Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

With the worst of last night's rain missing the Delaware system, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.  That said, there is absolutely no wade fishing available in the entire system.  Today the rivers are off color and high.  Anyone fishing will be in a boat and chucking streamers. The outlook?      We are right back to where we were late last year with the releases maxed out and both reservoirs spilling.  Even with the maxed out releases it takes time to get the water below the lip of the dam.  With storms passing through every five to seven days it sometimes seems the rivers will never reach  wadeable levels.       But - The rains have been warm ones.  The grass is starting to grow.  The tree buds are swelling.  As things come to life more of the rain is absorbed and less runs off.  The sun is higher in the sky and is more effective in drying things out.  It's still only April 20th, a good week to 10 days ahead of  the normal start of good dry fly fishing.      

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon I was standing in the tailout of a pool in 1900 cfs of water in the lower West Branch -  surrounded by Paraleps.  It was a good enough hatch that I expected to see risers - there were none.  By 4:30 the hatch was on the wane and it had started to rain. This morning the river system was blown out.  The Big East was over 20,000 cfs with most of the water coming from the Beaverkill. The West Branch at noon today is still not spilling.  Walton, above the reservoir is running at over 4,000 cfs. Cannonsville should start spilling sometime today. The good news?               It was a warm rain. That and the warmer spill water will hasten the hatches.             There are sure to be alewives coming into both branches in the spill water providing some good streamer fishing.              Drift boaters have the river to themselves. The bad news?              Wade fishermen are once again shit out of luck.