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Showing posts from September 22, 2019

Never rose a fish.

With the last day of my "regular season" at hand I had planned on fishing the Lordville riff.  It is the "home pool" after all. When I arrived on the scene someone else was already there. Got back in the car and drove up river on the  PA side.  It wasn't nearly as crowded as last Friday but there were still both drift boats and fishermen at all the usual places. Decided to drive on up the WB and say goodbye to a friend that gives me river access at his place. He wasn't home. Sat down by the muddy river for twenty minutes to see if he returned. Never saw a bug or a rise. Drove from there up to the Troutfitter Shop in Deposit where Dave was getting ready to close the door. He said the shop had had a busy day after a slow week and that the rooms had been filled last night and tonight. They will be open through the 15th of October. Never did don my waders. This week has been  the poorest fishing for me since back in April. There are still rising fish but I d

Someone cue the fat lady.

It was an overcast drizzly day and yes there were olives from two to four on the UE. Saw a few caddis on the two Bk pools that I tried and no bugs on the BE pool I fished. Took a drive down the BR as far as Hankins, water was off color  even down there. Stopped at Basket Brook and Kellums  Bridge looking for risers - nothing.  Cut cross lots over to Fishs Eddy (kind of a neat drive) with the intention of trying McCarter's pool again without people standing across the river throwing lures at me. Alas I arrived in a downpour and continued on up to the BK where I managed to hook a couple of nice bows. Went up Rte 30 about 2:00 and found pseudos and rising fish in a pool that was vacant for the first time in the last ten days. The heavy pressure showed as the few fish feeding would stop rising soon as my first cast floated over them. Saw several come up under the fly for a look and go down never to be seen again. Did manage to hook five and land four.  Another angler silently slipp

What you should know if you are going to go.

With my time on the river drawing to a close I thought it would be helpful to those of you who are planning on fishing this fall  to give you a current status report on the rivers making up the Delaware River System.  Keep in mind that a good rainstorm could change everything. Beaverkill - The river is crystal clear with a current flow of under 75 CFS.  There is no flow to the water in the pools. With the cooler temperatures the fish have repopulated the pools. The streamside rocks show evidence of continued iso hatches.  The water is still too warn to expect meaningful pseudo activity. There are better opportunities elsewhere. The Upper East - (above it's junction with the Beaverkill) is flowing at about 135 CFS  at Harvard with a release at Downsville of 114 CFS. The flow is low and slow but the water is ice cold, pseudos are hatching in the afternoon and the trout are feeding on them. The fishing has attracted quite a few fishermen.  The fish have all been fished to and are

Asters are in bloom and the Sumacs are nearing their peak.

If you were looking for my report yesterday - there wasn't any.  I had fished for 7 straight days and thought clean underwear might be in order.  Put up two tree stands and had Monday lunch with a couple of my old friends. They pointed out that it was the first day of fall.  Driving back down late  yesterday afternoon I realized that this is my last regular week on the river this season. Bow season starts next Tuesday and I will spend a lot of time sitting in a tree watching nature and just reflecting on life.  My birthday is March 30th so I am born again just in time for trout season but every year in the fall, when the bright colors are gone and the first snows come - I get a year older. The fishing: I'll admit it, last Monday's fishing bonanza got me out of whack. Had one other good day out of seven. The rest of the days were but three to four fish.  At first you make excuses,  waters too low, too much sun, too many fishermen, muddy water in the WB and BR.  Finally y

The DEC knows and does nothing to stop the carnage.

Stayed at camp this weekend, primarily to work on my yard project.  With the continued hot sunny days even my enthusiasm for fishing wanes. Am not often here on weekends and was amazed by the turnout of fishermen. Boats and wade fishermen everywhere.  Had no desire to fish the high and silt laden WB.  There were far to many boats for me on the BR and so many wade fishermen on the UE that finding an empty pool was impossible.  The Bk was relatively free of anglers.  But the flow is now down around 75 CFS and today at least the temps were up near the no fish zone. There was  no one in "Wagon Tracks" so I parked and walked out on the bare rocks, an eagle took off from a tree overlooking the pool (a good sign), and several fish rose - it was about 4:00, the sun was beating down with the temp was in the high 80's. Looked down at the rocks next to the water and every one was covered with dozens of iso husks. Just say'in. Decided, after considering all of the above, to fis