no tricos where I fished, not in the...
Today,s thunderstorm had no rainbow, just some big browns.
Posted on August 08 2019
The thunderstorms of the past three days have continued to affect the fishing on the Delaware system. Last night's rain hit the Beaverkill which peaked at about 1100 CFS. The warm muddy water went down the EB and into the Big River raising the water flow, temperature and turbidity.
After crossing a morning trip to the BR off the list of options, I settled on a reprise of yesterday's 11:00 sulfur...
After crossing a morning trip to the BR off the list of options, I settled on a reprise of yesterday's 11:00 sulfur...
Thunderstorms produce two beautiful rainbows.
Posted on August 07 2019
With an overcast morning and good water temps the upper reaches of the BR seemed a good bet. Tricos and olives were on the menu and I was hoping for generous servings of both. Didn't happen. There were some tricos and I hooked two fish on them but it was hardly a feeding frenzy. Olives were even scarcer. Reeled it in after less than two hours and drove over to the WB for the eleven o'clock sulfur...
It just wasn't my day!
Posted on August 06 2019
Some days are diamonds, some are just the stones in my pile of topsoil. With the temp on the porch at 6:00 this morning 54 degrees, I had lots of time before heading up to the UE in search of tricos. Went outside and attacked the pile of topsoil. At 54 degrees its a little harder to work up a sweat. Was about to head back in to the camp and get ready to go fishing when my neighbor came out and...
Spent Saturday patching my waders, they still leak in the same two places.
Posted on August 05 2019
Was up early this morning but had enough things that needed doing that I didn't get back on the water until about 4:00 this afternoon. Fished a run on the UE that was good to me last week. It gets early shade and there have been afternoon olives enough to get the fish looking up. Last week it was big fish, today not so much. I caught a 18 inch holdover hatchery fish right away and it was the fish...
July data day.
Posted on August 02 2019
Did house and yard work this morning and then took the time to tally up the results of my fishing in July. Keeping in mind that I do not count yearling fish (those that hatched in the spring of 2019 and are now 9 inches long) this July was the third best in the 28 years that I have kept records on the Delaware.
The brown population through the system seems healthy. The population of big (over 17...
The brown population through the system seems healthy. The population of big (over 17...
Making love out of nothing at all.
Posted on August 01 2019
With yesterday being cloudy and the nighttime temps dropping into the low 60's the upper BR was once again available for early morning fishing. Last weeks morning fishing was very good and I was looking forward to taking up where I left off.
The bugs? - There weren't any (actually I saw zero tricos and three olives).
Risers? Saw a total of four, all to far away to cast to.
The fishing? Sometimes...
The bugs? - There weren't any (actually I saw zero tricos and three olives).
Risers? Saw a total of four, all to far away to cast to.
The fishing? Sometimes...
Don't let the bugs bug you.
Posted on July 31 2019
In over thirty years of fishing the Delaware I've never seen bugs behave the way they have this year. Hendricksons wouldn't end and the drakes wouldn't start and when they finally did get going the went almost into July. The Tricos should be on both branches by now but the only fishable hatch I've seen was on the big river. The summer sulfurs are something you can usually depend on. Be in Deposit...
There are no instant replays on the Delaware.
Posted on July 30 2019
After yesterday's UE bonanza there was no question where I was going this am. There were two cars parked on the lower part of the river at trico spots and two fishermen in the pool I had fished yesterday. I was unable to see waxwings or tricos anywhere from the Sunoco station up to Shinhopple. I wasn't the least concerned by the fishermen or lack of tricos as I don't go back to the same pool two...
Right place for the wrong reason.
Posted on July 29 2019
Left Lafayette about 6:30 this morning hoping to fish a trico spinner fall on the Upper East branch. With the temp already at 66 degrees the chances of getting there in time were slim to none, but you never know. At Binghamton the car thermometer hit 70 - no hope of arriving on time now. Was pondering my next move when I drove into the WB fog at Deposit. The temp plunged back to 66, maybe just...
Just say "NO" to the Sulfur Zone.
Posted on July 26 2019
Played a triple header today. Early morning on the BR where Tricos were no shows and the olives made only a token appearance. Fish were looking up and most risers gave my fly at least a look. Early afternoon on the UE was indeed sulfur time. Good hatch, bright sun and clear water made for fussy fish. Late evening found me on the middle section of the WB. The fish there are relatively well rested...
Sulfur Zone = bugs and feeding fish.
Posted on July 25 2019
Neglected to say in yesterday's report that the Tricos I saw were on the BR. Today I started out on the lower WB and there were none. Tricos aren't overly fond of cold water and are only found in the lower portions of the UE and WB.
Without Tricos the waxwings were nowhere to be see. There wasn't a bug of any kind for a good hour. Noticed a waxwing over the water and within minutes started to see...
Without Tricos the waxwings were nowhere to be see. There wasn't a bug of any kind for a good hour. Noticed a waxwing over the water and within minutes started to see...
Fishing upgraded to Good.
Posted on July 25 2019
Back on the 6th of July I felt the need to downgrade the fishing to poor. At that time there were still dozens of boats on the water and wade fishermen everywhere. The big bug season had finally ended and the fish were badly beaten up. They rose infrequently, if at all and showed a reluctance to eat anything with a hook in it.
Today things have changed. There are far fewer boats and wade fishermen...
Today things have changed. There are far fewer boats and wade fishermen...
Who could ask for anything more?
Posted on July 24 2019
With the temp this morning in the 50's, I had time for breakfast before heading out to watch the trico mating dance and spinner fall which occurs when the temp hits about 69 degrees. The trico hatches have been nothing to write home about but if you watch where the waxwings are feeding you'll probably find trout under them waiting for what's left of the spinners when the waxwings get done. This...
After Wednesday the NY Times crosswords get tough.
Posted on July 23 2019
I am somewhat out of touch with the activity in the "sulfur zone" as I have always tried to avoid the most heavily fished areas of the system. However, sulfurs are supposed to hatch about 2:00 and go until 5:00, unless there is an extra release of cold water or cloudy skies, both of which keep the water cooler and delay the hatch, or there is warm rainwater or a cut back in the release either of...
The kind of July day only fishermen hope for.
Posted on July 22 2019
After the two very good days on Thursday and Friday I was anxious to get back to the river. The forecast calling for an all day rain with the temp in the 60's did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm. Set out about 2:30 and drove up the PA side. Saw a few little olives at Buckingham, more at Shehawken and quite a few at the 191 bridge in Hancock. Decided to try it on the lower WB and was glad I did....
Sometimes it don't come easy.
Posted on July 19 2019
With the weatherman calling for three 90 degree days in a row and the water temp at Lordville 66 degrees I gave the BR one last shot. Fished part way up to Stockport where the temp read 64 on my arrival and 65.5 on my departure. There were a few olives and some spinners, I caught rainbows on both (two each). Was wringing wet by the time I got back to the car at 10:30.
Worked around the camp until...
Worked around the camp until...
A tale of two rivers.
Posted on July 18 2019
Today I split time between the WB and the UE.
Fished the WB between the game lands and monument. It was foggy with some drizzle, an olive kind of day. There were olives, not a big hatch where they cover the water but enough to get fish rising. Fished from 1:15 until 4:30, saw one boat and one other angler. Did I catch trout? You betcha. Now ask me how big they were? Not very. Early I rose several...
Fished the WB between the game lands and monument. It was foggy with some drizzle, an olive kind of day. There were olives, not a big hatch where they cover the water but enough to get fish rising. Fished from 1:15 until 4:30, saw one boat and one other angler. Did I catch trout? You betcha. Now ask me how big they were? Not very. Early I rose several...
A day away from the crowd.
