Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

With my wife's plane not due in until 6:40 this evening, I had plenty of time for a morning trip. With releases coming down, the big rivers days are numbered. I decided to give it a try down river before it gets too warm and the fish move out. The results were, to me surprising. The BR has been high and unwadeable for over a week. Water temps have been cool. There have been very few boats down river since the drakes. I was anticipating great things. The last time I fished the BR below Lordville it was a circus, with big browns and rainbows crashing flies and streaking off into the backing. This morning -not so much. Saw one good fish porpoise in front of me but he did not come to the fly. There were small olives and smaller still spinners on the water. The feeding fish were a mix of browns and rainbows between 11 and 15 inches in length. They seemed to like my small olive but turned up their noses at the smallest spinners I had. If the water temp stays cool enough an ear...

Today was a scorcher, the third bright, sunny, hot day in a row. Went out into the Lordville Riff early hoping to catch my first decent fish from the riff this year. I did. It wasn't great. There were no hatching bugs but there were quite a few very small spinners on the water. Yearling trout along the shore were feeding on them. Hooked four good fish on an assortment of flies, landed three. Retired to the mound of topsoil in one of the side yards and the ground up Norway Spruce stump in the other. Seven wheelbarrow loads of stump shavings got rid of the stump and six wheelbarrow loads of topsoil filled the hole. At 11:30, I was again tired and wringing wet. Sat in an air conditioned room at the Troutfitter Motel (this job has its perks) and watched the Women's National soccer team beat France in a World Cup thriller. Game over and it was still hotter than blue blazes (what are blue blazes anyway?). Walked over to the Town bridge and saw several boats upstream, trout ris...

If you were planning to fish where I did today but stayed home instead -consider yourself lucky. Yesterday I fell into a good sulfur hatch on the UE that got lots of fish up and eating. The evening fishing on the BR didn't start 'til about nine but the action from then to dark was fast and furious. The old saying on the Delaware is "If you had a good day on the river today, go somewhere else tomorrow". Well, I did and I didn't. I went to different pools but followed the same basic plan. Was on the UE in time for the sulfurs but they never showed (neither did the fish). It was hot and sunny (just like yesterday) so I went back to the camp and didn't go out again until about 7:00. Saw a riser early and got him to eat, he came unstuck in about 5 seconds. Next rise was on the way to the car about 9:30. Hooked a heavy fish that did nothing but thrash around on the surface. Was sure it was a big fall fish. He never took 10 feet of line but I couldn't ge...

As the proud new owner of 8 cubic yards of topsoil, I felt duty bound to begin the process of filling in holes and leveling out some of the yards numerous dips and valleys. Knew it was going to be hot so I started early, by 10:30 I was soaking wet and tired enough to call it quits for the day. It's summer now and even with the huge releases we have had, fishing is quickly becoming an evening thing on the BK BR and BE. The water temps have been fine but with the cut back of the release at Stilesville the BR temp is bound to start to rise. The BK hit 68 today. As most of you are aware the "tailwater" fishing that is the life blood of the system during the hot summer months usually occurs in the three or four miles of both branches closest to the dams. Because of the big releases of cold water we have had this year the sulfurs are still hatching well down both branches. Drove up the UE about two today and saw Drakes still hatching behind the Sunoco station in East Br...

On the 17th of June I fished to happy trout slurping up drake duns (both green and brown) without a care in the world. Three days later on the 20th I said if you are going to fish the drakes you needed to bring your "a game". Today I went back to the UE. The drakes are still hatching (along with just about any other fly you care to name). But at least for a dry fly fisherman, the fish are now virtually uncatchable (during the hatch). Why? Fish are smarter than most people give them credit for being. Just before the hatch started the rains came and the UE became floatable. Fishermen (both waders and floaters flock to the UE when the drakes are "on". Long Flat is loaded with big fish, and has a fisherman's parking area and access path. It's not unusual to see a dozen cars there during the drake hatch. Same (to a slightly lesser extent) for the power line pool just upstream. It has always been hard to catch fish in these two pools during the...

For the last four days I've tried something new. Instead of giving advice I've tried to follow it. The wade fishermen have not been on the river. They just aren't here. They are waiting for the water to drop to reasonable wading levels. So I've given it a try. I skipped one day altogether and just fished the last couple of hours the other three days. I got items crossed off my "To do" list. Took the time to watch the backyard does (two) and fawns (two), hen turkeys (two) with their young (seven and eleven) and the women's national soccer team that beat a hard hitting (some might say dirty) Spanish team, two to one on two penalty kicks. For frustrated wade anglers, there may be light at the end of the tunnel. NYC has started a step down of the Cannonsville release. Too early to tell how much they reduce the release but it is coming down. This will improve wading in the WB and possibly in the BR. The Pepacton release remains unchanged and the boaters c...

It's seven pm and I'm sitting on my porch watching the neighborhood doe nurse her fawn. Jumped the little guy(???) yesterday while I was clearing my view of the river. He bounded off into a high stand of weeds. Momma came later in the day and knew just where to find him. Tonight momma came down the hill and walked past me without even a how do you do. She walked up the railroad tracks along my neighbors unmowed lawn (it's Lordville afterall) until she reached the right spot. The fawn then bounded out of the tall grass for his dinner. I don't know how long the doe keeps away from the newborn fawn but tonight the fawn followed mamma out onto the lawn. Perhaps he's ready to outrun predators and will stay with her. Why aren't I fishing. To be honest, it's the most beautiful evening one could imagine to be fishing - if only there were a reasonable number of places where you could wade. Drove around this afternoon and saw bugs everywhere (boats too). There ...