Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

In mid May when the water was too high to wade and the bugs hadn't really gotten going, I said we'd probably get an extended heat wave and it would all be over in a couple of weeks.  I'm wrong a lot but seldom  does my being wrong make me so happy.  This weeks cool, cloudy weather has slowed the bug activity so much that we actually have Hendricksons and Green Drakes (plus all of the other mayflies) hatching at the same time. The fishing is out of sight -  if you have the good fortune to be in the right places at the right times.  Spinners are the safest play as there is sure to be one or more of the mayflies doing their dance over the rifles most every night.  If you're looking for a good spinner fall drive along the roads closest to the stream about 7:00 pm and look for spinners doing their dance over the the road.  When you find them fish the closest water. There are summer sulfurs competing with Hendricksons for playing time in the coldest part...

If you are a regular reader you'll know that I've been taking my lumps trying to meet bugs and rising fish on the BE and BK.  I've made the trip once or twice every week and come back with fish totals that can be counted on one hand without using the thumb and several digits. Went to the Beaverkill around one (morning fishing on the BR wasn't worth talking about). With heavily overcast skies there were isos and olives hatching in enough numbers to get the fish looking up. Landed a 20 inch brown and lost a big rainbow that broke me off.  Worked down the BK to "Jaws"  where there were several fish rising to a huge hatch of sulfurs coming out of the UEB.  From there I drove up the UEB to where there were still a few Hendricksons hatching along with a mix of olives,sulfurs and gray foxes.  Hooked and landed but one fish (a 19 inch brown) which made it well worth the trip.  Returned to another pool on the BK about six to find fish still up and on the isos....

After yesterday's great morning with the rainbows on the big river there was no question where I was going.  Mother Nature, however, had plans of her own, which were designed to give the 'bows a little help.  To start with it was in the 40's this morning and no self respecting bug was about to leave it's home in the relatively warm water and try to air dry it's wings 'til things warmed up.  Waited until 10:30 before heading for the river.  Found no cars in the lot and a lone angler at the Buckingham launch site.  That was good enough for me.  Pulled in and suited up.  There were no bugs on the water when I got there but within 20 minutes things started to happen.  Car doors slammed,  four anglers poured out and headed downstream past me, some sulfurs and gray fox started to hatch, the fish started to rise, the wind started to blow, it started to rain (hard) and the bugs and fish said forget it (so did I). Was back at the camp at 11:45, maki...

Went out on the BR about 10:30 looking for spinners and never found a one.  What I did find, however, were Green Drakes, Isonychia, Gray Fox and sulfurs in enough abundance to get the fish up and eating. It lasted until the sun burned through around 12:30. There is a large year class of two year old rainbows (now 13 to 15 inches) throughout the system and the BR appears to have its full share of them. With the sun out the lawn was dry enough to mow so I got that out of the way, tied a few flies and left for the BE a little after five.  Have had very poor fishing in the BE all season and felt it deserved a prime time chance to redeem itself.  It sorta did.  There was little to no bug hatching activity until the sun got off the water and then not enough to get the fish up.  What  saved the day was the Green Drake spinner fall.  I had seen Green Drake nymph husks floating downstream but none were hatching where I was.  When the spinners came so did...

The fishing was, dreadful, there was just  no other way to describe it.  All the signs were there, thousands of golden stones on the grass along the lower BE, iso husks on both the BE and BK streamside rocks, a gray overcast fishy kind of day and - -  - nothing - - - just nothing. From 1:30 until 5:30 I fished three pools on the lower Beaverkill and two pools on the BE.  I rose three fish, caught one 9 inched stocked trout, was refused by two other fish and saw one isonychia hatch. How bad was it?  It was so bad I went back to the camp (I never do that) and had a sandwich, did a sudoku and a crossword puzzle before donning my waders and heading out (at 6:30) to try the BR. Arrived to find the dreaded black caddis fluttering about everywhere. Also on the water, however,  were gay fox duns, not a huge hatch but enough to get the fish up and eating.  There were also some isos and a few sulfurs.  Got refused by several fish as I changed flies tryi...

It was another one of those "perfect days for fishing", overcast with a light mist falling. An olive kind of day.  This is the third one I've fished this spring and if there are any more on the way I'd like to save them up for July or August when they might do some good.  Didn't get skunked but didn't throw at a rising fish all day.   There were none of the sun loving caddis.  There were no Hendricksons below Hale  Eddy.  The few spinners on the water early went untouched.  The only risers I saw were above Hale Eddy right where they were yesterday.  Four boats and two wade fishermen had'em covered. What I did see were boat trailers parked at Oxbow Campground near Harvard and two drift boats actually floating the Upper East Branch with the flow at less than 250 CFS!  Floating the UEB at this level shows total disregard for your fellow anglers who are trying to enjoy the sport by fishing for trout  under the most challenging conditions...

With another hot, sunny, summer type day on tap I decided to do a day/night double header.  Spent the morning playing the big river 'bows to a standstill. Lost the last three in a row to end up at a fifty percent catch rate.  Saw three Green Drakes,one Isonicia, some caddis and a few olives. There were enough rises to locate fish and once I took the March Brown emerger off, most of them ate. There has been almost no wade fishing on the BR until the last few days and the boat traffic below Buckingham has been relatively light.  That said, all of the fish I caught (except for the lone brown) had multiple hook marks in their mouths. Mowed the lawn (again) and took a short nap while the temp hit the high eighties and the gusty wind blew up the river.  Left the camp about 5:30 and stopped at my friend Ray's place on the WB to pick up one of my fly boxes that he had found on the stream bank.  Was sure it had floated down the river and was gone for good.  Than...