Posted on July 17 2019
With the rain eliminating lawn watering responsibility what was I to do but go fishing. Tried the upper reaches of the BR that was, with the aid of the thermal release, in the low 60s on the PA side. Fished with a spinner, iso and steno for an hour without seeing a rise. Saw an olive float down the river and then a couple in the air. Put one on and was immediately into fish. Lost them (6 straight)...
Tricos, thunderstorms and snow days.
Posted on July 16 2019
Went out early this morning in search of Tricos. I found some. Not nearly enough to interest the fish but it shouldn't be long. They sent another thermal release down the WB and after the last time I wasn't going to be suckered into waiting for the bugs to hatch and fish to feed.
Back at camp by 10:00, I spent the rest of the morning completing the deer proof fortress around my $7.00 plum tree....
Back at camp by 10:00, I spent the rest of the morning completing the deer proof fortress around my $7.00 plum tree....
Sometimes it isn't easy being me.
Posted on July 15 2019
If anyone wants to fish the Upper East in total solitude the time is now. Except for the two cars parked in the Thayer Hollow pull off (perhaps a tryst) there was no one on the river. You can also rest assured that you won't be bothered by bugs (there weren't any). Fished there in three different pools, two of which required long walks, and caught one 14 inch hatchery brown for my efforts. My log...
Fishing the dog days of summer.
Posted on July 15 2019
Returned to camp this afternoon primarily to water the new grass. At 7:30, with everything watered down, I decided to see if I could find a few rising fish. Tried a riff in the lower WB that I hadn't fished yet this season. There was one angler on his way back to the car when I got there and I never saw another fisherman. I also didn't see any bugs or rising fish. Had several fish eat blind casts...
From 9:00 'til dark, it ain't bad.
Posted on July 12 2019
It's the end of the week and I decided to do a split day, opting to skip the mid afternoon madness of the "sulphur zone". Started at the lower gamelands (my first visit this year) and fished about an hour and a half. Never saw a bug or a rise. Reeled it in and started up the trail to the car. Ran into a Troutfitter regular heading down the trail and convinced him to do a 180 and head somewhere...
Moonlighting on the West Branch.
Posted on July 11 2019
Got so caught up in my rant about drift boaters violating my space that I forgot about last nights moonlight fishing experience. Once or twice a year things fall into place. You need a bright enough waxing moon (over half) but not so full that it isn't over the hills at dark. You need a good spinner fall that has the fish up and gulping. You need to be on a part of the river facing the western...
It's not my fault - I didn't know.
Posted on July 10 2019
One of the first things I do each morning is to check water flows and temps. It is an important step in deciding where I'm going to fish. This morning I knew where I was going to fish and never even turned on my PC. Went to one of my favorite morning places, it's a long walk but usually well worth it. This morning, not so much. There were no bugs and no risers. The water seemed colder (50) and...
How to catch big fish on the WB in July.
Posted on July 09 2019
There is no question that the WB has more and bigger fish than any other part of the river system. During the big bug season anglers flock to it in hopes of catching that elusive twenty incher. Upwards of forty boats a day were on the river most days from mid April into early June. Due to the high water and the flotilla of drift boats most wade fishermen didn't even attempt to fish the WB during...
It's time to adapt to conditions - or - take up golf.
Posted on July 08 2019
We are now into early/mid summer fishing. It happened rapidly as we had high water and drakes 'til the end of June. With the lowering of the releases came hot sun. The lower BK and the BE should not be fished. The water temps have been consistently above 70 and the fish are migrating to thermal refuges. The Big River is day to day. The river from Buckingham down is too warm to fish. Above...
Poor is a relative term.
Posted on July 06 2019
I've fished six days this week. The first five days I never hooked, let alone landed a fish over 16 inches. This time of year most of the big browns stop feeding on top and the rainbow population this year is mostly younger fish. But still, to not hook at least on big one is unusual. Today things changed a bit.
Fished above Hale Eddy in the morning. More for peace and quiet (boats don't usually...
Fished above Hale Eddy in the morning. More for peace and quiet (boats don't usually...