Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Fish and Angler 119 split a doubleheader. With the predicted heat and sun I decided to do a split day.  Probably would have gone better if I had remembered to put Tricos in my vest.  Found some nice fish going on Trico spinners and all I got from them were four open mouthed refusals. The rest of the AM fishing went better as I saw a half dozen fish rise and got them all to at least look at my flies. The afternoon was taken up doing a crossword puzzle, finishing a book and taking a nap. Went back out at six, refreshed and ready to fish.  Drove up the PA side of the WB for a look see.  There were five cars at the Methodist pool.  One has to ask why?  There is a parking spot that holds two cars which is just about right for the place.  People leave home with a plan.  They know where they are going to park and they know where they are going to fish.  It doesn't matter to them how many people are there first.  It doesn't matter to them that there have been no bugs hatchi

Verizon pulls the plug on the morning fishing. Strange day.  It started with me without internet again.  Spent the morning  trying to talk to and understand  Verizon's  "offshore" customer service people  who can't understand me and can't begin to get me reconnected.  Finally called "Mike"  Verizon's "man on the ground" for the greater Lordville metropolitan area..  Mike drove up, checked out my equipment and then got someone right here in the USA to get me back on line.  Thanks Mike! The morning fishing time was spent dealing with  paragraph one above (and tying a few flies). I was further delayed by good old mother nature who sent a wind driven rainstorm through the area about three.  I was glad I was still in the car and not out on the stream somewhere.  The rain came down in buckets for maybe ten minutes and then it was over.  Bright sun was shining before I got in the river.  The rivers did not get colored and for fishing pur

Going for the Gold! After a poor and abbreviated day of fishing Tuesday I decided to put in a full day Wednesday.  Started out in the morning fishing the upper regions of the big river.  Rose eight fish to attractor patterns.  Four ate the fly and ended up in the net.  The other four decided at the last minute that they weren't really all that hungry and refused the fly. From three thirty until seven I was entertained by some good fish sipping sulfurs and other things too small for the naked eye to identify. There was a stiff breeze that made good presentations a challenge but I managed to hook four of them and land three (one an 18 inch brown that became fish of the day).  At seven it started to rain so I headed back to the car and drove to the big river for the late night fishing.  Arrived about eight and found neither bugs nor feeding fish.  Around nine some cornutas started hatching and the fish go right after them. Most of the fish fed subsurface but I did find

Musings on March Browns  and Isonychia's -  (the times they are a changing). Back 15 years ago, before everyone needed a drift boat to trout fish there were two attractor flies that you needed to fish the Delaware River system.  Early season it was the March Brown and from June first on it was the Isonychia.  March Brown takes on the water were marked by explosions spraying water a foot into the air.  Isos came after most people had left the river and catching fish on them was a foregone conclusion.  You threw either fly, in season, and the fish ate it. Fast forward ten (yes I said ten) years and the river was covered with guides in drift boats.  What  were their clients throwing if there wasn't a specific hatch on?  You guessed it.  Were they catching fish?  Yes, but probably fewer every year that they did it. Why?  You'll have to trust me when I say I've done some experimenting with trout in my pond and yes, they can remember things - even from year to yea

Fish of the day. As I usually do on Mondays, I fished my way back to camp.  Stopped in Deposit and found fish feeding on a meager hatch of summer sulfurs.  Being a true believer of the mantra "Never leave rising fish,"  I donned my waders and had at 'em.  There turned out to be quite a few two year olds ranging in size from 11 to 14 inches.  Many were willing to eat my flies.  Lost three of the first four then did well.  Several of the larger fish were stocked.  One had the silver color and shape of a reservoir fish while the others probably were drop-backs from Oquaga Creek.  Either the brook tout's mouth is so sore he is not eating or he was one of the fish I lost as he never found his way into my net.  Things came to a halt about five and I meandered downstream, stopping to look for more risers at any available vista.  Found two cars in each of the game-lands lots and decided to try the lower game-lands for the first time this year,  It's really a