Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
I Feel Lucky.
Posted on June 05 2026
Tried a triple header today and am not likely to try one again. Morning trip was to the EB in town. It proved to be just as barren of bugs and rising fish as was the trip to the top of the EB last night. Came back to the fishing...
Sometimes Being Alone In The Pool, Means You're In The Wrong Place
Posted on June 04 2026
It was an interesting day. There were no drift boats or wade fishermen above Balls Eddy except for those addicted to the river between Cold Springs Brook and Butler Brook, (AKA the Red Barn area). Stepped into the river above Hale Eddy about 3:00 and was surprised to find bugs...
It's Got To Be The Going, Not The Getting There That'Good.
Posted on June 03 2026
After spending Sunday cutting up and removing three dead Ash trees that had fallen last winter and were either on mowed areas or were blocking access roads, I spent Monday dealing with car salesmen. Love my wife and enjoy spending time with her, but boy, was I glad to get...
This, That, And The Other Thing.
Posted on June 01 2026
Said good-by to Mark this morning, spent an hour or so lending order to the Lordville Estate, packed the dirty clothes and two bags of trash in the car and headed for home. It was a good, but not great, week of fishing. Long time readers know I try to...
You Earn Every Fish You Catch On The Delaware.
Posted on May 31 2026
With a cold north wind predicted to blow in the twenties, my first priority as guide/host was to get us out of the wind. In this endeavor I did fairly well. Started out on the BK, (which was crowded with weekend warriors), at a place that had two pools, about...
boom, Boom, BOOM !!!
Posted on May 30 2026
Resolved to stop driving up the price of gas by spending several hours each day going from stream to stream just to look at water with neither bugs, nor rising fish. Did take a short trip up to East Branch to see if there was anything happening in 200cfs of...
Fiss, boom, BAH.
Posted on May 29 2026
Left the Lordville Estate before11:00, hoping to find bugs and rising fish. Fished the EB, BK, EB, (again), and the WB, without seeing bugs or risers. Used the last of our timeouts to stop the clock and eat our sandwiches, during our lunch break, was reminded by the windshield wipers...
It's A Slow Fuse.
Posted on May 28 2026
Launched Mark's boat early enough to lead the parade down river from Buckingham where there were wade fishermen casting at rising trout. We saw almost no flies hatching or spinners on the water but there were fish rising. Hooked a nice rainbow and several fall fish in the slow water...
The Fuse Is Lit.
Posted on May 27 2026
The river system is a time bomb, I just don't know when its going to explode. Left the fishing camp about 12:00 and drove up the PA side hoping to find bugs and rising fish. There were March Browns hatching and fish rising at Buckingham but the boats already launched...
I've Looked At Clouds From Both Sided Now - - -
Posted on May 26 2026
Returned to the Lordville Estate today not having missed fishing in 45 degree rain one bit, until I heard reports of heavy Hendrickson hatches in Deposit, March Browns all over the UEB, and March Browns, Invaria, and rising fish on the BR. Got the food in the fridge, the clothes...
Let Me Tell You Where Its At.
Posted on May 25 2026
For the past week or two reports have been posted about sightings of Gray Foxes, Invaria, (spring sulfurs), and Isos. Yes, I've seen a few Gray Foxes and Invarias on the freestones but nothing that would constitute a hatch occurred where I was. Thursday in the lower WB the hatch...
Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why - - - -
Posted on May 24 2026
Friday night I typed the "Round, Round Get Around, I Get Around" page. Those of you on the pay side who read the posting late at night or early the next morning before it shows up on the Troutfitter page, know that I didn't post it until Saturday morning. Throughout...
Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why - - - -
Posted on May 24 2026
Friday night I typed the "Round, Round Get Around, I Get Around" page. Those of you on the pay side who read the posting late at night or early the next morning before it shows up on the Troutfitter page, know that I didn't post it until Saturday morning. Throughout...
