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Delaware River Report / Conditions April 24, 2015

Yesterday was an odd late April day with snow flurries and a morning frost.  The temperatures warmed up enough that the snow didn’t stick and people still fished.  Streamers seemed to be the best producer followed by nymphs.  A few fish were landed despite the weather.  Today looks a little nicer with air temps predicted to peak in the 40’s and they should continue to climb over the next few days.  Winds will be blowing in the teens today so find the protected bends or side channels for protection. The releases are still low due to the current flow plan.  One benefit of that is lower water for wading and nymphing as you move upstream and get above some of the feeder streams.  Cannonsville reservoir is at 99.2% capacity with an inflow at Walton of 1,040 cfs.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge peaked at 44 degrees yesterday and is starting off at 40 degrees this morning.

 

Peter found some success on the West Branch last weekend.  He's going to be a great fisherman!

Peter found some success on the West Branch last weekend. He’s going to be a great fisherman!

Hatching:

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Dark Chimarra sp.

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 94 cfs @ 37º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 606 cfs @ 41º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 326 cfs @ 39º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,650 cfs @ 40º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,690 cfs @ 42º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,100 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 23, 2015

Yesterday was the first day we saw decent numbers of upright wings on the water.  The Baetis vagans were hatching mid afternoon but only a few fish figured out there was food on top.  The fish should eat on top more over the next few days once they figure that out and the water temps rise.  The positive news is that means the nymphs are very active too so the nymphing should get really good.  We are in a cold snap this week so the water temps are starting off around 4 degrees lower this morning.  Most of the rain fell south of us yesterday so the rivers are in decent shape this morning.  The insect activity may be pushed to a little later in the afternoon since the water will take longer to warm up.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 41 degrees this morning and peaked at 46 degrees yesterday afternoon.  Cannonsville Reservoir is at 98.6% capacity with an inflow at Walton of 1,200 cfs.  Hopefully we spill a small amount over the next few days to make up for the pathetic release schedule for April under the current flow plan.

 

We're finding a lot of blue quill nymphs getting ready

We’re finding a lot of blue quill nymphs getting ready to hatch.  Coming soon.

Hatching:

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Dark Chimarra sp.

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 95 cfs @ 39º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 779 cfs @ 43º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 382 cfs @ 41º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,940 cfs @ 41º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 4,510 cfs @ 45º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,360 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 22, 2015

The flows have dropped overnight and the rivers have cleared up nicely. We woke up to a great Spring morning with some sun and clouds. There are some showers moving in that are predicted to give us a 1/2 inch of precipitation throughout the day. The rain should be spread out over the next 12 hours so the rivers should be fine today. We’re still picking up most of our fish on nymphs and streamers but the mayfly nymphs are looking good. We are finding a lot of blue quill and hendrickson nymphs in our kick seines so it shouldn’t be too long before the upright wings are on the surface. Cannonsville is at 97.7% capacity with an inflow in Walton of 1,200 cfs. The West Branch under the 191 Bridge peaked at 51 degrees yesterday and is starting off at 47 degrees this morning. The water temperatures are there so the mayflies can’t be too far behind.

Jared with a nice West Branch rainbow from a couple of days ago

Jared with a nice West Branch rainbow from a couple of days ago

Hatching:

Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Dark Chimarra sp.

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 95 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 853 cfs @ 45º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 361 cfs @ 43º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 2,100 cfs @ 45º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 5,200 cfs @ 48º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,510 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 21, 2015

We received the rain we were hoping for to fill the reservoirs. Hale Eddy has jumped to 1,190 this morning with a little color. The feeders are pushing in the color, but as of right now the West Branch is definitely clear enough to fish. Yesterday was another nymph day with a little streamer action. We are still relying on stoneflies and little black caddis for sporadic dry fly action but the hendrickson and blue quill nymphs are getting more active and look mature. It won’t be long before we see the upright wings on the surface. Cannonsville is at 97.3% capacity with an inflow from the WB at Walton of 1,100 cfs.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock peaked around 55 degrees yesterday and is starting off at 48 degrees this morning.

