June 2, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 2, 2014

The bright sun has made the mid day dryfly fishing sporadic.  There have been some fish working but you need to be patient and cover them well on the first shot.  Nymphing has been decent throughout the day in the riffles.  The evenings have been fishing well once the sun drops enough to put some shade on the water.  Look for a mix of March Browns, Gray Fox, Tan Caddis, Sulphurs, and maybe a few Green Drakes.  We were in jackets last night and the temp dropped but today is going to feel like Summer.

Brown Drakes should offer some fishing soon!

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

June 1, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions June 1, 2014

June 1st and we’re wearing fleece this morning.  That’s great news for the water temps.  The daytime highs are going to start climbing and it will feel like Summer soon enough.  Stilesville dropped again which is not ideal for sunny days- the water will warm quicker now until we get rain or the release is increased.  Nymphing will be the best option during the day in the sunshine.  Look for risers in the shade and then the top water action should pick up as the sun drops.  We’ve had okay action on caddis during the day in some pools and a mix of Gray Fox, March Browns, and Stenos in the evening.  As of 8 am this morning the release line has not been updated.  The way I interpret the FFMP we should have 500 cfs coming out of Cannonsville.

Ian with a nice one. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

May 31, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 31, 2014

The current release from Cannonsville has been dropped to 401 cfs.  The temperatures seem to be holding but all the rivers are low- perfect for wading.  Today looks sunny and warm with some rain and clouds rolling in this evening.  The have been some Sulphurs and Green Drakes but the majority of the hatching is still March Browns, Gray Fox, and caddis.  Crazy year- we still have small Hendricksons on the West Branch.  If the sun is bright today look for caddis in the riffles during the day and hopefully a spinner fall tonight.

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Sulphurs #16 -18 E. dorothea

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Green Drake #8-2xl E. Guttalata

Tan Caddis #16 – 18- Hydrosyche sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

May 30, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 30, 2014

Yesterday was spinner day.  There were enough spinners on the water for an hour or two that your biggest problem was getting the fish to eat your fly.  Too many bugs sounds good.  We mostly ran into small Hendricksons, some March Browns, Gray Fox, and a few sulphurs in areas.  The rusty spinner imitating the Hendrickson spinner was the key.  The release from Cannonsville is 528 cfs.  The entire system is wadeable.  We should be in the 70’s today with some mild winds and some sun- if you believe the weatherman.

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

May 27, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 27, 2014

Well it took a while but the system is in great shape and good for both wading and floating.  The temperatures dropped on the West Branch over night due to the decease in the amount of warm spill and the cold release of 525 cfs.  We are still seeing Hendricksons on the West Branch and the beginning of the March Browns.  The East Branch and Mainstem have March Browns and the fish are eating them.  The hatch should continue to improve throughout the week.  If you go down far enough there have been some sightings of a few Green Drakes.  The sun has hurt the mid day activity but the evenings have been fishing great.  Definitely have your spinner box full.

Photo by Jordan Davenport

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 25, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 25, 2014

Just about all of the rain missed us and the rivers are finally dropping back.  The WB is almost wadeable but the best wading access is still the Beaverkill and Willowemoc.  We should be in great shape over the next couple of days with warmer temps and a few clouds mixed in.  Of course the weatherman was incorrect on the winds yesterday and it did blow for a while making the fishing tougher.  In between gusts we found fish rising to #16 Hendricksons and then spinners at dark.  There were some March Browns on the WB yesterday but I didn’t see any fish recognize them as food yet.  The EB and MS are better options for the big bugs but that should change over the next few days as the hatch grows and fish begin to realize there’s a big meal floating by.

Dave with a great WB brown. Photo by Steve Shen

Beth with a nice fish yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 24, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 24, 2014

Hatching seemed a little slower yesterday during the day but the streamer bite was decent while we had cloud cover.  There were some Gray Fox and March Browns on sections of the system with fish eating them.  As a bonus the weatherman was wrong on the wind predictions and we never had to deal with the 26 mph gusts.  It turned on at dark.  Today looks decent with some cloud cover and light winds, maybe a brief thunderstorm or two rolling through.  On the West Branch make sure you have #16 Hendrickson duns and spinners.  Caddis have been coming off all over the system offering some daytime fishing.

Roger with a nice fish this week. Photo by Bruce Miller

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 23, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 23, 2014

Luckily most of the heavy storms missed us yesterday.  We even had bright sun mid- day that slowed the fishing down for a while.  Later in the afternoon we had a very brief heavy shower that seemed to kick start the fishing on the West Branch and Mainstem.  Most fish were landed on Hendrickson and Hendrickson spinners with a few caddis mixed in for good measure.  Some people are beginning to see Gray Fox and March Browns eaten on the Mainstem.  We have sighted a few of the big bugs on the West Branch so it won’t be long now.  Today looks a little cooler, light rain, and some wind gusts that disappear by primetime (if you believe Accuweather is accurate).

Dave looking happy yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 22, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 22, 2014

A big brown and a big cigar. Boris knows how to live! Photo by Steve Shen

Bob Lewis can fish as well as guide. Photo by Bruce Miller

The rivers fished well yesterday- lots and lots of Hendricksons on the building this morning.  Looks like a great mix of duns and spinners.  The weather held and the fish rose willingly.  Caddis were still everywhere but the fish loved the Hendricksons more.  Today looks like another warm day with some rain mixed in so keep and eye on the flows.  Cannonsville is currently 102.8% capacity.  The system is still dropping as a whole.  The Beaverkill and Willowemoc offer the best wading opportunities right now so we’ll watch what the rain does to us.

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 21, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 21, 2014

We had great Hendrickson spinner falls last night and most of the system fished very well into dark.  The wind wasn’t bad for a change and the fish were happy and willing to eat on the surface.  Along with the spinners was a healthy mix of #16 Hendrickson duns, olives, and caddis.  The weather looks good today with light winds, overcast, and just a shower or two in the afternoon.  The rivers are still dropping and the water temps are great for fishing.  Wading is still difficult but there is definitely some opportunity on the Beaverkill.  Our flows over the next few days are totally dependent on the predicted rain.  We’ll have to wait and see if the weatherman is correct this time.

Sam showing the results of Hendrickson spinners in the dark. Photo by Bob Lewis

Bruce with a classic Delaware rainbow

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 20, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 20, 2014

Carlo with a nice brown. Photo by Bob Lewis

Tony landed a nice brown. Photo by Kevan Smackaro

The rivers are still slowly dropping and the clarity is greatly improving daily.  The hatching has continued with a great mix of Hendricksons and caddis.  We have found more fish rising every day since the rain.  Yesterday the action started mid afternoon and continued until dark.  Wading is still tough on most of the system.  There are spots on the Willowemoc and Beaverkill that are okay right now but drifting is still the best option.  Streamers have been productive in the mornings through mid day.

Hatching:

March Brown #10 – 2xl  – S. Vicarium

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

Small Dark Hendrickson #16 – E. X

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.

May 19, 2014

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 19, 2014

The rivers are slowly coming back down.  The clarity is improving and both the EB and WB began to fish better yesterday.  There were lots of caddis on the water yesterday, and a surprisingly heavy hatch of Hendricksons and “X’s” on the West Branch starting around 2 pm  It just took the fish a while to realize they were there, but when they did quite a few fish were found feeding on the surface. As water levels continue to drop the fish should just keep getting better and better.  Although this flow is too high wade, drift boats make for a great method of transportation. This high water event may be a blessing in disguise, giving us a great outlook for flows and fishing for the next 2-3+ weeks. As soon as the Main Stem drops to a fishable level expect to see the start of the big bugs. (March Browns, Gray Foxes, Sulphurs etc.)

Pat working the high water. photo by Bob Lewis

Hatching:

Light Hendrickson #12 – E. subvaria

Dark Hendrickson #14 – E. Subvaria

Blue Quill #16 – Paralep sp.

Apple Caddis #16 – Lt Brachycentrus sp.

Charcoal Caddis #16-18 – Dk Brachycentrus sp.

Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans

Quill Gordon #14 -Epeorus pluralis

Little Black Caddis #18-20 – Chimarra sp.