Delaware River Report / Conditions June 17, 2018

The bright sun and warmer air temps definitely made it feel like summer.  It also fished like summer yesterday.  Nymphing or wet flies during the day with the dry fly action coming after the sun dropped behind the hills.  Once it started the fishing was very good with sulphurs and cahills making up most of the hatch.  There were also some olives, march browns, and green drakes mixed in.  Today’s weather looks similar to yesterdays but a bit warmer.  In these conditions the spinners can fall at dark or even in the morning.  Mornings can be good dry fly fishing if you find a spinner fall or left over night time spinners still filtering through the big slow pools.  Keep an eye on the water for subtle rises.

Even though we just put away our Hendrickson box it is mid June. It is sunny and hot outside.  Stick to the river sections that are closer to the dams or the headwaters that stay cool.   The lower Beaverkill and the lower East Branch water temps peaked over 70 degrees yesterday.  Lordville peaked at 69 but traditionally that gauge always seemed to read colder than the river actually was so we’re calling that one 70 plus degrees too.  The best thing is to avoid those rivers until it cools back down or the releases are increased.  Carry a thermometer and check water temps before you start fishing.

Mike found on in the evening yesterday.  Photo by Steve Shen

Mike found on in the evening yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
Sulphur – #16 -18 – E. dorothea
Green Drake – #8-2xl – E. guttalata
March Brown #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium
Gray Fox #12-2xl –  Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly S. fuscum)
Light Cahill – #14 – 16 – S. ithaca & canadense
PED / Pink Lady – #14 – Eperorus vitreus
Isonychia – #12-2xl – 12 – Isonychia bicolor
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Tiny Blue Wing Olives #20 – 26 – Psuedo sp.
Dark Blue Sedge #14- Psilotreta sp.
Spotted Sedge #16 – Hydropsyche sp.

There is construction on Winterdale Road.  A short stretch is closed near the Methodist Camp between us and Hancock.  We have detours listed on our website here:  https://thedelawareriverclub.com/welcome-to-the-drc/getting-here/
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:

West Branch at Stilesville, NY 389 cfs 43°
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY 473 cfs 47°
East Branch at Harvard, NY 173 cfs 57°
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY 370 cfs 64°
Mainstem at Lordville, NY 1,020 cfs 65°
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY 164 cfs 62°
Cannonsville Reservoir Release 415 cfs  Chart 4E on the FFMP
West Branch at 191 Bridge N/A 56°
West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) 108 cfs
Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity 95.3%
Pepacton Reservoir Capacity 97.6%
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