August 7, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 7, 2014

Like clockwork yesterday the Upper West Branch had a strong mid day sulphur hatch.  We had a brief shower that really let the fish put their guard down and fishing was fast and furious for a while.  There were some fish eating the mayflies right under the surface but a number of fish turned to the #18 duns on top.  After the hatch ended there were still fish working cleanup on the cripples and stillborn duns for quite a while offering some great opportunities for people willing to move around.  The lower sections of river were quiet during the day but had a decent sulphur hatch at dark.  Most of them seemed to be #20 – 22 making it tough in the failing light.  There were a few olives mixed in the hatch too- mostly #18 but the fish seemed to like sulphurs better.  The nights have still been cool keeping the rivers in great shape but bring a fleece.  The West Branch is 54 degrees under the 191 Bridge this morning.  Today looks sunny and warm with a possible brief shower in the afternoon.

Allen with a really nice brown yesterday

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. cornutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

August 6, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 6, 2014

Yesterday showed us more afternoon sulphurs in Deposit, and some evening hatches of cahills and isonychia on the lower West.  We received an afternoon rainstorm that put a sheen of fog on the river and the bugs shut down late in the evening. The water levels did not change, but the fog was appropriate for a quick streamer bite though using black.  Today will be partly cloudy will a chance of an evening thunderstorm.  The West Branch temp at Hancock is still 55 degrees!

A mama bear with 3 cubs crossing the river!

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. cornutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

August 5, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 5, 2014

The storms missed us again yesterday.  Instead of clouds and light rain the sun broke through and made fishing on the lower West Branch and Upper Mainstem tough until the evening.  There were enough bugs on the water to get the fish interested but not enough to keep them going.  Being in the right place at the right time certainly paid off but you needed a lot of patience.  In the evening we had a decent mix of sulphurs, stenos, olives, plus a few Golden Drakes thrown in for good measure.  The fish kept eating right into dark.The Upper West Branch still has the strong mid-day sulphur hatches.  The fish are eating them in the sun but if you can find a shaded pool or wait for cloud cover they will be a little less picky. The West Branch is 55 degrees under the 191 Bridge this morning.

Allen with a nice rainbow from yesterday

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. cornutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

August 4, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 4, 2014

Yesterday seemed very similar to Saturday except the fish seemed to be even more picky than usual.  We saw decent sulphur hatches in the early afternoon on the Upper West Branch followed by a decent mix of Blue Winged Olives.  Most of the Isonychias we saw hatched later in the evening.  The mid to lower West Branch turned on in the evening with a mix of sulphurs, Summer Stenos, Isonychias, and the Blue Winged Olives.  We had a little rain overnight that hasn’t seemed to budge the flows.  Today looks cooler with a chance of some sporadic Thunderstorms.  The West Branch under the 191 Bridge is 56 degrees this morning.

Big fins on a wild brown

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. cornutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

August 3, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 3, 2014

The rain yesterday was definitely spotty. Some areas saw showers and others never saw a drop.  The mid day sulphur hatch was decent on the Upper West Branch yesterday, with just enough Isonychias and Summer Stenos mixed in to keep it interesting.  Floating nymphs seemed to work well even during periods of sun.  Timing was the main issue so covering the fish multiple times until they finally ate the fly seemed to be the ticket.  We did see some decent afternoon olives but the fish were willing to eat sulphur imitations through that hatch.  The lower river sections had more evening activity with sulphurs and cahills.  The West Branch is 56 degrees under the 191 Bridge this morning.

Theo had a decent day on the West Branch yesterday- this one was thick!

Theo with his second good rainbow from yesterday

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

August 2, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 2, 2014

The Upper West Branch sulphurs were on yesterday and the fish eating.  They were tough but some people did well fishing floating sulphur nymphs in the film.  The lower sections started off slow but the sulphur action picked up in the evening and lasted into dark.  Some people found success blind fish Isonychias and Cahills in the faster riffles.  Nymphing has been tough on the upper section due to the green slime but is definitely doable on the lower river.  We saw Tricos as late as 2 pm yesterday due to the colder weather so definitely do not give up early if you don’t see any in the morning.    Today looks cooler with some intermittent showers.  The West Branch is 56 degrees under the 191 Bridge this morning.

