Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  Drove up to Cortland Friday to watch my granddaughter's lacrosse team play in the semifinals for the state championship. They played a team from Long Island that is undefeated and ranked number one in the state. The team is still undefeated having beaten our girls 15 - 7. To Ed Jones - Have to hand it to you, in a mere ten days you have generated more comments on this blog than I have all season. If you want to reconsider your decision to leave, I have a project for you that I'm sure would be interesting and informative to all who read the blog. The DEC shocks sections of the WB several times a year. If you can obtain copies of the data from a recent year or two AND the data from shockings done back in "The Good Old Days", it will make for some interesting comparisons which I would share on the blog.  Terry Valley - Wants to know when the sulfurs will appear in the afternoons, in good numbers. Historically the Invaria are first to arrive usually by about June 10th, ...

  Drove up the PA side the last two days and it's plain to see that the big bug season is over. The takeouts hold a more modest number of trailers, haven't seen a drift boat go by the fishing camp in over a week, nomadic guides are departing for rivers out west or in Alaska, and there are some boats sitting in the yard at Crosscurrents all day long. So, how was the "big bug season"? It depends on who you ask, and even then, I'm not sure. For wade fishermen, myself included, it was a disaster. High water has kept us out of the fray from the beginning of May. There are still wade fishermen who don't know if last year's Christmas present, (the new waders), even fits. The drifters should have enjoyed a spectacular season, plenty of water, no waders to row around, nothing but FUN, FUN, FUN, or was it? Talked with one guy who said he was selling his boat because he was sick of the lines at both the put ins and the takeouts, boats moving downriver not fifty yards...

  It's 10:00 pm on the dot, and with a PM on the table I will attempt to relate the day's happenings without once again making them disappear. Brian, you were supposed to smile, my wife says, "Not everyone gets your sense of humor", you did. I'm always open to learning new things like getting the ice cubes from the refrigerator instead of the ice box. Hackelhouse asked if I measured the fish willy nilly, (or was it by gosh and by golly)? HH for the past twenty years it's been done by a laser fish measuring tool I got during the Herter's going out of business sale, (for selling illegally imported jungle cock feathers). Actually, unlike some guides who cut the first two or three inches off  their tape measure, I am very careful with my measurements. When my rod was refurbished by Winston I asked them to turn the butt section into a ruler by putting little white lines on the rod from 10 inches up to 24, which to my surprise, they did. After taking the hook ou...

  Its been a rough few days for A-119, what with being accused of disseminating ridiculous propaganda, calling wind turbines windmills, and suffering through the disappearance of not one but two blog pages. After Monday's last hour fish hooking extravaganza I decided to take it easy and get some things done around the estate. Mowed the lawn, did some housework, called Vicki, got an appointment, drove up to Deposit to get my hair pruned, and still had time to get in a short nap. The fishing - Opportunities for wade fishermen are still limited. The UEB at 600 cfs can now be waded, with care, the WB at 2300 cfs is still out of bounds as is the BR, the EB can be fished again with care, both the BK and Willow are now at fishable levels. The bugs - At least where I've been able to fish are hard to find. Yesterday's iso hatch could be counted without taking off your socks and shoes. The evening hatch /spinner fall on the BE was also virtually non existent. How'd I do? Stumbled...

n Yesterday I lost all but the first paragraph of the report and typed it over. Today I was typing the last sentence and the GD thing disappeared again. I'm just not trying to type it over again at 11:00 pm. Sorry but it's just ridiculous propaganda from someone who doesn't know a wind turbine from a windmill.   

  Drove down to the fishing camp this morning in another misty drizzle. The blades on the windmills between Windsor and Deposit disappeared at the top of each rotation in the low hanging clouds. Stopped at Jim Serio's real estate office, (he is my source for all information pertaining to the FFMP regulations). I was quite sure that NYC was obligated to maximize the release from Cannonsville after June 1st. Glad I stopped as Jim quickly set me straight. The 1,500 cfs drawdowns are required but not until June 15th. Increasing the release does two, (maybe three), things. First it cools the water temp at Stilesville which is currently the warmest water in the entire system. Second it draws down the spilling reservoir a little bit faster than if the release was left at 600 cfs.  Third it probably delays waders reentry into the WB by a day or two. Left the Lordville Estate about three thirty hoping to find some olives and/or isos. Fished two runs on the BK. There were no olives but ...

  With the flow at Walton, (above Cannonsville), peaking at 4,500 cfs, the WB and BR will again be off limits to wade fishermen for the foreseeable future. So far the storms have left the east side untouched. The big bug season is over, but as long as the water temps stay under 70 degrees there is fishing on the Willow, BK,  and the BE, (at present levels, the UEB is too high to wade comfortably). Unless you are lucky enough to find the elusive Cornutas, (I haven't been), the best dry fly fishing will be in the last couple of hours of daylight. Early morning, before the sun starts to heat up the water, is a pleasant time to be on the streams and you can often find a few fish eating spinners or hatching caddis. Jim Dygert asked about the proposed power plant on the WB. This project was in the works and test borings were done 8-10 years ago. Water gushed  up out of one of the test holes causing enough concern that the valve was opened to the maximum 1,500 cfs in an attempt ...