May 26, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 26, 2013

Wow. Simply WOW. Yesterday was one of the strangest yet amazing days I’ve even heard about on the Delaware. We started with frigid water temps, which were never helped by the cold, biting wind and rain. That soon developed in to some of the most prolific mayfly hatching many have ever seen. March Browns, Grey Fox, Green Drakes, Hendricksons, Paraleps, Pseudos, Rotunda, Dorthea, Invaria, Vitereus…..all hatching simultaneously and en masse. This varied a bit based on where you were located system-wise, but the onslaught of bugs was definitely felt everywhere. Even better? The fish were up and eating them in between the heavy bursts of wind. It looks like I will have some great pictures to share over the next few days, just as a result of all that craziness. Today, we’re looking much warmer (the fact that into the 60s is warmer on Memorial Weekend is pretty crazy), with a break from the rain and sleet. Water temps are starting low again, so the action likely won’t begin until the afternoon. Let’s hope for a repeat of yesterday’s performance!

NIck Christon holds a piggy from yesterday! Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

……yesterday? EVERYTHING.

Ephemera guttulata – Green Drakes – #8-2XL

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning – Upper West Only)

Current Flow Conditions:

May 25, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 25, 2013

Is it May? It definitely felt more like late March yesterday (and still does in a way). That being said, despite the cold air temps, stiff wind and occasional rain, it was bug soup out on the Main Stem, and the fish were definitely eager to eat. With March Browns, Grey Fox, Sulphurs of every variety, and last but not least – GREEN DRAKES hatching, it was a virtual smorgasbord for the fish willing to come to the surface. While we did get some rain, the level in the West only rose slightly, and we are still low and clear. The Main and East still have some color in them, but are not blown out. The frigid overnight temps (dipped into the 30s) have dramatically lowered our water temps, so it is likely we won’t see a ton of action until mid-afternoon when they increase. Some rain is predicted, and the wind will be the real story today, with big gusts predicted throughout the morning and afternoon. Let’s hope it will be like yesterday, and the fish / bugs just won’t care!

Piers MacDonald holds a nice Main Stem Brown while daughter Paige looks on approvingly! Photo: Bob Lewis

What’s Hatching:

Ephemera guttulata – Green Drakes – #8-2XL

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning – Upper West Only)

Current Flow Conditions:

May 24, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 24, 2013

I swear there is some sort of force-field around the West Branch Basin that is keeping water out of our river. While there were some crazy storms out an about yesterday, none of them decided to drop rain on us. The East did receive some of the rain, and is still going up a little bit this morning. That being said, Home Pool lit up last night, with tons of fish and up and feeding – primarily on junk. That would be basically anything that floated over top of them, if presented properly. Definitely NOT something to complain about! Today, they are calling for much cooler temps and a little bit of rain. We will see what actually transpires. The lower pressure is definitely a boon, so we should see some great hatching as the day progresses. PS – Green Drakes are starting!

A March Brown making friends! Photo: Norm Price

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 23, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 23, 2013

Rain! While we definitely had some pretty substantial storms yesterday, the majority of the water fell on the East Branch basin, and the West yet again missed substantial refill. As a result, the East and Main are definitely off-color but clearing quickly, while the West remained clear, and is definitely wade-able. We are starting at 348 at Hale this morning, and it appears to be fairly steady. Outside the club, we are closer to 600 cfs (rough estimate) which is a great level. The only issue we see currently is water temperatures – the rain was warm, and as such we are starting already at 57 degrees at Lordville – let’s hope that sun stays hidden through the day today! More rain is forecast, so we should see passing showers throughout the day, which should not affect us too greatly (in theory). The low pressure is definitely a boon for both fish and bugs, so it could be a great day for everyone out on the water for sure.

Pat McPartland holds a GORGEOUS Main Stem Brown! Photo: Bob Lewis

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 22, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 22, 2013

Well it was definitely a scorcher out there yesterday, with blazing sun, high humidity, and very little breeze. A typical August day on the Delaware, basically. In typical summer fashion, the water temps rose dramatically throughout the day, “shocking” the fish into a bit of a lull until the sun dropped behind the mountains. While there was some pretty good hatching activity towards the evening, the fish did not go crazy in response. That being said, plenty were still taken on March Browns, some tan caddis, and even a Hendrickson or two way up river on the West Branch. Today we’re looking at another smoker of a day, but hopefully the thunderstorms that have been predicted will actually materialize in the PM, and bring us some cooler water into the system.

