Angler 119's Delaware River Fishing Report

 Home for a Doctors appointment today and to pickup Jean at the airport tomorrow. Hope to be back on the river Wednesday. It's probably a good time to talk about some of the things that are holding people back from catching fish. To begin with, lets be clear, the Delaware River System every year hosts more of the best fly fishermen east of the Mississippi than any other river, (perhaps any other river in America, period). It also hosts many, many anglers who have had success elsewhere or who are relatively new to the game and find the river system more frustrating than challenging, (it is a very difficult place to consistently catch fish). I'm no expert in any one phase of the sport but I've fly fished now for over 70 years, I've got game, you might say a jack of all trades, master of none. Most of what I say will be for the fishermen either new to the river or new to the sport, many of you will be bored, but hopefully, many of you will learn a thing or two that will ...

 With rain predicted for this evening I decided to get to the river on time and give the Dorotheas my best shot. Took a longish walk to a place that looked from the road to be free of fishermen. Apparently other fishermen were taking long walks from different directions because heads started popping out of the bushes everywhere. Last count showed four fishermen in the 200 feet I wanted to fish and another one half way between me and them. Did a 180 and headed back towards the car. At the head of a riff were a couple fish quietly feeding, stopped to watch and discovered several more all taking nymphs subsurface in what was shallow water. Fished for an hour, rose seven fish, with three of them eating my fly. When things quieted down I continued my journey back towards the car. Stopped where I fished a couple days ago, saw a couple risers and gave them a try, both fish took a look but refused to eat. Tried what probably was one of the fish I caught Friday, he was in the same lie sippi...

 The Lordville 4th of July Parade threw a monkey wrench into my plans to fish yet another Dorothea hatch. Got drenched in sweat trying to do a little yard work then came in, got cleaned up, and decided to tie a few new sulfurs, lost track of the time and when I tried to head out it was too late, the road was filled with paraders.  Made my escape at 1:00 and drove up to Deposit only to find wall to wall fishermen from Stilesville to Barking Dog. Drove to several places where I watched a modest Dorotheas hatch with very few fish rising. Yes there was a riser here and there but I never saw the serious feeding I witnessed yesterday. Was in no hurry to get in the water in the places that were available but when people started to leave I put on the waders and gave it a try. It wasn't yesterday.   The flies - Dominant fly in the No Kill was the Dorothea, there were but a few Invaria.  When I drove up to Stilesville at 5:00 the fishermen were still there but I saw only ...

 Jean has left me, again. Dropped her off at the airport at 8:30 this morning, picked up a few items at BJ's and headed for Deposit to spar with the fish eating Dorotheas. Arrived in Deposit and borrowed a shelf in the Troutfitter fridge, (who says this job doesn't have perks?), to keep the perishables out of the hot sun while I was fishing.  Got in the water with the hope of fishing a place I haven't been able to fish, (boats and/or wade fishermen have been ensconced there), since Hendricksons in the first week of May. Walked down the trail, stepped out into the water and a fishermen appeared below me, in my intended spot, and a second one above me, (far enough to give me room to fish). Waded out and saw a riser on the far bank, (isn't that where all fish are?). The Dorotheas were hatching and several fish were in the soft water along the bank eating the duns. Played with those fish for an hour and a half, got a half dozen refusals, twice my fly was floating within an ...

 Just so you know, the BK went up to 85 today, the BE at Hancock hit 87. Both temperatures are lethal to all trout. Hopefully the trout in those rivers have made there way to thermal refuges and someone is either shooting the eagles or feeding them dead shad and lamprey eels, (probably should have run that one by Jean, she says not everyone gets my humor). Didn't feel good about my rant in yesterdays report. It came from sitting in the shade watching anglers trying to catch fish while making every mistake possible to ensure that they didn't.  I'm loath to repeat things and in ten years I've said all I know about catching trout more than once. Jean said many readers are new and it wouldn't hurt to go over things every few years. My first thought is that I probably won't be around for a "few years". My second thought is that I coached a competitive sport for several years and came away with nothing but admiration for teachers. Most of the kids playing sp...

 There may be no cure for the summertime blues, but if you want to beat the heat, put your waders on and go stand in the WB, you may not catch any fish, but you won't complain about the heat. Today it was advantage wade fishermen as the guys in the boats fried like eggs on the griddle. Last Friday I looked for the Dorotheas and all I found were the empty nymph husks, (was downstream from the hatch). Called Jim N. who spent the last couple of days in the middle of the hatch and he put me in the right place. Crowded? From 12:00 until 2:15 when I was back in the car, I saw nary a fisherman or a boat. The bugs - The Dorotheas are coming. Judging by the cars and fishermen they are now in the lower part of the WB no-kill in numbers. The Invaria, don't appear to be ready to leave any time soon. Again judging by the anglers, they are to be found in numbers from Butler Brook up to Cold Springs Brook.  Things that drive me nuts - Been writing these reports for at least ten years and try...