Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Have had a good week of fishing.  After the big bugs the fishing  usually gets tougher.  When the Big River and Big East get too warm to  fish it puts extra pressure on the West Branch.  This week you could  fish anywhere and I did, picking spots that were too shallow or too  far down river for boats.  Fishing in the morning got me away from most of the wade fishermen. In the evenings I stayed away from the WB. The result was a solid week of fishing that was as good as any week  I've had this year.  Yesterday morning was no exception.  With the Big  River and EB warming up I fished a long riff on the WB and found large  browns and bows willing to eat my flies.  For a change I landed most  of them.  Took the afternoon off and went to the upper EB for the evening.  The  floating goop that I called brown algae is rock snot.  It's awful as  it gets on your line and fly and won't come off.  It appears to be  dead and has floated up from the bottom.  The river needs a good  flush

After cutting down and cutting up the tree yesterday I decided a nap  would be more helpful than fishing the afternoon sulfurs.  Woke up at  four thirty  to bright sun (it was overcast and raining all morning)  and decided to again seek a shady spot to jump start the evening  fishing. Drove to the upper East Branch which has been deserted by the hoards  of anglers who attended the Green Drake hatch.  There were two cars at  Long Flat and none elsewhere.  Tucked in against a western bank which  still had the sun peaking over it.  There was nothing doing for over  an hour. The first fish that started to rise were yearlings that appeared to be  eating a tiny, tiny mayfly of unknown species.  Around  seven thirty  the first sulfurs started to appear  as did the first sign of feeding  by good fish.  The sulfur's got going in earnest  and so did the fish.  It always amazes me how a piece of water with no fish in it can suddenly have good fish everywhere. The fish were careful about what

With NYSEG arriving at 8:15  to "drop"  the power line to my house so I  could take down a big  spruce tree, the report is somewhat tardy - my  apologies (the tree came down without incident). With no rain in sight and Mother Nature scheduled to pour on the heat  this weekend the fishing on most of the Big River is most likely drawing to a close for the summer. Water temp at Lordville was 68  yesterday and the next day of sun will put it into the "no fishing  temp zone". Decided to spend the day on the lower river as there is little boat  traffic and the fish are still in place.  With cold water temps the  past few days there was a steady stream of bugs and rising fish. With  winds in the 15/ 30 mph range, however,  the Big River had little  appeal.  In the last  two days the temp went from the mid fifties to  yesterdays 68.  The fish are fine but the bugs have stopped hatching. Fished a long riff in the morning in bright sunshine.  There were  almost no bugs but I

After the wind and clouds of yesterday, today was a pleasant change of  pace - there was a breeze (not a wind) and if there was a cloud in the  sky, I missed it. The bugs may have started early without telling me.  Got to the river  about 3:15   after a nice visit with one of the Troutfitter regulars.  The big sulfurs were on the water and there were quite a few splashy  risers.  Hooked and lost two nice ones right away, then landed a  couple twelve inchers -   and it was over. Spent an hour or more looking off bridges at water with no fish rising  in the bright sun, stopped at Tops for groceries and decided to look  for some shade.  Found a pool on the upper EB with a steep hill  shadowing most of the stream and sure enough there were some good fish  sipping - I don't know what - along the shaded bank.  There were a  very very few sulphers, caddis and spinners mixed in with floating  globs of brown algae. .  The fish were apparently hungry as they  worked steadily.  The only thing

The day started off cloudy and cold with wind blowing fifteen, gusting  even higher.  Got on the water at three to find the hatch not yet  underway.  By 3:30  there were some bugs and a few risers.  The  bugs peaked about 4:30  in what could best be described as only  a fair hatch The fish fed but were clearly not in a feeding frenzy.  You had to look for them and wait for them to rise then cast.  There were  fishermen in the "A" spots and I saw several fish landed. As I got  about as far away from the car as I planned on going the hatch petered  out.  Wade fishermen left and the boats rowed  out.  Started my journey back towards the car looking for the last risers when the sun  broke through the clouds.  It's mid June and even at 6:00  you  could feel the warmth.  The bugs could too for sulfurs and cahills  started hatching again - not a lot  - but enough to get the fish  feeding. The wind died and as the sun continued to shine it warmed things up  enough so that sulfur