Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

 The New York State hatchery system has come a long way in improving the trout they stock. Fifty years ago when the limit statewide was ten fish a day and everybody's goal was to keep ten, the state stocked hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of battleship gray yearling trout between 6 and 8 inches long. They were the prey and everything and everybody caught and ate them. Two major improvements to the hatchery trout stocking program came with the decisions to keep some of the trout in the hatcheries for two years and to add something to their diet to enhance  the color of their skin. The first efforts at holding fish for two years produced fish about 12 inches long. Since that time the size of the released hatchery fish has grown to about 15 inches. The stocking of the larger, well colored hatchery fish into streams that do not support a wild trout population gives anglers a chance to fish for big heavy trout that are, initially anyway, very easy to catch.  It results...

Learned a lesson today - When you've only been on the river two of the last five days you shouldn't be making statements about the status of the drake hatch. It's true that there are both green and brown drakes hatching on the UEB.  It's also true that they are hatching in the lower portion of the WB. Where I went wrong was saying that the drakes were done on the freestones. Have seen Drakes hatching for over 10 days on the EB, BR and the BK. Fished a drake spinner fall well up the EB on Monday.  Went to the EB above Hancock last night and never saw a bug of any kind. Fished the BR at Lordville  last night and saw no drake duns or spinners. Assumed it was over. This morning I was on the BR and never saw a single drake hatch. However, I did see 7 drift boats heading downstream, which seemed a little strange if the drakes were done. Went out tonight about six-thirty and headed up the WB. Saw a total of  just two boats from 17 all the way to Deposit. That was the second...

Drove back to camp early this morning after a nice day spent with two daughters and three youngest  grand kids.  Went out about 11:30 with no clue where I was going to fish.  Drove up the PA side and saw no risers on the river and almost no trailers (three) at Buckingham (it was way early so you can discount the number).  Turned right in Hancock and took a leisurely drive up old rte. 17. Stopped to glass the river for bugs and risers a bunch of times. Saw two good fish rise in private, posted water at Cooks Falls  and that was it.  Ended the drive at Carin's pool where I saw an angler catch a fish on a dry. On the trip back down river I drove down a little used dirt road to a row of  summer homes on the BK.  A homeowner was walking to her car and I asked her if there was anyplace where I could park and fish.  She said I could park there and walk down her stairs to the river.  So I did.  Came out on the river just above where I had f...

Am back in Lafayette and have found enough time to answer your questions.  Just an aside before the answers.  Was walking along the BK yesterday, "kinda" following a vague trail in the leg high grass along the shore, eyes on the river looking for risers, when I stepped over a hummock right on to the rear end of a beaver that was happily eating his dinner. Thankfully we both went in different directions and avoided a collision. He swam out to the middle of the stream and with a loud slap of his tail, to let me know what he thought of the encounter. Dennis - I do all my local fishing with a relatively slow, eight foot Winston four weight (IM6) which they stopped making back in the 90's. Sun, rain, wind or calm, it's the rod I use. Jim V. - Good to hear of your progress. Rookie years are sometimes tough. Never cut a feather my first year grouse hunting. In my second year I finally center patterned one on a crossing shot at about 20 feet in a cedar swamp, I actually looke...

It's June 1st, the peak of the deer fawning season and yearling carcasses are showing up along the side of the road in increasing numbers. Mom is busy with her new kids and the yearlings are on their own. They are apt to be up and around at all times of the day and haven't a clue how to cross the road safely. Be alert.  Yesterday a doe was trying to get her wobbly legged fawn across 97 on a curve in the middle of the hill going out of Hancock.  I stopped with my flashers on but the doe turned back and ran up the hill, the fawn followed leaving the road still to be crossed.  The Lordville wildlife is at a low point. The bluebird nesting was a failure.  There was only one young bird and it died during that cold period.  The hen turkey is also without a brood but she works her way through the back yard stopping to dust under the porch most days.  Haven't seen a deer in the yard in two weeks.  There were two adult does and two yearlings.  Last time I ...

Anybody who was on the river system this weekend knows, that every species of bug known to mankind was hatching on the Delaware River system. Not all in profusion mind you, but rain, bright sun, cold and wind made no difference, they hatched.  The fish?  They ate.  Coming out of the "Doldrums" not ten days ago, many of the fish were long and lean. Today all the fish (except those closest to the dams), resemble NFL footballs that are fully inflated. Anybody who was on the river system today, learned that there is absolutely no correlation between prolific bug hatches, nonstop fish feeding and angler success. Bright sun, a pesky breeze and the fishes resolve to eat everything subsurface put a crimp into the success rate of most  anglers. Yes, there were risers, even in the bright sun but were they eating off the top? No. Most rises I saw were of the splashy variety that indicated that the fish was picking off emergers in the water column, black caddis being the most li...

Returned to the "Lordville Estate" this AM after watching granddaughter #3 (ranked by age) play a JV lacrosse game. The rules for girls lacrosse are from the stone age and don't begin to take into account the athleticism and physicality that the girls bring to the game today. Change the rules give 'em helmets and pads and let them play. As the recipient of a yellow card (never be the one to throw the second punch) I'm sure #3 would agree. Stopped at the Troutfitter in Deposit on the way down where I learned that they were sold out of "A Season On The Delaware".  Reordered more copies and will drop off a few copies from my inventory tomorrow.  Thanks to everyone who has purchased one (perhaps, like the Edsel) it will be a collectors item someday. Was watching an eagle out the camp window as he made strafing runs at a pair of Mergansers on the river when I saw a splash just down stream. Watched, through the binoculars, a good fifty hard splashy rises on th...