June 22, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 22, 2014

Yesterday was pretty interesting with intermittent clouds and flushes of bugs during the day.  Nothing heavy until late afternoon / early evening when the Isonychias and Stenos came off well for a couple of hours leading into a brief sulphur hatch. Some of the larger pools had fish eating pseudos as the sun dropped.  All in all it was the best hatching we’ve seen in a while and the fish reacted accordingly.  Those fish really like to eat Isos!  The cool nights are doing a world of good for the water temps – it looks like we have a couple more days of that coming which is great news.  I would start off nymphing in the morning and afternoons while keeping an eye on the riffles for the odd Iso or caddis eat.  Slowly stripping Iso nymphs should be a good alternative to dead drift.  As the sun drops we should see an increase in bug activity.

Don  stayed late last night and it payed off! Photo by Jordan Davenport

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 21, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 21, 2014

We are coming off a very cool night which helped the river temperatures this morning.  While we are enjoying temps in the 50’s right now the sun is poking through and we are looking at high 70’s by late afternoon.  The bonus of the weather today looks like wind gusts at 5 mph- finally no wind!  Nymphing the riffles will be the best option during the day but keep an eye out for the occasional slash at a caddis.  Towards dark look for sulphurs, stenos, and Isonychias- don’t leave the river early

Some of the Isonychias are huge!

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 20, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 20, 2014

We are beginning to get some reports of the normal mid day sulphur hatches but the bugs have been spotty so far.  The hatching should increase and settle in over th enext few wekks bringing us our normal summer fishing with sulphurs, Isonychias, and olives.  There were flushes of insects on the West Branch yesterday but you had to be in the right place at the right time to capitalize.  A lot of the decent fishing has been at dark or in the dark so don’t leave the river early- especially on a bright day with no wind.  The spinners have to show.

The stenos are out

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 19, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 19, 2014

We are starting off this morning with some precipitation that varies from a light mist to very light rain- a perfect way to start the day.  It hasn’t amounted to much so far and the rivers are still dropping and are wadeable and floatable.  We should keep the cloud cover until the afternoon and thankfully the air temp should stay in a comfortable range today.  We are still seeing a mix of sulphurs, stenos, tan caddis, and the Isonychias.  Nymphing should be good this morning with the cloud cover but I wouldn’t be surprised to find some fish rising, especially in the larger pools.  If it doesn’t look like anything is on the water but the fish are rising sporadically take a close look for steno spinners left over from last night.

Delilah with her first fish on a fl rod on her first day casting! Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 18, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 18, 2014

We did get hit with some rain last night but overall the system looks fine this morning.  Hale Eddy is still climbing but so far the water looks perfectly clear out front and is wadeable.  The Stilesville flow didn’t budge and remains at 494 so the water above most of the feeders remains unchanged from yesterday and should fish well too.  It looks like intermittent clouds today and maybe a brief thunderstorm, nothing to be concerned about.  We’ve been seeing a mix of Isonychias, Sulphurs, Stenos, Pseudos, and some tan caddis.  While most of the Green Drake activity is over we are leaving them on the hatch list since some of the guys are still talking fish into eating them.  If the sun pops out nymphing the riffles or blind casting Isonychias seems to be the best bet for landing fish.

Bill Redington put this nice one in the net over the weekend!

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 17, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 17, 2014

The rivers are continuing to drop and should level off over the next few days.  We had a brief rain shower last night but the river remain clear and the levels are great for floating and wading.  Today looks warm with air temps in the high 80’s until more thunderstorms move in this evening.  According to Accuweather we are looking at light winds during the day dropping in the evening = perfect!  It doesn’t look like we will get enough rain to bump the rivers but the clouds will be a welcome sight.  During the day look for caddis in the riffles and blind casting Isonychias is beginning to pay off.  As evening comes we are seeing a mix of sulphurs and stenos into dark..  Nymphing the riffles with smaller pheasant tails and Copper Johns has also been bringing some fish to the net.

The fish are in great shape this Summer! Photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 11, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 11, 2014

The March Brown, Gray Fox, and Green Drakes are waning but are being replaced with decent Sulphurs, Pseudos, Stenos, and my favorite mayfly- the Isonychias.Today looks cooler with some much needed rain (not enough but we’ll take it).  It should be a good BWO day with Pseudos and hopefully some of the deficiens mixed in.  They were defintely on the water yesterday so today should be a continuation of that hatch.

Jordan with a self shot picture from yesterday

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 10, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 10, 2014

We had good cloud cover for the most part yesterday but the bugs didn’t cooperate like we expected.  There were enough fish working to keep it interesting.  The evenings have been fishing well and a lot of action happens right at dark and into the night.  There are still some Green Drakes around with the Coffin Flies coming at night.  Sulphurs are providing the most consistent fishing at this point and we are having our best success with a half and half emerger pattern.  The weather looks good again today with some clouds and maybe a thunderstorm.  We are on a warming trend with our air temps so hopefully some of these T storms drop some rain on us.

Hatching:

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

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

Slate Drakes #12-2xl – Isonychia bicolor

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 9, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 9, 2014

While we had clouds for most of yesterday we actually had fewer bugs.  The fish were happier though and we saw more consistent risers during the day.  A lot of bugs came off in the dark and the fish responded.  The front that moved in also dropped the air temperature which usually means slower bug activity.  Today looks good for fishing with some clouds, maybe a few quick storms, and air temps in the 70’s.  Last night’s rain was helpful but most of it was soaked right into the ground.  The Beaverkill  is still rising slightly this morning but looks fine on the USGS graph.

Joel finishing the day. Photo by Jeff White

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 8, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 8, 2014

The bright sun for most of the day made the fish very shy and the fishing very tough.  There were a lot of one and two time risers that never seemed to come back up.  There was an okay mix of Green Drakes, Stenos, small olives, and sulphurs but the fish never really got going until the sun dropped.  Once the sun left the water the fish found the sulphurs and played nice right into dark.  Some spots had coffin flies and other spots were all sulphur duns.  The weather looks a little better for today with some clouds rolling in late afternoon and some showers tonight with a 1/4 inch of rain.

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 7, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 7, 2014

Yesterday fished well from the afternoon on- lots of Gray Fox, some March Browns, Green Drakes, and Sulphurs.  The fish were looking up- even if they weren’t steady they were catch-able if you could mark them and be patient.  The system has cleared after the rain earlier in the week and everything is now wadeable and in good shape.  We have some sun predicted for today with temps around 80 degrees.  Nymphing may be the best bet during the day until we get some shade on the river or the sun drops in the late afternoon.

Nick with a nice rainbow in the dark. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 6, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 6, 2014

The weatherman was wrong again but at least this time it was in our favor.  Instead of sun all afternoon the clouds rolled in and just stayed.  That made the bugs and the fish happier than they’ve been during the day in a while.  Nymphing was decent but there were fish on top eating March Browns, Gray Fox, and the odd Green Drake dun.  A few sulphurs mixed in for good measure.  The coffin flies are in the air but no one here saw them hit the water in decent numbers yet.  Today looks like sun with some wind.  The Beaverkill, Lower East Branch, and Mainstem are all clearing nicely.  The West Branch avoided the color completely and is great shape this morning.

Keep and eye out for these throughout the system

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

Gray Fox # 12-2xl – S. Vicarium (formerly fuscum)

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Light Cahill #14 – E. Invaria

Pale Evening Dun #14 Epeorus vitreus

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.