Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Remember about a month ago when the Hendricksons were done everywhere but the UEB and WB and the BK blew out and everything down stream was too muddy to fish?  There were so many boats and wade fishermen crowding the river that I just didn't fish. This week with the high water temps, everything but the UEB and the WB were shut down and I had such a good week of fishing that I would gladly cancel my upcoming trip out west (if everything wasn't prepaid) to stay here and fish.  Except for two places where I stopped briefly on Tuesday there were bugs hatching and fish rising everywhere I went. This morning I fished a riff/run section of the lower WB.  The lower WB had not been good to me so far this year.  There weren't many bugs hatching but the fish were looking up.  Why?  There were olive spinners all over the water.  Earlier this week I preached about learning the bug hatches and being there for the spinner falls, etc, etc.  I would like to say I used my knowledge of th

It's the first day of summer and we need rain.  Lots of it.  The reservoirs are fine, right where they should be. NYC is seeing to that.  But the tribs are drying up, the releases have been cut back and the BK, BE and almost all of the BR are too warm to fish.  The adult fish are being stressed by the low oxygen content in the warm water.  In the tribs the brown and rainbow fingerlings are becoming easy prey for predators.  We have had only one inch of rain so far in June (two inches below normal).  Two or three all day steady rains would do wonders. The fishing:  Has to start with the limited area that can be fished.  Everyone fishing is on the two branches and the very top of the BR.  Is it crowded?  Not really.  More than anything this shows the effect of the heavy pressure during the first two months of the season.  Fish get pounded.  They learn from their mistakes and become harder to catch. Fishermen get discouraged from lack of success and switch to golf or croquet. The

Yesterday there wasn't a fly in any of my boxes that got the job done.  Collected samples of three different flies that were hatching, put 'em in the fridge when I got back to the camp, took 'em out this morning went to work. Tied a couple dozen flies in different shades of the yellowish green body and yellow/gray wings.  Also tied emergers in various stages of emergence.  Lastly I went to a different place to fish. Fished from 3:00 until 6:00 on the UEB.  There were many more fishermen on the river than two days ago when I was there last.  There were also bugs, rising fish and kayakers having themselves a roaring good time.  They all made their best effort not to interfere with  "the fisherman", alas all failed.  Somehow I didn't mind.  They are entitled to enjoy the river just as much as I am and they always try not to mess up the fishing. The new flies?  They worked!  If I hadn't started out one for five it would have been a really great afternoon.

Recently I received three questions in the comments section and thought maybe the answers might be helpful to all. Brian - You aren't the only one who has asked.  I'm not a typist and it's just easier for me to use initials for the rivers. BK = Beaverkill BR = Big River, Main Stem, The  Delaware UEB = The East Branch  from Downsville to East Branch (the Sunoco Station) BE  = The East Branch below "Jaws" where the BK and the UEB meet WB =  West Branch from Stilesville to junction pool Chris - It's not important where, it's how many.  The DEC currently permits anglers to take 5 trout per day over 9 inches on the BK.  When 3 or 4 anglers fish together they can take a lot of fish! The 99% who practice catch and release should have their  share of the rivers protected from those who kill trout. CZ - If you are a regular reader you know I'm not trying to fill rooms or drift boats.  I tell it the way I see it.  The first two weeks of May were drea

Fished both branches and the big river today with mixed results. The BR:  With the 700 cfs release from Stilesville the middle section of the BR was in play today.  The release was cut back to just under 400 cfs again at noon and any amount of sunshine will put the water temp over 70.  Today the river had browns and rainbows willing to eat a fly with a hook in it (always a good thing) and I did better there than anywhere else. The UEB:  Drove from the Sunoco station in East Branch to Downsville.  There were two fishermen.  Guess where they both ended up?   Parked my car and walked down a path to the river, watched several fish rising to a modest sulfur hatch and decided to suit up.  Donned my gear and returned to the river to find another angler standing right where the fish were rising. He had to have fished his way downstream a long way to get there but he was there before me.  Debated whether to drive to another pool or walk downstream to the next pool. The next pool won.  Was g

With a predicted high of  90 degrees and the release at Stilesville cut back to under 400 cfs the choice of where to fish became less complicated. A 400 cfs release won't cool the BR much below Stockport (if that).  So, you have the UEB  the WB and a short stretch of the BR.  The rest of the system (BK, BE, and BR below Stockport were clearly out of bounds due to temps in the mid 70's. Arrived at camp just before noon, had lunch and headed out into the 90 degree heat and bright sun (even I wondered why).  Stopped at Shehawken and checked the rocks for Iso husks, found quite a few and decided to give it a try - bad idea - in two hours - nothing. Talked on the phone with Rick from the Troutfitter (there were a bunch of Troutfitter regulars down here on Father's day passes).  He had bugs and rising fish up in the sulfur zone.  That was two more things than I had downriver so I drove up.  It was like fishing in a well stirred pot of spinach.  They raised the river to almost