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Delaware River Report / Conditions September 11, 2014

The release from Cannonsville is 995 cfs until further notice.  The bump should make streamer fishing a viable option along with nymphing on the lower West Branch / Upper Mainstem.  There is a possibility of increased green slime and junk in the water on the upper WB so take a look at the water if you are planning on fishing above Hale Eddy.  We have some light sporadic rain this morning with decent cloud cover which should be good for the olive hatches.  The lower West Branch already seems clear of most of the fog and visibility is normal.  The temperature under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 54 degrees this morning.

 

The olives are around.  A spider beat the fish to this one

The olives are around. A spider beat the fish to this one

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 989 cfs @ 49º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 978 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 156 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 255cfs @ 64º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,220 cfs @ 61º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 72 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 10, 2014

And we go up again.  The release hotline states a release from Cannonsville of 775 cfs as of midnight until further notice.  The flow at Stilesville seems to be leveling off at 824 cfs.  The increased release will likely add to the green slime in the upper West Branch making nymphing or streamer fishing tough above Hale Eddy.  Usually by Balls Eddy there will still be some junk floating through but it’s generally fishable for subsurface tactics.  We had a decent mix of clouds and sun yesterday with most of the rising activity happening between 6 Pm and dark.  Today looks to be similar with some clouds moving in towards evening.  We are still seeing mid-morning Trico spinners in the air so keep an eye on the slow pools- especially on the Mainstem.  The temperature under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 55 degrees this morning.

 

Come on Fall Isos

Come on Fall Isos

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 737 cfs @ 48º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 698 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 162 cfs @ 54º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 258 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 964 cfs @ 63º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 74 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 9, 2014

Let the Yo Yo release continue.  The release from Cannonsville is 713 cfs this morning.  Hale Eddy will continue to climb for a while and should settle in the mid 700 range- until they change the release again. And again.  Otherwise it’s turning out to be a normal late Summer / early Fall day.  The fog is burning off and it looks like we’ll have some sun today with air temps in the low 70s.  The nights have been very cool so definitely bring a fleece for the evening fishing.  Nymphing will be your best bet during the day but I would stay below Hale Eddy.  If you want to fish the Upper West Branch check it out first for rafts of floating slime due to the increased release.  It should filter out by the mid  West Branch and Upper Mainstem.  The lower West and Upper Main continue to have hatches of olives mixed with a few Summer Stenos.  Look at the slower pools mid morning for Tricos.  The water temperature under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 59 degrees this morning.

 

Here's a successful fisherman

Here’s a successful fisherman

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 737 cfs @ 48º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 698 cfs @ 49º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 162 cfs @ 54º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 258 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 964 cfs @ 63º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 74 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 8, 2014

Yo Yo.  Stilesville is 538 cfs this morning and looks like it is now dropping back again. If the release recording is accurate it should settle in to a release of 540 cfs “until further notice”.   Hale Eddy is also showing 538 cfs and is rising but should settle in at a flow just under 600 cfs.  We are coming off a very cool night again so temps throughout the system have dropped back down and look good this morning.  If you fish the Beaverkill definitely check it with a thermometer first.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 57 degrees right now.  Daytime fishing yesterday was mostly a nymphing game with people doing well in riffles on the lower West Branch.  The Yo Yo releases have made the green slime an issue on the Upper West Branch so take a look at it before you choose your spot.  We saw clouds of Tricos in the morning but very few hit the water where we were fishing.  Hopefully they make their way down today.  The evening picked up with a mix of little olives and spinners that lasted into dark.

Bob Lewis casting to sippers in the foam on the West Branch last night

Bob Lewis casting to sippers in the foam on the West Branch during “Prime Time” last night

 

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 538 cfs @ 47º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 538 cfs @ 51º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 165 cfs @ 56º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 267 cfs @ 63º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 839 cfs @ 64º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 79 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 7, 2014

The afternoon cold front definitely helped the river system.  Nymphing picked up during the day on the West Branch and the olives came in the evening bringing the fish to the surface.  The rain held off for most of the day and wind was manageable.  When the rain did finally arrive the heavy violent stuffed seemed to miss.  We are going to be cooler today with air temps in the mid 70s with a slight chance of rain this morning.  The cool down helped the water temps and we are starting off at 59 degrees on the West Branch under the 191 Bridge.  Small olives, summer stenos, and a few Isonychias should cover your hatches.  Try to match the size of the naturals for nymphing.  We’ve had success with the lead fly a #14 and the dropper #18.

TheBbo6

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 420 cfs @ 48º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 468 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 167 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 279 cfs @ 65º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 876 cfs @ 66º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 84 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 6, 2014

They’ve dropped the release from Cannonsville to 401 cfs until further notice.  The low release combined with the hot sunny days has driven some of the water temperatures up significantly.  The ones to watch today are Fish’s Eddy starting off ant 67 degrees and Lordville starting off at 68 degrees this morning.  The West Branch and Upper East Branch are your best bet for fishing temperatures today.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 61 degrees this morning and peaked at 66 degrees yesterday afternoon.  Accuweather is calling for cooler temps today in the high 70s with some scattered thunderstorms throughout the day.  The rainfall is supposed to be a little over a 1/2 inch but most of that will soak into the ground.  If the forecast is correct I would expect decent hatches of mostly olives #18 -26, summer stenos, and maybe a few Isonychias.  The bright sun and Yo Yo releases have not been great for the hatches.  Hopefully this change in weather kicks off some decent fishing for the weekend.

 

Stenos have been decent searching patterns this Summer

Stenos have been decent searching patterns this Summer

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 456 cfs @ 48º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 511 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 170 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 285 cfs @ 66º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 924 cfs @ 65º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 87 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 5, 2014

The Cannonsville release is 438 cfs “until further notice”.  They had dropped it to 401 cfs yesterday afternoon so there is no way to tell when they will Yo Yo the release again.  On the positive side the entire system is wadeable and most sections are floatable.  We are facing a hot day so a little extra water in the river to keep the exposed rocks from heating up would be nice.  Fish with your thermometer on the Mainstem.  Looking at the temperature graphs I would advise against going to the lower East Branch and the Mainstem below Buckingham.  The Upper East Branch and West Branch should be fine.  The West Branch is starting off at 60 degrees under the 191 Bridge in Hancock.  Accuweather is calling fro rain over the weekend.  Most of it will soak into the ground but it will be a welcome relief for the system.  Small olives, Summer Stenos, and Isonychias should cover your needs out there.

 

Reflections

Reflections

Hatching:

Olive/Sulphurs #18 -20 H. hebe

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 456 cfs @ 48º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 511 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 170 cfs @ 57º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 285 cfs @ 66º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 924 cfs @ 65º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 87 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 4, 2014

Well this morning they decided to drop the release on the West Branch. The current release from Cannonsville is 494 cfs “until further notice.”  Last night fished well with a mix of olives, summer stenos, and a few Isonychias.  We actually had a nice olive spinner fall at dark that kept the fish going a little longer than normal.  The day was tough with the bright sun and hot temperatures so nymphing was definitely your best bet for fish.  The Yo Yo releases are getting old.  Cannonsville is currently at 78.9%.  The total NYC Water Supply is 85.8% and the normal capacity for September 3rd is 76.7%.  The temperature under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 56 degrees this morning.

Chip and Lang casting on the West Branch.  Photo by Bruce Miller

Chip and Lang casting on the West Branch. Photo by Bruce Miller

 

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 529 cfs @ 48º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 632 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 176 cfs @ 58º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 319 cfs @ 65º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,240 cfs @ 64º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 100 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 3, 2014

Despite the constant alterations made to the Cannsonsville release, the river still fished!  Sulphurs and olives were found early to mid afternoon in Deposit.  On the lower river, the action didn’t happen until around 6pm with a few olives of various sizes.  Since the fish have been sporadic the past few days, one good tactic is to move slowly up and down a pool until you find a group of fish.  Stay on them! While they may only rise once every couple minutes, a well placed fly immediately after they feed will be sure to fool them.

We received some heavy rain late yesterday evening but it wasn’t enough to change the river.  Today is supposed to be partly sunny and less humid.  The lack of humidity should keep the fog off the river.  The current flow from the Cannonsville dam is  600 cfs, let’s hope it doesn’t change too much today.

 

Although it's quite uncommon, these little guys find their way into the river from time to time!

Although it’s quite uncommon, these little guys find their way into the river from time to time!

 

They still are making constant changes to the release.

They still are making constant changes to the release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 588 cfs @ 47º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 797 cfs @ 51º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 216 cfs @ 56º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 383 cfs @ 66º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,370 cfs @ 65º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 116 cfs @ N/A


Update…Delaware River Report / Conditions September 2, 2014

As of 2:57 the Cannonsville Release phone line lists the release as 576 cfs until further notice.  The graph at Stilesville tells a different story-

 

mid day Yo Yo

mid day Yo Yo

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 2, 2014

So NY didn’t forget how to “Yo Yo” the release on the West Branch after all!  The Cannonsville release this morning is 576 cfs until further notice.  Looking at the graph it seems that between midnight on Sunday and this morning they’ve managed to release as little as 450 cfs, as much as 600 cfs, and have now settled in just below that.  If the release stays the same over the next few days the fish and insects should settle in and we’ll be back to our normal hatches of small olives, summer stenos, and a few Isonychias.  Nymphing continues to be productive- especially in the morning before the sun burns the fog off of the water.

Yo Yo

Up and Down

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 588 cfs @ 47º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 632 cfs @ 51º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 176 cfs @ 56º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 292 cfs @ 65º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 984 cfs @ 62º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 57 cfs @ N/A

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 1, 2014

So far most of the predicted rain has missed us.  They have dropped the release from Cannonsville to 600 cfs so we have settled in right around the level we’ve had most of the Summer.  On the graph it looks like they dropped us a little too much and then caught their mistake and raised the release.  Dry fly fishing was tough yesterday.  Early in the day the water was still rising, then it started falling towards evening.  The combination of light rain and humidity also blanketed most of the West Branch in dense fog or most of the day.  Nymphing turned out to be the best option. Pheasant tails and Copper Johns in #14 – 20 brought some nice fish to the net during the day.  There was lots of green algae floating on the upper West Branch so fishing nymphs and streamers is more productive on the lower river and Upper Mainstem.  The small olives are definitely the strongest hatch right now so keep and eye on the slower sections of pools and eddies for rising fish.  We should see a warmer day today with a few scattered storms that look light and brief on Accuweather.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge in Hancock is 53 degrees this morning.

Light wind will make the fog roll in and out on humid days

Light wind will make the fog roll in and out on humid days

 

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Summer Stenos #12-16 various species

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Tiny Blue Wing Olives #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.

Dark Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. deficiens, lata, etc.

Slate Drakes #12 – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 609 cfs @ 47º
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 681 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard, NY 179 cfs @ 54º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 295 cfs @ 62º
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,380 cfs @ 58º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 87 cfs @ N/A
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