There were some fish rising yesterday but the wind didn’t do us any favors.   Streamers were the best bet along with nymphing slow edges.  Wading is still not an option on the big rivers but the Beaverkill is getting low enough that it’s a possibility in spots.  We’d like to see it drop a couple hundred cfs more to come into it’s own.  Today looks like a great fay to be on the water.  We already have some sunshine and the air temp will be 10 degrees warmer than yesterday peaking around 65.  The real treat is the wind should only be 5 – 10 mph.  We’re going to get 1/4″ of rain overnight but that shouldn’t start until after dark.  There is some rain coming tomorrow but the precipitation totals change every time we look.  Hopefully they are scattered storms that hit a few miles away from us.

Vito with a nice fish yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
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Dark Hendrickson  – #14 – E. subvaria (male)
Light Hendrickson – #12 -14 – E. subvaria (female)
Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

It felt like summer on the river yesterday.  Sunshine and warm temps were followed by a couple of unexpected brief showers in the evening.  The showers did not drop enough rain to bump the river flows and all the rivers are still dropping slowly this morning.  There are a lot of bugs out the and fish are rising. Things will definitely improve as the water levels drop.  Most people are fishing streamers early and then looking for risers in the long, slow pools in the afternoons.  It’s going to be cooler today with some wind.  Tomorrow the air temp jumps back up to the high 60’s.

Still falling slowly

Hatching:
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Dark Hendrickson  – #14 – E. subvaria (male)
Light Hendrickson – #12 -14 – E. subvaria (female)
Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The rivers are still dropping slowly.  There is some wading on the small feeder streams now but not on the big rivers.  The West Branch above Cannonsville has dropped to 1,640 cfs.  We should see the streams and spillage flows to slowly subside over the next few days.  We may see some rain towards the weekend but like normal every time we check the forecast it has changed.  Today is going to be beautiful.  We already have some sunshine and the air temp should hit 75 degrees.  There were enough bugs on the West Branch yesterday to get some fish looking up despite the high water.  Mostly blue quills and olives but there are definitely some hendricksons out there.  We’re still starting off with streamers but there are definite dry fly possibilities out there.  It will really get good when the rivers drop a bit more.

The Cannonsville spill is beginning to drop

Hatching:
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Dark Hendrickson  – #14 – E. subvaria (male)
Light Hendrickson – #12 -14 – E. subvaria (female)
Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The Beaverkill flow is falling the fastest.  The East and West Branches are falling slowly due to the reservoirs spilling.  We had some rain yesterday that seemed to come out of no where.  It was brief but heavy but didn’t seem to affect the West Branch.  It is clear enough to fish and people are out there.  Wading is not an option but floating is fine.  Streamers are still our best bet to start off but there are enough bugs to get the fish looking up if you find slow enough water.  We’re start off with a cloudy sky this morning but we should see some sunshine in the afternoon.  The next three days look dry so we should see the rivers flows continue to drop.

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

We had a few brief showers yesterday but it cleared and we actually saw some sunshine in the late afternoon.  The West Branch was clearing for most of the day and didn’t look bad after lunch.  There were people floating and throwing streamers.  We did see a bump in flow as the spill increased but we seem leveled off this morning.  Today looks really nice with an air temp hitting 68 degrees and wind around 4 mph.  We should see sunshine an pretty much zero precipitation.  The river flows should slowly drop throughout the day.

The inflow to Cannonsville is dropping quickly.

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

We got lucky and received less rain than originally forecasted.  We did get some rain though and the rivers are up and off color this morning.  The flows have peaked and are already dropping.  We may see another bump later in the day as the reservoir spills increase but it shouldn’t be much.  There’s not much rain left in the forecast over the next few days.  Just a few light showers here and there so we should be fishing the West Branch again tomorrow.  The water temps are great for April so we should see some great fishing once the flows drop to a comfortable level for the fish to rise.  Lucky.  There are a few thunderstorms moving around the area but so far it looks like the storms are staying East of us.

In honor of today’s weather Simms Forget the Forecast hats $20 in the online store

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Peaked and dropping

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

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We have the bugs.  Now we just need the flows to drop to a reasonable level opening up more water fish will rise in.  The flows are dropping back slowly but we will see some additional rain today.  We’ll see some showers this afternoon with possible heavier rain overnight.  Some of the thunderstorms are predicted to be “scattered” so if we’re lucky the heaviest precipitation will miss us or at least fall below the reservoirs.  If any flows change drastically during the day we’ll do a blog update.  If we get the rain most will be overnight so the river should fish today.  Streamers will still be your best bet but people are seeing fish eating on top in the slower pools and edges.  Tht’s mostly a late afternoon thing.  Wading is still not an option but floating is perfectly fine.

