Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  Was surprised by how few questions have appeared since the last Q & A session.  Dennis - Cornuta are the largest olives (think 16's), that I'm aware of. They can be seen most any time but mid mornings in late May - early June on the freestones is when I look for them (later on the tail waters). The trout love them and the hatch is never heavy enough to fill them up. You just have to be patient. The fish feed on the emerging nymphs early in the hatch and will ignore your dry.  It's not until the hatch begins to wain that the trout start to look up, but when they do, they aren't fussy at all.  Jorgen - Don't be so hard on the fall fish. The poor things are one of the ugliest fish to eat a dry fly. I am disappointed when I feel the rubbery soft mouth when I hook one, but every once in a while one morphs into a big old brown or hot rainbow, when in doubt I make the cast. As to distinguishing them from trout, there are a few tells. The most obvious is the head bob....

  I could do a few rants today, they would be justified, but it upsets Jean and they serve no purpose. Just don't tell me NYCEP didn't say if the project is a go, we will max the releases from all three Delaware River Reservoirs on June first ( I asked the question), and (forgive me Mrs. Haskins for what I assume is a run on sentence) please don't tell me you didn't know you shouldn't fish for trout in water over 70 degrees or that you didn't know the water was 74 degrees where you were fishing. Amen. Another hot one with one more to go. If someone can conjure up even a cloudy day or better yet a gentle all day rain, sign him up. April went by dry as a desert bone save for the two day rain event that put the BR up over 20,000 cfs. May never got a meaningful rain and the total for the month was less than an inch. The current heat wave has put the freestones up into the seventies and without the max reservoir releases the fish have no doubt begun their migration t...

  Last week when I made my somewhat shaky return from a bout with "Montezuma's Revenge", it was at two easy access pools on the Beaverkill. Not to be a sentimental sop but the first thing I noticed was that the toads were singing their hearts out. No, not for me of course, but there they were, lined up along the shore doing there springtime thing. I don't know when they started (heard the last ones this week) but walking along the shore today I saw tens of thousands of the little pollywogs, some as big as a pea and some as small as the head of a pin. Just wondering, fish will devour any baby frog that they can get to but won't touch a toad. Will fish eat pollywogs? Foxes - Have seen four foxes this week (three red, one gray). the gray one I've seen twice near the Cow Lick on rte. 97, which strangely, is not yet open. The fishing - Since it has been demoted to #3 on the list, you probably think there will be more moaning and groaning about bright sun, hot temps...

  It was as an idyllic a morning as you could ever find on the Delaware River System. Early morning sun and not a hint of at breeze. Water temp 64 degrees. Not a boat or fisherman in sight. An adult bald eagle flew up and down the river before landing in a tall pine overlooking the water to watch the show. Four different deer came for a drink and stood looking at me, apparently unconcerned. A beaver watched me wade about 150 feet towards a fish that had risen several times before he slapped his tail not ten feet from where the fish was rising. The cornutas that were on the water where I fished yesterday morning were no where to be seen today, but the fish were hungry and there were enough caddis and spinners on the water to generate some rises. If I was able to put a fly over where a fish rose, he ate. Lost six rainbows, never uttered a single curse, and ended up having a great day all condensed into a three hour morning. The evening "fishing" left something to be desired. De...

  Let there be no doubt about it, day after day of hot, dry and sunny weather, coupled with reduced releases and increased fishing pressure have made catching a fish cause for celebration. Even the DRC's glut of "fish of the day" pictures came to a screeching halt yesterday. The bright sun coupled with low water levels has resulted in the freestones (BK, BR, and BE) all being well over 70 degrees for an extended period this afternoon/evening. Tomorrow is predicted to be cooler but Thursday and Friday's 90 degree predictions will send their water temps well into the 70's, unless the scheduled max releases are started. Have heard rumblings that because of the current draught conditions the max releases may be cut back or the entire project may be put off for another year. The fishing - Is just plain tough. There are both bugs and rising fish early and late. Where you are fishing dictates what flies you will see. Based on the last three days it doesn't seem to ma...

  If you read yesterdays report and were on the river today there is no way you would believe a word I said. I didn't get out this morning when the rivers were the coolest. Was two hours later than yesterday getting to the river, there were still Hendricksons and apple caddis on the water but people were leaving and there were next to no fish rising. Stayed two hours and it just got worse. Threw at one surface feeder who rose to my fly, shook his head and went back down to wait for a better tied fly. At six yesterday I went to the EB and had both bugs and rising fish until dark. Today with the hot sun and water temps in the freestones at or near 70 degrees, I took the high road and picked a spot lower down on the WB. I had a very nice stretch of water to myself. There were enough bugs (an array of the big may flies and caddis that were nimble enough to evade my attempts to catch them), and enough boils to let me know fish were ready to eat. I fished as well as I can fish (you'l...