Al Mikalaukis (left) poses with a nice chromed-up Rainbow, and guide Bob Lewis. I will let you guess which one is the fish! Photo: Bill Kracht

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 21, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 21, 2013

A bit of a split personality day out on the water yesterday. The heat and sun definitely warmed things up, but the bugs and fish cooled down quite a bit on the Main Stem and the East Branch. However, those who took to the West had a pretty spectacular day despite the sun beating down, with March Browns showing up in droves for the first time, and big fish coming up to eat them. We also had some small, black “bugs” working on the West, which were possibly some diving caddis, but reports definitely vary. The rain / thunderstorms predicted never materialized, so our water levels are still decreasing. We are definitely expecting a warm day today (in the 80s), but clouds should be present and hopefully we’ll get this rain that is continually predicted but never actually appears!

A trophy of a different sort! A beautiful baby brown, which shows us that our Brown Trout population is still self-sustaining! Photo: George Scott

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 20, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 20, 2013

It was certainly a bit of an oddball day out there yesterday. The weather was perfect (for hatches) with overcast skies and a slight drizzle throughout the day, but only certain areas of the river had the type of bugs one would expect. The Main was one, and sections of the West as well. Unfortunately, the East had a bit of a shut-down yesterday, with very very few bugs, and just as many fish. Definitely strange! Today we’re looking at a warm, cloudy, humid day, with a chance of some good thunderstorms in the afternoon. Let’s hope they bring the water levels back up a little bit!

George Fielding with one of his chunkier fish from Sunday. Photo: Kevan Smaracko.

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 19, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 19, 2013

Mother Nature certainly provided the cloud cover yesterday which in turn yielded some decent hatches depending on the stretch of river you fished. The Main and West saw a few March Browns, and even some Sulfurs later in the evening. Although there were some dortheas in the mix, do not fret, the majority of the bugs were Ephemerella invaria in a size #14. The fish were a bit apathetic to much of the hatching at times, but definitely turned around a bit in the evening, with some nice fish caught towards dark. Today, more clouds are called for, and hopefully the fish will decide to be a bit more cooperative!

Lou Gauci with a great Rainbow from the East Branch! Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 18, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 18, 2013

It was a toughie out on the water yesterday, with bright sun bearing down on the water for most of the day, and a nice stiff wind early on just to make things interesting. That being said, certain areas lit right up in the evening, with decent hatches of tan caddis, as well as March Browns and the start of the Ephemerella invaria – Light Cahills. Out front in Home Pool, we had several nice fish feeding consistently, and in true Delaware style, it was nearly impossible to figure out exactly what it was they were eating! People had success on drowned caddis as well as the trusty Rusty Spinner in a size #16. Today, we’re expecting some cooler temps, very little wind, and hopefully a bunch more cloud cover to entice those olives to pop!

Mark Li does it again, finding fish taking March Browns. Photo: Mike Phillipe

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 17, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 17, 2013

We certainly had a bit of a strange day out there yesterday. There were strong yet sporadic hatches throughout the afternoon on the entire system. In some areas it was dictated by the wind, in others your guess is as good as mine! The evening brought some PERFECT hatching/spinner fall conditions, but aside from an insanely brief flush of bugs around 8:30, none was really to be had. Today we are expecting some more clouds and slightly cooler temps, which should (in a perfect world which I know we do not live in) have a bit more consistent mayfly activity throughout the day, and hopefully the spinner fall that we were denied last evening!

Geoff Adams holds an OBESE Brown Trout! Photo: Bruce Miller

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 16, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 16, 2013

While we had a cold start yesterday morning, the sun came out and warmed the water up quite a bit in the early afternoon. Unfortunately, it did bring some pretty significant wind gusts throughout the day as well, adding a little degree of difficulty to everyone’s casting. There were decent hatches of March Browns on the Main and East, but the fish were a bit spotty on them, preferring some caddis in certain areas. Today, we are expecting a MUCH warmer day, so water temps should rise quickly back into the 60s, and our hatches should start off right with them. It is certainly going to be bright, so we are not expecting to see many olives out today, and there will be some wind with the sun as well, so be ready for some opposite shoulder casting!

Drew holds his first Delaware trout! A beautiful Main Stem Rainbow! Photo: Bruce Miller

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions:

May 15, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 15, 2013

The cold weather definitely affected the activity yesterday, with a slow start to the hatching (mid-afternoon), and a quick stoppage to it as well (early evening) when the air temps plummeted much deeper and faster than expected. There were decent rising fish to be found, but their feeding behavior was definitely spotty at times, even though they did not seem to be all that picky over all. The good news for today is that we are starting with some warmer water temps, so the bugs should start earlier today, and the warmer weather predicted should also help keep the hatch going well into the evening, getting us right back on track!

Ron McKnight holds a SLAB of a Brown caught yesterday afternoon. Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14 (waning)

Stenonema vicarium – March Browns – #10-2xl

Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl

Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14 – Getting Started

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Waning, spinners still around

Current Flow Conditions: