Author: Jeff White
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 1, 2021
It’s finally April. It’s also 33 degrees and snowing. The weather warms up Saturday and looks really good through next week. March seemed pretty normal with a mix of cold days and really warm days. People are catching fish now. There are some caddis and stoneflies around plus just a few olives. Streamers have brought most of the fish to net so far but nymphing has been working too.
Cannonsville is spilling a little (1.5 cfs) and the rain / snow has the river flows up a little this morning. The release from Cannonsville is 1,499 cfs.
Guide Dan Treadwell has been having a good week
Let’s kick off the 2021 season with a limited run stonefly pattern tied by our own Daniel Williamson. It’s become his favorite over the last few weeks. Check it out in the online store here
The Hackle Stacker Stonefly look great and catches fish!
What’s Hatching:
Early Black / Brown Stone – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx fasciiata, Brachytera sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Wing Olives – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,390 cfs |
39° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,010 cfs |
43° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 557 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,900 cfs | 42° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,490 cfs | 41° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,370 cfs | 42° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 40° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,190 cfs |
42° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.1% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 97% |
Alpaca Dubbing from The Fly Warrior
We’ve teamed up with Michael Johnson to offer a line of Alpaca Dubbing Furs. Many people know Michael from the Delaware, the Fly Fishing Shows, and his Instagram Account @theflywarrior.
Michael sources the 100% natural Alpaca fur from the Upper Delaware Region. It is then dyed and processed in small batches by Michael himself to match the major hatches.
Alpaca dubbing is a great substitute for baby seal, floats well, and is suitable for both dry flies and nymphs. It is also a green and sustainable product. Check it our in our online store here
Michael Johnson fly
2020 Limited Edition Flies Week Five
Every Sunday in November we will list a limited run of a new fly in our online store. A different pattern each week. These are patterns we think are cool but don’t have room for in the shop bins.
Week five is a Hi Vis Rusty Spinner. These are tied in sizes 10-2xl – 16-2xl on a Daiichi 1280 hook, Delaware River Club Rusty Spinner Dubbing and Light Dun Hi Vis Wings. The post is Hot Pink Hi Vis. It’s a hard one to miss on the water! Click here to see them in the store
Click on the links below for the most recent flow updates:
2020 Limited Edition Flies Week Four
Every Sunday in November we will list a limited run of a new fly in our online store. A different pattern each week. These are patterns we think are cool but don’t have room for in the shop bins.
Week four are a few useful Sulphur options. The Sulphur hatch is long lasting and notoriously difficult. This sulphur nymph is an updated version of one we used 20 years ago to sight nymph fish on the Watauga and South Holston Rivers during their tough sulphur hatches. The emerger is a low floating fly with a touch of orange in the thorax as a trigger. The cripple is tied a lot like our spinner patterns. Spinners make great cripples that look like mayflies with wings stuck in the film. This one has a trailing shuck. Click here to see them in the store
Click on the links below for the most recent flow updates:
2020 Limited Edition Flies Week Three
Every Sunday in November we will list a limited run of a new fly in our online store. A different pattern each week. These are patterns we think are cool but don’t have room for in the shop bins
Week three is the Apple Caddis life cycle. This can be a tough hatch simply because of the shear numbers of them in the system. The fish can and will key in on different stages and you’re more likely to catch fish underneath than you are on the surface during the height of the hatch. Click here to see them in the store
Click on the links below for the most recent flow updates:
2020 Limited Edition Flies Week Two
Every Sunday for next four weeks we will list a limited run of a new fly in our online store. A different pattern each week. These are patterns we think are cool but don’t have room for in the shop bins
Week two are three Hendrickson options. The Hendrickson hatch starts off easy but the longer it lasts the picker the fish can get- especially in low water conditions. These three patterns work well on picky fish. We did the Extra Red Compardun and the Floating Wet Fly last year but they are both worth repeating. Click here to see them in the store
Click on the links below for the most recent flow updates:
2020 Limited Edition Flies Week One
Every Sunday for next four weeks we will list a limited 4 dozen run of a new fly in our online store. One new pattern each week. These are patterns we think are cool but don’t have room for in the shop bins
Week one is the Psilotreta Caddis. The Dark Blue Sedge hatch is an important from late May into June. It’s hard to miss these big dark flies. The larva isn’t readily available to trout so that’s unimportant to us. The pupa, adult, and egg laying imitations are definite fish catchers. These three patterns are in the online store in limited numbers here
John found some risers on the river yesterday
Click on the links below for the most recent flow updates:
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 31, 2020
This is our last daily post for the season. We will resume again April 1st. In the meantime starting tomorrow we will be posting weekly limited run fly patterns at least through November. Same as last Winter.
It’s a cold 27 degrees this morning but we should warm up to 44 by the afternoon. At least we’ll have some sunshine mixed it today. The runoff is still filtering through the system but the rivers are dropping. The release from Cannonsville is around 150 cfs and the flow at Hale Eddy is just over 500 cfs. Wind will be 5 – 10 mph from the South. We should see some olives in the afternoon once the water temps climb a bit. Otherwise nymphing or small streamers should work well to start the day. It looks like the weather will be back and forth this week but it should fish if you choose the warm days with little wind.
