After a good 8 hours of fishing yesterday I slept until 8:00 this morning. With the late start I had to delete something from the schedule so I left the cover on the paint can. Drove along the river on the back side from Hale Eddy up to Deposit. Didn't see sulfurs or rising fish until the big pool below the town bridge. Seemed like the hatch was just starting so I kept on driving and ended up at...
Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
It's not my fault, I didn't know.
Posted on August 05 2020
As they say on another blog "Apparently it missed us or it all soaked into the ground". When I looked at the WB last night at 6:30 it was a muddy mess. When I looked out the camp window at 17,000 CFS of orange/brown muddy water in the BR this morning there was no need to change the report. At 12:30 when I drove over 5,000 CFS of orange/brown muddy water in the EB, I almost went back to the camp to...
Looks like I'll be painting tomorrow.
Posted on August 04 2020
We got what what we needed and then some. The last three months have all been well below average in rainfall and July was the hottest on record. The tribs were drying up, exposing yearlings and fingerlings to predators and thermal stress.
While the new flow regime has provided a huge thermal refuge in the BR by keeping the temp below 75 at Lordville, the EB and BK have suffered the lethal (to...
While the new flow regime has provided a huge thermal refuge in the BR by keeping the temp below 75 at Lordville, the EB and BK have suffered the lethal (to...
Will Isaias be a game changer on the Delaware?
Posted on August 03 2020
When things fall in place like they did last week (excepting Thursday morning) you just kinda assume that it's always going to be that way. You've forgotten about the Hendrickson winds, the rains that put the rivers off color and too high to wade, boats coming by every five minutes, the hatches that didn't come off and the fish that didn't feed.
Dave and Rick from the Troutfitter tried to fish...
Dave and Rick from the Troutfitter tried to fish...
Stats vs ouija board.
Posted on August 02 2020
Sitting home on a Sunday afternoon in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic there was ample time to tally up both June and July fishing results. The stats book I brought home only goes back to 2010 but even ten years is enough to put things into perspective.
As I anticipated both months were very good. June of 2020 was nosed out by June of 2011 by a mere 2 fish. July also finished second all time...
As I anticipated both months were very good. June of 2020 was nosed out by June of 2011 by a mere 2 fish. July also finished second all time...
It's Q and A time again.
Posted on August 01 2020
The comment section seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. While I enjoy reading the comments, the job of responding is becoming more onerous by the week. Will be attempting to lure someone off their $600.00 a week unemployment to work on the answers and do the typing.
Chris Z - The mousing craze has sure resulted in an increased demand for mouse patterns at the Troutfitter. It is a nighttime...
Chris Z - The mousing craze has sure resulted in an increased demand for mouse patterns at the Troutfitter. It is a nighttime...
Damn those fish counters, all of them.
Posted on July 31 2020
July is in the record books. It's sure to be one of the best for me in numbers of fish caught and one of the worst in percentage of fish over 17 inches. I'll pass along the relevant info when I've added things up.
With apologies to Ed Smith (and I'm sure many others), it's time to come clean. I'm a fish counter. I have kept journals for over 60 years and the information has proved invaluable on...
With apologies to Ed Smith (and I'm sure many others), it's time to come clean. I'm a fish counter. I have kept journals for over 60 years and the information has proved invaluable on...
Maybe it was the mayo on the ham sandwich ?
Posted on July 30 2020
With my wife coming down late this afternoon it was my plan to take in the afternoon sulfurs and skip the evening hatch. Was a little off my feed in the morning and decided to pass on today's hatch.
By eleven thirty I was tired of looking at Utube videos and doing crosswords. Went out and did the painting I had planned for the morning. By 2:30 I was ready to kick back in the recliner again.
Jean...
By eleven thirty I was tired of looking at Utube videos and doing crosswords. Went out and did the painting I had planned for the morning. By 2:30 I was ready to kick back in the recliner again.
Jean...
Love the sweet smell of - - -
Posted on July 29 2020
Got a call from a blog reader in North Carolina who wants to know when I'm gonna finish the paint job on the camp - he's tired of reading about it. He's also tired of me talking about how good our sulfur hatches are. He fishes the South Holston in Tennessee and that pretty much is their hatch. I've fished there and sometimes there are several sulfurs on the water at the same time. Said he has...
Sulfur fishing just can't get any better!
Posted on July 28 2020
Sulfur fishermen, there's just no excuse if you're not catching fish. There are two hatches. both about two and a half hours long. The hatches are heavy enough to get the fish up. Bright sun in the afternoon seems to limit the number of big fish that are up but the evening hatch gets 'em all going.
