April 17, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 17, 2016

If anyone found a rods and reels left at the Long Eddy Boat Ramp this week please send us an email at flyfish@thedelawareriverclub.com

The Hendricksons are still coming on strong in the late afternoon with a mix of Blue Quills.  We did see a couple of Quill Gordons yesterday too.  Stoneflies and caddis are definitely bringing fish to the surface before and after the mayfly hatches.  There are reports of Apple Caddis from some sections of the river.  The nights are staying warmer and the days almost feel like summer so the hatching should increase and begin earlier in the day as the water temps peak earlier.  Nymphing and swinging caddis pupa before the hatches has been productive.  Accuweather is forecasting a sunny day with air temperatures around 72 and winds from 2 – 6 mph.  Sounds like it’s going to be a great day to be out there.

Dave with a nice fish yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 16, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 16, 2016

Yesterday was another day of strong hendricksons and blue quills followed by a decent caddis hatch in the evening.  The sun made some of the fish a little shy but there were enough rising to keep everyone busy out there.  Nymphing before the hatch was productive and there were even a few scattered fish eating caddis on the surface mid morning.  The hendrickson hatch is still progressing up the system and getting stronger each day.  They have been hatching in heavy numbers for a while now and we are getting warmer weather each day.  It’s time to stay out there a little later and look for spinner falls.  Cannonsville Reservoir capacity is 99% with the West Branch in Walton flowing  in at 855 cfs.

Bob Lewis with a nice fish yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 15, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 15, 2016

Every day we are seeing more Hendricksons on the water. The hatch is moving up the system quickly and it won’t be long before we see them system wide.  We are also seeing good numbers of caddis, olives, and blue quills throughout the day.  The fish are happy and rising.  We had a few wind gusts yesterday overall it was pleasant out there and the bugs and fish didn’t mind.  Today looks great with air temps forecasted in the 60’s and light winds.  The rivers are still dropping from the rain last week and are hitting great levels for wading and floating.

Tony loving the weather and the Hendricksons

Theo with a nice brown from yesterday

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 14, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 14, 2016

The Hendricksons are still moving up the system and the rivers are fishing great.  We’re still seeing stoneflies, Blue Winged Olives, Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, and the chimarra caddis are showing up.  There is a lot of food out there in the mid-afternoon.  The hatches should begin earlier in the day and last longer as we hit warmer temperatures through the weekend.  The West Branch above Cannonsville is still flowing around 1,00o this morning.  Both Cannonsville and Pepacton levels have increased over the last few days.  The river flows are dropping back as the runoff subsides.  Everything is in great shape with plenty of wading and floating opportunities.

Mike with a brown yesterday. Photo by Bruce Miller

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 13, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 13, 2016

It’s a little cool this morning but the sun is shining and the forecast has us hitting a little over 50 degrees today.  The rivers have dropped back slightly overnight as the runoff subsides.  The release from Cannonsville Reservoir is 400 cfs and the reservoir levels are still climbing.  The forecast remains the same through the weekend with sun and warm temperatures approaching the 70’s by Sunday.  Add in the Hendricksons, Blue Quills, and Blue Winged Olives that are hatching and this looks like a great time to be on the water.  This is going to be a good weekend!

Kevan Smaracko found this brown eating Hendricksons this week

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 12, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 12, 2016

We had a little more rain last night that should continue through part of the day today.  Air temperatures are a little cool but we should peak close to 50 today.  Each day is forecasted to be a little warmer which is great news for the weekend.  Due to the recent rains the release from Cannonsville has been increased to 402 cfs under FFMP chart 4A.  Looking at the plan is seems we moved into Storage zone L1B.  Cannonsville storage is now 97.6% with the inflow at Walton coming in at 1,470 cfs this morning.
Yesterday was a nice overcast fishing day.  We saw fewer Hendricksons than the day before but the olives made up for it.  Fish were eating on top once the olives got going mid-afternoon.  Some river sections are fishing better than others right now so move around if you don’t see anything for a while.  Nymphing before the hatches start has also been productive.  Today may turn out to be the same with the light rain and cloud cover.

Jared had a good afternoon yesterday

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 11, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 11, 2016

There were olives and Hendricksons on some river sections yesterday.  A little rain is falling now but the skies should clear today.  It is definitely warmer this morning and the rivers have come up a couple of degrees.  The West Branch has dropped to a decent level with 556 cfs at Hale Eddy.  The East Branch side is pushing more water with a flow of 1,470 cfs at Fishs Eddy.
The fishing should only improve from now as the air temperatures increase over the next few days.  The forecast is calling for 60 degrees over the weekend.  We should see more rain overnight which is perfect for keeping the rivers filled.

Jared with a Hendrickson caught fish yesterday. Photo by Dan Treadwell

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 10, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 10, 2016

According to the forecast last night should be the last really cold one we see for a while.  We are on a warming trend that should really feel like Spring now.  The water temperatures are low this morning but should come up nicely over the next few days as the water flows drop and the air temperatures rise.  That should bring an increase in the surface activity and put us back where were before the cold snap.  Olives, Stoneflies, Quill Gordons, and a few Blue Quills will start to hatch again.  You may find a few Hendrickson in the warmer sections over the next few days too.
Air temperatures are forecasted to be in the 60’s by next weekend.  Hopefully we get just enough rain to keep the flows up in the system.  the West Branch above Walton is still flowing into Cannonsville way over a 1,000 cfs.  The next reservoir level update should be good news.

We’re still finding some early stoneflies so definitely carry the patterns on the river

Hatching:
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 9, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 9, 2016

The river flows are dropping back but still remain high this morning.  Stilesville is the best spot for wading based on the USGS graphs.  The forecasted snow missed us last night but we still may see a couple of snow showers today.  The overnight air temperatures were cold and the rivers all dropped back a couple of degrees.  Nymphing and streamers will be the most productive methods today but you may find a rising fish or two in the slow pools by late afternoon.  The reservoirs have come up a little in storage and should continue to fill.  Walton is still coming in at over 2000 cfs this morning.  We are looking at one more cold night and then we begin a warming trend tomorrow.  It will finally feel like Spring again by mid-week.

Bob Lewis sent us some artsy river photos from the fall. This one he titled “Church”

Hatching:
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 8, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 8, 2016

Mother Nature provided what the Decree Parties won’t – water.  We had decent rains yesterday morning and again overnight.  The Cannonsville release is still 110 cfs so the river should be clear and wadeable in Stilesville.  You have to stay above the feeders this morning for the low clear water.  The feeders are pushing a lot of water into the system plus some color.  Once below Stilesville it looks great for streamer fishing.  Be careful wading.  The West Branch should drop and clear first.  There is a lot of water coming down the East Branch side and the Mainstem is running slightly over 8,000 cfs at Lordville.
The best news is Walton flowing into Cannonsville at 3,400 cfs this morning.  The other Reservoir feeder with a gauge is Trout Creek.  It’s a small stream but peaked at 500 cfs and now flowing into Cannonsville at 228 cfs.  It will take a couple of days for the Reservoir levels to rise.  Hopefully this will be enough water that we move up a few charts on the FFMP and see better releases.
We do have another cold snap coming this weekend but today should be nice.

Fill that Reservoir!

Hatching:
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 7, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 7, 2016

The freezing temperatures broke last night and it’s actually comfortable outside this morning.  We should hit 50 degrees today with a possibility of 1/2″ of rain.  This will be great for the reservoirs and the system as a whole.  We will have to deal with some wind once the weather pushes in so your best bet for dryfly action will be in protected areas.  The rivers did warm up a bit last night but it will take a while to peak today- especially with the overcast skies.  Nymphing may be a better option.  If the rain begins to cloud the river we may get some decent streamer action.

The nymphs will get more active as the water warms up

Hatching:
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.

April 6, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 6, 2016

The sun is out this morning and air temperatures should hit the mid 40’s for the next couple of days.  It will feel like Summer after the last few nights in the teens.  We are still cold this morning so nymphing and slow swinging streamers will be the most productive methods until the water temps come up in the afternoon.  We may see a very small bump in flows as the rest of the snow melts today.  We did have some sun poking through the clouds yesterday that melted quite a bit of it already.  The system is still running low so it won’t take much to warm it back up.  A few hours of sun hitting the exposed rocks will bring the water temps back up.  Nights will be cool for the while still but we shouldn’t dip back into the teens.  Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, and Copper Johns are all working well for nymphing.

It won’t be long before we see these wings back on the surface

Hatching:
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp.