Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  My get up and go got up this morning but it didn't go anywhere. Been down here since Sunday afternoon and found that I was in no hurry to get out fishing. Didn't cross many items off the to-do list either. Did wash the sliders in the kitchen that look out on the back yard and spent a little time at the tying bench but really just took it easy. At about four I drove up the PA side of the river again. It is a waste of time because I know what I'm going to find, wade fishermen everywhere and boat trailers too numerous to count at every launch / takeout spot from barking dog down to Buckingham. Have not fished anywhere in the area since my friend Mark from N.C. was here. The fishing must be good 'cause DRC continues to show picture after picture of fish caught by their sports. My GHOF has been down for a few days and we have, for the most part enjoyed good fishing in relative solitude. Today was the first day I shared a pool with anyone this week and I think it's the ...

  Tried to get a rise out of him with the Eagles reference (Peaceful Easy Feeling) but my offering was ignored. One of our most positive, up beat and prolific commenters has gone silent. Back in May he reported having a torn Achilles but, (unlike me with  my intestinal malady), gave no details and has given us no updates. ED, if I'm not mistaken the Achilles tendon does not interfere with writing. Please bring us up to date on your injury. We have missed your reports on the Willow. The Dorothea's will be cranking up in a couple of weeks and we count on you to keep us up to date on the "Sulfur Zone" fishing as well . With the morning cornuta hatch seemingly over for the year, my zeal for split days had faded. The trouble with that is that the afternoon sulfur hatch is probably still a couple weeks away. Left the Lordville Estate at 2:30 today (after first mowing the grass) and by 6:30 had landed but two fish, one of which ate the fly while I was reeling it in ( please ...

  With the drift boaters concentrating on the middle and lower sections of the WB and the BR down to Buckingham, and the water temps in all of the freestone sections right around 60 degrees, it's a great opportunity for wade fishermen to get away from the crowd, enjoy fishing to fish that haven't been rowed over 15 times a day and perhaps hooking into a hot rainbow that hasn't felt a hook since Hendricksons. The rain this week is a God send. Hopefully the weather pattern has changed, although the low that has been spinning over us seems a lot like the one that was up in Maine last week that sent us the smoke signals. Not sure if the fires in Canada have been extinguished as the radar seems to show the rain concentrated around NYS. The fishing - Scrubbed the morning fishing. The rain is not conducive to good spinner falls and the cornutas appear to be over on the freestones. Left the Lordville Estate about 2:30 and took it on the chin in the BR as the olives (notoriously lat...

  Spent the day catching up on work around the fishing camp and yard. Found time to reorganize my spinner box, tossed a couple dozen flies that were either beyond repair or poorly tied to begin with and then sat down and tied a dozen new ones. Went through my fishing vest, removing the small Hendricksons, grannoms, gray foxes and green drakes which gave me room to add my sulfurs. Fished from 10:30 until dark Monday and found I was in no hurry to get to the river today. At about five o'clock I got in the car and drove up as far as Hale Eddy. The upper WB is still in the post Hendrickson doldrums, yes there are some olives and sulfurs but the drift boats tell the story. By the time I got down to Monument (WBA) I had caught up with the Armada which was mounting a sustained offensive from there all the way to Buckingham. This is the transitional period, post big bugs and pre sulfur zone. There are bugs and rising fish but both the size and number of the fish feeding on top during the d...

  With rain scheduled for late afternoon I decided to fish the BR in the morning. Was on the water a little before nine and was back in the fishing camp before noon. There were almost no bugs and only an occasional riser. In the time I was there, at least two dozen fish rose to what were almost all blind casts. How many ate my fly? Four. How many did I land? One. Entertaining for sure but just a bit frustrating. Tried a lot of different flies and not a one passed muster. Went out about 4:00 just as it started to rain. Tried the EB but the elevated water temp apparently shut off the bugs, it was dead. Was on the BR about 6:30 in a light but steady rain which increased in intensity while I was there. There were raindrops, a few big olives and some isos on the water and the fish were up and feeding. Funny thing, they liked my flies just fine. Was into one fish after another until 8:00 when everything just stopped. Was spreading out wet fly boxes on the kitchen table before 8:30.

  After a couple days off I was ready to go.  Stopped in Deposit at about 10:30 on the way down and saw rising fish off the town bridge. Suited up and had at 'em. There were a few tiny olives on the water and it turned out that they were a good match for the tiny yearling trout that were feeding on them. Caught a half dozen fish in about half an hour, the best being a 10 inch hatchery brown. Drove down to the Lordville Estate, put things away, watered both the garden and orchids, put up the bird feeder, tried (unsuccessfully) to get our grandson's state championship lacrosse game on my PC, fell asleep in the recliner, awoke at 5:30, got up and went fishing. Drove up the PA side of the BR and counted 39 trailers from Buckingham to Balls Eddy (and some had already left). Saw a few bugs at Buckingham (4) and no bugs at Shehawken or Balls Eddy. and not a single riser at any of my "look-outs" along the way. Turned around at Hale Eddy and headed for the EB. It was warm (68)...