Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Left the camp with good intentions.   After four days on the upper WB  it was time for a change.  I drove up the EB from Hancock to  Downsville in the pouring rain, stopping at every vista looking for  bugs and risers.  There weren't any.  It was  Friday  afternoon and the  fishermen who had filled every pool from the Sunoco station to Downsville  last Friday were also missing.   I saw one in the water at  Bumps Eddy and three trying their luck at the Corbett  Bridge.  There  were only two cars at Long Flat and none at the power line pool. The rain had been coming down hard since early morning and the temp of  forty seven was not promising.  Fearful that there would be no hatch,  I had packed the car for an early departure for home. What to do? It  was still early (one forty five) but the bugs on the WB had been  starting before one. and nothing was happening.  I pulled the plug and  headed for the WB, at least it would be closer to home. For  Friday  afternoon it too was deserted.

Fished the upper WB again today - same old - same old, Paraleps, Quill  Gordons, Red Quills, Hendricksons. Olives and Apple Caddis, all  accompanied by a steady breeze. It was still cold.  The sun has not  made an appearance over the river all week. The hatch seemed somewhat sparser than previous days (at least until  the Hendricksons got going around three. Found rising trout more willing to take my fly (despite wind aided  presentations that left something to be desired) during the early  portion of the hatch.  When the Hendrickson's got going the fish fed  heavily on them and showed an uncanny knack for choosing the flies  without hooks. Talked with several "Troutfitter regulars" on the river as the hatch  wound down.  All reported catching fish (at least one had a picture to  prove it). After four days of fishing to rising trout in an incredible hatch, I  am planning on heading in the other direction today in search of trout  looking for March Browns. Perhaps a fools

The HATCH - now nearing biblical proportions (biblical is one grade up from epic if you were wondering) continued - starting at twelve thirty  and going 'til almost five. Got in at the start this time but saw little feeding until I found a spot out of the wind where the fish were on top chowing down. Noticed something Monday and confirmed it yesterday. Hooking a fish from a pod puts the rest of the pod on alert.  They keep feeding but change locations every time your fly goes over them.  Solution?  Go find other fish - if you want to come back after they settle down, fine but they have learned  -one fish in trouble means we are all in trouble and they become very careful about what they eat. The weather?  High was forty-nine -drizzle -steady breeze -COLD. The bugs? Probably peaked Tuesday but today's hatch was still HUGE. Where to fish? Boaters- With the low release and dropping input from the tribs "Barking Dog" launch site may no longer be a good choice for dr

It wasn't bug soup, it was bug stew and it was served the length of  the West Branch. Monday I arrived at three to find the water covered with Hendricksons  and the big fish gulping like hogs at the troth.  This went from three  'til six.Tuesday  (being no fool) I arrived at two - only to find an  even heavier hatch with fish casually picking just the choicest  morsels to eat. When things slowed down I talked with Mike Carey a long time WB  fisherman/friend who said "They were going yesterday when I got here  at two so I came at one and the water was already covered with bugs". How'd I do?  Not so well. Monday  the big fish were up and happy  feeding in a big deep water pool.  Today the same pool was covered  with bugs and no fish were up.  I moved up to the riff where Mike was  fishing and found fish but they wanted bugs with six moving legs and a  look of terror in their eyes before the fish would even consider  eating them. Fishermen? I'd like to think yest

When I left for the river it was raining and forty-seven degrees. The  forecast said a high of fifty-nine in Hancock, which would bring bugs.  At Binghamton the sun broke thru and the temp hit fifty-six.  Oh boy!  Heading east on seventeen, however, it grew darker and colder.  Arrived at the river at 3:00  with light rain and a temp of fifty-one. With the release on the WB lowered to one-fifty, there would be no  boats on the upper river so I decided to fish there. Saw the only two anglers both casting at rising fish.  The water was  covered with Hendricksons that were too cold and wet to get off the  water.  A fish and fisherman's  dream. Hooked fish steadily until  almost 6:00  when everything shut down. Talked with three groups of fishermen who had been on the big river.  Shehawken to Buckingham had olives and March Browns with some fish up.  Buckingham to Long Eddy and Long Eddy to Tower had a very few March  Browns and no risers.

I looked at the Delaware River Club fishing report for yesterday.  Wow, wish I was there, " The river was the definition of bug soup".  "The river doesn't fish much better than it did today".  etc, etc. So  what happened?  First I'm sure there was a good hatch, most probably  in the upper and middle portion of the WB.  I was there Wednesday a nd  had a very good day. Recommended the area to some Troutfitter  customers who on Thursday  also had bugs and rising fish.  By Friday  there were still  bugs and rising fish but the flotilla of boats had  arrived. Saturday  promised to be a zoo and I opted out. I had enough bugs where I fished to get fish up, there just weren't  many fish. The Upper East which also has had good hatches and has been  fishing well was crowded with anglers on both Friday and Saturday . I  drove from Downsville to East Branch without seeing anything worth  getting excited about. I also wanted to check out the EB and Big  River.  Both

At 10:00  the temp was sixty on the porch.  Then the clouds  rolled in.  When I left to fish the car said it was fifty one - too  cold for bugs. With cars filling all pull offs and anglers lined up  like slalom gates for boaters, I took myself to a seldom fished pool  on the lower Beaverkill.  Saw brown caddis, cornuta, small Hendrickson duns spinners and yes, March Browns. The first riser I saw was a good sized rainbow that ate my caddis and  took off into my backing where it came unstuck. The second riser ate a  March Brown but came unstuck right away.  After that I settled down  and moved from rise to rise, hooking and landing five nice fish  between fourteen and and seventeen inches. With no other fish rising I drove around looking at anglers standing  around waiting for a fish to rise.  I glassed several pools without  seeing bugs or risers.  Tried a spot on the big East and one on the B ig D.  Saw a few March Browns in both places but never saw a rise.  Was back to camp by six an