Author: Jim Swift

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 31, 2014

While yesterday’s cloud cover was intermittent, the system proved to fish well during the day.  The evening fishing picked up down river with olives, cahills, and Isonychias. If you were fishing the main you saw golden drakes and golden drake spinners along with the usual mix of summer insects.  Today looks like an exact copy of yesterday: passing cloud cover and a possible evening thunderstorm.

 

Be sure to try blind casting isos and larger flies in the riffs!

 

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 609 cfs @ 46º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 676 cfs @ 48º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 601 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,080 cfs @ 55º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1810 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 264 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 16, 2014

With the bright sun yesterday, the streamer bit was ok and the bugs started around 3pm on the lower river.  Among the mix were dorotheas, isos, invaria, green drakes, pseudos, and even some March browns still! With the dropping water levels, the fish are becoming more active in the afternoon and today should be fairly similar to yesterday.  The West Branch is wadable nearly everywhere and so is the Upper main.

Jordan found a few little guys to take his green drake.

Jordan found a few little guys to take his green drake.

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 494 cfs @ 44º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 773 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 292 cfs @ 54º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1540 cfs @ 56º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2860 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 917 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 15, 2014

By yesterday evening, the water had cleared up enough to produce some decent dry fly fishing.  Sulphurs, iso’s, and some small olives were among the hatches yesterday.  Many places are now becoming wadable, and more should become available by this evening.  With these higher water levels, the fish should be less cautious and the hatches more plentiful.

 

A great fish taken just before dark!

A great fish taken just before dark!

 

 

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 502 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 938 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 326 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 2180 cfs @ 56º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 4300 cfs @ 58º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1390 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 14, 2014

We asked for water, and we got water….but we are currently still off color.  The West branch peaked at almost 2000 cfs and is now dropping at about 100 cfs an hour.  We should expect decent fishing tomorrow into next week with the higher water.  The water at Stilesville, above Oquaga creek, is wadable and starting to clear.  The lower river should start to clear by this afternoon.  In the meantime, I hope everyone is enjoying the World Cup and tying flies.

Hopefully we will clear up so I can stop posting bug pics.

Hopefully we will clear up so I can stop posting bug pics.

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 502 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1660 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 461 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 4580 cfs @ 58º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 8210 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 3050 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 13, 2014

DSC_0276We finally received some well needed rain and the West Branch is starting to rise!  There is currently a light tint to the water, but that will clear up by tomorrow at the latest.  Yesterday the river displayed hatches of sulphurs, cahills, epeorus, and of course those miniscule pseudocleon.  With no fierce gusts of wind today, we should have a repeat of yesterday with more rising fish.

DSC_0276

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 519 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 698 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 203 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 681 cfs @ 59º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,580 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 417 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 12, 2014

With clouds and light rain, today is starting to look like a typical BWO day.  So make sure to carry some small olives, #18 -22. Despite the gusting winds, yesterday yielded more green drakes, isonychias, and sulphurs.   Nymphing has been productive with small pheasant tails and hares ear patterns.  If you head out today, don’t forget your raincoat!

isoJordan

Iso’s are starting to show themselves! Photo by Jordan Davenport

 

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 494 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 543 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 182 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 638 cfs @ 59º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,270 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 333 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 29, 2014

Well I’m kind of tired of the inaccuracy of Accuweather.  The winds felt two times what was predicted and the bottom fell out of the air temp mid afternoon.  It definitely hurt the hatching yesterday and made the fish more hesitant to rise.  There were sections of the system that fished okay.  Hopefyully this front is finished moving and everything will settle back down to normal.  Today should have a high air temp of 66 degrees and the winds should be low.  We have clouds this morning and it looks like a decent fishing day.  The small hendricksons are coming to an end and the March Browns and Gray Foxes are here.  Green Drakes are just starting on some sections and should offer some great fishing over the next couple of weeks.

Jim with a nice fish despite the weather.  Photo by Steve Shen

Jim with a nice fish despite the weather. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 567 cfs @ 49º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 692 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 310 cfs @ 54º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 885 cfs @ 58º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,840 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 394 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 28, 2014

All of the rivers in the system are now wadeable and most are great for floating.  Yesterday was an interesting mix of clouds, light rain, and bright sun.  The majority of the daytime thunderstorms seemed to go north of us but we could definitely hear them! On the section I fished we had an interesting mix of bugs, mostly March Browns, Gray Fox, a few Hendricksons, plus some other smaller stenos.  The bugs should have been stronger and the fish should have been happier with what they had but there were fish eating on top.  It’s hard to complain when you find decent fish willing to eat a March Brown on top.  The picky fish fell for a floating pheasant tail emerger.  You’ll find more hendricksons and hendrickson spinner further up the system but it is coming to an end and the March Browns are showing there too.

close up in the net- Phot by Bob Lewis

close up in the net- Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 653 cfs @ 52º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 779 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 425 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,060 cfs @ 61º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,170 cfs @ 61º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 434 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 26, 2014

The #16 Hendricksons continued on the WB yesterday offering some decent fishing, especially in the evening.  The EB and MS turned on in the evening and most of the fish were not picky.  A #14 -16 Rusty Spinner worked well.  The thunderstorms never developed here and we received just a small sprinkle in the afternoon so the rivers continue to drop to wadeable levels.  Stilesville is now under 1000 cfs and the Beaverkill / Willowemoc look great.  The March Brown / Gray Fox continue to hatch and it won’t be long before the fish recognize the big bugs as food.

Dave with an East Branch brown.  Photo by Jordan Davenport

Dave with an East Branch brown. Photo by Jordan Davenport

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 962 cfs @ 57º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,110 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 654 cfs @ 54º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,390 cfs @ 57º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,870 cfs @ 55º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 539 cfs @ N/A
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