Another odd one out there yesterday, with good to great numbers of hatching bugs, but sporadic fish activity, depending on the section of river you were on. Not much rhyme or reason to it, just luck of the draw in many cases, although the sheer number of boats and waders likely played a role. Those who did hit it right saw Hendricksons, Paraleps, and tons of Caddis. There were also SNOWSTORM-like flights of Caddis down river, thicker than I have even seen out west. This didn’t mean that the fish were on them, as these guys were just true ‘flights’ – not actual hatching insects, so they were not making it to the water in any great number. Frustrating when you see that many! The good news is that this particular hatch is moving up the river, and the fish will definitely find the time to eat them. Today we’re looking warm and sunny again, so the water temps should get up where we like them to see more mayflies pop.
Pat Regan holds a nice West Branch Brown. Photo: Steve Shen
What’s Hatching:
Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14
Brachycentrus species – Apple Green Caddis – #16 & #18
Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18
Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18
Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started
Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis
Current Flow Conditions:
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 400 cfs @ 41º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 601 cfs @ 44º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 263 cfs @ 47º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 869 cfs @ 49º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,020 cfs @ 52º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 547 cfs @ N/A |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 100.3% – 401 CFS release |