Brown Trout Head Photo by Jim Swift

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

August 1, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions August 1, 2014

Here we are on August 1st looking at Cannonsville Reservoir at 93.1% capacity and the the water temperature on the West Branch is 55 degrees under the 191 Bridge in Hancock.  The most incredible part is that we are still fishing all the way down to Long Eddy on the Mainstem!  We have the normal sulphurs hatching mid afternoon on the upper West Branch and are still finding fish eating during the day all the way down the Mainstem.  The farther down you go the less you will see but the opportunity is definitely there- especially with the forecast for the weekend.  We are looking at some intermittent thunderstorms which cold be great for olive and Isonychia hatches.

West Branch temperatures haven’t touched 70 degrees all season!

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

July 31, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 31, 2014

While yesterday’s cloud cover was intermittent, the system proved to fish well during the day.  The evening fishing picked up down river with olives, cahills, and Isonychias. If you were fishing the main you saw golden drakes and golden drake spinners along with the usual mix of summer insects.  Today looks like an exact copy of yesterday: passing cloud cover and a possible evening thunderstorm.

Be sure to try blind casting isos and larger flies in the riffs!

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

July 30, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 30, 2014

The rain missed us yesterday but the wind did not.  It was tough until the gusts dropped in the early evening.  Mid-day we saw a decent number of Isonychias and Pseudos on the water but the wind blew them off the surface before the fish could key in on them.  Luckily the they are calling for very little wind today which should definitely help the dry fly fishing.  The sulphurs are still going strong in Deposit during the mid afternoon and if we do get the predicted brief thunderstorm today has very good potential.  We are seeing a few Golden Drakes get eaten too – it’s great to get to throw big flies again.

Pat with a nice brown. Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Golden Drakes – #12-2xl – Potomanthus sp.

July 29, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 29, 2014

The storms that were predicted to hit us really didn’t amount to anything at all.  The West Branch saw a very small bump last night and the flow at Hale Eddy is 709 this morning and dropping back.  The water looks fine on the West Branch and lower East Branch so we are looking really good right now.  We are looking at some cooler weather over the next couple of days with highs in the low 70’s.  We are seeing the Pseudos on the mid to lower West Branch and upper Main Stem mixed with some sulphurs and Isonychias.  The upper West Branch Sulphur hatches are still going strong in the afternoons and on some days continuing right into the evenings.  We are moving some fish on streamers in the early mornings before the sun really hits the water.  The cooler air and water temps will push the trico hatches back a little so don’t leave the river too soon if you’re looking for them.  The West Branch water temp under the 191 Bridge is 55 degrees this morning.

Ken with a chunky Mainstem brown from the weekend

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

July 28, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 28, 2014

Well Accuweather isn’t always so accurate. Instead of clouds mixed with showers yesterday we ended up with bright sunshine for most of the afternoon.  The river still fished with a mix of sulphurs, summer stenos, and small olives.  We had some decent success over the weekend blind casting Isonychias and tan caddis in the riffles.  If Accuweather is accurate today we should see some clouds with intermittent rain today hopefully bringing out the olives in decent numbers.  Wet flies and Isonychia nymphs have proved effective during slow period so don’t overlook the riffles even in the sunshine.

Fred with an awesome Delaware rainbow

Fred and Debi taking a break. Jackets in July??

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

July 27, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions July 27, 2014

Yesterday morning started off slow but fishing definitely picked up in the afternoon.  We saw decent numbers of Summer Stenos and Pseudos mixed with a few Sulphurs, Isonychias, and Golden Drakes.  There didn’t seem to be a “magic” fly.  It seemed to be more about timing and covering the fish well multiple times to get the eat.    There were a number of sporadic fish early but once the bugs started coming down we were able to set up on steady risers.  We have some light rain this morning and cool temperatures.  It looks like most of the weather is coming mid day today.  If it stays light and steady the fishing could be really good.  July 27th and the West Branch under the 191 Bridge is 57 degrees this morning- what an unbelievable Summer so far.

Art sent us this picture of Marcus with a 20″ brown from yesterday

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -20 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

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.

Light Blue Winged Olive #16 -20 – E. conutella, etc

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.