The release from Cannonsville has been bumped up this morning to 1,122 cfs. The West Branch remains off-color,  if you are wading out there be careful. The Main stem is a better wade option since there is no additional flow coming down the East Branch. The East Branch is clear but warming up with all the hot, sunny days we’ve been having. Today looks like a carbon copy of yesterday with bright sun once the fog burns off. We’re hoping that the weather guys are right and that cooler, more fall-like temperatures will return later this week. Look for fish in the shade and carry those small olives and some Iso spinners with you.

Hatching:

Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The release from Cannonsville is holding steady at 978cfs so far this morning. The West Branch is starting to clear but remains slightly off-color. We saw more hatching on the Main yesterday than on the West Branch with small olives, white flies, stenos and some Iso spinners. The caddis were out in force as the sun went down last night but were of no interest to the fish. They’re forecasting another bright, sunny day with unseasonably high temperatures. Look for rising fish in the shade or as the sun drops behind the ridge. If you’re wading the West Branch today, be careful out there at this level – the rocks are slick!

“Crash” found a nice streamer eater yesterday.

Hatching:

Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The release from Cannonsville is now 953 cfs.  We were looking forward to writing that the release has been steady for a whole 12 hours but our dreams were dashed just after midnight.  This is one of those perfect situations where the powers that be could release 500 – 600 cfs from Cannonsville and the remaining water needed from Pepacton.
There is color in the West Branch but it is fishable.  There was quite a bit of algae in Deposit yesterday but it flushed out enough to keep the lower sections fishable.  It sounded like very few bugs on the WB but the fish were chasing streamers.  There was better hatching on the Mainstem with small olives and white flies mixed with cahills / stenos and just a handful of isonychias. As people left the water at dark their boats, oars, and waders were covered with brown caddis.  It may be a good time to swing wets or fool around diving egg laying caddis patterns.  We are looking at another warm day with sunshine.  If you want to find fish on dries the best advice seems to be to find a shaded bank on the Upper Mainstem and be patient.  Very patient.

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

Update:  The Cannonville release will be increased on the following schedule today

8 AM – 755 cfs

9 AM – 856 cfs

10 AM – 890 cfs

The release from Cannonsville peaked at 815 cfs around 5 PM last night.  This morning it has been dropped back a little to 654 cfs until further notice.  The increased cold water release should help the Mainstem temperatures during this heat wave.  Lordville peaked over 70 degrees yesterday so this is a welcome relief.  The Montague Flow target is at least partially responsible for the release since they have cut back the release from Lake Wallenpaupack for the weekend.  While the additional cold water is certainly welcome it made for tough fishing yesterday.  The increased released colored the upper river and let loose the normal algae we see when the water rises.  It hit the lower river by early evening bringing some color and increased debris but most of the algae filtered out up top.  We did have quite a few tiny olives out in the evening.  It took a long time for the fish to get happy and there was finally some rising towards dark.  Today should be better provided they keep the release steady and don’t pull any Yo Yo moves.  There were a few Heptagenia hatching but they never really seemed to get going.  The increased cold water will also open up more water on the Mainstem where the isonychia hatch has been stronger.

Jim working the wet flies in the rising water

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

Update.  The release from Cannonsville is being increased on the following schedule:

9 Am – 453 cfs
10 Am – 554 cfs
11 Am – 654 cfs
12 Pm – 755 cfs
1 Pm – 815 cfs

Yesterday was another day of sunshine.  There were a few light clouds around in the afternoon but they never amounted to much.  Nymphing or fishing small wets was the best daytime bet again.  There were some small olives with a few heptagenia later in the afternoon into evening.  Definitely heavier on the tiny olives.  They did not change the release overnight so we are starting off roughly where we were yesterday.  Conditions will also be similar with air temperatures in the high 70’s and moderate winds.  We’ll have the sun during the day again.  There have been some fish eating olive spinners in the morning if you get on the water before the fog burns off.  If you don’t see fish eating don’t waste a lot of time.  Drive around or walk to a different pool until you find them.  The lower East and Main water temperatures have been heating up in sunshine with the low flows.  Check the temps with a thermometer if you’re fishing in the afternoon.

Find the cold water on the West and upper East

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

We began yesterday with a 240 cfs release from Cannonsville.  By noon they were increasing the release and it finally settled at 570 cfs around 5 pm.  Before midnight the release was dropped and sits at 353 cfs.  Interesting is the nicest word I can think of to describe the releases over the last five days.  Yesterday was tough in the bright sun with tiny olives and a few heptagenia hatching towards dark.  We had a cooler night plus the air temperature should stay in the high 70’s today.  It still seems warm for mid September but it definitely feels cooler than the previous few days.  We should have a partly cloudy sky today which really means sunshine.  There may be some olive spinners on the water before the fog burns off.  Once the fog is gone look for shaded banks or nymph the deeper drop offs.  We’re still finding the best success with smaller nymphs.  Evening should be the same as yesterday with a mix of olives and heptagenias.

