May 17, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 17, 2013

We certainly had a bit of a strange day out there yesterday. There were strong yet sporadic hatches throughout the afternoon on the entire system. In some areas it was dictated by the wind, in others your guess is as good as mine! The evening brought some PERFECT hatching/spinner fall conditions, but aside from an insanely brief flush of bugs around 8:30, none was really to be had. Today we are expecting some more clouds and slightly cooler temps, which should (in a perfect world which I know we do not live in) have a bit more consistent mayfly activity throughout the day, and hopefully the spinner fall that we were denied last evening!

Geoff Adams holds an OBESE Brown Trout! Photo: Bruce Miller

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 16, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 16, 2013

While we had a cold start yesterday morning, the sun came out and warmed the water up quite a bit in the early afternoon. Unfortunately, it did bring some pretty significant wind gusts throughout the day as well, adding a little degree of difficulty to everyone’s casting. There were decent hatches of March Browns on the Main and East, but the fish were a bit spotty on them, preferring some caddis in certain areas. Today, we are expecting a MUCH warmer day, so water temps should rise quickly back into the 60s, and our hatches should start off right with them. It is certainly going to be bright, so we are not expecting to see many olives out today, and there will be some wind with the sun as well, so be ready for some opposite shoulder casting!

Drew holds his first Delaware trout! A beautiful Main Stem Rainbow! Photo: Bruce Miller

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 15, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 15, 2013

The cold weather definitely affected the activity yesterday, with a slow start to the hatching (mid-afternoon), and a quick stoppage to it as well (early evening) when the air temps plummeted much deeper and faster than expected. There were decent rising fish to be found, but their feeding behavior was definitely spotty at times, even though they did not seem to be all that picky over all. The good news for today is that we are starting with some warmer water temps, so the bugs should start earlier today, and the warmer weather predicted should also help keep the hatch going well into the evening, getting us right back on track!

Ron McKnight holds a SLAB of a Brown caught yesterday afternoon. Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 14, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 14, 2013

Yesterday went just about as expected with the wind and extremely cold temperatures (Mother Nature threw a couple of flurries in just for added effect) – not a ton of dry fly activity, but the fish were still hungry once the water temps started to climb in the mid-afternoon. There were some risers here and there, but no real, good, steady fish to speak of. Today, we’re looking at a warmer day, but our water temps are  back to early April numbers, with the Main starting under 50 for the first time in several weeks. All this means is that it will take a little while for the river to heat up, so I wouldn’t rush to get out there until the afternoon. That being said, the predicted sun should heat up the rivers pretty well, and that always gives us a chance of great hatching once it does.

VICTORY! Tony May celebrates his first Brown of the year as Jeff White holds for the pose. This nice fish definitely put on a show as he was brought to the boat, complete with dives under the deck! Photo: Nate Eckhaus

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 13, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 13, 2013

Man, windy and cold yesterday – it felt more like a March fishing day than it did May, that much is for sure. It was cool and damp as well, so while there were a few bugs hatching, we had no real reliable reports of decent spinner falls towards evening. Like a typical March / early April day, fishing seemed to shut down right as the water temp peaked for the day, around 5PM or so. Today we are also looking at cooler temperatures, but the wind should mercifully lay down a bit. A “bit” as in 25MPH gusts as opposed to the 35+ we saw in places yesterday. The sun is supposed to show up at some point, which will definitely aid the fishing a little bit, but I am not optimistic about good spinner falls. Water temps should get warm enough to wake the fish up a bit, so they will hopefully be active later in the afternoon.

Good friend of the shopgot an unwanted piercing the other day, which was NOT wind-related, from his fishing partner. Photo by:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 12, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 12, 2013

Happy Mother’s Day! Yesterday was definitely interesting on many levels, with rain throughout the day, heavy at times on the West, but barely bringing us up, while the East jumped dramatically after dark. Both fished fairly well, although the activity was spotty throughout the day, a likely result of all the crazy air pressure changes we were experiencing. People were still seeing some Blue Quills (Paraleps) as well as Hendrickson spinners and even some Baetis thrown in for good measure. Today the air temps drop, and we are expecting a bit more wind as well, with the possibility of some afternoon showers or thunderstorms. If the cloud cover stays, expect a pretty decent day on the West, and likely the Main as well once it begins to clear.

Mike Philipe stands a bit off center in this pic of a nice Brown taken between showers! Photo: Mark Li

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 11, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 11, 2013

Our friendly neighborhood weathermen did it again. What started as 1.10″ of rain predicted slowly fell throughout the day as the storms that were supposed to roll through never materialized. Instead we had nice slow, steady rain throughout the night, which unfortunately did not equate to significant increases in river flows at all. I won’t look the gift horse of flow stabilization in the mouth, but it would have been nice to see a big surge from the feeder streams to help us get through the weekend. All of that being said, the fishing was a little bit spotty yesterday, with some folks finding good pods of rising fish early, and others seeing the bugs disappear as the day progressed, possibly due to the change in atmospheric pressure. Today we are looking at a slightly cooler day, with the possibility of more rain and some occasional thunderstorms in the area. The good news is the cooler temps and heavy cloud cover should yeild some decent hatching throughout the heart of the day.

John Wakelee holds a nice Main Stem Brown – one of his FIRST on the Delaware, always a big deal! Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 10, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 10, 2013

What a day yesterday! For those fishing the West, there were small Olives out from about 2PM on, and then as evening approached, it virtually did not matter where you were, you had bug soup on the water, ingredients: Hendricksons, Paraleps, Olives, Caddis, and Mach Browns. The fish were on one of those rare benders where they would eat just about any of those (if the imitation and presentation were proper), and were not necessarily keyed in on one particular bug. Definitely a great day all around. Today, we still have some storms predicted, with some bigger thunderstorms being called for later in the evening / night, so we will see what that may bring. Pressure changes throughout the day will also play with the hatching a little bit, but will hopefully not shut it down completely. Let’s see what happens!

See? Bart does get to fish every now and then! The hippie hair gets in his eyes sometimes, making for some interesting poses. Photo: Dave Lisnock

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 9, 2013

Lost Rod!

A good friend of the shop lost his rod and reel this past weekend down in the pool below Buckingham access. He is offering a reward for its no-questions-asked return. The rod is a 10-footer, and has a blue blank, with NO writing on it, with a Charlton 8450 5/6 attached. If anyone has it, please contact me at the shop and we will get it back in his hands. Thanks!

May 9, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 9, 2013

Perfect trout weather outside this morning – warm, humid, and not a hint of sunshine, and the forecast makes me think it could be amazing out there today. Yesterday we had some serious storms roll through the area in the mid-afternoon, but unfortunately the West Branch basin missed out on the majority of the precipitation, with both bands of storms more or less sailing around us. The East Branch basin did get quite a bit, and both the Beaverkill, East, and Main have directly profited from this. The West has no real change in color, and looks spectacular out there. Reports are saying there is some cloudiness in the East, but I have not heard the words “blown out” yet this morning. I will update if I do. Otherwise, let’s give a nice big Thank You to Mother Nature, as she has been gracious enough to give us the needed water that NYC will not.

A cool shot of a male Brown grabbing a fly. Photo: Fred Nelson

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 8, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 8, 2013

The cloud cover definitely helped out there yesterday, as we did see some more hatching in the afternoon than previously. It was not quite gangbusters as the wind decided to ignore the weathermen and blow pretty decently throughout the day. The house had lots of Hendrickson spinners near the lights this morning, mirroring what happened out in Home Pool last evening. Today is the game changer – we already have clouds, and there are some thunderstorms predicted in the late afternoon. As usual, this can be one of those “river turns on or river turns off” moments. We’ll see what it does, but pray that it fills the feeder streams back up again!

Greg Yothers holds a great Main Stem fish from his float this last weekend. Photo: Kevan Smaracko

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 7, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 7, 2013

Definitely a bit tougher out there yesterday. With bright sun and falling waters, the fish were not very keen to rise during the heat of the day, and the bugs were not inclined to pop out of the water just to get baked. However, the evening ended up being decent (read: not great) with some flushes of caddis as well as a small spinner fall in places. Today, we’re looking at cloudier weather (we have them for the first time in what feels like weeks) that should definitely help the daytime hatching. Tomorrow rain is predicted – let’s hope it’s a ton since they dropped our water level down to a 175 cfs release from Cannonsville.

THIS is what a 25″ fish looks like. This MONSTER Brown took a “secret” dry at a “secret” location (insert sarcasm here). Good friend of the shop Les Hughes is the lucky angler, and it holding it without extended hero pose arms. Well done! Photo: Lindsey Flexner

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions: