Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Another hot sunny day with the temp hitting 88 degrees.  Was wrong about the Hendricksons starting early above Deposit. Got there early today and watched the water go by until 3:00 when the first H's hatched.  The hatch was sparse, with little feeding and was over before 4:00. There was one other angler that I could see above the town bridge and only one boat came down. Apparently everyone else knows something I don't. Not wanting to contend with the boats on the rest of the WB, I drove over to the UEB which  has been abandoned by both boats and fishermen. That will of course change when the first drakes show up.  There was nothing doing in the hot sun and I actually dozed off for a little while in a streamside chair.  When the sun went behind the hills, spinners started falling and the fish started feeding.  Had willing targets until I reeled it in at 9:00.  Where were the boats?  There were more than enough from the sewage treatment plant in Deposit  to the Balls Eddy tak

Got on the river at 3:00. There were Hendricksons on the water and feeding fish.  There was also a boat anchored over every pod of feeding fish.  I'm guessing that the hatch has been starting well ahead of my arrival, as the last two times I fished above Deposit it was over within an hour of my arrival. Drove down the back side of the river to Hale Eddy and was amazed at how many boats and how few wade fishermen there were.  Couldn't begin to count the trailers at both barking dog and Balls Eddy. The bugs (Hendricksons and caddis) are heaviest between those two take outs and that's where everyone is. Despite the very good fishing I've had on the WB this week, I crossed over the river at Hale Eddy and headed east on 17.  Stopped on the lower BK where I saw a March Brown and a Gray Fox  hatch and float down the river unmolested.  At about 5:00 the sun was hot and bright and no fish were rising.  Took the road up the UEB and found a run that was shaded by the hills.

With the flow being cut back at Downsville I headed to the upper reaches of the UEB hoping to find the Hendricksons making their last stand. Found a few Hendricksons and a few apple caddis and almost no risers.  In two hours I rose two fish neither of which found my fly to their liking. Bailed on the UEB and headed for the bug soup that is currently the WB.  Of course the pot is overflowing at 2000 CFS and I didn't see another wade fisherman and the wind was blowing about 15 and the sun was shining brightly and not a fish was seen rising - - -  until - - - there was a little shade along the bank and the wind layed down and the caddis egg layers did their thing. You know how I feel about caddis pupa (they were still hatching and some of the trout were still eating them and I still couldn't catch them) BUT today there were caddis spinners!  I love caddis spinners!!! The fish do too.  How'd I do?  Three fish tied for fish of the day at 19 inches, 'nuf  said. And now,

For those who care, todays game was called after the fishermen batted in the top of the fifth.  The fish were the home team and were ahead so they didn't have to bat in the bottom of the fifth. The water levels: It rained again.  If you can't look at the flow levels yourself, learn how to do it or you'll have a lot of "bad trips". The water color: The color of the water is another thing.  Bonefishermen  know that it has become OK to fish in "smoke" but not "muds"  For those reading Delaware River fishing report blogs, know this, most of them are trying to fill rooms, cabins and guide boats.  The new "muddy" is "stained"  If streamer fishing is mentioned in any blog this time of year stay home.  The water color as I saw it today:                             Big River - At current levels I have no idea.  Looking out the camp window, I know there is no cream in the coffee.                             Upper East Branch-

Arrived a little late due to construction tie ups leaving Syracuse and going through Binghamton. The river in Deposit was like a ghost town.  Don't know if the rain and high water discouraged everybody or if there were poor bug hatches over the weekend.  There were bugs on the water when I got there so I suited up and had at'em (for a short while).  The high water put a lot of the river out of the reach of wade fishermen and the few rising fish quit as the hatch peatered out before 4:00. Drove down river below Monument where the river widens and wading is easier in the high water.  There were a reasonable number of wade fishermen and a line of drift boats that could have blockaded Delaware Bay. Took refuge in a short, narrow side channel that at one time (while I was fishing) had three boats in it. The area I fished has lots of fiddlehead ferns along the bank and it was my plan to pick them for dinner.  Instead I had bug soup! There was an epic caddis upstream spinner migra