Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

  A tip of the fedora to two new contributors to "name that tune". Don K. has proved his worth in the country western genera as well as being able to pick out Harry Chapin lyrics with ease. While Ed S. deserves partial credit for recognizing yesterday's title as an altered line from a 60 year old song, it was Paul M. who was able to name the Pete Seeger classic. Once saw Pete Seeger and Harry Chapin perform together in an auditorium that held about 300 people. Chapin later wrote Old Folkie as a tribute to Seeger. Did a dump run, returned some badly dyed CDC that was more suitable for adorning a Leprechaun on St.  Patty's day than wings on a sulfur, and at 2:30 drove up to Deposit. If "it" happened it was either before I got there or after I left. Very few sulfurs, rising fish, or fishermen. For the record, yesterday I saw by far the best sulfur hatch of the year. Where? In the water coming out of Oquaga Creek that just the day before was 80 degrees. The bugs...

  With the rain scheduled to arrive at 10:00 this morning I got what little yard work I had to do out of the way early and when it did start to rain, just before eleven, I made a sandwich, sat out on the porch and listened to the rain on the porch roof. It rained hard at first but then settled down into a light all day soaker that lawns and gardens were in need of. Gave the olives a chance to get started and at 2:30 drove up the PA side, no bugs at the usual stops along the way up Hancock.  Drove down to the Men's Club and saw but two waders and one pontoon boat in the water. Saw some rising fish by the sewage treatment plant with no one in the water. Suited up and waded in. To my amazement there was now a fisherman with a spinning rod standing waist deep in the water right where the fish had been rising. Out of the corner of my eye I caught movement, it was another fisherman who was charging down the middle of the  river to cut me off from more rising fish just upstream ...

  I've been fascinated watching the gentleman who is in charge of the releases designed to keep the water temp at Lordville under 75 degrees hit the nail on the head two days in a row. The factors that go into the calculations are endless, (EB temperature and water volume, predicted air temperature, hours of sunlight, percentage of cloud cover as well as WB temperature and water volume to name a few). This year he has added a new wrinkle by lowering the WB flow for a few hours before the surge which presumably creates a "credit" to be used when determining the amount of the thermal bank that is being used. If anyone knows his name and email address please let me know, would like to tell him what a great job he is doing. Lets not kid ourselves, today was hotter than a whore's dream. Finished what yard work I had decided to do by 10:00 and was still soaking wet and no it didn't rain. I did the "SZ" yesterday and had no intentions of returning today. When l...

  Yesterday either the surge sent down river to maintain the thermal refuge in the BR stifled the sulfur hatch, or the hatch, (which progresses upstream over time), has just moved past the Hale Eddy area. I fished bugless water. This afternoon I made the decision that it was better to stand in 50 degree water than to sit in the fishing camp listening to one window air conditioner trying to keep up with the job of cooling the fishing camp. Had a nice chat with Lloyd Hornbeck who is unquestionably the king of Cannonsville reservoir, then waded out into the river to cool off.  To my surprise there were waxwings in the air, (always a good sign), sulfurs hatching, and for the first time all year I had some good fish up and feeding on them. Threw at them for over two hours, every cast at a rising fish, exactly three fish, (other than yearlings), came up to my fly. A decent rainbow refused the fly but got in the way of the hook, made one jump and was gone, took the scale off the hook...

Arrived at the Lordville Estate right at noon, had lunch and then went out and mowed the back lawn, (did the two sides and front yard Friday. It's apparent that the tomatoes need a fence around the fence as the deer have been sticking their noses in between the wires and chowing down on the plants. Will deal with that in the am. I like to pat myself on the back when I find myself "in the right place at the right time" on the river. The reality of it is that it's a combination of having almost 35 years figuring things out, being here five days almost every week, and bullshit luck, (I won't try to apportion the %'s). Today, I had ample warning. Fished the same place early in the week three weeks in a row. First week was the "112" inches night which will almost certainly be my best big fish night of the year. The second week it was a bit cooler, the hatch shut off early and I didn't do nearly as well. Today I returned for the last of a three game se...