Delaware River Report / Conditions April 16, 2012

Perfect dry fly weather yesterday! Overcast, cool, with a high humidity and a few passing showers. Bugs and fish were pretty cooperative throughout the system, the only exception being the relatively short spinner fall in the evening – instead of lasting well into dark, it cut off around 6:30 or so. Today is the day we have dreaded all season, however. Projected highs in the mid 80s, with bright sun, preceded by a warm night that didn’t drop below 55. The rivers are going to cook, no way to sugar coat it. We are hoping for clouds and thunderstorms in the late afternoon to keep them from going up TOO high into the 60s. I expect that there will be a rush of bugs and feeding this morning in anticipation of whats to come, but the bright sun and heat will likely shut both bugs and fish down until the evening, and maybe beyond. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

A nice Main Stem Brown caught by Steve Shen on his day off. Photo by: Bob Lewis

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Light Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Dark Brachycentrus Caddis – Charcoal – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 42º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 264 cfs @ 48º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 117 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 404 cfs @ 52º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 922 cfs @ 54º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 237 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.1% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 15, 2012

Another banner day out on the West yesterday. Bugs and fish throughout the day, all the way until dark. There was a small spinner fall in the evening, but some late afternoon breezes knocked many of them back into the trees, so we’re STILL waiting on the bug orgy that is bound to come. The winds should lay down today, as we are expecting a bunch of cloud cover and passing showers, with temps near 70. While that may not be good for water temps, it will certainly be good for the spinners.

Also yesterday, we had a great family affair happen down in Home Pool – you’re gonna love it! Here’s a few pictures

This is Kennedy Fisher - her first time in waders, throwing a dry on the West Branch. Photo by: Mike Mancke

And this is Kennedy with her first trout ever on the fly!!! Photo by Proud Papa: Kevin Fisher

The fly fishing family - Dad (Kevin) on the left, Kennedy, and Colt Fisher. Photo by: Mike Mancke

The aftermath of her first LONG day out on the water. I know PLENTY of you older guys who consider this the perfect day - catch a nice trout, take a nap. Photo by: Jeff White

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Light Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Dark Brachycentrus Caddis – Charcoal – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 44º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 264 cfs @ 50º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 120 cfs @ 52º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 408 cfs @ 52º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 931 cfs @ 54º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 239 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.1% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 14, 2012

What a day yesterday! Friday the 13th turned out to be great for just about everyone fortunate to get out on the water. Pat and Jack Reagan, long time guests / clients had, “the best day they’ve ever had” – THAT is saying something with how many days, weeks, and months they’ve logged on this river over the years. Hendrickson emergers were the name of the game on the West Branch, with Paralep spinners coating everything towards evening. Some fell, but the winds did keep them back. Any day now, there should be an epic fall. Wiley and Bob went down river (to Long Eddy), and had a tremendous day as well, where the fish had turned on to the Apple Green Caddis, and they had a Hendrickson Spinner fall towards the evening. With warmer temperatures forecasted, we can expect to see the bugs coming early, and staying late. Should be a killer weekend!

Pat Reagan with a FAT Brown. Photo by: Jack Reagan, who cut Pat's head off to get even with him for all the terrible photos he(Pat) takes.

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 268 cfs @ 45º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 120 cfs @ 46º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 413 cfs @ 45º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 959 cfs @ 50º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 243 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.3% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions FRIDAY April 13th, 2012

Happy Friday the 13th everyone! Here’s to a lucky day – usually works out that way for me, which hopefully means another night like I had last evening. Jumped down to home pool and stuck a good number of fish, all on a #14 Dark Hendrickson Comparadun – and it STILL floats. We’ll call it “quality control fly testing.” The fish were active throughout the afternoon, and into the evening. The West saw a few more active fish than the Main, which had a waning Hendrickson hatch amongst all the caddis that were coming off. Warmer weather is predicted for this weekend and into Monday, so we’ll see what effect it has on the fish and bugs. Today, with the sun coming out early, I expect the river to turn on early, and fish well into the sunset.

Bruce Miller with a nice, fat West Branch Brown caught yesterday - and holy *&%$ - he's actually SMILING! Photo by: Wiley Paul

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 271 cfs @ 42º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 122 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 434 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 986 cfs @ 46º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 246 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.3% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 12, 2012

Holy *&%@! A day with moderate wind! Ok, so the sleet / rain / snow / hail made it interesting, but the fish were up and at it all day long, on the East, West, and Main. Hendricksons were teh order of the day, and folks did real well. For many, it was the first time that they saw larger fish up and taking dries. Today is slotted to be clearer, with a possibility of rain later in the afternoon. Winds will be up again, but not as ferocious as they have been. Here’s hoping for a spinner fall once I close the office!

Hendrickson Male, chilling out at the DRC. Photo by: Jeff White

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 277 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 125 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 462 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,010 cfs @ 47º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 262 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.5% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 11, 2012

It seems spinners are starting to finally fall! The winds decided to (slightly) calm down yesterday morning and evening, and the fish responded. During the day, we saw the same activity that we have been having for the last….well, I forgot it’s been so long. Fish rising between the gusts, and plenty of bugs coming off. The apple caddis are making their way upstream, so we expect to see the fish on the upper main keying in on them in short order.

Those are spent apple green caddis from down by Callicoon. Just a few. Photo by: Jeff White

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 41º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 277 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 125 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 462 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,010 cfs @ 47º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 262 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.5% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Condtions April 10, 2012

Ever see Groundhog Day? It somewhat feels like that around here as of late. Same weather, every day, without fail. Today we are scheduled to see a little precipiation, which is never a bad thing – we’ll see what affects it has on the hatches and the fish. Yesterday saw our same pattern of bright sun and high winds, but the fish seemed to be getting used to it, and folks on the West Branch and Main Stem did very well for themselves, despite the trying conditions. Fish were finally on the Apple Green caddis towards dark last night, once the mayfly hatching had ceased.