They are fussy, a lot of them refuse your flies, many are feeding subsurface and don't look up but...
They are fussy, a lot of them refuse your flies, many are feeding subsurface and don't look up but...
Wouldn't have it any other way.
Posted on July 27 2020
The timing worked out just right. Left Lafayette at 9:00 which gave me plenty of time to get down to Deposit and find an empty pool in the Sulfur Zone before the hatch. Turned out the first pool I looked at was empty, suited up and waded in. As has been the case all year it's either SRO or more pools than fishermen. Today it was the latter. An old river friend joined me and both of us meandered...
Q and A time.
Posted on July 25 2020
Chris Z. - My wife is in your corner. She has often reminded me that I have to be careful with my humor as not everyone always "gets it". She read the exchange in question and said she could see where someone might think it was being a bit sarcastic (I'm currently running ads in the personal columns for a new wife). The idea for the offending reply actually was spawned by the a post from several...
Fireworks brightens the evening sky in Hancock.
Posted on July 24 2020
It was an interesting day for me. Started out with a plan to fish from the Stilesville fisherman's parking lot down to the town bridge. The lot was full of cars and the river was full of fishermen. Paid to park at the red barn, four cars were there before me and two more came before I left the pool on my journey.
Fished the pool until the hatch got going and then made my way down river. It was...
Fished the pool until the hatch got going and then made my way down river. It was...
The lightning bugs are gone.
Posted on July 23 2020
Found time to paint the fascia board at the peak of the house where the electric comes in, two windows and the window section of the garage door. Also applied "Sedge Hammer" to the yellow nut sedge in the back yard. Left for fishing right at eleven hoping it wouldn't rain for four hours ( the time necessary for the Sedge Hammer to be rain proof).
Should have left earlier as both the sulfurs and...
Should have left earlier as both the sulfurs and...
Back in the "Zone" again.
Posted on July 22 2020
Back to business today. After yesterdays sorry performance I had the yard work done by eight and the painting by 10:30. Was on the stream with sulfurs and rising fish by 11:30. With all the action now in the sulfur zone there were both boats and wade fishermen in every pool. Picked a place where there was room to work around the fishermen without interfering with their fishing. Early in the hatch...
You know it don't come easy.
Posted on July 21 2020
After my rather full day yesterday I was a little late answering the bell this morning. Savored the new peach jam, had an extra cup of coffee and didn't climb the ladder to paint until almost eleven. Lunch wasn't until 2:00 and I still had to contact cement felts onto a pair of my wading booties. Never gave the afternoon sulfurs a thought. The evening fishing has been so good there was no need to...
Peach jam on my toast in the morning.
Posted on July 20 2020
It's been a long but satisfying day. Left the "Lordville Estate" with my load of peaches at 7:00 this morning. Arrived home at 8:45, had breakfast and then Jean and I did the peach jam. I'm sure that any canners who are reading this will be glad to know that all 24 lids sealed (love each one's little pop) and that the jam "set", will try some tomorrow morning. The entire canning project (4...
If you don't go, you'll never know.
Posted on July 19 2020
The early peach tree peaches are ripe and I drove down to pick them. Will be making peach jam back home in Lafayette tomorrow. A late freeze killed most all of the blossoms but there should still be enough peaches to make about a dozen jars. It is hot, by the time I picked the peaches and watered the orchids I was soaking wet. Porch thermometer in partial shade said 95, on the way to Deposit the...
Its' that time again.
Posted on July 18 2020
Home recovering from a very enjoyable week on the river. Somehow I'm never too hot to sleep after standing in 50 degree water for six hours. Not so in Lafayette.
Fred Z. - Good to hear you're still a loyal reader. I never have kept track of the miles. I start from home with a full tank (down and back equals about 2/3's of a tank) and I always have to fill up once during the week. Sometimes need...
Fred Z. - Good to hear you're still a loyal reader. I never have kept track of the miles. I start from home with a full tank (down and back equals about 2/3's of a tank) and I always have to fill up once during the week. Sometimes need...
All's well that ends well.
Posted on July 17 2020
It's Friday. I'm a little tired, the painting project has been adding 3 hours a day to my "work" schedule and it didn't disappoint me one bit to wake up this morning to a drizzle that cancelled both the painting and any other outside projects that might have been farther down the "To Do" list. It was time to get my fishing gear organized.
Went out to the car and got my olive box and two of the...
Went out to the car and got my olive box and two of the...
The sweet smell of heifers at the pasture pool
Posted on July 16 2020
Spent the morning doing prep work on some of the trim that was peeling and did a permanent fix on the suspected bat entrance hole. All dirty nasty work that took longer than expected. By the time I finished, cleaned up, had lunch and tied a dozen flies it was 2:15. The cloudy skies led one to believe that the afternoon sulfurs would be late and they were. By the time I arrived the wade fishermen...
Cleansed.
Posted on July 15 2020
Those of you who have read the blog for several years probably know that I'm not a big fan of fishing "The Sulfur Zone". Why? It's far too crowded with drift boaters and wade fishermen, the carnival like atmosphere is not to my liking, the fish have been beaten to a pulp and finally because I just get bored fishing the same pools over and over again.
Yesterday was not much fun for me. Couldn't...
Yesterday was not much fun for me. Couldn't...
Never drive past an empty pool in the No Kill, during sulfur season.
Posted on July 14 2020
After the weekend off and a short day (of fishing) yesterday, I was anxious to get after it today. Finished my mandated three hours of painting (gutters and screens), cleaned up, ate lunch and headed out at 1:00. Drove up to Deposit and just plain couldn't find a place to fish. It wasn't crazy crowded and other people would have squeezed in somewhere but I like room to roam and what passes for...
Angler 119's day.
Posted on July 13 2020
It turned out to be an interesting day for me. Went out in our wood lot to harvest some Chanterelle mushrooms that had come up after the Friday/ Saturday rain. Was stung by a bee while walking on a two plank wide foot bridge. One of our granddaughters was stung while walking on the same bridge 12 years ago. Both times the bees had built a hive on the underside of the planking.
Went to the...
Went to the...
This'n , that and the other thing.
Posted on July 11 2020
Dennis - You are at least in the game having both bugs and rising fish. If you are getting fish to come to your fly but refusing to eat it, you have joined the ranks of summer sulfur fishermen. If the fish aren't coming to your fly it's either the fly or the cast. Summer sulfurs are small (think 18s and 20s). The cast has to drift drag free down the trouts two inch wide feeding lane. If you've...
It's my party, you can - - -
Posted on July 10 2020
Had a party at the No Kill in Deposit with an old friend today. We didn't plan it, we just ended up there at the same time. There were some no shows, early departures and some late arrivals. For starters the sun never made an appearance, neither did the usual Friday afternoon onslaught of fisherman (perhaps quelled by the flash flood watch). Early departures included almost all of the fishermen...
Slopping the hogs.
Posted on July 09 2020
With the temp predicted to go into the 90's, I decided on a plan. Take the day off from the painting project, mow the grass, tie sulfurs and spend the rest of the day standing in the coldest water the WB had to offer.
Plan went like clockwork, tied flies until the lawn dried, mowed, ate lunch and headed to the upper WB. Was in the water at 2:00 and didn't come out until 6:00. The hatch was slow...
Plan went like clockwork, tied flies until the lawn dried, mowed, ate lunch and headed to the upper WB. Was in the water at 2:00 and didn't come out until 6:00. The hatch was slow...
Thunder storms shorten my day.
Posted on July 08 2020
Went up to Deposit about 1:00 today and found an empty pool right off the bat. It's a pool that is heavily fished by the "They bite, they die." crowd in April and the number of big fish is limited. It's mostly one and two year olds but there's lots of them. The trick is to pay close attention to the rises and throw only at the two year olds. It's a good way to improve both your ability to see...
Time to gird my loins.
Posted on July 07 2020
Over thought the sulfur hatch time problem this morning. With a cloudy, cooler day forecast I thought that the water would take longer to warm up and the hatch would be later. Arrived at a pool with hatching sulfurs at 1:30, only trouble was they had been hatching for over an hour. Hatch was basically over by 3:00.
The river that was deserted yesterday was crowded with both boats and anglers...
The river that was deserted yesterday was crowded with both boats and anglers...
Self isolation can be very nice.
Posted on July 06 2020
With Friday having been a one fish day, and Saturday and Sunday having been spent painting (with my wife's help), I was anxious to get back to fishing. At the very least, the cold water would feel good. Finished the mandated three hours of painting by 10:30. It was my intention to be in the coldest part of the WB by 11:00 just in case there were sulfurs and they came early.
As is often the case,...
As is often the case,...
This and that.
Posted on July 04 2020
With three hours of painting to get in before my wife's arrival for the annual Lordville 4th of July parade there was little thought given to fishing. It's hot and the fish are tough to catch. Will attack them with a new array of flies, probably on Monday. We polished off a 300 piece crossword puzzle (child's play), then took a drive up to the Beaverkill to fill my water jugs and look for trout in...
There's no skunk in my waders.
Posted on July 03 2020
With the heat wave predicted to continue for a week or more I decided to try a split day. Took advantage of the cool water on the PA side of the upper BR . Fished two hours, never saw a bug hatch, saw one fish rise (he then came up and refused my caddis), and rose two fish blind casting. The first fish (a 17 inch rainbow) ate my spinner and sent the skunk skulking back into the woods. The second...
The immaculate conception.
Posted on July 03 2020
With a forecast for ten days of relentless heat, I decided to work on the painting project and forego the afternoon fishing.
For all I know the sulfurs might have hatched like crazy this afternoon. All I do know is that there has been a very good sulfur spinner fall every night for over a week. The time of the hatch remains a mystery but there can't be spinner falls without hatching.
Left camp at...
For all I know the sulfurs might have hatched like crazy this afternoon. All I do know is that there has been a very good sulfur spinner fall every night for over a week. The time of the hatch remains a mystery but there can't be spinner falls without hatching.
Left camp at...
It was the pulse!
Posted on July 01 2020
The lawn needed mowing, the trim painting project is on going and the weather forecast said 80% chance of rain. When the sun burned through the fog and the lawn dried, I mowed and painted. When the sulfurs come like they did yesterday you only need to fish seven 'till dark to have a good day.
Got done with the work (forgot to mix new fly float and to tie more flies) and went out about 4:30. Got...
Got done with the work (forgot to mix new fly float and to tie more flies) and went out about 4:30. Got...
Who needs olives anyway.
Posted on July 01 2020
Awakened Tuesday morning to a steady rain that put the kibosh on the paint job and moved lawn mowing to the top of the list for tomorrow. Spent the morning tying up some killer sulfurs. A counterclockwise rotation of moisture laden clouds kept it raining in one or more places most of the day. A raincoat was required at all times.
Seemed like a good olive day from the get go - it wasn't. Drove...
Seemed like a good olive day from the get go - it wasn't. Drove...
Adrenalin is no friend of the dry fly fisherman.
Posted on June 29 2020
Returned to the "Lordville Estate" after a relaxing weekend back in Lafayette. Arrived at 8:30 this morning and painted until noon. Had lunch and got occupied putting the food and clean clothes away, filling bird feeders, watering the orchids and before I knew it it was 2:00.
Set out for the WB where I enjoyed good fishing last week. First stop was one of my secret places - the Hale Eddy Bridge....
Set out for the WB where I enjoyed good fishing last week. First stop was one of my secret places - the Hale Eddy Bridge....
For what it's worth.
Posted on June 28 2020
Last Sunday the weekend crew attempted to answer questions that had come in as well a thank those who had left comments. It resulted in the publication of a half written page and required Dave's computer skills to straighten out on Monday morning. Hopefully they do a better job today.
Chris Z and Kip H - When I write of the UE I'm talking of the East Branch from Downsville to East Branch. It...
Chris Z and Kip H - When I write of the UE I'm talking of the East Branch from Downsville to East Branch. It...
The sulfurs are hatching (and their spinners are falling).
Posted on June 26 2020
Cooler days and hatching sulfurs have fishing on an upswing. The water levels are excellent for wading while challenging for drift boaters. All fishermen and guides should refrain from fishing the BR below Stockport and on most days even fishing below junction pool should be avoided. A significant rise in the water combined with cooler temps would sure be welcomed by all.
Painting (and cleanup)...
Painting (and cleanup)...
Afternoon sulfurs were seen on the upper WB
Posted on June 25 2020
The trim painting seems to be settling in as a morning job. Since I didn't like painting in near 90 degree heat mid afternoon, the decision was an easy one. With the freestones (BK, BE and BR) up in the 70 most of the day, the fish have either left the rivers or are in thermal refuges and should not be fished to. The two branches are full of both fish and cold water . The water is so cold that...
Fish perked up with weather change.
Posted on June 24 2020
The rain early this morning amounted to little more than a heavy dew. The rivers didn't come up but the air changed. It was noticeably cooler with a very nice breeze. Spent the morning working on my trim painting project and didn't get serious about fishing until almost seven in the evening.
Drove up to Deposit and found plenty of room to fish (had a pool to my self). There were a few stenos...
Drove up to Deposit and found plenty of room to fish (had a pool to my self). There were a few stenos...
Should have spent more time painting today.
Posted on June 23 2020
Went out this morning and fished two places on the WB that I haven't fished in several weeks, one above Hale Eddy and one in the middle section. There was a pulse of about 750 cfs sent down the river from Cannonsville yesterday to help cool the BR. The flow was back down in the WB this morning but the water was in the low 50's and there was no hatching or rising.
This evening I drove up the UE...
This evening I drove up the UE...
100.4 temperature recorded in the Arctic yesterday!
Posted on June 22 2020
It's summer, the calendar says so and so do the temps, in fact they've been saying so for at least a week. It's been very hot, dry and sunny and the flows in all of the rivers have dropped, while the water temps have soared. The river system that just a few days ago offered fishermen over 80 miles of fishing has shrunken to a mere 30.
The latest flow regime which was instituted last year with the...
The latest flow regime which was instituted last year with the...
The longest day revisited again.
Posted on June 22 2020
For many people who share the outdoors in the shadow of the Great Lake's, June 21st is the melancholy beginning of the long downward march of ever shortening days that leads to the clouds and gloom of November and December in upstate New York. Yes, it's the longest day but the tide has turned. You won't notice it at first but you'll be getting done fishing a little earlier each night, the birds...
Paying Homage
Posted on June 21 2020
On r&r at home paying bills and mowing grass. Spent a few minutes looking back at comments (some of you sneak them in a day or two late and I miss them). The number of positive comments is gratifying. In the six years I've been writing there have only been a couple of drift boaters that might have been a tad sarcastic (don't blame them a bit - we see sometimes see things differently).
One of the...
One of the...
Oops a daisy.
Posted on June 21 2020
Someone in the publication department here at Angler 119 inadvertently hit the publish button on an untitled, unedited and unfinished blog page. An internal investigation has been launched and once uncovered the wrongdoer will be terminated (we take our jobs here seriously).
The blog page entitled "Paying homage" can be seen in its entirety by Googling "Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report"...
The blog page entitled "Paying homage" can be seen in its entirety by Googling "Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report"...
Hang in there.
Posted on June 19 2020
With the freestones near the 70 degree cut off point I decided to go early and try Junction pool. Seven cars in the lot at 8:00 changed my mind. Went further upstream and got into feeding fish. After starting out 1/4, I settled down and landed some fish. Finally managed to get one of the big rainbows that have had no trouble shaking free of the hook, into the net.
Was back at the camp by 10:30...
Was back at the camp by 10:30...
Learn to love 12 inch fish.
Posted on June 18 2020
As most regular readers know, it is unlikely you will find me in any of the "A" spots where drift boaters line up both to launch and to take out. Crowds on the river are not my thing.
That said - This morning I took it on the chin fishing not one but two places on the freestones. The water temps were ok (this morning) and I knew there would be no boats and few if any waders. Was right on all of...
That said - This morning I took it on the chin fishing not one but two places on the freestones. The water temps were ok (this morning) and I knew there would be no boats and few if any waders. Was right on all of...
Mamma said "There'd be days like this".
Posted on June 17 2020
This morning was a carbon copy of yesterday, in the forties at dawn, bright blue skies and little to no wind. Picked another riff on the BE and waded in. There were olive spinners over the water and the fish were already going. Man were they going but not for spinners. The rises were all splashy and one right after another. Couldn't see a thing on the water or hatching. Perhaps fry? Really don't...
We could do with an all day drizzle.
Posted on June 17 2020
First time in four days that I have gotten to fish a "full day" which right now translates into both a morning and evening trip.
With the cool early morning temps there was no rush to be on the stream. Arrived about 10:00 and found spinners dancing over the riff but no trout rising. Within half an hour there were spinners (sulfurs and olives) on the water and trout up. Had risers to fish to from...
With the cool early morning temps there was no rush to be on the stream. Arrived about 10:00 and found spinners dancing over the riff but no trout rising. Within half an hour there were spinners (sulfurs and olives) on the water and trout up. Had risers to fish to from...
It's time for the sulfurs to start doing their thing.
Posted on June 15 2020
Left my annual eye exam at 3:30 happy with the knowledge that my corrected vision is still 20/15 in both eyes. Walked out of the office into the bright sunshine with dilated pupils as big as Owl's eyes. Figured I'd do great about 9:15, when it got dark and I wasn't far wrong.
Stopped at the Troutfitter in Deposit to catch up with the latest fishing news. Buckingham was reportedly full of...
Stopped at the Troutfitter in Deposit to catch up with the latest fishing news. Buckingham was reportedly full of...