May 7, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 7, 2016

We received some much needed rain yesterday that should keep the rivers in decent shape for a while.  It did seem to come down heavy at times but the rivers look fishable this morning and it’s good to see them filled bank to bank.  The West Branch is in good shape and is definitely wadeable above Oquaga Creek in Deposit.  Below that there are definitely wadeable spots in tailouts and wide pools.  The Beaverkill is high with over 1,000 cfs flowing at Cooks Falls.  The Mainstem looks good and is flowing at 4,220 cfs at Lordville.
The hatch activity seemed to vary by river section.  The water was on the rise yesterday and that may have played a role.  Some people reported decent olives and hendricksons while other people only found a few risers.  Streamers were productive during the day- especially before the sun popped out around 6 pm.  Today should fish better with falling water, overcast skies, and maybe a light shower or two.

Chris with a big, chunky one yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Hendrickson #16 – E. X
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there

May 6, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 6, 2016

Yesterday was another good day on the river.  The hatching started a little later than expected but we had the same mix of Blue Winged Olives, Hendricksons, Blue Quills, plus March Browns on some sections.  We also saw a few fish eat some tan caddis just to add to the mix.  Cripples and emerger patterns seemed to work the best again.  With so many bugs on the water the fish can afford to be choosy so they are eating the most vulnerable insects.  We’re still seeing a lot of eating in the water column due to the shear volume of bugs.  The clouds hung around most of the day and the rain held off.
The system is starting off today very similar to yesterday in both water temperatures and flows.  Winds are forecasted to be manageable ranging from 4 to 9 mph.  We are in for some showers early turning into a steady rain by mid-day. That’s great news for the reservoirs.  Hopefully the additional precipitation will help DEP make the right decision and bump us up a few tables in the FFMP.  The West Branch is your best bet for wading and gets easier as you move above each feeder stream.
If today’s rain colors the river or the flows increase to a level that makes wading questionable we will post a new report.  It could turn into a great streamer afternoon.  Right now everything is in great shape.

Dave had another good day on the Delaware. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Hendrickson #16 – E. X
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there

May 5, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 5, 2016

The great fishing continues.  It took the olives a little longer to get going than we expected yesterday but once they came they really came in big numbers.  We’re still seeing decent numbers of Hendricksons in areas plus heavy hatches of Blue Quills.  Once the fish got going by mid-afternoon they were very happy.  The overcast skies should continue today without the rain showers so it’s shaping up to be a great day on the water.  Nymphing should be good in the morning with all of the nymphs migrating for the hatch.  The dry fly action has been starting between 1 – 2 pm and lasting into the evening.  We have seen Hendrickson spinners mixed with the hatching duns so look carefully when you see a fish rising.  Some of the spinners are flush in the film while others have the upright wings and look like duns at first glance.  The system levels and temperatures are starting off this morning as a mirror image of yesterday.
Life is tough when your biggest problem is too many mayflies on the water.

Jordan with a nice Mainstem brown. Photo by Jared Makowski

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria
Hendrickson #16 – E. X
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there

May 4, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 4, 2016

We don’t say this very often but call in sick and come fish.  The Delaware System is fishing better than it has in recent memory.  The hatching over the last few days has been incredible.  Blue Winged Olives, Hendricksons, Blue Quills. and March Browns are even showing on some sections.  The olive wings have looked like foam in the back eddies. Overcast skies, a few showers, and light winds under 10 mph are in the forecast for the next few days.

Ty and Steve Shen with a great brown yesterday

Yesterday’s bugs in a back eddy. Photo by Bill Zagarski

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria –
Hendrickson #16 – E. X
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there

May 3, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 3, 2016

Once the rain stopped yesterday ended up being a great fishing day.  Blue winged Olives (#18 – 20) and Hendicksons (#14 – 16)  were out in force on some sections of river.  We saw a lot of rising fish and a lot of fish were landed.  There was very little wind and the cloud cover stuck around for the majority of the day.  The rivers were coming up a bit from the runoff but the water color stayed in decent shape.  One of the better fishing days in a while.
We woke up to steady light showers this morning but they are done for a while.  We may see a few more light showers come and go through the afternoon but the precipitation totals won’t be much.  Winds look light with a forecast of 4 mph.    Driving the rivers this morning the lower East Branch, Mainstem, and lower West Branch all look fine.  They may have a little color but they are definitely fishable.  The Beaverkill is running over 700 cfs so the lower East has a shot of water coming down.  The West Branch at hale Eddy is at 601 cfs and dropping. There is still some runoff coming off the hills so the lower West will be a little higher but it is still good for wading and floating.
This is shaping up to be a great fishing week.

Bruce Miller found a big brown yesterday

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Hendrickson #16 – E. X
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there

May 2, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 2, 2016

Yesterday was cold, windy, wet, and fished surprisingly well. Accuweather called the wind wrong again and while we did have some gusts it stayed at a reasonable level for most of the day.   Once the rain let up mid day we had blanket hatches of Blue Winged Olives (#18 – 20) plus decent flushes of Hendricksons (#14-16).  The fish seemed keyed into to olive emergers for a while and a CDC emerger on a curved shank worked well.   Not all the fish were active on top but if you were willing to hunt around a bit there were some very nice fish rising steadily.  Despite the cold I would take yesterday’s fishing anytime.  This should be a fun week with options ranging from Hendrickson fishing to hunting down the March Brown hatch.
The release from Cannonsville Reservoir has been dropped to 150 cfs under Table 4A in the FFMP plan.  Luckily we have cool nights, cloud cover, and daytime temperatures in the mid 60’s so water temperatures should be fine.  The lower water on the West Branch is a wader’s dream and should push the bugs to hatch.  The Mainstem and East Branch received a little help from the rain and both are floatable and wadeable in most sections.  The Beaverkill is also at a great level this morning.
We should have warmer air temperatures and light rain over the next few days.  Winds should be slight all week while this system just kind of sits on us.  We should see some really good fishing over the next few days.

Theo stuck it out yesterday and found a nice brown

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Hendrickson #16 – E. X
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there

May 1, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 1, 2016

Yesterday was the definition of bug soup.  The menu changed depending on your location but there was some major hatching on the river.  March Browns came off on some sections while others had blanket Blue Wing Olive and Blue Quill  hatches.  Some people even saw pockets of decent Hendrickson hatches mid day.  A lot of olives were being taken just under the surface so a wet fly would have shined.  We did well on CDC emergers and the classic rusty spinner.  The river doesn’t fish much better than it did yesterday.
We’re in for a bit of a weather change today with air temps in the 40’s, rain, and winds around 10 mph (if Accuweather is correct).  Weatherunderground has roughly the same forecast with the rainfall totaling .29 of an inch.  Hopefully we get enough precipitation over the next few days to make Cannonsville Reservoir spill.  Keep an eye on the water temperatures.  Hopefully they rise enough today to create some hatching.

Chris with a great brown yesterday. Photo by Kevan Smaracko

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp. – Waning
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp. – Waning

April 30, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 30, 2016

Yesterday’s wind forecast seemed to have missed the mark by 10 mph or so making for a tough start to the day. Once it settled down we had a nice steady rain that wasn’t too bad.  We had decent hatching of olives, hendricksons, blue quills, and some tan caddis.  Some of the bugs seemed to come in waves so patience was the key.  Overall it was a good day out there for most people.  The rain picked up towards dark and that was the end.
Today looks warmer with a high of 60 and more sun.  Winds should be 2 to 5 mph- hopefully that is on the money today.

Chris with a nice brown. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp. – Waning
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp. – Waning

April 29, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 29, 2016

The hatching, rising, and catching were all great yesterday.  We’re still fishing Hendricksons, Caddis, Blue Quills, Blue Winged Olives, and Quill Gordons.   Some sections are beginning to turn on with the March Browns.  This is turning out to be one of the better fishing Springs in recent memory.

It looks like we are in for a great weather fishing day with air temperatures in the mid- 50’s, winds from 4 – 7 mph, cloud cover, and a very light shower possible.  We do need some rain despite the reservoirs being in great shape with both Pepacton and Cannonsville well over 95% capacity.  The cold nights are really helping out by keeping the water temperatures down.

Tony with a beautiful brown from yesterday. Photo by Kevan Smaracko

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp. – Waning
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp. – Waning

April 28, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 28, 2016

The cold snap passed and the fishing came back to what we had a few days ago.  Hendricksons, Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Caddis, and now some March Browns.  The wind gusts made it tough at times but overall it was a good day.  It’s a crazy mix of bugs with a bit of everything out there.  The March Browns are just starting to show and some sections of river are already seeing good numbers.  The Hendricksons are hanging on and hatching in good numbers in other sections.  We are still experiencing cool nights so it is taking the rivers a while to warm up.  We should see air temperatures in the high 50’s today with some light showers possible.  Winds should be 2 – 6 mph from the East.  If Accuweather has the wind forecast correct this could be a great day.

Leonard with a healthy brown yesterday. Photo by Bruce Miller

Hatching:
March Browns – #10-2xl – Maccaffertium vicarium (formerly Stenonema vicarium)
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp. – Waning
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp. – Waning

April 27, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 27, 2016

We we completely beat by the weather yesterday.  We had rain, decent winds, and air temperatures that never seemed to climb out of the 40’s.  The wind gusts were way above the amount in the forecast.  The water temperatures just couldn’t climb and that seemed to shut everything down.  There were a few bugs out there.  We saw a few Hendricksons, small olives, a few Quill Gordons, and maybe 12 caddis.  We found some fish rising but it was tough and there were no gifts..  Nymphing was probably the most effective method.  The rain did bump the flows up slightly all across the system but everything is still in good shape for wading and floating this morning.
Today is a new day.  I hope Accuweather has this one right.  We should see sunshine (I already do so they nailed that), winds form 5 – 8 mph, and an air temp around 60 degrees. If they have the weather predicted correctly the water temperatures should rise a bit during the day and we’ll see decent hatching and happy rising fish.

Theo fought through the weather yesterday and found a riser

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp. – Waning
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp. – Waning

April 26, 2016

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 26, 2016

Yesterday ended up being very interesting. Add a little cloud cover and all of a sudden you end up with a big Hendrickson hatch, Blue Quills, Olives, caddis, mid-day Hendrickson spinners, and Little Black and Brown Stoneflies all at the same time. Then throw in a really good flush of Quill Gordons just to keep it interesting.  Bugs were out in big numbers on some river sections.  There are a few March Browns beginning to show on the lower sections too.  The fish were up and happy.  Accuweather definitely called the wind wrong and we had some unpleasant gusts for a while.  The fish got shy during the periods of sun and wind but there wasn’t much to complain about yesterday.
We woke up to a steady rain this morning.  Not heavy but nice to see for a change.  If Accuweather gets it right today we should end up with a little over 1/4″ of precipitation with winds 6 to 9 mph out of the West.

Rose with a nice one on a Hendrickson. Photo by Steve Shen

Hatching:
Hendrickson- #12 – 14 – E. subvaria – Definitely Spinners – duns are waning on some sections still strong on others
Blue Quill #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Light Brachycentrus sp. – #16 – 18 – Apple Caddis
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus) –
Quill Gordons #14 – Epeorus pluralis – almost gone – you’ll still find a few here and there
Tiny Black Stoneflies #18 – Capniidae sp. – Waning
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taenopteryx & Strophopteryx spp. – Waning