Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  It's not easy being me, and it's certainly not easy being Mark. Yesterday was magic, today not so much. Yesterday the guide swung three times and hit three balls out of the park. Today, he never got a ball out of the infield. After a fruitless trip into a spot on the EB where the Hendricksons were done for the year and the fish had already eaten their fill of both Grannom and Apple Caddis, we drove over to a pool on the BK where the water was being churned into a froth by a pod of feeding trout. The only problem was that they were on the far side of the river across a deep channel and impossible to reach. From the BK we went to the WB where the Hendrickson hatch was just starting (2:45). We did exceptionally well on the fish that were feeding within casting range (Mark landed a beautiful 19 inch brown), but most of the fish that were dining on the Hendricksons were well back in a deep water pool  again well beyond our reach. As the hatch waned we drove upstream looking for a...

Yesterday was (hopefully ) as bad as it gets. High water, clouds, a cold north wind, frost, no bugs and no risers. As if by magic, at midnight things began to change,  The NYC, DEP cut the releases on both the WB and UEB. The clouds went away, the wind forgot to blow, once again there was frost, but with cloudless skies and bright sunshine the water temps rose rapidly into the bug hatching zone, and the rivers became wade-able.  Mark, the N.C. bone fishing friend and South Holston fisherman, is back to get his boat after being flooded out of his fishing last week. Today, with the water dropping everywhere, we waded. Left the Lordville Estate at 11:30, ate lunch streamside while watching for risers. Before lunch was finished there were fish chasing nymphs and by the time we suited up and were fishing there were both bugs and rising fish. It was that way for the rest of the day. The fishing - During one frenetic period I hooked and lost seven out of eight fish I hooked, and neve...

 Left the fishing camp about 11:30 when a burst of sun sent the temp up to 58 degrees. Stopped at two places on the BE, hoping to find caddis. There were none. Reversed course and drove up to Hale Eddy, where the now cloudy sky, drift boats rowing by with sports sitting down, and the 43 degree water temp said forgetaboutit. Turned around again and drove east on 17 all the way to the Willow, where again there were neither bugs nor risers. During the drive I encountered rain squalls and the temp dropped from 58 to 52. Turned back west and drove the length of the Beaverkill, stopping at all my usual "look see" spots. At 2:15 there was a good paralep (blue quill) hatch on one of the famous BK pools that I have previously spelled wrong and gotten in trouble for naming. Sat there for twenty minutes and never saw a rise. In fact I never saw a rising trout until I took a long walk into a pool on the BE where I saw the same fish rise five times in an area about 30x50 feet. Never got a...

  It's 6:00 pm on Tuesday night and I sitting out on the back porch with my PC and my PM for the first time this year.  The apricot tree blossoms are done, the plum and peach trees are in full bloom. Only the blossoms on the apple trees and red buds remain closed. The last two mornings we had heavy frost with temps in the high twenties. Not sure what that means for the apricots and plums. I am expecting company tonight. The last two nights two small does (yearlings I'm sure) showed up, one obviously pregnant, the other not. I was getting a little concerned that I hadn't seen the little yearling buck that was orphaned last year and spent the late summer and early fall bedding down in my flower garden and eating the drops from the peach tree. He also showed up the last two nights. They obviously remember me from last year because when I talk to them they come running right over to the porch expecting me to go out and shake some apples out of the tree. The blue birds have cons...

  Went home Sunday to do a wash and get treatment for my windburn. With the Hancock air temperature at 28 and the water temps all around 41/42 this morning it was clear that we needed a bright sunny day to have bugs, and we got it. All rivers in the system got into paralep hatching temps and most were warm enough for some Hendricksons to appear.  The trip down 17  at 11:30, showed me enough boats along the WB and trailers at the take-outs to send me east. Had lunch and about one-thirty I headed out. Stopped at one of my "look-see" places on the BE where there were a few apple caddis hatching. This usually indicates that the seasonal Hendrickson hatch is well underway. Saw no risers.  Drove up to the Beaverkill where Troutfitter stickers adorned the first two vehicles I encountered,(Thanks Dave). Had no trouble finding two pools with no boats or wade fishermen. Just me and the wind. About three, the bugs showed up, mostly paraleps (every Hendrickson in the river had t...