Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

After yesterday's day off, I was anxious to get back in the water and throw a fly. Headed to the upper reaches of the WB to fish the Hendrickson hatch. Drove up the WB at about two o'clock and saw very few anglers and boats on the water.  Had a pool to myself for about an hour and a half and threw at rising fish the whole time. When I had fooled all the fish I was going to fool there I waded upstream past the only boat anchored in the area and looked for more rising fish. The hatch was slowing down and as is usually the case, the rising fish started taking duns. Located some risers that were willing to eat my fly (strangely several of them were right where that boat had been anchored). Was back in the car trying to warm up at 5:00.  During the three hours I was on the river fishing a total of two boats floated by (without hurting my fishing one bit). Drove around looking for the missing boats (found them) and missing fishermen (for a Friday there weren't that many to be f...

It's not your fault!  All you wanted to do was go fishing.  Unfortunately so did hundreds of others.  It was just bad luck that parts of the Delaware were too high to wade and that the Hendricksons were over on the BK, BEB and the Big River.  Everyone reads the fishing reports and they know where they had to go. The problem is mine (perhaps mine alone).  I just don't like crowds.  I don't want boats going by me every 10 minutes.  I don't want to be the 17th car in the upper gamelands lot or the 13th car  parked at Long Flat.  I don't want someone throwing at the same fish I'm throwing at.  I don't want to see boats anchored up and throwing at every pod of fish in the river. Why?  If you really want to know, Google "Testament of a Fisherman" and read it.  I've got a copy of it on my wall.  Today I just didn't fish. So what did I do?  Burned half a tank of gas just driving around looking at trout streams, mowed th...

With the Beaverkill, Big East and the Big River muddy and high there was no doubt that the UEB and WB would be crowded. Game land lots were full of cars and every put in and every takeout was  jammed full of trailers. In an effort to minimize the number of boats passing by me during the day,  I fished the WB up high. The strategy worked.  Not a single boat went by.  The guides knew that without sunshine (the sun never made an appearance today) the water above Deposit would be too cold for Hendricksons.  Most of them put in at "barking dog" and there was a procession from there to Shehawken that would have put a Florida Christmas boat parade to shame. Got on the river early after hearing reports of bugs on the water Tuesday by 1:30.  Saw a few Quill Gordons, some paraleps and the odd Hendrickson.  The fish were hungry and ate every emerging nymph they saw.  Guys above and below me hooked multiple fish on nymphs.  At about 2:30 when nothing...

Left camp about 8:00 this morning and drove five miles ( narrowly missing the second of two yearling deer that were learning to cross RT. 97) to where I could get cell service so that I could again call Verizon and try to schedule an appointment to get the phone line fixed. The call took 45 minutes and with severe thunderstorms scheduled for the afternoon  I decided to take advantage of the rest of the nice morning weather and try to catch some fish on a Hendrickson spinner fall.  Found the spinners, lots of them, but never even saw a rise to cast to. Returned to camp about eleven thirty, did some chores then got ready for the afternoon fishing.  When I heard the first rumbles of thunder I decided to wait it out at camp.  It rained hard for a short while but then stopped.  I headed out only to run into more rain and lots of T and L.  Put my rain gear on and when the rain let up a little I headed for the stream.  Changed my mind when a flash of lightn...

Returned to the big river hoping to convince the caddis pupa eating 'bows that Hendricksons were more nutritious and tasted better.  After three hours I had landed four fish.  Not bad you say?  Well, the rainbow was a nice one (fish of the day at 18.5"). (The other three were fall fish).  Turned my back on the pupa eaters and walked back to the car.  Met a fisherman coming down for the "epic spinner fall" he was sure was going to happen.  He said that there was a heavy hatch of Hendricksons in Deposit and that there were lots of big fish up.  When I went over the WB on Rt 17 at 2:00 I saw one fisherman and no boats - just sayin'. Drove downstream on the BR hoping to get out of the caddis.  I did but I also got out of the Hendricksons.  There are lots Hendricksons and caddis still on the BR but the action is now at Buckingham and above.  The lower BR and the BEB are going into the doldrums (that dead period between Hendricksons and Marc...

Fished the midsection of the WB, hoping to avoid the crowds and be one of the first ones in on the "bust out Hendrickson day", (It wasn't).  There were paraleps hatching in good numbers at 2:00 and they were joined around 3:00 by a mediocre Hendrickson hatch and a testy wind. Caught the only riser I saw and was in the car heading elsewhere at 3:30. Got fooled at Buckingham when I only saw one angler in the water.  Walked down stream and when I was almost to where I planned to fish two fishermen stood up and started fishing.  One was an old river friend and we had a nice chat while the wind blew and the fish refused to rise. Probably about 5:00 (I don't wear a watch) the apple caddis, Hendricksons and trout started going.  It was easily the most feeding fish I've seen on the river all season.  How'd I do?  Not well.  When the water is at 3300 cfs a 300 cfs "bump" doesn't seem like much but to a wade fisherman it's HUGE.  Couldn't reach...

Now I'm not one who gets emotionally attached to automobiles, but today was the day to say good by to my 2011 Santa Fe which has given me over 174,000 absolutely trouble free miles.  Picked up my new ride, loaded it up with my fishing gear and headed back to the camp. Arrived to find that the bathroom sink that I have been working on for the past two weeks is still leaking.  Happy to report that the internet that was out for five days is now working like a champ, however, the landline phone is dead.  Back to India and " All of our representatives are busy helping other customers. Your call is important to us. We're sorry for your inconvenience. Etc, etc, etc.  Decided to just go fishing and deal with less important matters later, BUT WAIT, where was my fishing vest? On a hook in the garage right where I put it when I emptied the Santa Fe!  What to do?  After rejecting several more drastic options, I sat down and tied four Hendricksons, scrounged through...