Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

With the reduced releases the places you can fish are limitless.  Decided to do a split day with a power nap in between. Started off on the big river (BR) at a spot down river from Buckingham far enough that there would be no boats until well after noon.  Hiked down a steep hill and when I finally got to the river there was a boat right in front of me. Two spin fisher people were on board and were quickly out of the way. Morning trips require warm temps.  If it's too cold there won't be bugs hatching or spinners falling. Never saw any spinners but after the first half hour there were enough bugs hatching to provide me with plenty of  risers.  Hooking fish wasn't a problem but landing three year old rainbows (15 - 17 inches) sure was.  They are like 17 year old kids that Dad lets take the car. Pedal to the metal across the river running into the backing , leaping, jumping and gone.  Started out 3/9, somewhere along the way I stopped cursing and just...

 As many of you probably already know, the releases have been cut back to levels (WB 525, EB 125)  where the entire river system from the two dams all the way down to Callicoon is now wadeable.  The UE is now unfloatable for anyone with any concern for his fellow anglers.  The boat traffic will now be concentrated on the WB, BE and BR. In spite of the frost which covered the grass in my yard this morning, the weather has turned warmer and the bugs are getting back on schedule.  There are March Brown duns and spinners on the BR and on the BE.  There are Hendrickson duns and spinners (the wee little ones) still hatching on the WB and the UE.  Spring sulfurs and gray foxes are also being seen. This creates a big problem for me and anyone like me.  I have seperate boxes of flies for each major hatch and not near enough pockets in my vest to hold them. Took out the early season stones, Grannum's and quill Gordon's (all little boxes)  and added...

There will be no celebratory "perfect Manhattan" tonight. In order to have a successful day fishing all participants have to do their part.  The bugs have to hatch, the fish have to feed and you have to be in the right place at the right time. Fished the UE (two stops) and one stop each on the BK, BE and the WB.  None of the places were at the right time. The bugs?  Caddis hatched at one place on the UE. Caddis were both hatching and laying eggs on the WB. There were March Browns on the BE and nothing on the BK.  While none of the hatches qualified as even "fair", I've seen fish rise to less. The fish just didn't seem to care. Flossed the one nice fish that ate my fly and was saved from the skunk by an 11 inch brown that came up out of three feet of heavy water to eat a blind cast in the WB. On the other hand, I fished in complete solitude save for the West Branch Angler guide that I low holed on the UE.  There were no cars parked where I planned t...

A week or so ago I talked about the numbers game and the importance of using the USGS real time water temperatures to put yourself in a (hopefully) better position to catch fish.  The second vital piece of information provided by the  USGS stations is the real time flow rate of the river at each of the reporting  stations.  This is expressed in cubic feet per second (cfs), which is meaningless until you actually experience a specific flow rate at a place where you fish. Unless you can memorize flow rates and their effect on the entire river system, you should keep a notebook and make note of the levels you can comfortably fish in various places.  You should also note at what levels you can safely cross the river (and where). Why is this important?  Personal safety for one.  If you know you have had trouble crossing the WB at the Men's Club parking lot when the flow at Hale Eddy was 600 cfs, you'd best not try if the flow is at 750 cfs.  I cros...

For the first six weeks of the season, I was in the groove.  No, I didn't catch tons of fish, but when the weather permitted I was in the right place at the right time and caught a good number of very nice fish.  Covid-19 kept people at home. I could fish wherever I wanted.  Whenever the weather cooperated, the bugs came, the fish ate and I was able to do my thing. And then - - -  Fishermen got tired of staying away, lodging opened up, guides started taking sports and the rains came.  The number of boats and wade fishermen on the river multiplied faster than the number of cases of Covid-19 back in early April.  The heavy rain Friday night took over 80 %  of the water out of the equation for wade fishermen and opened up the Upper East to driftboats. The Beaverkill, Big East and the Big River went into the Doldrums. The increased releases of very cold water into both branches necessitated by the rain stifled the Hendrickson hatches on the upper reaches...

Started the day by driving up to the Troutfitter in Deposit to pick up some fly float and tippet using their "curb side service".  Worked like a charm. As long as I was there I decided to give the WB a try. Donned waders alongside a long time river friend and we shared the pool above the iron bridge in town.  There were some apple caddis hatching and a few fish making splashy rises while chasing the emergers up through the water column. About the fifth cast one of the risers looked up and ate my caddis.  A beautifully colored 16 inch brown that got the skunk out of my boots right away. With no other fish willing to eat my fly I reeled in and drove down River Road to the Men's Club. At 12:05 there was an Armada of 13 boats (most with 3 people on board) anchored between the Men's Club and the sewage treatment plant, all ready to fire broadsides at any rising trout. There were also half a dozen wade fishermen trying to find a place between the boats to fish. I know, I ...

What a difference a few days can make on the river.  Sunday and Monday with cold temps, gale force winds and high cold water, no one was fishing. Today with spring like weather (finally), fishermen were thick as maggots on a road kill. What a nice day. Migrating birds appeared out of nowhere (if you keep a list and jot down the ones you see, you'll be surprised how much of nature you have missed while standing right in the middle of it). You could hear the grass growing, the wind laid down (except for an occasional toss and turn), two shirts was too many and the Town of Hancock  was busy paving parts of Lordville Road. Had a bear meander out onto Rte. 97 between Hancock and Lordville. He stood and watched me until I was about 100 feet away and then he ducked under the guard rail and ran into the woods.  My trip back home tonight had as many deer as cars.  Does are dropping their fawns and saying goodbye to their yearlings (without teaching them how to cross the r...