Delaware River Report / Conditions August 15, 2014
Last night turned out to be very cool with a mix of light rain. The rain still did not cause the flows to rise but the weather certainly is keeping the water temperatures in great shape on most of the system. Lordville is starting off a61 degrees this morning which is almost unheard of in mid- August. Accuweather is calling for a high air temp here of 69 degrees today with sun and variable clouds. The winds are predicted to be 2 mph which is a welcome change. So far they seem to be a bit more than that so hopefully they drop during the day. The Upper West Branch should offer the normal sulphur and BWO hatches while the Lower WB and Upper Main Stem should see some olive, summer stenos, a few Isonychias, and smaller sulphurs towards dark. The Tricos have been hatching but the spinner falls are happening later in the day due to the cooler weather. We’ve even seen them after lunch on some of the colder days.
Coming to the net
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. cornutella, 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 | 654 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 200 cfs @ 54º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 453 cfs @ 61º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,310 cfs @ 61º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 162 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 14, 2014
We didn’t receive the amount of rain we had hoped for, but that means the system is still wad-able and the water clarity is normal. Their is a chance of a few passing showers throughout the day, but nothing torrential. Yesterday fished well in the rain with sulphurs and olives in deposit and some #14 Stenos and pseudos on the lower west. You can expect things to be a little slower today with the sun, but there will be sulphurs in Deposit and the evening will fish well on the lower river.
The river remains virtually unchanged.
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. cornutella, 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 | 620 cfs @ 47º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 664 cfs @ 51º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 209 cfs @ 56º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 542 cfs @ 62º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,390 cfs @ 63º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 162 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 13, 2014
Most of the river system has seen little change from the overnight rains. The flows bumped om most of the rivers but the amount is negligible. The best news is that the water temperatures at Fish’s Eddy and Lordville are starting off lower this morning than they have over the last few days. They are calling for a few more scattered showers today but nothing terrible. The light rain and clouds should actually improve the fishing conditions. The West Branch at Walton is climbing but is only 86 cfs. Cannonsville Reservoir is 88.4% capacity. The Lower West Branch is clear so far this morning and looks top be in great shape. I would expect the lower sections of the river to rise slowly today. If we get hit with a localized storm that changes the conditions we’ll add an additional update here. We should see our normal sulphurs and summer stenos, plus those rainy day olives in #18 -24.
Dave with a brown in the early morning fog
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. cornutella, 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 | 620 cfs @ 47º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 681 cfs @ 51º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 206 cfs @ 57º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 439 cfs @ 64º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,240 cfs @ 63º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 162 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 12, 2014
We are waking up to a light rain this morning that is a welcome change from the normal sunshine. The forecast is calling for light showers off and on all day which should help the fishing by keeping the bugs on the water longer and making the fish a little less spooky. The are calling for close to two inches total over the next two days but most of it should soak into the ground. Yesterday saw decent sulphurs in the Upper West Branch and some evening activity on the lower West Branch an Upper Mainstem. Most of the river system is a healthy mix of sulphurs, stenos, small olives, with a few isonychias. Over the last couple of days the water temps on the Mainstem at Lordville have peaked in the high 60’s and the Lower East Branch at Fish’s Eddy has peaked over 70 degrees. The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is 56 degrees this morning.
Home Pool rainbow in the sun. Photo by Dave
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. cornutella, 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 | 620 cfs @ 47º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 648 cfs @ 49º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 197 cfs @ 57º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 413 cfs @ 66º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,140 cfs @ 65º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 144 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 11, 2014
The West Branch is in great shape this morning. We had a small bump in the flow at Stilesville this morning and are running at 620 cfs. The release is still 600 cfs “until further notice.” The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is 56 degrees this morning. Today looks like the last sunny day we’ll have to put up with at least through Thursday. We’ll see how much rain the storms actually bring since most of our weather seems to be localized. The clouds and drop in air temperature will be a welcome relief. The best daytime dryfly activity continues to be on the Upper West Branch. On the lower West Branch try nymphing during the day and look for dryfly action as the sun drops. The lower East Branch peaked over 70 degrees yesterday and the Mainstem at Lordville peaked close to 67 degrees so fish with your thermometer if you fish anywhere other than the Upper East Branch and Upper West Branch.
Stay late
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. cornutella, 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 | 620 cfs @ 46º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 643 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 200 cfs @ 57º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 408 cfs @ 66º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,140 cfs @ 66º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 154 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 10, 2014
More of the same yesterday. Mid-day sulphurs in the Upper West and evening sulphurs and cahills on the Lower West and Upper Mainstem. The fish were eating despite the sun but were much happier when the clouds passed over. We’ve seen fewer Isonychias lately but the Summer Stenos seem to be making up the difference for the fish. Swinging wet flies and nymphing has been effective during the day on the lower sections but keep look around for the odd fish rising to stenos in the sun. If you can mark them and cover them quickly you have a good chance of getting them to eat. As of August 8th Cannonsville was at 90.3% capacity. It’s another one of those cold mornings when you need to wear a fleece. The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 56 degrees this morning.
Spinner patterns can make decent sulphur cripple imitations
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. cornutella, 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 | 648 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 206 cfs @ 56º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 434 cfs @ 65º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,190 cfs @ 65º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 164 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 9, 2014
The sulphurs continue to hatch like clockwork on the Upper West Branch. They were were some decent fish rising but they were picky yesterday. A lot of the fish are still eating just under the surface during the main part of the hatch. We have been having some success with floating nymphs during this period. As the hatch wanes and their underwater food supply dwindles the fish are turning to the cripples and stillborns on the surface. The lower West Branch and Upper Mainstem fished better in the evening once the sun dropped with a mix of sulphurs and cahills. The cahills are hatching sporadically throughout the day so if you are are patient you may find a fish to target even in the bright sun. Nymphing has been decent below Hale Eddy. Match your nymphs to the size of the naturals. We have been using #14 -20 Pheasant Tails and Copper Johns with decent success. The lower water on the East Branch has started to cause the temperatures to rise at Fish’s Eddy so check before you fish over there. The West Branch at under the 191 Bridge is 55 degrees this morning.
Ron with a nice brown trout
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. cornutella, 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 | 648 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 206 cfs @ 56º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 462 cfs @ 63º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,190 cfs @ 64º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 178 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 8, 2014
August 8th and all of us up here are wearing fleece jackets this morning. We couldn’t ask for better weather to keep the rivers in great shape. The Mainstem at Callicoon is a cool 65 degrees this morning. The forecast for today is sun with warm temperatures. The best daytime fishing should be above Hale Eddy with the mid-day #18 sulphur hatches. The fish have been up and happy. The olives have been following the sulphur hatch so keep a close eye to see which mayfly the fish are eating. We’ve seen a few Summer Stenos on the lower West Branch during the day but you need to be mobile and hunt for rising fish in the sun. The main #20 sulphurs down low have been coming towards dark. There have been some Isonychias mixed in with the Sulphurs throughout the river system.
Allen and Samantha working together to land this one on the West Branch
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. cornutella, 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 | 648 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 213 cfs @ 54º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 491 cfs @ 62º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,260 cfs @ 63º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 195 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 7, 2014
Like clockwork yesterday the Upper West Branch had a strong mid day sulphur hatch. We had a brief shower that really let the fish put their guard down and fishing was fast and furious for a while. There were some fish eating the mayflies right under the surface but a number of fish turned to the #18 duns on top. After the hatch ended there were still fish working cleanup on the cripples and stillborn duns for quite a while offering some great opportunities for people willing to move around. The lower sections of river were quiet during the day but had a decent sulphur hatch at dark. Most of them seemed to be #20 – 22 making it tough in the failing light. There were a few olives mixed in the hatch too- mostly #18 but the fish seemed to like sulphurs better. The nights have still been cool keeping the rivers in great shape but bring a fleece. The West Branch is 54 degrees under the 191 Bridge this morning. Today looks sunny and warm with a possible brief shower in the afternoon.
Allen with a really nice brown yesterday
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 609 cfs @ 46º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 659 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 219 cfs @ 56º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 558 cfs @ 64º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,380 cfs @ 64º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 219 cfs @ N/A |
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. cornutella, etc
Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor
Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.
Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 6, 2014
Yesterday showed us more afternoon sulphurs in Deposit, and some evening hatches of cahills and isonychia on the lower West. We received an afternoon rainstorm that put a sheen of fog on the river and the bugs shut down late in the evening. The water levels did not change, but the fog was appropriate for a quick streamer bite though using black. Today will be partly cloudy will a chance of an evening thunderstorm. The West Branch temp at Hancock is still 55 degrees!
A mama bear with 3 cubs crossing the river!
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. cornutella, 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 | 620 cfs @ 46º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 664 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 235 cfs @ 55º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 558 cfs @ 64º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,350 cfs @ 64º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 228 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 5, 2014
The storms missed us again yesterday. Instead of clouds and light rain the sun broke through and made fishing on the lower West Branch and Upper Mainstem tough until the evening. There were enough bugs on the water to get the fish interested but not enough to keep them going. Being in the right place at the right time certainly paid off but you needed a lot of patience. In the evening we had a decent mix of sulphurs, stenos, olives, plus a few Golden Drakes thrown in for good measure. The fish kept eating right into dark.The Upper West Branch still has the strong mid-day sulphur hatches. The fish are eating them in the sun but if you can find a shaded pool or wait for cloud cover they will be a little less picky. The West Branch is 55 degrees under the 191 Bridge this morning.
Allen with a nice rainbow from yesterday
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. cornutella, 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 | 654 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 229 cfs @ 56º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 542 cfs @ 64º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,300 cfs @ 65º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 207 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions August 4, 2014
Yesterday seemed very similar to Saturday except the fish seemed to be even more picky than usual. We saw decent sulphur hatches in the early afternoon on the Upper West Branch followed by a decent mix of Blue Winged Olives. Most of the Isonychias we saw hatched later in the evening. The mid to lower West Branch turned on in the evening with a mix of sulphurs, Summer Stenos, Isonychias, and the Blue Winged Olives. We had a little rain overnight that hasn’t seemed to budge the flows. Today looks cooler with a chance of some sporadic Thunderstorms. The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is 56 degrees this morning.
Big fins on a wild brown
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. cornutella, 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 | 659 cfs @ 48º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 235 cfs @ 55º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 585 cfs @ 64º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,330 cfs @ 64º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 228 cfs @ N/A |
