Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

 Spent Saturday watching our youngest granddaughter's new lacrosse team (Cortland) demolish another hapless opponent. They have won most of their league games by such a comfortable margin that Alana and the other freshmen have gotten to play most, if not all, of the fourth quarter in almost every game. It was another 80 degree day and I didn't mind missing the fishing one bit. Sunday, however, was another story. A cold front moved in, (we got three inches of wet, heavy snow in Lafayette). Looked at the water temps that were still way above 50, and said to Jean, "If the bugs hatch, they'll be glued to the water and the fish will go nuts". If anyone was crazy enough to be on the river Sunday, please  tell me what I missed.  Monday water temperatures plunged into the low 40's, the wind blew, and it snowed. I had an appointment to get my teeth cleaned and walked out with an appointment for a root canal and a crown,  (no I don't want to be king), and I will get...

 Resigned to my designated driver role, I set out at 1:30 this afternoon, made cursory stops at the BE and  the BK, not really expecting to see anything, and I didn't. Continued straight up 17 to the Neversink arriving at 2:30.  Pulled up facing the river with the intent of giving the bugs until 3:30 to get going. They didn't wait. Saw a fish rise, then saw a Hendrickson lift off the water, when two more fish rose I  suited up.  A car pulled in next to me and the driver said, "Hi Angler 119, do you prefer Dick or Richard? He knows three names to call me, and I had to ask him his name again, (which I once more forgot). I need to write down names instead of length of fish caught. He said there were Hendrickson's and caddis yesterday and he had gotten refused on both. Waded into the river and had rising fish to throw at, (thought it would never happen). Some ignored my casts, some refused, some ate the fly and came unstuck, but enough ended up in the net to make it...

Started the day early, as I had an 8:30 appointment for an oil change and tire rotation at Craig's, CL Repair across the bridge in Equinunk. Arrived ten minutes early, and Craig was taking care for Boris, one of my Lordville neighbors. Oil change and tire rotation went smoothly and while I was squaring up with Craig, (who unlike the people in Homestead and Ft. Pierce, leaves an air hose turned on 24/7, for free), (although he told me once, after I filled a leaky tire, that he charges $4.00 a pound for air), Barry, an Equinunk resident who has done some carpentry work for me, and, as an expert archer, has given me a few pointers that have greatly improved my accuracy with a bow, stopped by and we caught up with both last years hunting stories and this years fishing prospects. I like that in a small town people still judge you by what you say and do, in large metropolitan areas, sadly, this is no longer true.  It's 6:00pm, I'm sitting on the back porch where the temperature i...

 With my printer refusing to print crosswords and sudokus, there was not much more for me to do today, but go for another drive and talk with anglers, (mostly my age), who were all happy to still be upright and above ground, out experiencing some of the most beautiful weather imaginable after a long cold winter cooped up inside. They've done the dance before and none seemed disappointed that there were no bugs or rising fish to throw at. The downside - Degree days matter and this winter, the iced over river did not provide enough degree days to allow nymphs to mature. We've had six straight days where the water got up to, or over 50 degrees, (over 60 today), and yet nothing but micro caddis and stone flies are hatching.   The upside - There have been dandelions in bloom on the south facing banks of homes in Hancock for the last three days, (regular readers will know that the "south bank dandelions" precede the streamside ones by up to a week). Saw my first mayfly toda...

 Did yard cleanup work until noon, made a sandwich and took off for another ride. Managed to look at the EB and BK early, (lots of stone flies and micro caddis on the BK), before getting back on 17 and heading for the Neversink, where I put on my waders and a pair of new, but much too tight, felt bottomed neoprene booties. Sat on the shore for an hour without seeing a fish rise or a mayfly hatch, pulled the plug and headed back west on 17.  Skipped the Willow, but stopped during prime time for paraleps and Hendricksons at several spots on the BK, BE, WB, and even the BR without seeing a single mayfly hatch or trout rise. Its still early days, BUT, the water has been over 50 for almost a week and there should be some bugs starting to hatch. At 83, its no fun watching, "Your Life Run Down", (at least not without a rising fish to throw at). Did see a Golden Eagle circling over the Lordville pool while enjoying the 80 degree temperature out on the back porch. It was so warn I had...

 Tended to some business items early this morning and was out the door at 11:15 with a car packed with enough food for the week.  Dropped off some of our home grown tomatoes, (from Florida), at the Troutfitter, unpacked the car at the Lordville Estate and was back on the road heading east by 1:30. Turns out I needn't have rushed. Stopped at all my regular "look see" spots on the EB, BK and the Willow both on the way out and on the way back. The only difference being that it was dead calm heading east and it blew 15/20 on the way back. Saw some micro caddis, a few little black stones and not a single may fly. Saw a grand total of two fish rise, one on the BK, and one at Jaws, technically he was in the UEB water.   The fishing - Never gave a thought to putting the waders on. Saw four fishermen on the BK, and one boat on the WB below Balls Eddy. DRC has had  pictures of some very large trout caught on streamers, but the absence of fishermen today is clear evidence ...