Wednesday sure felt like summer up here in the Catskills! Bright sun, perfect humidity and temp. Well, once again not the “perfect” that we trout folk love. That being said, the water was cool and clear, and on the West we had some pretty decent hatching once the sun started to drop behind the hills, mostly Dortheas and Isos, with the occasional larger light Cahill thrown in for good measure. We did have some steno spinners on the shop wall this morning, so there is still good chance for a fall tonight. We are looking at a carbon-copy or yesterday for today, so I would expect the river to fish the same – decent in the morning, followed by an OK streamer bite, and then good hatching again in the evening. If we do see a bit more cloud cover (which there is a chance of), then we’ll be in good shape.
Jim Swift Jr. with a West Branch brown taken on a streamer. Photo: Jim Swift III
What’s Hatching:
Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL
Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18
Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18
Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
| FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,690 cfs @ 52º |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,930 cfs @ 46º |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,440 cfs @ 51º |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,190 cfs @ 55º |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,970 cfs @ 56º |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 634cfs @ N/A |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 101.2% – 1,500 CFS release |