Round, Round Get Around, I Get Around
Posted on May 23 2026
It was an interesting day to say the least. Yesterday I fished a Hendrickson hatch in the afternoon and a modest caddis spinner fall in the evening, went 10 for 10 which gave me my first "win" on the Delaware this season. Today I fished in two places in the...
Sometimes It's Not How Well You Play The Game, But How Long You Keep Playing.
Posted on May 22 2026
It's become obvious to me by reading our angler's comments, that the A-119 team is getting badly out fished by the group of photo happy, bobber rigging guides over at the DRC. I may or may not have previously mentioned that there have been no "Got This One On A...
Today, The Fragile Magic Was Gone.
Posted on May 21 2026
Frustrated by the trout's behavior during the Hendrickson hatch yesterday, I decided to spend the time more productively today. Jean reported, that it was raining in Lafayette while we were talking this morning. Told her, I had sunshine and 78 degrees. Knew the rain was coming so as soon as...
Spinner Falls Are Oftentimes Well Worth Waiting For.
Posted on May 20 2026
My plan today was simple, fish the Hendricksons above Hale Eddy on the WB this afternoon, and try to find a spinner fall of some kind on the WB this evening. So what did I do this morning? Tied some March Brown emergers that I had success with the past...
Just Wishin' And Hopin' -
Posted on May 19 2026
Got a late start this morning what with having to drive into town to pick up provisions for the week and to continue the process, (started Saturday), of attempting to buy a new car. Was on 81 heading south a little after 10:00, arriving at the Lordville Estate just after...
A Special Place To Be.
Posted on May 18 2026
I almost never post twice on a weekend when I'm not fishing, but I was so moved by both the number and quality of the comments today that I just had to say thank you to everyone who takes time to share their thoughts and experiences while on the river. ...
May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your - - - -
Posted on May 17 2026
With a beautiful weekend on tap, a Hendrickson hatch in full bloom in Deposit, the freestones out of the doldrums, (but still a challenge to wade), and a plethora of anglers anxious to get on the river, it's not hard to imagine this being a record breaking weekend for both...
There's Lots of Fish In The River, Give'em All A Chance To Eat Your Flies
Posted on May 16 2026
With a beautiful forecast for the weekend and the Hendricksons finally arriving above Hale Eddy in numbers, I felt there was sure to be more than enough drift boats and wade fishermen on the WB. I decided to try the BK which at 900 cfs is no piece of cake...
You Never Know Until You Go.
Posted on May 15 2026
Let's be clear about a few things. Hendricksons don't hatch when the water is too cold. I've gone out twice when I hoped the sun would shine enough to get the bugs hatching and caught a total of one fish, and one of those times was yesterday. Today was colder...
Yesterday All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away - - -
Posted on May 14 2026
Yesterday was a day to remember, a blizzard apple caddis hatch that was so thick you can't help but wonder how all the nymphs could possibly fit on the stream bottom, followed by very good hatches of paraleps and Hendricksons. Every fish in the river was up feeding on the...
Sometimes It's Best To Join The Crowd.
Posted on May 13 2026
If anyone thought the Hendricksons were in trouble, think again. I spent the last 10 days of April looking for them on the freestones and didn't find them. The apple caddis that are supposed to appear about the middle of the Hendrickson hatch, came and went, and still no Hendricksons. ...
Changes, Keep On Changin' And The Good Old Days They Say They're Gone - - -
Posted on May 12 2026
Do any of you understand why it's good to have a Joe Btfsplk, (who, beside Ed S. remembers who Joe B. was, or why Li'l Abner was cancelled), contributing to the blog? He's said lots of things that we all know are true, the Delaware system is more crowded than...
Not Every Fishing Report Is Lucky Enough To Have It's Own Joe Btfsplk.
Posted on May 11 2026
Was taken by surprise when I looked at the stream flows this morning, either the weatherman forgot to mention that the river system would get an inch of rain yesterday, or, I forgot to look at the forecast. At any rate, the only part of the system that could be...
Doc Says I Can Still Buy Green Bananas!
Posted on May 09 2026
Left the Lordville Estate at 7:15 this morning. Why? My GP spends Mondays with his grandchildren, so I have to get my annual physical on a Friday. The good news is that he scheduled me again for next year. It was cold, windy and rainy on the drive home this...
Maybe It's The Summer Sulfur Season When I Only Have To Write Three Paragraphs.
Posted on May 08 2026
Nobody ever accused me of being smart, but today for sure, I was smarter than yesterday. A front blew through two days ago while we were fishing, dropped the temp from 78 to 63, but it stayed in the 60's all night. Never gave the water temp a thought in...
It's Not A Skunking If You Don't Even Cast.
Posted on May 07 2026
It's 5:14, the Perfect Manhattan is on the table beside me. Mark headed for home at 8:30 this morning, (he hates fishing in the rain), and should arrive within the next couple of hours. Did a little house work this morning and intended to take it easy and limit my...
Old Friends, They Mean Much More To Me Than The New Friends Do - - - -
Posted on May 06 2026
Today was the last day of Mark's trip. We left camp at about 1:00 with the hope of finding bugs somewhere above Hale Eddy. We did not. Stopped at numerous places where we looked for both bugs and rising trout, nada. It is strange to see, what is the most...
It's On, Even If No One Wants To Say So.
Posted on May 05 2026
Back down to the Lordville Estate by 11:30 this morning after a quiet weekend home with Jean. Bill Gross who has done our shuttles, said he did 145 shuttles this weekend. So far Bill Peterman is the only fisherman who bothered to file a report. Mark floated amidst the West...
I Love Mayfly Hatches!
Posted on May 02 2026
Mark departed early this morning for a family reunion celebrating his mom's ninetieth birthday, (if Mark shows you this, Happy 90ith Carol Hellen). Woke to a frost covered back yard with the thermometer on the back porch at 31 degrees. With bright sun the frost quickly disappeared and I was...
After Two Days Of Fishing, Mark Has Still Not Caught A Fish AS Small As His Biggest Fish Of The Year On The South Holston.
Posted on May 01 2026
The rain didn't stop this morning until after I was finished with breakfast. It was a cold rain, (the red stuff in the thermometer on the porch couldn't get above 44). The forecast for today was grim, high of 49, with winds out of the north at 10 to 15....
Every Day's A New Day.
Posted on April 30 2026
After spending Tuesday mostly driving around looking for rivers we couldn't find, Mark and I decided to save gas, pay for a shuttle, and float an area where we felt certain there would be a good caddis spinner fall. A Hendrickson hatch would be a nice bonus, but if we...
If You Don't Mind An Ass Kicking, Come Join The Fun.
Posted on April 29 2026
My long suffering bonefish partner Mark showed up lastnight, mostly because his family was gathering in Syracuse to celebrate his Mom's 90th birthday and the Lordville Estate is right on the way. Coincidentally my GHOF was also on the river fishing with his son Adrian. The good news is that...
Without A Hendrickson Hatch, Catching Early Season Trout Becomes Challenge.
Posted on April 28 2026
First of all, thanks to everyone who jumped in with their on river experiences, it all helps to form a more accurate picture of what is happening. The past two years have produced very few stories of heavy Hendrickson hatches, which is concerning. I've found fishable Hendrickson's both years on...
So How'd Everybody Do This Weekend?
Posted on April 27 2026
It's 6:10 on Monday morning, I'm at the breakfast table catching up on the fishing reports, and no one has posted a comment on the weekend fishing. In fact only the assoc. editors, Rich T. and Smitty have filed reports so far this year. I will not be found standing...
It'll Take More Than Three Shirts to Keep you Warm Tomorrow!
Posted on April 25 2026
Left the Lordville Estate at 1:30 today, drove up the PA side of the river. There were four boats in sight below the Lordville bridge and over a dozen between Lordville and Buckingham. Both the Buckingham and Shehawken launch sites were packed with cars and trailers. The One Bug Tournament...
It's Only Just Begun.
Posted on April 24 2026
Today was not what I expected. If I'm not mistaken, it's just Thursday, yet both Shehawken and Buckingham were filled with both trailers and cars. Why? Probably because it's been a long cold winter and people just want to get out and do something. Reports of bug hatches can, and...
It's Got To Be The Goin' Not The Gettin' There That's Good.
Posted on April 23 2026
Today the weatherman made choosing where to fish more complicated than it should have been. The predicted high was 60 degrees. All the rivers should have had water temps over 50 degrees today, (Hendrickson hatching water). The day dawned with a heavy overcast and a few drops of rain. When,...
It Was A Great Day To Be Alive!
Posted on April 22 2026
Spent Saturday watching our youngest granddaughter's new lacrosse team (Cortland) demolish another hapless opponent. They have won most of their league games by such a comfortable margin that Alana and the other freshmen have gotten to play most, if not all, of the fourth quarter in almost every game. It...
Splish splash, I was taking a bath - - -
Posted on April 18 2026
Resigned to my designated driver role, I set out at 1:30 this afternoon, made cursory stops at the BE and the BK, not really expecting to see anything, and I didn't. Continued straight up 17 to the Neversink arriving at 2:30. Pulled up facing the river with the intent of...
Our Day Will Come
Posted on April 17 2026
Started the day early, as I had an 8:30 appointment for an oil change and tire rotation at Craig's, CL Repair across the bridge in Equinunk. Arrived ten minutes early, and Craig was taking care for Boris, one of my Lordville neighbors. Oil change and tire rotation went smoothly and...
Don't Stop Believe 'in
Posted on April 16 2026
With my printer refusing to print crosswords and sudokus, there was not much more for me to do today, but go for another drive and talk with anglers, (mostly my age), who were all happy to still upright and above ground, out experiencing some of the most beautiful weather imaginable...
There's No Tick-Tock On Your Electric Clock, But Still - - -
Posted on April 15 2026
Did yard cleanup work until noon, made a sandwich and took off for another ride. Managed to look at the EB and BK early, (lots of stone flies and micro caddis on the BK), before getting back on 17 and heading for the Neversink, where I put on my waders...
It Was A False Start
Posted on April 14 2026
Tended to some business items early this morning and was out the door at 11:15 with a car packed with enough food for the week. Dropped off some of our home grown tomatoes, (from Florida), at the Troutfitter, unpacked the car at the Lordville Estate and was back on the...
On Your Mark, Get Set - - - -
Posted on April 11 2026
Drove down to Deposit for a 9:15 haircut appointment at Vicky's on Thursday morning. Stopped at the Troutfitter to chat with Dave who said the streamer fishing from boats has produced some very big browns. By 11:30 I was unlocking the front door of the Lordville Estate. The yard had...
More than anyone needs to know about trigger fish.
Posted on April 09 2026
This will be short. Going down to the fishing camp tomorrow and will report on the fridge and hot water tank. John H asked about trigger fish. I've caught some in the keys on bait and yes, I've fished for them in the Bahamas. Found them to be not very...
We're All Just Travelers On The Road To Kingdom Come.
Posted on April 06 2026
Jean and I left Long Key Saturday morning at 2:45am, and within 5 minutes were in a line of five cars following a construction truck (they work on the roads at night), with blinking yellow lights, moving along US-1 at 35 mph. Got on the Florida Turnpike at 4:00am and...
Homeward Bound
Posted on April 01 2026
Surprised myself and made it to 83 on Monday. Birthdays are something I no longer celebrate, but rather a day to assess the ravages of time on my aging carcass. It has occurred to me that I am now burying friends at roughly the same rate as I am becoming...