Delaware River Report / Conditions July 9, 2013

Mother Nature decided to bless us with some extra cloud cover yesterday, and it certainly helped produce bugs and fish on the upper West yesterday. Good sulphur and Iso hatches took place throughout the day, and waned towards evening, which is when they picked up a bit further downstream. We had sporadic action here at Home Pool last night, but from the reports I am hearing, up in the Game Lands fished very very well. Today, we are going to see a slight drop in air temperature to the low 80s, with some storms kicking around for good measure. The clouds are going to come and go, so there will likely be windows of activity versus the steadier flow of bugs we saw yesterday. But, with the flows steadying out up by Deposit, our typical sulphurs at noon program is already begun, which is great so long as you bring your thermals – that water is cold!

Even the interns get in on the action! Matthew Fedrizzi with a nice big brown! Photo: Bob Lewis

Even the interns get in on the action! Matthew Fedrizzi with a nice big brown! Photo: Bob Lewis

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 – starting

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 567 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 834 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 470 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 861 cfs @ 64º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,230 cfs @ 66º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 330 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 98.3% – 601 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 8, 2013

Apologies on the delay this morning, it seems our server was being attacked by a botnet, so we were locked out until just now. You have to love technology…..

That being addressed, we had a pretty good day out on the river yesterday. We had some wicked, scary looking thunderheads roll into the area in the late afternoon, but nary a drop of rain fell on us, and there was little to no thunder/lightning. This made for some great evening hatches as that air pressure decreased, up and down the system. Fish were eating sulphurs mostly, but switched over to Isos and Light Cahills towards dark. The upper river fished ‘as normal’ in the early afternoon, and did shut down as water temps dropped. I would expect similar activity today, but we are looking at bit more cloud cover – great for those looking to fish from Hale Eddy down early. There are supposed to be a few storms rolling about throughout the day, so be careful out there!

Crazy Yellow Mystery Steno from the lower Main Stem. Guesses? About a #12. Photo by: Jeff White

Some of my favorite Stenos are kicking about as well – Heterotarsale! Photo by: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 665 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 978 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 654 cfs @ 51º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 900 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,270 cfs @ 66º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 257 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 99.9% – 701 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 7, 2013

Boy it was a sauna here yesterday. Hot and humid, all the way until dark. The clouds were out, giving us a respite here and there, and the bugs/fish took notice as well, getting active throughout the day, both upriver by Deposit and down by us. Our friend the fog was not as thick as we anticipated either, so the sulphurs were coming off strong, and the fish were definitely eating them! Definitely a good day overall. Today we’re scheduled to be a bit warmer, with some storms rolling through as the day progresses, so taht should make cor some interesting aquatic activity. The flow from Cannonsville has also been stepped down to 701 CFS, and will likely be stepped down to 600 by the end of the day. Not a huge shift in holding lanes for fish, but they might be a little flustered as we first get rolling today.

Peter Glynn holds an awesome WB Brown! Photo: Nate Eckhaus

Peter Glynn holds an awesome WB Brown! Photo: Nate Eckhaus

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 676 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 951 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 664 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 940 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,490 cfs @ 65º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 287 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 99.9% – 701 CFS release

Graph

 

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 6, 2013

It looks like the spill from the reservoir has stopped, which meas that all that water coming down from Stilesville is release water, and COLD water at that! It is always nice to see the temp at Hale Eddy start under 50 degrees in the morning! That has caused a pretty substantial fog bank up and down the river this morning as well, but with the hot temps predicted today, along with “partly sunny” weather, it should burn off by mid day. Yesterday there was definite dry fly action in the afternoon / evening on the lower West Branch, but the streamer bite was off a little bit, likely due to the patchy sun sneaking out from the clouds with a bit more frequency than we like to see. Today looks to be more of the same, but with the colder temps, we could see the shift to more “normal” summer sulphur conditions way up river in Deposit.