Ok, apologies in advance, but it’s time for a bit of commentary. If any of you readers are centerpinning enthusiasts, I understand there is a time and a place for it, but the Delaware is not it. We had 3 ‘pinners going down the West Branch yesterday, tying up every pool they came to for hours at a time. I will not pass judgement on Centerpinning as a whole, but etiquette / common sense tells me that three people should not monopolize an entire section of river. We had a father and his two sons trying to learn to fly fish in Home Pool, while bobbers are floating by them from guys 100+ yds upstream. Needless to say, we did not care for this. Enough of that, I will now step off my soap box.

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 39º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 280 cfs @ 42º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 127 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 471 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,030 cfs @ 48º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 274 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 90.6% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 9, 2012

“Red Flag Advisory” here today – having lived in TExas, I am quite familiar with the term: dry and windy condtions that can lead to a wildfire. Something I never thought I’d be faced with once I moved back north of the Mason-Dixon, but here we are. Gusts of up to 40 today, with sustained winds in the teens. We are all pretty used to this by now, and it looks as if it will continue for the near future. The house is currently covered with Paralep spinners, so I expect them to fall at any time, most likely in the morning before the wind picks up. A blessing of the cooler temps is that their short lives are extended, as they won’t desiccate (dry-out) and die as readily as usual. Let’s hope this gives them a good chance to make it to the water and create next year’s brood!

Bob Lewis with a nice Main Stem Brown. Photo By: Steve Shen

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 169 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 283 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 127 cfs @ 45º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 491 cfs @ 45º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,050 cfs @ 49º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 284 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 91.3% –150 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 8, 2012

HAPPY EASTER!

This is what Wiley gets for all those one-handed fish shots he brings me. Photo by: Tom Noble

 

I feel like I should just copy and paste every post from the last week – yet again, bright sun, high winds, tons of bugs, incredibly difficult casting / fishing. The fish were there if a calm spot could be found, but unfortunately, those were few and far between. A friend of the shop, Tony Ritter sent me a picture of white-caps on the Main Stem near Callicoon. Well, it appears we are getting a slightly milder version of the same today. Wind gust will be under 30 MPH, but still in the high 20s. Makes that chocolate sound even better! Have a Happy Easter Everyone!

 

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 287 cfs @ 41º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 130 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 506 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,090 cfs @ 46º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 295 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 91.3% –175 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 7, 2012

This wind sure does blow. We’re looking at bright sun and sustained winds of 18MPH, gusting to 30MPH at times. In spite of all of this there are tons, and tons of bugs out on the water – Hendricksons, Paraleps, Apple Caddis, etc. The fish have a hard time seeing them, but once the wind lays down, they are happy to oblige.

Also, I have heard several people get in pretty heated debates about the  ‘blanket Hendricksons’ on the upper West Branch. Well, while the Hendricksons are there, the blankets are actually Paraleps, so I thought I would list the following, just for clarification:

 

This is a Paralep. Photo by: Jeff White

This is a Hendrickson (female, that is). Photo By: Jeff White

Any questions?

Fish pictures tomorrow – waiting on the guides to get them to me!

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Brachycentrus Caddis – Apple Green – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 39º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 290 cfs @ 42º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 132 cfs @ 43º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 531 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,130 cfs @ 45º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 311cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 91.3% –175 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 6, 2012

I should sell the hell out of some Smart Shield lip balm today, judging by how windburned everyone’s lips are today. Yesterday was tough out there – even mentally. With blanket hatches of bugs throughout the day, the wind throwing them against people’s heads and boats, it got a tad bit frustrating. The fish rose when they could see the bugs, but again we had trouble putting the fly where it needed to be. Today is looking like a carbon-copy of yesterday, but with a few higher temperatures. With winds out of the North(ish) the West Branch should offer a bit more protection than the Main and East (which it did yesterday), for those looking to venture out.

In demand in the shop today - $1.95! Works well too. Photo courtesy of Smart Shield.

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 39º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 293 cfs @ 41º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 135 cfs @ 42º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 558 cfs @ 42º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,180 cfs @ 46º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 333 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 91.4% –175 CFS release

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 5, 2012

Despite the heavy, heavy winds yesterday, the bugs still popped and the fish followed suit. The poor suckers that went out experienced the frustration of seeing fish whilst being unable to keep the boat firmly anchored to allow for a good presentation. Those wading saw their flies blow right past their target before hitting the water. Needless to say, there was a bit of hair pulling, along with the teeth chattering. The wind is calming down for today, although the temperatures are scheduled to drop. With the ARMY of Paraleps we have around the shop right now (it seems like you can’t turn over anything without disturbing a legion of them), the fish should be up and active.

The bottom of a bag left to air out yesterday afternoon. This is about HALF the number originally on it - the wind blew the majority away instantly. Photo by: Bart Larmouth

Hatches:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva (Blue Quill) – #16 & #18

Baetis species – #20

Chimmarra (little black) Caddis – #18 & #20

FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM:
West Branch at Stilesville, NY 174 cfs @ 40º
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY 271 cfs @ 42º
East Branch at Harvard,NY 140 cfs @ 44º
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY 602 cfs @ 44º
Mainstem at Lordville,NY 1,230 cfs @ 48º
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY 356 cfs @ N/A
Cannonsville Reservoir Level &Release 91.5% –175 CFS release

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