Delaware River Report / Conditions April 4, 2015
The warm weather and rain over the last couple of days has kicked runoff into high gear. Most of the system is clear of standing ice but the Mainstem and lower East Branch still had decent sized icebergs floating down this morning. The West Branch still has some logs and stumps floating down but not as much ice. All of the rivers are off color due to the feeder streams. The best and maybe only spot to wade today is the Upper West Branch above Oquaga Creek. The flow at Stilesville is low but increasing so keep an eye on the gauge as the rain and melt continue throughout the day.
A big change over the last two days.
Hatching:
Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 93 cfs @ 39º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 3,830 cfs @ 35º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,240 cfs @ 35º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 4,050 cfs @ 36º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 11,200 cfs @ 35º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 2540 cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 3, 2015
Yesterday’s warmer weather and overnight rain has really helped the system open up from the ice. The feeder creeks have started pumping some water down and you can now see chunks of ice floating in the Lower East Branch and Mainstem. The West Branch is in the best shape over but here does have some color from the feeder creeks. We are mostly ice free now on the West. The gauge at Hale Eddy still says ice for the current cfs but the river has risen from 2.5 feet to 4.5 feet since yesterday morning. The flow should continue to increase throughout the day as the melt continues and the remaining rain moves through. Hatching remains sporadic with a few stoneflies here and there and a few fish finding them on the surface. Streamers fished slow looks like the best opportunity to put a fish in the net today.
Looking for risers and matching the hatch on the West Branch. Photo by Jared Makowski
Hatching:
Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 85 cfs @ 41º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | Ice cfs @ 37º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | Ice cfs @ 38º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | Ice cfs @ 38º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | Ice cfs @ 33.5º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | Ice cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 2, 2015
Yesterday was a cold start to the season but the warmer afternoon is helping the rivers open up a bit. The forecast today is calling for a high of 58 degrees although I suspect it will be a little lower than that. Winds should be around 12 mph with some decent gusts as the warm front and rain storms move in. The weather today and tomorrow should be great for the system and we should see more stoneflies over the weekend. We’ve seen a few fish rise but the low water temperatures have kept the surface quiet for the most part.
Fishing has been interesting this week. The winter scenery has been awesome. Photo by Jared Makowski
Hatching:
Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 85 cfs @ 39º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | Ice cfs @ 36º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | Ice cfs @ 36º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | Ice cfs @ 34º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | Ice cfs @ 32.5º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | Ice cfs @ N/A |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 1, 2015
Winter is slowly losing it’s grip on us, slowly. We had a bit of snow yesterday afternoon but luckily we are looking at warmer temperatures and sunshine today and a much needed warming trend towards the weekend. Most of the system has open water in faster sections and ice on the larger pools. The Beaverkill seems to be the most fishable river right now. Water temps dropped to the low 30’s overnight so it will take a while for the rivers to warm up today. We are seeing some little black stones hatching and a few sporadic fish eating them. Nothing to target yet. The hatching should increase as the river warms up over the next few days. Nymphing and slowly stripping streamers should offer the best opportunity to connect wit a fish.
Jared Makowski found a rainbow willing to eat a streamer yesterday afternoon on the lower West Branch
Hatching:
Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 85 cfs @ 36º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | Ice cfs @ 34º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | Ice cfs @ 34º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | Ice cfs @ 33º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | Ice cfs @ 32.5º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | Ice cfs @ N/A |
March 29, 2015
The West Branch is a good mix of ice and open water. We’re seeing more open water every day. Spring is coming!
March 24, 2015
Spring is creeping in slowly and there is a little open water on the system. Hopefully the slightly warmer weather and rain predicted for later this week comes to pass.
An early stonefly on a rock while Jim Swift fishes the Beaverkill today. Photo by Jared Makowski
Delaware River Report / Conditions March 16, 2015
We are thawing, but the river is still frozen solid. There is warmer daytime weather on the way but the nights are still going to be below freezing.
Flyline to backing splice
Here is new video of DRC guide Jim Swift demonstrating a new method to smoothly connect your flyline to your backing.
Also, check out our other knot tying videos: https://thedelawareriverclub.com/tips-and-techniques/knot-tying-videos/
February 5, 2015 More Snow Pack Coming
Let’s hope the snow keeps coming!
Cold weather and another 6″ to 12″ of snow in the next few days will be great news for the Reservoirs!
February 2, 2015 Decent snow!
Today looks great for the snowpack around the reservoir. It’s not so great for a 12 year old Redbeau! The weather channel is calling for snow until 5 PM today.
The 2015 Flyfishing Show in Somerset, NJ
Come see us in Somerset NJ on January 23, 24, and 25th 2015. We will be in booth # C-22-23 inside the show.
While you’re there make time to watch Bob Lewis and Steve Shen present:
Cracking The Code Of The Upper Delaware
Friday – 12:00 PM In The Bridgewater Room
Saturday – 12:00 PM In The Bridgewater Room
Sunday – 11:00 AM In The Princeton Room
The Crazy Glue Splice
Delaware River Club Guide Jim Swift explaining the Crazy Glue splice for attaching leaders to fly lines.
More knot videos in HD are here: The Delaware River Club Knot Tying Videos