Tonight
There is some color in the West Branch from the release. The higher the release the more color will be in the river. It happens every Fall when the reservoir begins to turn over.
Click on the fly to see the patterns in our online store
Slate Drake – #14 – Isonychia bicolor
Tiny Olive – #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.
Tan Caddis – #18 – 20 – Hydropsyche sp.
Dark Blue Wing Olives – #18 – 20 – E. deficiens, lata
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 148 cfs |
52° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 526 cfs |
45° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 347 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,470 cfs | 43° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,840 cfs | 44° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 803 cfs | 40° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 325 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 44° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 866 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 41% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 70.1% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 30, 2020
It’s been raining since yesterday morning so the river flows are up this morning. This morning we will change to rain mixed with snow for a bit and then hit 40 degrees in the afternoon. It’s going to be a cold weekend and then warm back up next week. The flow at Hale Eddy is already dropping but keep an eye on the gauge for the latest flows since it is still raining. Streamers and nymphs will be your best bets this weekend but you may get a shot at little olives in the slow pools and tailouts.
There is some color in the West Branch from the release. The higher the release the more color will be in the river. It happens every Fall when the reservoir begins to turn over.
Click on the fly to see the patterns in our online store
Slate Drake – #14 – Isonychia bicolor
Tiny Olive – #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.
Tan Caddis – #18 – 20 – Hydropsyche sp.
Dark Blue Wing Olives – #18 – 20 – E. deficiens, lata
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 288 cfs |
55° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,090 cfs |
50° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 419 cfs | 46° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,700 cfs | 48° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,820 cfs | 49° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,050 cfs | 46° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 325 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 49° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,200 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 43.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 72% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 29, 2020
The release from Cannonsville has been dropped again and the flow at Stilesville is 325 cfs. This was done in anticipation of the runoff meeting the downstream flow targets. If Wunderground is correct we’ll see close to 2″ of rain mixed with some snow over the next two days. We’re also in for quite a cold snap but we should warm back up early next week. We’re still fishing small olives for the most part with the occasional small isonychia and caddis thrown in the mix.
There is some color in the West Branch from the release. The higher the release the more color will be in the river. It happens every Fall when the reservoir begins to turn over.
Click on the fly to see the patterns in our online store
Slate Drake – #14 – Isonychia bicolor
Tiny Olive – #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.
Tan Caddis – #18 – 20 – Hydropsyche sp.
Dark Blue Wing Olives – #18 – 20 – E. deficiens, lata
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 325 cfs |
56° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 506 cfs |
53° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 127 cfs | 48° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 296 cfs | 49° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,080 cfs | 52° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 193 cfs | 49° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 325 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 52° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 173 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 43.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 72% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 28, 2020
The release from Cannonsville has been dropped and the flow at Stilesville is 589 cfs and still falling at 6 am. The release is 500 cfs. We should see 1/4″ of rain today with another 1/2″ tomorrow. They’re counting on the runoff to meet the downstrean flow targets. Wind will be 5 – 10 mph from the South and the air temp will hit 54 degrees. The olive hatches have been good on some sections. Just keep out of the wind and you’ll find fish eating them. There are still some caddis and isonychias around but the olives have been the most dependable.
There is some color in the West Branch from the release. The higher the release the more color will be in the river. It happens every Fall when the reservoir begins to turn over.
Click on the fly to see the patterns in our online store
Slate Drake – #14 – Isonychia bicolor
Olive Sulphur – #18 -20 – Heptagenia hebe
Tiny Olive – #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.
Tan Caddis – #18 – 20 – Hydropsyche sp.
Ginger Caddis – #14 – 16 Limnephilis sp.
Dark Blue Wing Olives – #18 – 20 – E. deficiens, lata
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 589 cfs dropping |
56° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,030 cfs dropping |
55° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 98 cfs | 49° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 189 cfs | 50° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,340 cfs | 53° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 134 cfs | 49° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 500 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 54° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 110 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 43.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 72% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 27, 2020
We had a little rain overnight but not enough to change the flows. The release from Cannonsville was bumped slightly and the flow at Stilesville is 1,060 cfs. Today will be 52 degrees with wind 5 – 10 mph from the North. We’ll see a little bit of rain today and tomorrow but not enough to make a difference. Yesterday was a decent day on tiny olives. We may see some better rain Thursday and Friday but the air temps also drop. We’ll warm back up over the weekend.
There is some color in the West Branch from the release. The higher the release the more color will be in the river. It happens every Fall when the reservoir begins to turn over.
Click on the fly to see the patterns in our online store
Slate Drake – #14 – Isonychia bicolor
Olive Sulphur – #18 -20 – Heptagenia hebe
Tiny Olive – #22 – 26 – Pseudocloeon sp.
Tan Caddis – #18 – 20 – Hydropsyche sp.
Ginger Caddis – #14 – 16 Limnephilis sp.
Dark Blue Wing Olives – #18 – 20 – E. deficiens, lata
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,060 cfs |
56° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,280 cfs |
55° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 94 cfs | 49° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 181 cfs | 50° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,340 cfs | 53° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 131 cfs | 49° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 900 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 55° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 96.1 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 43.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 72% |