Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  Trying to be in the right place at the right time on the Delaware System this year is proving to be a challenge for everyone. The Dorotheas, are usually one of the most prolific and consistent hatches the river has to offer, with the bugs showing up around 1:00 in the afternoon and again at 7:00 in the evening. This year the Dorotheas first showed up about three weeks ahead of schedule, but they have clearly lost the ability to tell time, as they have hatched anywhere from noon till dark. They have also been wildly inconsistent as to the numbers hatching. Some days the Cedar wax wings don't even bother to show up. The trout apparently have better options than the sulfurs as they have been pretty much ignoring even the best of the hatches.  With freestone water temps hovering around the 70 degree, no fishing mark, I've been spending more time on the WB the last few days. Yes, I have started catching the two year old trout you have been telling me about, but in my limited time...

 Left the Lordville Estate at 10:00 after first checking the water temp at Lordville. High water has kept me from wading the BR and now that it is low enough to wade safely, the water temp is approaching the 70 degree no fish mark. Never saw a boat or wade fisherman all morning. Didn't see any bugs hatching or fish rising either for that matter. Alternated a caddis, an olive, and an iso. First fly eaten was the iso and I fished the rest of the morning with it. Had nine fish eat the fly and but one refusal. Landed six rainbows of varying lengths none of which were on a weight loss program. Don't know what they are eating but there must be a lot of it around. Spent the early afternoon catching up on my sleep, the late afternoon mowing the lawn, and a  half hour, before heading out for the evening fishing, replacing half a dozen isos that have either been lost or rendered unfit for consumption. Checked the USGS temperature gauges and confirmed that the freestones were out of play...

  Had the same kinda afternoon today as exquisite fly-tyer Jim N. did yesterday, sans the fat 19 inch brown. Between yesterday and today I caught half a dozen yearlings, all but one of which were rainbows. The biggest one was over 10 inches long which is interesting only because yearling rainbows don't usually reach ten inches until late in August or early in September. The hatch today started about 2:00 and was over before three. The older fish never made an appearance. Spent the late afternoon catching up on my sleep. At 7:00 after checking water temps, I decided to wade the BR for the first time since April.  (Mark and I did float it four times in high water during his visit in early May). At 2,000 cfs it is now wade able. There were numerous showers in the area and with dark clouds overhead, I put on the rain coat. Saw a couple of Cahill's hatch and a crippled olive on the water as I waded out from shore. A couple minutes later a fish rose good two hundred feet upstream fr...

  As late as 2:30 today, there was talk about putting me on injured reserve. A "strained groin muscle", (incurred either during an over enthusiastic workout or by sneezing), led to 5 virtually sleepless nights. I'd like to point out that I did fish with the injury on Thursday and Friday and would have done so starting today but Jean felt the need to put her foot down and require a doctors OK before giving me my car keys back.  She scheduled an appointment with my internist, (who baby sits his grandkids on Monday), for Tuesday afternoon. He would, no doubt, refer me to an orthopedic specialist who's first open date would be sometime in October. Fortunately I was able to schedule an appointment for 2:15 this afternoon with a Chiropractor. He, after first checking for other causes of my sleepless nights, used a specialized chiropractic tool, (looked a lot like a rolling pin to me), to stretch the contracted muscles. After cancelling the appointment with my internist, loa...