Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  Spent the morning picking peaches, and pruning limbs from the peach trees that had either been broken by the weight of the peaches or by the deer. With the bright sun I was in no hurry to go fishing. At 2:30 I checked the freestone water temps and felt it would be OK to fish them. It's supposed to get to 86 tomorrow with thunderstorms. If it's sunny most of the day the freestones will probably end up over 70 degrees and should not be fished. Drove east on seventeen and got off at East Branch. Happy to report that the UEB has finally cleared. Debated giving it a try, but opted to continue exploring pools on the BK. It's down under 300cfs and at that level you are able to fish all the pools with ease, (just don't step on the big flat yellow/brown rocks).  The fishing - It was hot and sunny. There were no bugs of any kind until after seven o'clock. Found lots of wild yearling trout, (now 9 to 11 inches long) and almost no older fish. Saw just a few iso husks on rocks...

  Had no trouble sleeping last night after the morning, afternoon , and evening fishing sessions. Didn't get out of bed until 7:45, and with the prediction of bright sunshine, decided to do a split day. Walked out in the yard after breakfast to pick some peaches and my neighbor asked me when we were going to do the fence repair job he had volunteered to help on. I said how about today, and the morning fishing was cancelled. Been making excuses for not doing the job all summer and now I wonder why. It took less than two hours, spent time with a nice young man, and I think we both walked away feeling like we had accomplished something. I never mind driving along the river looking for rising fish, but when I left the fishing camp at 2:30 in the bright afternoon sun, I didn't really expect to see any, and I didn't. Stopped at the Troutfitter and chatted with David, Anthony and a Troutfitter regular who told to us about his most recent Atlantic Salmon fishing trip up in Canada. ...

  My fishing day turned into a triple header when, with the temperature climbing into the 60's at about 11:00 this morning, I looked out at the river and saw swallows everywhere. Put on the waders and waded in. False alarm. The birds were no doubt feeding, on what I couldn't say, (or see), but 45 minutes of casting failed to raise a single fish. I returned to the camp, and picked the ripe tomatoes and some peaches to take up to the Troutfitter for David. Had a late lunch, (a BLT). Watched my friends horse romp home first by so many lengths, that they showed a commercial before the other horses crossed the finish line. Around 2:30 I got in the car and drove up to Deposit, found a run I like to fish void of anglers, and waded in. It turned out to be the kind of fishing that I like best. Just a few bugs, (sulfurs and olives), with an occasional rise here and there. Got a couple of refusals right away that let me know that the fish were looking up. In three hours of fishing there w...

  After yesterdays fiasco I was in no hurry to get to the river. The meeting with the assoc. editors was scheduled for 4:00 and I saw no reason to fish before the meeting. Planned on doing a little yard work, and then shooting my bow. Finished up tying a few olives and isos by 10:30, walked out on the porch to get my bow and it was raining. Went back inside, did a hard sudoku, filled in a substantial part of a NYT Friday crossword, looked outside ,and the sun was shining. Took a shower and headed for the porch only to find the water was pouring off the roof again. It was after 1:00 when I said to hell with it, and went fishing. Drove up to Deposit where David was happy to tell me that there had been a sulfur/olive, combo hatch at barking dog last night and every fish in the river was up. There is a possibility he was pulling my chain. Walked out on the town bridge at about 2:00 and saw enough risers to merit suiting up. Glad I did. The fishing - Was very good. In the roughly two ho...

  I really don't even want to write about it. If the fish refuse to play the game, they shouldn't get any ink. It was dreadful, easily the worst day since early April. Cold wind, rising pressure be dammed, you had bugs to eat, lots of them, and none of you even came to the table, let alone ate. The fishing - Where I was stunk. I fished the BK, EB, and WB. There were bugs,(olives of various sizes) both duns and spinners and the water was covered with them from five 'til dark and the fish just couldn't be bothered. Caught a nice 17 inch rainbow about 3:30 and never saw a fish over ten inches for the rest of the day. While I'm at it, I might just as well let you know about Mother Nature. When a front comes through, you know the wind is going to blow, but it's supposed to lay down with the sun. Well, I guess it did, but a half hour before quitting time, with bugs all over the water, it started to blow again and over the hill came the rain. It sent me and all the oth...

  It was an olive kinda day to be sure. Overcast with an on again, off again, all day drizzle. The sulfurs didn't like it, yes there were a few around, but not nearly enough to get the fish up and gulping. The olives? Were late to the party. Some pseudos were around during the afternoon but it wasn't until the front started pushing through with winds around fifteen that they hatched enough to get fish up.  Arrived in Deposit about 12:45 and departed at 2:00 having seen but one sulfur and one fish rise, (not for the sulfur I saw). Drove east all the way to the Willow, which was at a perfect level and clear as a bell. Never saw a bug or rising fish there, so I turned the car around and headed back. The BK was up to about 600cfs but was quite clear down to Horton. From Horton down to Jaws it was quite "stained" as some like to say. The UEB was still muddy at the Sunoco station  and the EB below Jaws got muddier the farther down you went. The BR was brownish orange and hi...

  Left at 6:30 Friday morning and spent an enjoyable two days up at Saratoga with a neighborhood friend I've known for over seventy years. He has assembled a small group of investors who have recently joined forces with one or more other groups of investors, to purchase what the I consider to be a rather expensive horse. From what I can determine my friends group own the horse's dock and skirt. We met at the horse barn at 9:00 am and watched the trainer's strings of horses being ridden over to the track, exercised, brought back to the barn, hot walked, bathed and returned to their stalls with a bundle of hay to munch on. My friends horse is scheduled to debut this week. Hopefully her "skirt" crosses the finish line ahead of all other horses in the race. For the record - came out $.20 cents ahead the first day and $11.00 in the hole on day two. Drove down to the Lordville Estate late this afternoon with threatening skies but little rain until Hancock. Drove through...