People are seeing a few hendricksons but don’t get too excited yet.  The hatches usually progress like a bell curve so we’re still saying another week – ish.  In the meantime there is nothign wrong with blue quills and olives.

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

There were quite a number of people fishing the West Branch yesterday.  We had a lot of stoneflies and blue quills flying around by mid afternoon.  There were a few fish rising but the high flows kept them sporadic and hard to set up on.  It was a beautiful day to be out though.  All of the reservoirs are still spilling but the flows on the East Branch and Beaverkill have dropped significantly.  Everything is still too high to wade but moving in the right direction.

Today looks okay.  It’s going to be cooler at 56 degrees and we’ll have some wind gusts to 15 from the South.  It’ll mostly be streamer fishing again so the wind won’t be too much of a problem.  The flows and wind will make dry fly fishing tough but someone will get lucky.  We’re watching the rain in Friday night’s forecast.  Same problem as always- everytime we look it changes.  Tomorrow looks okay during the day with most of the rain coming in Thunderstorms overnight.  Hopefully they miss us completely or hit below the reservoirs.

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The rivers are still settling down but the West Branch is at a safe level for floating.  Today looks good with low wind, sun, and 62 degrees.  We haven’t seen many low wind days yet this Spring so this is going to be a nice one to be out there.  The West looks great for streamer fishing but bring a dry fly rod for the slow pools.  There are still bugs out there and fish may eat in the tailouts or eddys in the long, slow moving pools.  The other rivers is the system may still need a couple of days to calm down.  Wading anywhere on the system is still not an option but the Beaverkill is dropping quickly.  We need the rain in the forecast later in the week to miss us.

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

The runoff is slowly subsiding and the river flows are dropping or at least leveling off..  The West Branch is at a level that is okay for floating.  The Eastern drainage and Mainstem still have quite a bit of water coming down but they are dropping.  Wading is not an option today.  It will mainly be a streamer game unless you get real lucky and find a fish rising in one of the longer slow pools or big eddys.  Count on streamer fishing today.  Cannonsville, Pepacton, and Neversink Reservoirs are all spilling.  The next couple of days look nice so things should continue to settle down.  There is some rain in Friday’s forecast but the report changes every time we look.

The West Branch is already fishable by boat

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

We must have been hit with some major rain last night.  The West Branch is fine at 3,750 cfs.   It’ll go up more during the day but should peak mid afternoon and begin to drop if we don’t get more rain.  The Beaverkill is pushing way over 10,000 cfs into the lower East Branch.  The Beaverkill at Cooks Falls is a couple of feet over the National Flood Stage.  The Mainstem is high but the Beaverkill water has not made it down to the gauge at Lordville yet.  Obviously no wading today.  The West Branch will calm down first.  It has some color and the feeder streams are adding a lot of water below Hale Eddy but it will be fine.  We did see some bugs on the water and fish rising here and there in between the rain yesterday afternoon.  It looks like Pepacton Reservoir is spilling this morning with a flow at the Downsville Gauge of 3,710 cfs.  Cannonsville must be close to spilling but the flow at Stilesville is only 1,610 cfs.

Derek with a nice West Branch fish yesterday. Samantha Dennis photo

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

Yesterday looked good on paper but it didn’t produce the great dry fly action we were hoping for.  People did find fish and it was actually decent for April 13th but we expected better after Friday’s fishing.  It could have been the increased flows or the periods of bright sunshine.  Today is a new day.  The weather forecast has been changing a lot but looks pretty good right now.  We’ll have some wind but most of the rain should fall later in the day. We should have decent clouds by mid morning.  The river flows are up again this morning so wading will be tough.  There were a few people out there yesterday wading the edges.  The release from Cannonsville has been increased to 1,499 cfs so be careful.  This could be a streamer / nymph day but there is a shot of finding some fish eating dries in the longer, slow pools.

Peter makes the blog again with this one from yesterday. Bruce Miller photo

Hatching:
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Blue Quills – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Tiny Stonefly-  #18- Capniidae spp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies - #14 -16  – Taeniopteryx spp.
Blue Wing Olives  – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra

Click on the gauge below for the most recent update: