Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Flash flooding  caused a small culvert running under the railroad tracks just upstream from Hale Eddy to wash out.  This led to the derailment of  four locomotives and an undetermined number of the 63 cars in a west bound train early this morning.  Two of the cars, carrying construction debris are apparently in the river.  The diesel fuel from one of the locomotives  has apparently leaked  into the West Branch via the aforementioned tributary. The diesel fuel has already been detected as far downstream as Lordville.  The river at Lordville crested this morning at 20,000 CFS.  The extremely high water will make recovery of the spilled fuel next to impossible as most of it will soon be carried far downstream by the high waters.  A crane has been dispatched to remove the two cars from the river.  No injuries have been reported.

Lots of bugs are hatching in the Sulfur Zone.  Cold water releases have good temperatures well down the Big River. But the intense rainstorms have washed out any wade fishing possibilities for the near term. The fish are enjoying the break and will big bigger, fatter, well rested and perhaps a little easier to fool when action resumes. Stay tuned.

With yesterdays increases in the reservoir releases (WB to 900 CFS, EB to 700 CFS) added to the already robust flow from the rain swollen tribs, drift boaters were in their glory.  Wade fishermen not so much.  Those who fished were soaking fly boxes and cell phones just trying to get far enough off shore to make a back cast. By 2:20 the Sulfur Zone had bugs (lots of them) all the way down to Hale Eddy. Left Lordville in a thunderstorm which I drove out of half way to 97.  From there to Hale Eddy the road was dry.  The rain started at the 17 rest area and by the time I reached Deposit the streets were flooded and the rain had stopped.  Oquaga?  It was pouring muddy water into the WB, as were all the other feeders around Deposit.  Drove down the back side and the road was dry before the bottom of the "No Kill", but the damage was done.  At 1400 CFS there are but a few safe places for wade anglers.  The additional muddy water would further lim...

Arrived in Deposit about 2:00 with the air temp 90 and the river water yellow with sulfurs.  Saw a bunch of splashy rises above the town bridge, parked, donned waders and went fishing.  Shared the pool with a Troutfitter regular and we sure showed 'em - - - every fly in our respective boxes.  The fish were almost all yearlings (now about 9 inches long) and they were chowing down on the sulfur nymphs subsurface.  It wasn't until the latter stages of the hatch that some of the fish started eating duns.  Even then they were tough to fool. We both fished to one good fish that came to our flies several times but we never quite managed to get a fly with a hook in it in his mouth.  It was entertaining, frustrating, disappointing (that there weren't more large fish) but encouraging (think of all the two year olds next year). Spent the evening on the middle section of the river.  Went there thinking that the 1,000 CFS of water would get both the bugs and fi...