All things considered (written March 30 )
From my vantage point here in the Florida Keys it's easy to believe that there are Hendricksons hatching on the Delaware and trout rising everywhere. One of the blogs has already reported (in mid March) rising fish. Sometime in the next couple of weeks there will be reports of Hendrickson sightings. My log books tell me otherwise. If the reservoirs are way down, the releases are at minimum levels, there is a prolonged warm spell and the sun is shining every day, I've seen good hatches of Quill Gordons by mid April.
Although the reservoirs are close to spilling the releases have been cut back and warm sunny days have had fish rising to eat stone flies. With rain in the forecast there is a good likelihood of increased releases and substantial run off which will keep the water temperatures down and probably push meaningful hatches back to about the last week of April. That may not be the way you remember it but 28 years of record keeping on the Delaware paints a pretty clear picture.
If you have a boat and just want to get out after a long winter, hit the river and chuck streamers. There have been several spills this winter and alewives are a staple of the big browns early season diet. If you are a wade fisherman, pick a warm sunny day, check river flows before you come, dress warmly, wade carefully and bring some little brown and little black stone fly patterns.
As for me, I'll be on a plane the 31st heading for Long Island in the Bahamas for a week of bonefishing. When I get back we'll close things up down here and head north. The only time in 28 years that I've missed any good dry fly fishing because of the Bahamas trip was in 2012 when we had no winter and there were actually Hendricksons hatching in March!
If you do get to the river before I do, stop and see Dave at the Troutfitter's new fly shop and motel in Deposit. They purchased the old Laurel Bank Motel and are in the process of renovating the motel and setting up the fly shop in the little house in front of the motel. For those of you who don't know, the motel is right by the town bridge. They tell me the fly shop will be open and that some of the rooms will be available before the Hendicksons hatch.
Although the reservoirs are close to spilling the releases have been cut back and warm sunny days have had fish rising to eat stone flies. With rain in the forecast there is a good likelihood of increased releases and substantial run off which will keep the water temperatures down and probably push meaningful hatches back to about the last week of April. That may not be the way you remember it but 28 years of record keeping on the Delaware paints a pretty clear picture.
If you have a boat and just want to get out after a long winter, hit the river and chuck streamers. There have been several spills this winter and alewives are a staple of the big browns early season diet. If you are a wade fisherman, pick a warm sunny day, check river flows before you come, dress warmly, wade carefully and bring some little brown and little black stone fly patterns.
As for me, I'll be on a plane the 31st heading for Long Island in the Bahamas for a week of bonefishing. When I get back we'll close things up down here and head north. The only time in 28 years that I've missed any good dry fly fishing because of the Bahamas trip was in 2012 when we had no winter and there were actually Hendricksons hatching in March!
If you do get to the river before I do, stop and see Dave at the Troutfitter's new fly shop and motel in Deposit. They purchased the old Laurel Bank Motel and are in the process of renovating the motel and setting up the fly shop in the little house in front of the motel. For those of you who don't know, the motel is right by the town bridge. They tell me the fly shop will be open and that some of the rooms will be available before the Hendicksons hatch.
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