Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

If you are at a loss for what to do this weekend, ask your wife, she's got a list.  If you have already planned on fishing the Delaware River system - do it, it's fishing very well. There are tricos on the WB below monument, on the big river and on the EB below Shinhopple. With the cold nights you don't have to be here early.  Trico spinner fall occurs when the air temp reaches about 69 degrees.  If the waxwings haven't eaten them all, the trout will be up top feeding. For dry fly guys like me, mid day is time to tie flies or take a nap. Around 3:00 head up the UEB and look for a place with no other fishermen.  Most all of the  boats on the UEB emanate from the B----- House in Roscoe and even they seldom float the river when it's below 300 cfs (not because they care about ruining your fishing, they just don't want to put holes in their boats).  There may not be much going when you get there but the olives are coming and the fish are ready.  Unless you like

Stayed at camp until Qadir White announced his commitment to SU for their football recruiting class. That done I decided to drive around and look at some of the water that has been "out of bounds" due to high water temps or that I just haven't gotten to this summer.  Found a fish or two but mostly just looked. Got serious about 4:00 and drove to a place on the UEB that I have only fished once this year.  There were no cars in sight so I walked in only to find a fisherman walking in from the opposite direction. Before I had a chance to decide what to do a drift boat banged its way down the riff between us sending all trout into the deep water pool.  I left! This may sound a little strange but with all the drift boats, Angler 119 blog readers and just plain wade anglers trying to fish the UEB, it has become a bit crowded.  Drove over to the WB to get out of the crowd.  Two trailers at Balls Eddy and one car at the gamelands.  One drift boat went by as I was walking up

The trout must have eaten so many tricos for breakfast that they just skipped lunch.  Was standing side of the road about 4:00 still looking for my first rise of the day  when I was run into (see what I just did there?) by one of the  Troutfitter regulars.  We had a nice chat while dump trucks, logging trucks, farm equipment and a variety of pick ups (all with studded tires) roared past us.  Hope he went where he said he was going and stayed 'til dark.  When dinner was served the trout were ready to eat. When I finally got on the water there were a few very small olives being served as an hors d'oeuvre.  A few fish were giving them a try.  Within an hour the action picked up as the larger olives (some as big as 18's!), pink cahills and Isos were served as the main course. As the last rays of sun disappeared from the top of the hills, every trout in the stream ordered olive spinners for desert. Rise forms that never showed a body part gave way to gaping mouths eagerly eati

It's 7:15 and I'm sitting in camp typing today's report with rain pounding down on the porch roof. Bright sun, high winds and a severe thunderstorm watch all played a part in both increasing the degree of difficulty and shortening the hours of fishing. With the olive hatch still going strong I tied flies and did chores this morning and didn't go out until two.  Bad mistake.  By then the wind was cranked up over 20 and the temperature had climbed to near 90 degrees. Found rising fish in what boaters might call a "moderate chop".  Getting a fly to them was another matter.  After almost two hours of trying to land a 16 foot leader in a 20mph wind I chose shelter over olives.  Moved to a place out of the wind.  The casting was easier but with no olives on the water there were almost no rising fish.  Just as the olives began to hatch the thunder started to rumble. I've been caught out in far too many storms this year.  Reeled in and headed for the car at 5:

Was driving past the Sunoco station in East Branch at about 2:15 when I saw people looking up at the sun.  Then I remembered and took a look myself.  There were clouds but you could see the sun through them and when I looked (at least I had my polaroids on) it was about three quarters covered by a black ball.  Kinda neat. Was on the water (UEB) about 2:30 and neither the bugs nor fish had started yet (probably had been watching the eclipse).  Shortly thereafter the bugs (olives again) came and the fish ate.  Had almost three hours of dry fly fishing to fish sipping olives in a still water pool.  Lots of bugs, fish , casts and quite a few hookups. Things came to a halt by 5:45 and I set out for the lower WB.  Had very good fishing there early last week on a late evening hatch of olives.  Today rated fair to good, there weren't enough bugs and it was mostly yearling rainbows (now 10 to 12 inches long in the WB) that were feeding.  Had good action until about 8:00 when it shut down.