Jim and Samantha working wets on the shaded side of the river

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The Cannonsville release was dropped to 225 yesterday.  This morning it was brought up to 240 cfs.  The low water and bright sun spiked the water temperatures on the lower West Branch and Mainstem.  Definitely check the water temperatures today before you fish the West and we should avoid trout fishing on the Main altogether.  Unfortunately this situation seems like total unnecessary political posturing as the decree parties try to come to a flow agreement.  While we’d love to see an agreement signed that is mutually beneficial to all river users, putting the downstream ecosystem in peril to prove a point seems reckless and spiteful.  The current storage for the NYC Reservoir System is 84.4%.  Normal storage for September 18th is 76.6%.
Please let the principles know that protecting the river ecosystem is much more important than some political posturing / power play:

Here’s the contact information for the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court Decree Party Principals/Designees :

Paul Rush (NYC): prush@dep.nyc.gov, 845-334-7107
Mark Klotz (NY): mark.klotz@dec.ny.gov, 518-402-8233
Jennifer Orr (PA): jeorr@pa.gov, 717-772-5633
Dan Kennedy (NJ): dan.kennedy@dep.nj.gov, 609-292-4543
David Wunsch (DE): dwunsch@udel.edu, 302-831-8258

We should have cooler weather today but that is relative since we’ve been in quite a heat wave.  The air temperature will peak around 78 degrees.  We should have sunshine for most of the day.  We do have some heptagenia and olives on the buildings this morning.

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The afternoon storms never really appeared so we had sunshine until a few clouds rolled in around 7 pm.  It felt like summer out there by late afternoon.  There were sporadic fish working but the most of the action happened after the dun dropped behind the hills.  White flies, olives, plus the normal cahills / stenos, and heptagenia.  Add in the oddball flying ant and you were covered.  The best action was underneath nymphing small patterns or swinging small wet flies in the riffles.  Despite the conditions some nice fish were landed so stick with it and be patient.  Today will be very similar with cooler air temperatures.

Theo and Clem with a nice rainbow yesterday. Photo by Jared Makowski

Chris with a nice brown over the weekend. Photo by Jared Makowski

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

So the release from Cannonsville has been cut back and it looks like we are back to 300 cfs this morning.  We peaked just under 700 cfs last night.  This doesn’t seem like the most spectacular move in the history of river management.  This seems like a good opportunity to try ramping the flows up and down. The higher release added color to the West Branch and knocked loose a lot of algae on the upper section by mid afternoon.  We should clear up today and have way less junk in the water as it all filters out.  The flow at hale Eddy is still dropping this morning but should level out soon.   The flow on the lower Main is still rising this morning but we should see that peak and drop this afternoon.  Yesterday was a mix of flying ants, some olives, cahill / stenos, and heptagenias in the evening but the bugs were spread out in the higher flows.  Nymphing seemed to be the best option.  smaller nymphs and wet flies seem to be working best matching the size of the olives and heptagenias.  Today should be another warm one with a possible storm in the afternoon.  Precipitation should be light under 1/10th”.

Jim found a dark rainbow this week. Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

Update – There is color in the West Branch due to the increased release.  The closer you are to Cannonsville the more color and floating algae you will have to deal with.  It is definitely clear enough to fish down here.

The release from Cannonsville has been increased to 600 cfs this morning.  Maybe they plan on cutting back on Lake Wallenpaupack releases and they need the water to meet the Montague Flow Target although the Montague graph doesn’t show the need yet.  Anyway we’ll take it.  600 cfs is still decent for wading and opens up some additional floating options.  Kind of the best of both worlds.  The increased release should cool the Mainstem which has had rising water temps due to the low flows and sunshine over the last few days.  While the higher temperatures haven’t been an issue for the trout it has slowed the hatching down there.  Today should be cooler but still warm with air temperatures in the mid 70’s.  Winds should be 10 mph and less and then dropping in the evening.  Stick with the olives, cahills / stenos, heptagenia, and isonichias and you should be fine.  Have a few flying ants just in case.

Water

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Tricos – #22 – 26 – Tricorythodes
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

We were hit by a very brief storm in the the early evening but the rivers look fine this morning.  The West Branch flows barely budged and remain pretty much the same as yesterday morning.  The Beaverkill flows didn’t budge the the East Branch saw a small bump overnight.  The Mainstem is climbing slowly but should level out by mid- day.  Everything looks clear in Hancock.  There were a few olives out and some white flies on the Mainstem.  Nymphing or swinging wet flies is definitely the way to go during the day.  Were should keep some clouds around this morning with some periods of sunshine.  It looks like the storms are done and we’re in for a few days of nice Fall weather.

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Tricos – #22 – 26 – Tricorythodes
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

We were hit with some rain in the evening and again overnight but it all soaked right into the ground.  The river flows dropped slightly overnight and are running clear this morning.  The was some decent hatching in the evening and once again it was ruled by the olives. The normal cahills / stenos, isonychias, and heptagenia provided some filler but the olives were the main meat.  If you are far enough down on the Main there are still some white flies coming off at dark too so definitely have a few of those spinners down there.  Today should be cooler with the potential of some more rain in the afternoon.  Overall it doesn’t look like much precipitation so we should come through just fine.  The clouds and light rain should help the fish feel more comfortable eating on the surface today. Winds look light topping out around 6 mph.

Hatching:
Slate Drake #12 – 14 – Isonychia bicolor
Light Cahill – #14 – Summer Sulphurs, Stenocron spp.
Little BWO – #22 – 26- Pseudocloeon sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Tricos – #22 – 26 – Tricorythodes
Olive Sulphur – #18 – 20 – Heptagenia hebe
Little Tan Sedge – #16 – 18 – Glossosoma sp.
Green Caddis – #16 – Ryacophilia sp.
Tan Caddis #16 – 18 – Hydropsyche spp.

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update: