Delaware River Report / Conditions June 3, 2014

The bright sun during the day hurt the rising activity again.  There were some fish eating caddis and the occasional March Brown/Gray Fox during the day but nymphing was definitely more productive.  We had a few clouds roll in and out but not enough to make a huge difference.  There were a lot of bugs on the water at dark, pretty much any kind you could think of.  The trick became figuring out which one they were eating.  Today looks warm, humid, with a few thunderstorms mixed in which should help the fishing.

Dead Spinners on the West Branch

Dead Spinners on the West Branch

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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 547 cfs @ 48º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 200 cfs @ 58º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 585 cfs @ 64º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,230 cfs @ 64º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 262 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 2, 2014

The bright sun has made the mid day dryfly fishing sporadic.  There have been some fish working but you need to be patient and cover them well on the first shot.  Nymphing has been decent throughout the day in the riffles.  The evenings have been fishing well once the sun drops enough to put some shade on the water.  Look for a mix of March Browns, Gray Fox, Tan Caddis, Sulphurs, and maybe a few Green Drakes.  We were in jackets last night and the temp dropped but today is going to feel like Summer.

Brown Drakes should offer some fishing soon!

Brown Drakes should offer some fishing soon!

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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 556 cfs @ 47º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 203 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 585 cfs @ 60º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,280 cfs @ 62º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 274 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 1, 2014

June 1st and we’re wearing fleece this morning.  That’s great news for the water temps.  The daytime highs are going to start climbing and it will feel like Summer soon enough.  Stilesville dropped again which is not ideal for sunny days- the water will warm quicker now until we get rain or the release is increased.  Nymphing will be the best option during the day in the sunshine.  Look for risers in the shade and then the top water action should pick up as the sun drops.  We’ve had okay action on caddis during the day in some pools and a mix of Gray Fox, March Browns, and Stenos in the evening.  As of 8 am this morning the release line has not been updated.  The way I interpret the FFMP we should have 500 cfs coming out of Cannonsville.

 

Ian with a nice one.  Photo by Steve Shen

Ian with a nice one. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

 

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 388 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 464 cfs @ 47º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 216 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 638 cfs @ 58º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,300 cfs @ 61º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 300 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 31, 2014

The current release from Cannonsville has been dropped to 401 cfs.  The temperatures seem to be holding but all the rivers are low- perfect for wading.  Today looks sunny and warm with some rain and clouds rolling in this evening.  The have been some Sulphurs and Green Drakes but the majority of the hatching is still March Browns, Gray Fox, and caddis.  Crazy year- we still have small Hendricksons on the West Branch.  If the sun is bright today look for caddis in the riffles during the day and hopefully a spinner fall tonight.

Suers

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

 

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 400 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 490 cfs @ 48º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 226 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 687 cfs @ 58º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,370 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 327 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 30, 2014

Yesterday was spinner day.  There were enough spinners on the water for an hour or two that your biggest problem was getting the fish to eat your fly.  Too many bugs sounds good.  We mostly ran into small Hendricksons, some March Browns, Gray Fox, and a few sulphurs in areas.  The rusty spinner imitating the Hendrickson spinner was the key.  The release from Cannonsville is 528 cfs.  The entire system is wadeable.  We should be in the 70’s today with some mild winds and some sun- if you believe the weatherman.

5-30rs

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 502 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 601 cfs @ 48º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 249 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 760 cfs @ 59º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,520 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 356 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 27, 2014

Well it took a while but the system is in great shape and good for both wading and floating.  The temperatures dropped on the West Branch over night due to the decease in the amount of warm spill and the cold release of 525 cfs.  We are still seeing Hendricksons on the West Branch and the beginning of the March Browns.  The East Branch and Mainstem have March Browns and the fish are eating them.  The hatch should continue to improve throughout the week.  If you go down far enough there have been some sightings of a few Green Drakes.  The sun has hurt the mid day activity but the evenings have been fishing great.  Definitely have your spinner box full.

 

Photo by Jordan Davenport

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 777 cfs @ 54º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 911 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 551 cfs @ 55º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,200 cfs @ 59º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,430 cfs @ 60º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 473 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

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 25, 2014

Just about all of the rain missed us and the rivers are finally dropping back.  The WB is almost wadeable but the best wading access is still the Beaverkill and Willowemoc.  We should be in great shape over the next couple of days with warmer temps and a few clouds mixed in.  Of course the weatherman was incorrect on the winds yesterday and it did blow for a while making the fishing tougher.  In between gusts we found fish rising to #16 Hendricksons and then spinners at dark.  There were some March Browns on the WB yesterday but I didn’t see any fish recognize them as food yet.  The EB and MS are better options for the big bugs but that should change over the next few days as the hatch grows and fish begin to realize there’s a big meal floating by.

Dave with a great WB brown.  Photo by Steve Shen

Dave with a great WB brown. Photo by Steve Shen

Beth with a nice fish yesterday.  Photo by Steve Shen

Beth with a nice fish yesterday. 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

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 1,180 cfs @ 58º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,380 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 714 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,600 cfs @ 55º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,210 cfs @ 55º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 662 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 24, 2014

Hatching seemed a little slower yesterday during the day but the streamer bite was decent while we had cloud cover.  There were some Gray Fox and March Browns on sections of the system with fish eating them.  As a bonus the weatherman was wrong on the wind predictions and we never had to deal with the 26 mph gusts.  It turned on at dark.  Today looks decent with some cloud cover and light winds, maybe a brief thunderstorm or two rolling through.  On the West Branch make sure you have #16 Hendrickson duns and spinners.  Caddis have been coming off all over the system offering some daytime fishing.

Roger with a nice fish this week.  Photo by Bruce Miller

Roger with a nice fish this week. Photo by Bruce Miller

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 1,430 cfs @ 57º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,660 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 697 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,580 cfs @ 54º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,730 cfs @ 55º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 657 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 23, 2014

Luckily most of the heavy storms missed us yesterday.  We even had bright sun mid- day that slowed the fishing down for a while.  Later in the afternoon we had a very brief heavy shower that seemed to kick start the fishing on the West Branch and Mainstem.  Most fish were landed on Hendrickson and Hendrickson spinners with a few caddis mixed in for good measure.  Some people are beginning to see Gray Fox and March Browns eaten on the Mainstem.  We have sighted a few of the big bugs on the West Branch so it won’t be long now.  Today looks a little cooler, light rain, and some wind gusts that disappear by primetime (if you believe Accuweather is accurate).

 

Dave looking happy yesterday.  Photo by Steve Shen

Dave looking happy yesterday. 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

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 1,620 cfs @ 56º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,920 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 914 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,940 cfs @ 56º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 4,260 cfs @ 55º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 814 cfs @ N/A
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