Sunshine makes me (and the bugs) happy.
With the Beaverkill, Big East and the Big River muddy and high there was no doubt that the UEB and WB would be crowded. Game land lots were full of cars and every put in and every takeout was jammed full of trailers.
In an effort to minimize the number of boats passing by me during the day, I fished the WB up high. The strategy worked. Not a single boat went by. The guides knew that without sunshine (the sun never made an appearance today) the water above Deposit would be too cold for Hendricksons. Most of them put in at "barking dog" and there was a procession from there to Shehawken that would have put a Florida Christmas boat parade to shame.
Got on the river early after hearing reports of bugs on the water Tuesday by 1:30. Saw a few Quill Gordons, some paraleps and the odd Hendrickson. The fish were hungry and ate every emerging nymph they saw. Guys above and below me hooked multiple fish on nymphs. At about 2:30 when nothing good had started to happen I left. (If the Hendricksons came I hope you guys knocked their spots off).
Drove over to the UEB where the wade fishermen had also taken every parking space. There were drift boats and pontoon boats everywhere. Ended up trying four places (caught at least one fish in each place).
The WB bugs: The air temp got into the low 60's but without any sun the water stayed cold. Never saw a meaningful hatch of Hendricksons (left early so there could have been a great hatch especially downstream).
The fishing: The first fish I hooked was a 21 inch rainbow (without a doubt the biggest I will catch this year). Most of the other fish that ate my fly were two year olds (11 -13 inches). There were some feeding fish but not enough bugs (where I was) to keep them up top feeding like Tuesday.
The UEB bugs: Never saw a good hatch of anything. The spinners over Rt. 30 along the UEB were epic. Maybe it is was the wet pavement or the radiant heat from the black asphalt, I don't know but there were tens of thousands of them. Walking back to the car at the end of the day the pavement was just covered with dead spinners (and eggs).
In an effort to minimize the number of boats passing by me during the day, I fished the WB up high. The strategy worked. Not a single boat went by. The guides knew that without sunshine (the sun never made an appearance today) the water above Deposit would be too cold for Hendricksons. Most of them put in at "barking dog" and there was a procession from there to Shehawken that would have put a Florida Christmas boat parade to shame.
Got on the river early after hearing reports of bugs on the water Tuesday by 1:30. Saw a few Quill Gordons, some paraleps and the odd Hendrickson. The fish were hungry and ate every emerging nymph they saw. Guys above and below me hooked multiple fish on nymphs. At about 2:30 when nothing good had started to happen I left. (If the Hendricksons came I hope you guys knocked their spots off).
Drove over to the UEB where the wade fishermen had also taken every parking space. There were drift boats and pontoon boats everywhere. Ended up trying four places (caught at least one fish in each place).
The WB bugs: The air temp got into the low 60's but without any sun the water stayed cold. Never saw a meaningful hatch of Hendricksons (left early so there could have been a great hatch especially downstream).
The fishing: The first fish I hooked was a 21 inch rainbow (without a doubt the biggest I will catch this year). Most of the other fish that ate my fly were two year olds (11 -13 inches). There were some feeding fish but not enough bugs (where I was) to keep them up top feeding like Tuesday.
The UEB bugs: Never saw a good hatch of anything. The spinners over Rt. 30 along the UEB were epic. Maybe it is was the wet pavement or the radiant heat from the black asphalt, I don't know but there were tens of thousands of them. Walking back to the car at the end of the day the pavement was just covered with dead spinners (and eggs).
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