Doc Says I Can Still Buy Green Bananas!

 Left the Lordville Estate at 7:15 this morning. Why? My GP spends Mondays with his grandchildren,  so I have to get my annual  physical on a Friday. The good news is that he scheduled me again for next year.

It was cold, windy and rainy on the drive home this morning, (there were even a few flakes of snow here in Lafayette). Saw that the temp in the lower WB did get up to bug hatching level, but the upper and even the middle sections were probably too cold for Hendricksons.

Had time to read all of the comments from the last few days and if you piece together the contributing anglers experience it sorta all makes sense. On most days there are places in the 90 miles of river system where there are bugs hatching and fish feeding. Being in the right place at the right time is obviously the key to success. The worst thing you can do is go to the same place every time you fish, (except perhaps during summer sulfurs). The best advise I can give is both read and contribute to the fishing reports AND take notes. 

What should you keep track of? 

1- Water levels, where you can fish at what levels.

2- Water temperatures, know at what temps the bugs hatch and look at all the USGS real time flow and temperature reports.

3- Learn the progression of bug hatches, not only in what order they hatch but how far apart the different hatches are likely to be.

4- Learn the timing and sequence of hatches on both the freestones, (Willow, BK, middle and lower BR), and on the tailwaters,  upper BR, UEB, WB, and Neversink). In the Delaware River Syster, it's possible to catch a fish on a Hendrickson and another fish on a green drake on the same day. 

After you've compiled all this info all you have to do is drive around trying to figure out why you were in the wrong place. It's why the average catch on the Delaware river system, (counting fishermen with and without guides), is two fish a day.

Query - A boat floated by me yesterday while I was playing a fish and the oarsman asked did he take a paralep or a Hendo. Was the person who asked Rich T. (one of our faithful reporters) who often refers to Hendticksons as Hendos?

Jim N. asked about fly selection during a heavy hatch. Chris Z. provided some good answers. Me? I tie on the best Hendrickson dun I have in my box and fish it until it's clear the fish won't eat it. Not being an exquisite tyer, I seldom have a problem distinguishing my fly from the real things no matter how many of them there are on the water.

Harry Luke asked about identifying Hendricksons. Paul Weamer's book New York Hatches, lists the fly hatches and provides tips for when they hatch as well as identifying features of each fly. Hendricksons share the river with several different caddis, occasionally with a few quill Gordon's, and almost always with paraleps, (aka blue or black quills). When both are on the water the big ones are the Hendricksons. I still find it useful to carry a little plastic box that you get for free with a dozen flies at the Troutfitter. I pick up live flies off the water, put 'em in the box, take 'em home, put 'em in the fridge overnight and try to copy them in the morning. 

If Jean has had enough of my by Sunday, I may well drive down and try to catch a couple.  

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