October 18, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 18, 2014

The rivers have receded dramatically since the rain leaving all of the system is wadeable and floatable this morning.  The West Branch flow is lower than we’ve seen in quite a while which is great news for the waders.  The lower flow should also make the fish more apt to rise to the smaller olives.  The rivers fished well yesterday once the wind died down in the afternoon.  We did find fish earlier in wind protected spots too.  Today looks like another decent olive day with clouds and a 40% chance of a light shower mid-day.  The rivers should continue to drop throughout the day offering even more opportunities for wading this week.  The olive hatch continues and we are still seeing a few Isonychias on the water just to keep things interesting.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 56 degrees this morning.

This turned out to be a beautiful Fall to fish

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 17, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 17, 2014

The runoff is currently meeting the flow targets down stream so the release from Cannonsville has been cut back and the current flow at Stilesville is 168 cfs.  The flow at Hale Eddy is 992 cfs and still falling as the streams drop.  As the flows drop we should be set up for some of the better wading opportunities we’ve had on the West Branch in months.  We expect the river to clear as it drops with the lower release putting less particulate in the river.   Remember the West Branch above the Monument is now closed for the season but the border water is open for fishing.  Today should be pleasant with temps in the mid 60’s and some light showers and clouds coming in for the weekend.  According to Accuweather we should not receive any significant rain over the next few days which is perfect for the river right now.  The Mainstem is dropping back quickly but still getting quite a bit of water from the smaller tributaries.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 57 degrees this morning.

Delaware Highlands Conservancy has started a fundraiser to improve the Long Eddy access – check it out at:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/improve-the-long-eddy-river-access

Hopefully once this project is complete someone will take a serious interest in improving the Lordville access.

Yes they are still around!

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 16, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 16, 2014

We finally got the rain we have been wishing for this fall.  We’ve had steady showers leading into downpours since yesterday afternoon giving some much needed water to the Beaverkill and East Branch.  While a lot of the early rain soaked into the ground we now have some pretty decent runoff coming down the river.  The release from Cannonsville has been cut and Stilesville is flowing at 725 cfs this morning and dropping.  The flow at hale Eddy is 2,770 cfs and dropping quickly.  We should clear nicely with the lower release once the rain stops and the flow drops back another 1000 cfs- possibly by this afternoon.  Once the runoff subsides we should have less reservoir sediment in the West Branch allowing much of it to filter out by the time it reaches the lower river sections.  This could be great news for people wanting to fish the West Branch over the next week.  The lower East Branch definitely has color to it and usually takes an extra day or so to clear.  Keep an eye on the graphs – once hale hits a little under 100 cfs we should be in great shape.  This morning the river looks prime for a streamer run.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 59 degrees.

artist Flick Ford getting some casts in before the rain hit this week

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 15, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 15, 2014

Everything looked great yesterday except for the wind!  There were decent Psuedos hatching mixed with a few Isonychias.  We did find fish rising in wind protected areas during the day and once the wind dropped in the late afternoon the activity definitely increased. Today is going to be in the low 70’s with some light rain and fair wind.  The key will be finding the edges that are wind protected and watching for the subtle rise forms when the fish are sipping olives.  The release from Cannonsville has bee dropped to 868 cfs this morning which should help some of the color settle out as it moves down river.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 57 degrees this morning.

Bob with a nice brown this week. Photo by Bruce Miller

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 14, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 14, 2014

It seems that Cannonsville Reservoir is turning and we have warmer temps on the West Branch.  We are 59 degrees this morning from Stilesville all the way down to the 191 Bridge in Hancock.  The air temperatures have also climbed over the last 24 hours so the hatching should be a little earlier in the day than usual.  Some sections of river had olives beginning around 12 pm yesterday.  Accuweather is calling for air temps in the low 70s with some light sporadic showers today.  It sounds like a great olive and Isonychia day.  Keep an eye out for mid day spinner falls too.  We have seen the Steno and Psuedo spinners fall anytime between noon and 5 Pm.  The release hotline has not been updated but the flow at Stilesville is 1160 cfs this morning.

Bruce with a decent brown this week.. Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 13, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 13, 2014

It seems that the reports differed greatly depending on who and where they were fishing over the weekend.  All in all it sounded pretty decent for mid October with wind.  Accuweather is calling for some rain over the next few days which should help the Olive hatches and hopefully kick start some more fall Isonychias.  If nothing else the cloud cover will be a releif for those who fished in the sunshine the last few days.  Streamer fishing still seems best before the sun hits the water although the color in the West Branch certainly helps the mid day guys.  The release from Cannonsville Reservoir is 1,167 cfs until further notice.  The West Branch temperature under the 191 Bride in Hancock is 55 degrees.  As of October 10th Cannonsville is at 51.1% capacity and Pepacton is at 71.5% capacity.

Vicki with a nice brown from the weekend. Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 12, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 12, 2014

The Release hotline has not been updated since Thursday but it looks like the release from Cannonsville has been dropped back slightly leaving the flow at Stilesville 1,100 cfs.  We are also looking at slightly warmer air temps today in the low 60’s and very little wind.  It sounds like a great day to be on the water.   Yesterday was pleasant but we saw fewer bugs on the water than the previous days.  There was enough of an olive hatch to get the fish going mid afternoon plus we saw a few bigger Stenos around size 14.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 55 degrees this morning.

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 11, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 11, 2014

While there were some wind gusts yesterday fr the most part it was calm- probably the calmest day we’ve seen all week.  We had an okay hatch of olives in the afternoon with some Isonychias and Heptagenia thrown in for good measure.  The Isos and Heptagenia seem to be hatching well in isolated sections and not throughout the river system which  makes it hard to pin those hatches down.  We have seen them in small numbers just about everywhere so definitely carry a few patterns to match them.  Accuweather is calling for air temps in the high 50’s with low winds and gusts to 9 mph which should make for a decent day on the water.  The release hotline has not been updated but the flow at Stilesville looks stead at 1,220 cfs and the West Branch is 55 degrees under the 191 Bridge in Hancock this morning.

David holding a rainbow that’s showing it’s colors. Photo by Bruce Miller

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 10, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 10, 2014

The wind made for tough fishing at times again yesterday.  The olives hatched and the fish were eating them during breaks and in sections that were protected from the gusts.  Some sections of river even had decent Isonychia hatches plus spinner falls mid- afternoon bringing fish to the surface.  Luckily the front has moved in and although they are calling for cooler air temps today Accuweather is calling for light winds with gusts around 5 mph. We should get some light rain overnight but it doesn’t look like enough to help the Beaverkill and East Branch.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 53 degrees this morning.

Greg with a healthy rainbow this week. Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 9, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 9, 2014

The release from Cannonsville reservoir has been bumped slightly to 1,167 cfs until further notice.  It seems the conditions are great, the bugs are hatching, the fish want to eat, but we are fighting the wind everyday as these fronts move through.  The olives are there so once we get a break in the gusts the fish have been eating on top most afternoons.  Along with the olive we are seeing some Isonychias and Heptagenia mayflies on the water so don’t overlook the bigger bugs yet.  There are quite a few caddis on the water in the evening.  If no fish are rising we’ve had some success swinging pups patterns through the deeper runs.  Today Accuweather is calling for moderate temperatures in the 60’s and some wind.  I hope they are wrong about the wind and it stays calm like it is so far this morning.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 54 degrees this morning.

Fall is streamer time!

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 8, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 8, 2014

Those who braved the wind yesterday found the olives and the fish eating them in between gusts.  We are still seeing good numbers of olive #18 -24 plus a few Isonychias on the water.  The release from Cannonsville is 1086 cfs until further notice.  It looks like last nights rain offered no relief for the Beaverkill and East Branch so the West Branch and Mainstem remain the better rivers to fish.  We are looking at id 60’s today with some wind moving in during the afternoon.  We may have a very light passing shower and then sun.  It looks like a repeat of yesterday.  The West Branch temperature under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 56 degrees this morning.

Tonya with a brown on the West Branch photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

October 7, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 7, 2014

Accuweather is calling for warmer temps, clouds, light rain, and moderate winds today.  If they are correct we should see decent olive hatches in the afternoon- especially in the slower pools and tailouts.  The release hotline has not been updated since Sunday but the flow at Stilesville is 1100 cfs and the the East Branch continues to starve for water.  Hopefully the rain over the next couple of days helps out the Beaverkill and lower East.  Yesterday fished well if you could find a wind protected spot.  There are quite a few Pseudos hatching but the fish are still eating larger olives.

Mitchell fighting a fish over the weekend

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

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

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

Slate Drakes #14 -Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.