I hate caddis pupas!

Fished the midsection of the WB, hoping to avoid the crowds and be one of the first ones in on the "bust out Hendrickson day", (It wasn't).  There were paraleps hatching in good numbers at 2:00 and they were joined around 3:00 by a mediocre Hendrickson hatch and a testy wind. Caught the only riser I saw and was in the car heading elsewhere at 3:30.

Got fooled at Buckingham when I only saw one angler in the water.  Walked down stream and when I was almost to where I planned to fish two fishermen stood up and started fishing.  One was an old river friend and we had a nice chat while the wind blew and the fish refused to rise.

Probably about 5:00 (I don't wear a watch) the apple caddis, Hendricksons and trout started going.  It was easily the most feeding fish I've seen on the river all season.  How'd I do?  Not well.  When the water is at 3300 cfs a 300 cfs "bump" doesn't seem like much but to a wade fisherman it's HUGE.  Couldn't reach most of the rising fish and even if I could it probably wouldn't have mattered.  Why?  Caddis pupa.  They were taking subsurface.  Not looking up.  The one fish I saw eat a Hendrickson dun also ate mine and by the looks of his mouth he had also eaten every other one that had floated by (with or without a hook).

The water is warming, the fish are eating and perhaps someday soon it'll all come together.  Most years the Hendricksons are in the upper reaches of both branches by this time and by the 15th it's over.

 Go and try your best, I've talked to a lot of good Delaware River fishermen (self included) who aren't averaging a fish a day right now!

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