Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

Thursday was special.  Walked into an open spot in a crowded WB and caught fish, lots of 'em.  In the evening I fished a place on the EB that hadn't treated me well in three previous visits and knocked 'em silly.  It will be my best day of the year. Friday morning, full of confidence, I tried a pool on the BR, well below the Buckingham put in.  There were no bugs and no risers. In the afternoon I fished the WB a little farther downstream than the prior day, saw almost no bugs and again no risers. By 6:30 I had not cast to a rising fish. Drove along the EB and Bk (where I filled my water jugs at a nice roadside spring) and never saw a rise. Continued my journey up the UEB where there were fishermen in most of the pools (only two cars at Long Flat and four at power line).  Fishermen formed a picket fence along the far side of the Shinhoppel pool, (where perhaps the DEC made a recent stocking??). Finally stopped at a pool with no fishermen and promptly saw two ...

Decided to do a little recon in order to catch up with what's up on the various sections of the river. Went up the PA side from Lordville to Deposit. Buckingham had 5 trailers destined for Long Eddy (pity them), and three trailers waiting for fishermen coming down river. Just two days ago trailers were parked out on the road.  Stockport had 3 trailers and 9 cars. Skipped Shehawken and drove by Ball's Eddy which had about a dozen trailers and half a dozen cars.  Clearly the big bugs are done on the BR. The Drake spinner fall was night before last. Further floats on the BR will depend on water temp and cloud cover. The game land lots were sparsely populated with 5 cars in the lower and 4 in the upper parking area. There have been drakes seen below the mud flats and rumors of evening sulfurs up to Hale Eddy. Hale Eddy to the No-kill appears to be bug less at the present time.  The amazing upper river caddis hatch seems to be on the wane. The East Branch drake hatch als...

After a couple of days where things just didn't fall into place and the fish were hard to come by, today seemed heaven sent. It was easily my best day to date and the odds on favorite for best day of the year. Had rising trout every minute I was in the water.  Bug hatches were super and for the most part good casts got looks and a lot of takes. Landed all but three fish I hooked with a 20 inch brown beating out a 19.5 inch rainbow for fish of the day. Where was I fishing?  Three places - one above the no-kill on the WB, one in the no-kill on the WB and one on the BE where judging by the coffin fly I took out of the mouth of the first fish I caught, the drake hatch is over. Where should you fish?  For starters, if its a sunny day you should head for the WB upstream from Oquaga before noon.  Why?  Because the apple caddis and the trout are putting on a show well worth watching. The fish are eating subsurface during most of the hatch but if you wait until the h...

The fishing report need not be long.  The sun came out about noon and dried the grass, which needed cutting.  Made my departure from camp of 3:15 about two hours too late.  With every drift boat east of the Mississippi fishing between Balls Eddy and Callicoon it was an easy decision to fish the river with the most fish and fewest fishermen (the WB).  Found only one car in the coveted two car slot on the upper WB and promptly stopped there.  Found fish going on a mix of Cornuta, sulfurs, olives, caddis and possibly a Hendrickson or two. Fished from four until the first shower at 5:15.  Did good. The rain, heavy at times, lasted until 7:00.  Moved downstream (still above Hale Eddy), waited for the rain to stop and the fog to begin (they both did). Fished from seven until nine and landed three fish none bigger than 10 inches. Of note: last time I fished there 17 boats went by me.  This time one boat and three wade anglers who had walked up from Hal...

Was it all just a dream?  The last two days there were bugs (the big ones) everywhere. Today almost nothing.  Saw some olives, sulfurs, a few golden stones and a handful of gray foxes.  There seemed to be enough spinners late to get the fish up but apparently they are protesting fisherman brutality and refused to eat. There were over twenty five trailers at Buckingham, some to be shuttled to Long Eddy, some for fishermen who planned on taking out there.  It's a big river system and one would think bugs had to hatch somewhere.  Called Dave at the Troutfitter in Deposit and he said people were coming in to ask him what happened to the caddis.  Just strange. Saw two does with single fawns. One was on an island in the big river.  The other was standing in the middle of the road from Lordville to Equinunk (which is in the running for the poorest maintained and most dangerous road in America award).  The doe jumped the guard rail leaving the fawn al...

You know the river is on fire when a fleet of drift boats float Buckingham to Long Eddy in the bright sunshine, rowing into a 15 mph wind. Left camp at 1:30 and took a drive.  There were big bugs everywhere.  Buckingham ramp had march browns, gray foxes, green drakes, sulfurs and several different caddis.  Added the big golden stones to the list at Cadosia on the EB. The bugs were hatching in the bright sun.  It wasn't until Harvard on the UEB that I ran out of bugs. The fish? Do you think I would have kept on driving if I saw rising fish?   There were almost no risers to be seen on the BR and  EB. Saw two drift boats floating the Upper East Branch with the flow at 275cfs.  Some drift boaters just don't care how many other people's fishing they spoil while pleasuring themselves. At close to four, with the wind still howling, it was time to fish.  Tried to get out of the wind (didn't) but did find rising fish eating big bugs and later ...

It was a cold day with a biting wind that no one should be required to fish in.  Many people didn't.  For a Sunday during the peak of the "big bug" season there were surprisingly few boats and wade fishermen on the river. The no shows were the smart ones. This morning when the temp got above 50, I ventured into the Lordville riff.  There were a few caddis surfing on six inch high waves.  My hat blew off (first time this year) and needed to be chased downstream.  Never saw a riser and headed back to the camp after but twenty minutes. The afternoon was more of the same.  Decided  to try and get out of the wind (wishful thinking) by fishing out front of the little parking area above the red barn in Stilesville.  Haven't fisher there in probably ten years and may not again.  For sure there are fish but it's just not water I enjoy.  Got a nose bump from a good fish, caught several 9/10 inchers, lost two twelve inchers literally at the net...