Spotify? I've got your Spot-i-fy right here! Photo: Bob Lewis

Spotify? I’ve got your Spot-i-fy right here! Photo: Bob Lewis

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 897 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,220 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 670 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 998 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,910 cfs @ 63º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 324 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 99.9% – 903 CFS release

Delaware River Report/Conditions July 5, 2013

Hot and humid – those two words definitely describe the Fourth for sure! I hope you all had a chance to catch some fireworks and fish! With the higher release, the water was definitely colder all the way down to Junction pool, which made our old nemesis appear throughout day with each passing shower. Its name? F-O-G. While we had some decent hatching whilst the sun was behind the clouds, when it came out (or the fog materialized) the activity definitely slowed and/or stopped. Today is supposed to be a bit cooler, but still with patchy sun and clouds. The cold water should continue, so look for mayflies throughout the day during those breaks from the blistering sun!

You know the water's cold and the air's humid when it looks like this out front at 7:00 AM (and it's already 80 out!). Photo by: Bart Larmouth

This lets us know that at least the water is cold! Photo by: Bart Larmouth

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Heptagenia hebe – Heptagenia / Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 1,200 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,670 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 670 cfs @ 53º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,070 cfs @ 63º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,300 cfs @ 64º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 375 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 100.8% – 1,206 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 4, 2013

Happy Independence Day! July 3 was definitely interesting out on the river, with thick fog rolling in every time the rain decided to come down, making visibility tough and the hatching sporadic to say the least. With the Cannonsville release now at 1,200 CFS, that will likely happen today as well if there are any passing showers. There are a few predicted, but as we all know the weathermen are not the most reliable bunch! There were good numbers of sulphurs on the shop this morning, and our first sighting of Heptagenia Hebe as well! Enjoy the fourth everyone, and be safe out there!

Patriot Rainbow says Happy Independence Day!

Patriot Rainbow says Happy Independence Day!

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 1,350 cfs @ 56º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 2,080 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 521 cfs @ 59º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 965 cfs @ 65º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,850 cfs @ 62º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 444 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 100.8% – 1,204 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 3, 2013

Well that got a bit out of hand yesterday. The morning deluge we saw brought the feeders WAY up around mid-day, and the West Branch turned chocolate brown, and was running dang near 7,000 cfs here at the club. It has since dropped precipitously and cleared dramatically. There were bugs still hatching amid the craziness, but as there weren’t any boats out due to the conditions, we are lacking a good report to see what the fish decided to do. My guess would be hunker down and wait! With the clearing water and overcast skies today, we could definitely be in for a great day of fishing. There are some scattered storms predicted, but so long as they don’t inundate us, we should continue to clear and drop throughout the day – exactly what the fish like!

Bob Lewis holds a beautiful West Branch Brown. Photo: Steve Shen

Bob Lewis holds a beautiful West Branch Brown. Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 1,310 cfs @ 63º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 2,620 cfs @ 56º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 345 cfs @ 59º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,110 cfs @ 65º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 4,990 cfs @ 65º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 611 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 100.8% – 902 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 2, 2013

UPDATE: Some of the upstream feeders were inundated with rain this morning, and Hale Eddy is now at 4,000 CFS and climbing steadily.

Once again the rain just circled around us, only giving a little bump in the flows. The cloud cover and scattered showers yesterday made for some pretty good dry fly action river-wide, even into the evening. The streamer bite was still there, but like the dry fly fishing, it quieted down any time the sun poked out from the clouds. Today is looking very similar, with cloud cover and scattered storms throughout the day, as well as pea-soup-thick humidity. The bugs should be active, and with a bit more water spilling over the dam, the fish should be looking for Alewives as well!

Theo May with a BIG West Branch fish. Photo: Jeff White

Theo May with a BIG West Branch fish. Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 790 cfs @ 57º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,460 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 333 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,180 cfs @ 64º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,980 cfs @ 64º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 793 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 100.6% – 500 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 1, 2013

Definitely different out on the water yesterday, but not necessarily bad. The hatches were definitely not as prolific as Saturday, but the fish did not seem to notice, and were still up and looking for a little mayfly snack. Water clarity improved throughout the day, and we’re looking at almost normal visibility in Home Pool this morning. The big question mark is the weather. There is a chance of major storms and additional rain over the next few days, and with the feeders already swollen, we could see another big bump in the flows and a pretty good blow out. Today there are some good thunderstorms predicted, so if you do head out, be safe. Otherwise enjoy the cloud cover, and hopefully the heavy sulphur hatches that it may bring!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to damage caused by the flooding, both Shehawken and Ball’s Eddy public accesses  are closed to ALL  USE – that’s boats and waders – until they can be repaired. I have been assured that we are on the top of the list, so this should be a short delay. Our local ECO (Environmental Conservation Officer, i.e. Game Warden) has said they will be strictly enforcing this closure. I will of course keep you updated with any changes, and the progression of the repairs. In the meantime, the 191 access on the Hancock side is still open and viable for those looking to launch boats or wade.

Rich Baker holds an EXCELLENT Rainbow! Photo: Bud Sherry

Rich Baker holds an EXCELLENT Rainbow from his weekend! Photo: Bud Sherry

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 665 cfs @ 53º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,390 cfs @ 56º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 357 cfs @ 58º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 753 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,210 cfs @ 62º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 362 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 100.0% – 500 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 30, 2013

Well, it certainly was a bit tougher out there yesterday than we thought it was going to be. The water clarity was pretty poor on the West Branch, even up river. That being said, take a look at the picture below and you’ll have an idea how much the bugs cared about the clarity. The side of the shop is STILL covered with them this morning, and right towards evening the fish were actually seeing them as well, if you could find the right spot. Today, we have finally had some additional clarity come into the river down here, so it should start to greatly improve throughout the day. Cloud cover, and a few passing showers are all that is in the forecast, so it could definitely turn into a spectacular day!

 

We counted close to 10 different mayfly species on the shop last night and this morning. I guess we know there are still plenty of bugs! Photo: Bart Larmouth

We counted close to 10 different mayfly species on the shop last night and this morning. I guess we know there are still plenty of bugs! Photo: Bart Larmouth

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 688 cfs @ 53º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,730 cfs @ 56º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 403 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 900 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 4,260 cfs @ 62º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 362 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 100.0% – 500 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 29, 2013

Yowza. It was BIG out there yesterday. Definitely a strange day with the flow dropping quickly above Hale Eddy, but tons of water still coming in from the feeders downstream from there. Rain late in the evening bumped us right back up again, and we are starting to fall quickly, just like yesterday. The additional rain did not help the river color clear much, as we are still pretty brown out front as of right now. The Beaverkill is running very clear, which is helping the East clear quickly as well. The other good news is very little rain in the forecast for today, so we should see the West continue to drop and clear throughout the day, which is slated to be nice and cloudy. The fish are definitely streamer-hungry, and if we get a bit more spill over top of the dam in the next day or so, this will only increase with additional Alewives coming over the top. For now, yellows and blacks are definitely a good call, and keep your eyes on the slower spots for fish taking Isos as well!

 

Hello there! Bob Lewis holding a nice, confused-looking brown. Photo: Steve Shen

Hello there! Bob Lewis holding a nice, confused-looking brown. Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 502 cfs @ 45º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 2,210 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 470 cfs @ 58º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,210 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 7,340 cfs @ 62º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 507 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release 99.0% – 500 CFS release

Conditions UPDATE June 28, 2013

The river is dropping like a stone around Hale Eddy, but is definitely staying higher downriver. We have TONS of water coming in from the feeders still down this way, and much of it is still off-color. The forecast is constantly changing, so we are not quite sure what kind of precipitation  we will get through tonight / tomorrow. Feel free to call the shop for an up-to-the-minute report!

 

 

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