Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

After two days of overcast skies with rain, bugs and rising trout, a mostly sunny day and my desire for seclusion brought my fish catching down to a more realistic level. I didn't leave the camp until 3:30PM   and didn't actually don waders until 5:30PM .  Saw boats galore putting in at the "barking dog" launch ramp on the WB and decided to fish below Balls Eddy in hopes of avoiding the Friday afternoon crowd. My plan was successful in that only one boat came by and only one other angler appeared.  The bugs (little sulfurs), however,have moved farther up stream and everyone knows it. There was little action until a few sulfurs hatched and hungry trout ate them (carefully).  When it got dark enough my fly, which earlier was disdained, became magic. If you are heading out this weekend and want bugs and rising fish, look up around Hale Eddy.  If you want solitude  go low. If it's overcast and rainy be on the river by early afternoon.  Bright sun?...

It was all you hoped it would be, olives and sulfurs on the water by early afternoon.  Big fish up and eating tiny little flies . When the boats came by me late in the day most weren't even fishing. They said they had great fishing up river and were just rowing out. Saw a couple of Troutfitter guys on the river, don't know if they came after reading yesterday's report, or if the trip was already planned, but they hit the river at it's best. A foggy,drizzly olive kind of a day.  Who could ask for anything more.

I haven't been on the river since last Wednesday so I decided to drive around and see if anything was happening. What a change in the number of anglers. Totals- Lower EB - 0              Upper EB- 0              Beaverkill- 0 I tried the upper EB late in the day and had two boats go by.  I was also joined by the only other wade angler on the river, who was apparently lonely. There were bugs (isos, olives and sulfur), but little or no feeding. I avoided the dreaded "collar"  by  landing a 17 inch hatchery holdover. On course for one of the poorest June's on record. Note-  There was one angler fishing at jaws and I wasn't' sure which stream to credit him to.

Never looked at the gauges  at Stilesville or Downsville yesterday or today.  Yesterday on the EB I had colder water than I expected, bugs, but  no rising fish.  Today I  went to the upper WB  and was again surprised by how cold and high the water was. There were bugs when I got there and occasional rises from good fish.  In four hours of fishing I rose 10 fish, hooked four and landed three.  When the hatch was waning Coz came down the river in his boat and said how great it was that  the  River Master had  given us more water. And you are expecting to get good advice from me??? At  6:30   I headed down stream and ran right into a sulfur hatch with feeding fish that went 'til dark.  Sometimes it's more important to be lucky than good. If you can get here while the water is still flowing it's worth the drive.

The Delaware watershed finally got hit with some real rain.  It needed it. Both branches are high and muddy without any help from reservoirs releases. In addition the water is warm and is predicted to stay that way at least until  Monday  night. Sure you can float at these levels and throw streamers towards the banks but you'll be more likely to hook fish by waiting a couple of days (or more) 'til the waters clear, cool and drop.  At these temps the only bug activity will be in the late evening. Wade fishing in high muddy water is dangerous. Stay home!