Kevan holding Clere's rainbow.

Kevan holding Clere’s rainbow.

 

Hatching:

Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Dark Chimarra sp.

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 96 cfs @ 42º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 1,190 cfs @ 48º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 310 cfs @ 46º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,840 cfs @ 47º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,910 cfs @ 48º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,580 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 20, 2015

Despite the wind gusts yesterday turned out to be a decent fishing  day with most of the activity concentrated in the mid-afternoon.  Nymphs and streamers still prove to be the most effective methods for landing fish but we did see some fish rising to the little black caddis.  The guys that stuck to nymphing hard all day were rewarded well.  Most of the splashy rises turned out to be fish chasing the caddis pupa so swinging wet flies would be a good bet this week.  We should see air temps peak around 59 degrees today with 1/4″ of much needed rain today.  The wind gusts are going to be strong so find a protected area and work it over well.  The winds may also blow the little black stoneflies into the water so keep an eye out for splashy risers in the slow pools.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is starting off at 47 degrees this morning and peaked at 55 degrees yesterday afternoon.

 

A brown from the West Branch Yesterday

A brown from the West Branch Yesterday

Hatching:

Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Dark Chimarra sp.

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 93 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 341 cfs @ 47º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 229 cfs @ 45º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,360 cfs @ 47º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,430 cfs @ 49º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 960 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 19, 2015

The wind was unkind yesterday but at least it was blowing down stream for most of us.  We are finding more fish rising each day but the majority of the fish landed are still coming on nymphs and streamers.  We are seeing stoneflies, little black caddis, and just a few upright wings on the water.  Dry fly fishing should improve over the next week with the warmer water temperatures.  Our air temps will cool off down to the low 60’s and mid 50’s over the next few days with some rain moving in- which is awesome for the reservoirs.  That should happen overnight so we should stay dry today with mid 60’s air temps, light winds, and moderate gusts.

The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is starting off at 47 degrees this morning and peaked around 54 degrees yesterday afternoon.

Art fought the wind and found a brown on the Main.  Photo by Bob Lewis

Art fought the wind and found a brown on the Main. Photo by Bob Lewis

 

Art and the girls taking a break on the Mainstem

Art and the girls taking a break on the Mainstem.  Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Dark Chimarra sp.

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 93 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 381 cfs @ 47º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 270 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,560 cfs @ 46º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 2,940 cfs @ 49º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,160 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 18, 2015

The reports from yesterday are a bit mixed but it seems most success came on nymphs.  There were a few stoneflies and very few mayflies around in the afternoon.  There were fish rising but they were inconsistent making them tough to target.  You had to be in the right place at the right time and cast quick to target them.  Hare’s ears, copper johns, and pheasant tails in #14 -16 seemed to work well.  We still have decent water temperatures this morning with air temps of 70 degrees in the forecast.  They are calling for wind gusts around 15 -156 mph in the afternoon so find a bend in the river or some other wind break.  Hopefully the wind will blow more stoneflies on the water.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is 46 degrees this morning.

 

Larry makes the blog two days in a row!  Photo by Samantha Dennis

Larry makes the blog two days in a row! Photo by Samantha Dennis

Hatching:

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 93 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 452 cfs @ 46º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 337 cfs @ 41º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,870 cfs @ 45º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,540 cfs @ 46º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,440 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 17, 2015

The fish have reacted nicely to the warmer water and are staring to get more aggressive.  The streamer and nymph fishing has improved while the dry fly fishing has still been sporadic due to the nature of the stoneflies.  We did see some mayflies on the surface yesterday but not enough to get the fish looking.  The hatching should improve over the next few days with the warm days in the forecast.  We have light rain this morning and overcast skies.  It looks like a fishing day.  The West Branch at the 191 Bridge peaked around 52 degrees yesterday but we are starting off at 47 degrees already this morning.  That’s around 5 degrees warmer than this time yesterday morning.  Cannonsville Reservoir is at 95.4% capacity with an inflow at Walton of 1,220 cfs.

 

Larry with a nice East Branch brown yesterday.  Photo by Bob Lewis

Larry with a nice East Branch brown yesterday. Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 93 cfs @ 42º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 477 cfs @ 47º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 484 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 1,980 cfs @ 46º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 3,730 cfs @ 47º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,490 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 16, 2015

The water temps look pretty decent this morning throughout the system.  Hale Eddy is starting off at 44 degrees this morning.  The forecast is calling for an air temp high of 66 degrees, sun, with some clouds moving in later.  That should heat the rivers up a bit hopefully triggering some activity.  Some minor rain might move in tonight but the best news is the cloud cover will keep the overnight low air temps in the mid 40’s.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge peaked around 51 degrees yesterday and looks to be in great shape for nymphing and some stonefly activity.  Cannonsville Reservoir is 94.5% capacity and the WB at Walton is flowing in at 1420 cfs.

Kevan with a nice brown this week.  Molly finds it mildly interesting.  Bob Lewis photo

Kevan with a nice brown this week. Molly only finds it mildly interesting. Bob Lewis photo

Hatching:

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 93 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 547 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 591 cfs @ 40º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 2,410 cfs @ 43º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 4,680 cfs @ 45º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 1,810 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 15, 2015

The weather yesterday confirmed that Spring is finally here.  The fish continue to chase streamers and seem more willing to commit with the warmer water temperatures.  There are still plenty of  early stoneflies and we have seen fish eating them in the slower pools.  A few chimarra caddis have been spotted on the West Branch so that hatch should increase over the next week.  We are looking at another great afternoon with air temperatures peaking around 61 degrees.  Cannonsville is at 93.1% capacity with an inflow from The West Branch at Walton of 1780 cfs.

 

Checking out some fish food on the West Branch

Checking out some fish food on the West Branch

Hatching:

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 93 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 698 cfs @ 43º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 782 cfs @ 40º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 3,390 cfs @ 42º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 6,190 cfs @ 44º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 2,430 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 14, 2015

The last two days of warm weather have done wonders for the system and we are beginning to see signs of life.  There was a large number of early stoneflies around yesterday with a few fish sporadically looking up but the fish seemed to have turned on a bit to the streamers and nymphs.  The West Branch at the 191 bridge peaked at 49 degrees yesterday and this morning the whole system is warmer than we’ve been all season.  Cannonsville is at 91.6% capacity with an inflow from the West Branch at Walton of 2,100 cfs.  It finally feels like Spring!

Bradley with his first Delaware fish of the season yesterday

Bradley with his first Delaware fish of the season yesterday

Hatching:

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 92 cfs @ 42º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 866 cfs @ 47º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 921 cfs @ 43º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 4,580 cfs @ 45º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 7,340 cfs @ 42º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 3,120 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 13, 2015

Yesterday was the most pleasant day of the year so far and the forecast is calling for high 60’s to low 70’s today.  The warmer overnight air temperatures have helped the rivers a little.  Hale Eddy is starting off at 41 degrees this morning and the flow has dropped below 1000.  The stoneflies were hatching well yesterday with some coming back for their egg laying flights but the risers were sporadic with a lot of one and two timers.  Hopefully the warmer temps will make the fish more active and willing to rise steady.

 

Jared found some stoneflies in the boat yesterday

Jared found some stoneflies in the boat yesterday

Hatching:

Little Black Stoneflies #14 – 18 – Capnidae sp. and Taeniopteryx sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 89 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 951 cfs @ 41º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 1,010 cfs @ 39º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 3,810 cfs @ 39º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 7,450 cfs @ 42º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 2,620 cfs @ N/A
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