Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report
Too Many Peaches, Plenty Of Bugs, Paucity Of Rising Fish.
Posted on June 12 2024
Was in no hurry to do yard work this morning. It was both cool and wet. Fixed my malfunctioning garage door, finished the novel I was reading, and had lunch before climbing the step ladder to continue my assault on the over abundant peaches. The peaches are only about the...
The Fish Have Upped Their Game!
Posted on June 11 2024
Old Business - Before moving on to today's fishing, we have some items from last weeks Wind Knots page to clear up. A tip of the cap to Jim Dygert who not only thought the title "Gone, Gone ---" was a song, but dug out the original by the Ripchords....
Wind Knots And Tailing Loops.
Posted on June 09 2024
It's been almost two weeks since the last Wind Knots post and to my surprise there have been several questions. Kirk S. - If you read my June first post, you will probably realize that you also encountered the "Hatch from Hell", (tiny little black caddis). Ed S. Reported lots...
I Lost My Magic Wand.
Posted on June 08 2024
There was no plan to fish this morning, had to stake the tomatoes, refence the blueberry bush, and mow the lawn. While mowing, I saw that the peach tree boughs had bent over far enough for the deer to jump up and grab the limbs. I've never seen so many...
Gone, Gone, Gone The Bugs Are Gone, Gone, Gone.
Posted on June 07 2024
With the possible exception of the UEB, and I'm not going over there to check, the Big Bug season is in the rear view mirror. It's been ten days since I've seen a green drake on the river, although I did see a brown drake on my porch screens Monday....
Love Fishing For Side Channel Browns.
Posted on June 06 2024
Spent Tuesday crossing long neglected items off the to-do list, cleaned the camp, made a trip to the dump, (a cathartic experience), and drove home in time to pick up Jean at the airport. Her plane arrived at 5:30 so we stopped on the way home for what turned out...
So You Wanna Chase 'Bows.
Posted on June 04 2024
If you want the thrills that come with hooking into a 16 inch long rocket ship, (aka a Delaware River Rainbow), you have to be prepared for the heartbreaks and disappointments that come with it. Rainbows come unstuck and break off much more often than their stodgy relatives, the Browns....
It Really Doesn't Matter - -
Posted on June 03 2024
After yesterday's split day and the 2:00am leg cramps that came with it, I decided to take it easy today. Did a little minor yard work, tackled some of my crossword backlog, drank lots of fluids, and tied flies. About 3:30 I drove up to Deposit, stopping on the way...
Difficult Wading And The Hatch From Hell.
Posted on June 02 2024
Got a late start this morning but it didn't hurt my fishing one bit. There were olive spinners over the riff and fish rising everywhere when I arrived at 10:30. An hour later when both the spinner fall and the rising were over, I had landed one 11 inch rainbow....
Walk Away Joe.
Posted on June 01 2024
Once again my efforts this morning resulted in the netting of but one fish, however, things were a lot different from my previous efforts. For one thing, there were bugs hatching, not a good hatch of anything, but caddis, cornuta, isos and gray foxes enough to get fish up and...
Thank The Lord For The Nighttime, Forget The Day - - -
Posted on May 31 2024
Went home yesterday to say goodbye to Jean. She flew out this morning on a six am flight to Ft. Meyers to visit our daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law. We left the house at 4:00am and I gave consideration to heading down to Lordvile from the airport. Aborted that plan (it's...
The Answer Is Blowin" In The Wind.
Posted on May 29 2024
It's 9:55pm, my Perfect Manhattan is sitting beside me along with chips and dip and I'm ready to write. Had to take care of the wet stuff first. Raincoat is hanging by the wood stove, vest is hanging over the back of a chair next to the baseboard heater, fly...
How High's The Water Momma?
Posted on May 28 2024
Yesterday the fishing was limited to the UEB and the WB due to highwater temps in the freestones. Today the freestones were a go, opening up the entire system. Until, the thunderstorms hit early in the afternoon. They didn't disturb my nap one bit, but I knew there might be...
Here's What I Know (Next To Nothing).
Posted on May 27 2024
Left Lafayette about 9:30 in what looked to be a foggy, rainy day. By Binghamton I had clear skies and bright sunshine. Called Jean and she still couldn't see the tops of the trees. She had my olive kinda day and I had her walk with Pam day. Stopped at...
Wind Knots And Tailing Loops
Posted on May 26 2024
There have been a dearth of questions this year which cuts down on the need for my weekend Wind Knots pages. Some commentors have also been good enough to jump in with answers so that the question is promptly answered. Thanks to those who have helped out in this manner....
So Where Should I Fish The Green Drake Hatch?
Posted on May 25 2024
This is the climax of the "Big Bug Season". It starts for most fishermen with the Hendricksons which are followed by March Browns, Gray Foxes, Spring Sulfurs, Isos, Yellow Stones, Green Drakes and Brown Drakes. The river system is huge and is made up of both freestones and tailwater rivers....
The Big Bug Bonanza Has Started!
Posted on May 24 2024
The day dawned dark and foggy with a light rain. There was thunder and lightning across the river to the south where the major portion of the rain storm passed. By late morning the sun poked through the clouds and hopes of an olive day disappeared. Left the fishing camp...
A Split Day With A Retro Evening.
Posted on May 23 2024
With temps twenty degrees above normal and the freestones looking like they would be over 70 degrees by midafternoon, I decided to do a split day. Walked in to a hard to reach place on the BR where you are almost certain to see eagles and deer, with bears and...
River Friends, Are A Treasure To Me.
Posted on May 22 2024
The trip home for my physical took most of the day. Five hours on the road, an hour and a half at the doctors office, lunch with an old friend at Ruston's Diner, (cholesterol capital of the world), and the fixing of a loose wire in the outlet that was...
I See A Bad Moon A Rising
Posted on May 21 2024
Mowed the lawn this Morning, it took an extra fifteen minutes because it had grown so much since last Tuesday. Spent almost an hour trying to lend order to my fishing vest. Too many boxes and the drakes are still not on board, fun times. With the bright sunshine I...
Yes, The Toads Are Singing!
Posted on May 20 2024
My schedule this week is a muddled mess. I have two things written on my calendar for the month of May, both are this Tuesday. The meeting at FUDR about the work on the pipeline starts at 10:00 and my physical exam is in Syracuse at 1:00. Will not be...
In Pursuit Of The Magic Fly.
Posted on May 19 2024
There is no magic fly, but you are making the task of catching fish much harder if you insist on using the tried and true patterns. Why? Because they look nothing like the real flies the fish are eating. If you are casting flies at rising fish all day long...
The Week That Was!
Posted on May 18 2024
It's 9:30, I just sat down with my Perfect Manhattan and it's a celebratory one. There is no easy way for me to check, but this might well have been the best week I've ever had on the Delaware river system. Today the water on the east side had dropped...
Come Join The Fun, Deposit's Where It's At.
Posted on May 17 2024
With both the BK and EB up from the rain, and higher than I would like to fish them, I took a drive up rte. 30 along the UEB. It's at about 230cfs which is just fine for fishing. There was a stiff breeze blowing up river. Very few anglers...
Old Friends Mean Much More To Me, Than The New Friends Do, - - -
Posted on May 16 2024
Said goodbye to and old friend today. No, not a fishing buddy or a high school pal, it was just an old microwave. Jean paid $10.00 for it at a garage sale about thirty-two years ago when Candy, our oldest daughter, was going away to college. She used it for...
Changes, Keep On Changin', And The Good Old Days, They Say They're Gone - -
Posted on May 15 2024
Would like to jump into the issues raised by AC who was born and raised on the river and knows more about the river than I could ever hope to. Many changes came with the building of the Cannonsville dam. The dam has reduced flooding by taking the WB water...
All You Need To Know About March Browns And Gray Foxes.
Posted on May 14 2024
It was at least twenty years ago that Paul Weamer told me that March Browns and Gray Foxes had been reclassified as the same species. Maybe they are, but as fly fishermen you need to treat them differently. They are different sizes, different colors and hatch at different times although...
In Search Of Perfection
Posted on May 13 2024
You may not be aware, but we at Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Reports spare no expense to insure our readers always get the best, most up to date, river fishing information, presented in the clearest and most readable form possible. In furtherance of this goal we added a grammarian...
Wind Knots And Tailing Loops
Posted on May 12 2024
Dennis asked about the differences between March Browns and Gray Foxes. It was such a good question that I'm going to do awhole page on it. D. Becke - BK is indeed the Beaverkill. G. Tarris - The little mayflies of which you speak are in all probability either blue...
You Don't Know What You Got 'Til It's Gone.
Posted on May 11 2024
With the rainy weather and air temp hovering between 49 and 51, there was no need to leave the fishing camp early. At 3:00pm water temps in what is now, (for a week or two), the "Hendrickson zone", was well below the Hendrickson hatching threshold of 48 degrees. Drove from...
Sometimes The Fish Just Won't Leave You Alone.
Posted on May 10 2024
Today, I'd had enough of the WB. The Armada is following the Hendricksons and caddis up the WB, the water is now at a decent level for waders and I just wanted to enjoy a little solitude, and I did. Before telling you about my day, I want to be...
You Know It Don't Come Easy.
Posted on May 09 2024
For those of you waiting for my wild life observations, I've got next to nothing. One night last week I encountered a porcupine strolling slowly down state route 97, with no oncoming traffic, I managed to get around him easily. Five miles later a very young fox popped out of...
Sincere thanks to Ron and Darren, You Got Me To The Dance On Time.
Posted on May 08 2024
Yesterday was one of those days where magic happens. You pick the right pools, have them to yourself, the bugs hatch, and the fish act like they've never seen a fly with a hook in it. On top of that I landed almost all the fish I hooked. Today didn't...
It's Time To Start Adding More Fly Boxes To Your Vest.
Posted on May 07 2024
Had the car packed last night except for the food that required refrigeration. Packed the food this morning and headed out at 8:00 for my yearly dose of liquid nitrogen at the Dermatologists. Was back on the road headed for the Lordville Estate at 8:57. When I left the house...
Weekend Outlook.
Posted on May 04 2024
Home for a social obligation (grandson's law school graduation party) so no fishing today. The last four days were my best stretch of fishing so far this year. It has proved difficult to be in the right place to fish good hatches but I have had the good fortune of...
Wind Knots and Tailing Loops.
Posted on May 03 2024
The month of April is in the rear view mirror. Despite my complaints about not finding good hatches it was my third best April ever, in numbers of fish caught. The percentage of fish over 17 inches (36%) was down slightly from last year but the number of fish in...
Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why - - -
Posted on May 02 2024
Decided to skip the morning search for hatching caddis and Hendrickson spinners and rest up for the Hendrickson hatch and the caddis spinner fall. Tied a few caddis egg layers, did a crossword and a sudoku, made two sandwiches and it was time to go. Drove up river and there...
It Was Just An Any Old Kinda Day
Posted on May 01 2024
Had a busy day yesterday. Mark was on the road back to Greensboro before 8:00am and I began the process of catching up on things that were neglected during his visit. Broke down the accumulation of boxes in the garage, gathered up the rest of the trash and made a...
It's Better To Have Hooked And Lost - - - -
Posted on April 30 2024
Back on the river with pearly white teeth after driving home for my annual dentist appointment. Had a nice dinner out with Jean Sunday night, washed both the car and my clothes and was on my way back down by 9:00AM this morning. It's Mark's final day before heading back...
Come And Watch The Hills Turn Green.
Posted on April 28 2024
This will be short, there's just not much worth talking about. The weather - It didn't snow! Temp on the porch this morning started at 33. The sun quickly took it up to 60. From there, things went down hill. Clouds rolled in, the "warm" southern wind had all the...
It's A Short Distance From The Penthouse To The Outhouse.
Posted on April 27 2024
It's not easy being me, and it's certainly not easy being Mark. Yesterday was magic, today not so much. Yesterday the guide swung three times and hit three balls out of the park. Today, he never got a ball out of the infield. After a fruitless trip into a spot...
Miracles Do Happen!
Posted on April 26 2024
Yesterday was (hopefully ) as bad as it gets. High water, clouds, a cold north wind, frost, no bugs and no risers. As if by magic, at midnight things began to change, The NYC, DEP cut the releases on both the WB and UEB. The clouds went away, the wind...
It's Not That I Didn't Try.
Posted on April 25 2024
Left the fishing camp about 11:30 when a burst of sun sent the temp up to 58 degrees. Stopped at two places on the BE, hoping to find caddis. There were none. Reversed course and drove up to Hale Eddy, where the now cloudy sky, drift boats rowing by with...
Too Much Of Nothin' - - - -
Posted on April 24 2024
It's 6:00 pm on Tuesday night and I sitting out on the back porch with my PC and my PM for the first time this year. The apricot tree blossoms are done, the plum and peach trees are in full bloom. Only the blossoms on the apple trees and red...
Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy.
Posted on April 23 2024
Went home Sunday to do a wash and get treatment for my windburn. With the Hancock air temperature at 28 and the water temps all around 41/42 this morning it was clear that we needed a bright sunny day to have bugs, and we got it. All rivers in the...
Too Much Of A Good Thing.
Posted on April 21 2024
The stage was set. The water's been a little too cold for a good Hendrickson hatch. But last night the temp stayed up in the mid forties. The sun came out mid morning and warmed the air up to 58 and the water up into the Hendrickson hatching range (except...
At Least We Are Saving On Suntan Lotion.
Posted on April 20 2024
There have been days when both Jean and I have wondered what we were thinking to come back from sunny, warm Florida so early. Thankfully, this was not one of those days (at least for me). Got to the river at 2:00 (paraleps usually hatch before Hendricksons), and the water...
I Feel Lucky!
Posted on April 19 2024
Started out at 2:00 today and headed over to the Beaverkill which was back up to over 1,400 cfs as a result of last night's rain. Why? There had been Hendrickson's there the last two days and the water temp was at 46 degrees, (Hendricksons will hatch at 48), and...
The Fragile Magic's Gone.
Posted on April 18 2024
Change's keep on changing. Todays cloudy weather kept the sun from warming up the water. Air temp got to 62 on my car thermometer but none of the rivers got up to 50 today. Used up the two best high water pools yesterday and my first two choices today each...
It Was A Day That Exceeded Expectations
Posted on April 17 2024
Was in no hurry leaving Lafayette this morning. Told Jean my plan was to start work on the fence replacement project, that I wouldn't be fishing today, and that my stay would be determined by if, how fast, and how much the rivers dropped. At present, even with today's drops...