It’s an Alderfly!
Congrats to the following who figured out what this guy was: George Scott, Jeff Moore, Jeff Sanders, and Matt Green. The Alder Fly is a relative of the Dobson Fly (Hellgrammites), but isn’t a big trout food as it typically is in a bit warmer water than our finned friends prefer. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about them (and yes, I am sure there are better references out there somewhere, this is just a good concise article):
“Alderflies are megalopteran insects of the family Sialidae. They are closely related to the dobsonflies and fishflies as well as to the prehistoric Euchauliodidae. All living alderflies – about 66 species altogether[1] – are part of the subfamily Sialinae, which contains between one and seven extant genera according to different scientists’ views. But in most classifications, all or almost all of these are treated as subgenera of Sialis.
Sialinae have a body length of less than 25 mm (1 inch), long filamentous antennae and four large dark wings of which the anterior pair is slightly longer than the posterior. They lack ocelli and their fourth tarsal segment is dilated and deeply bilobed. Dead alderfly larvae are used as bait in fishing.[2]
The females lay a vast number of eggs upon grass stems near water. The larvae are aquatic, active, armed with strong sharp mandibles, and breathe by means of seven pairs of abdominal branchial filaments. When full sized, which takes between one and two years, they leave the water and spend a quiescent pupal stage on the land before metamorphosis into the sexually mature insect. Adult alderflies stay near to the water, in which they had lived in when they were younger.”
Off-Season Antics
Time for a fun game – What the $&%* is it? Jeff and I were going through pictures for the show in Jersey this year, and stumbled on this shot he took in the summertime of an aquatic insect. It took us a bit of time to identify the bug, let’s see how everyone out there does! I will open the comment section for this post so you can make your guesses below! Answer to follow next week. Who knows, I may even pony up a prize for the first correct guess. Good luck!
Merry Christmas from the Delaware River Club!
Wishing you and yours are having a wonderful Holiday Season!
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 31, 2012
Well here we are. Halloween. The last day of the season for us here at the DRC. Fortunately we still have a lodge to close up for the year after Sandy decided to spare us. I would like to thank each and every one of you for being faithful readers and customers – it couldn’t be done without you! I also promise to not leave a clip art cat on here for the entire winter, and will definitely be adding content weekly if I can, so check back when you get a chance! We will be in the office for a few hours during the week, so feel free to call us at the shop if you need anything at all!
As for the river, no one was out yesterday, but I am seriously considering a streamer run tomorrow (our first day closed) on the West Branch. Color and level are perfect, and the overcast / rainy weather we are expecting will only help to make it a better day. The rest of the week looks like a carbon copy of today, with cooler temps and misty/rainy conditions all the way until the weekend. This will mean a later start to the hatching most likely. Good luck out there if you head out, and be safe if you are recovering from the storm!
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 (waning)
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 146 cfs @ 49º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 552 cfs @ 49º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 488 cfs @ 49º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 4,050 cfs @ 49º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 5,960 cfs @ 50º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 2,900 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 67.4% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 30, 2012
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you dealing with the effects of Sandy coming ashore. We dodged a pretty big bullet it seems up here at the club. While we eventually had winds in the 70MPH+ category rolling through, very little rain fell until early this morning, and even more amazingly, the power flashed off once or twice but managed to stay on all day and throughout the night. The rivers have bumped up slightly,but no where near the levels we saw last year from Irene. The bands of precipitation stayed mostly to our West and south during the winds, but we are definitely getting soaked today. The West Branch is clear, not quite sure how the East is fairing, as the Beaverkill likely blew out with its big overnight jump. Be safe out there today, wherever you are!
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 (waning)
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 146 cfs @ 49º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 516 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 451 cfs @ 50º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 2,950 cfs @ 51º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 2,840 cfs @ 52º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 2,050 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 66.7% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 29, 2012
Well, it was another crappy(oops! I mean tough, yeah, that’s the more PC word) day out there yesterday, despite some great conditions. Very few bugs on the water, and even fewer fish looking up to take them – chubs included. Not sure if they are anticipating the oncoming storm or not. Regardless, today is obviously NOT the day to be on the water. We have predicted gusts in the 60s today once we hit late afternoon, and they are likely to continue well into Halloween and beyond. Surprisingly, the rain in the forecast keeps dropping in amount that we’ll see over the next few days, so I doubt the rivers will flood dramatically. Regardless, I’ll batten down the hatches, and get the Ramen noodles ready for the inevitable power outage to come. If we still have cell service, I will post a small update tomorrow to let you know how we and the rivers fared. Be careful, and be safe!
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 (waning)
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 146 cfs @ 49º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 370 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 310 cfs @ 50º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 1,630 cfs @ 51º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 2,270 cfs @ 52º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 745 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 65.0% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 28, 2012
Just a note – for some reason the blog is posting late to some people, so if you don’t see it first thing- check back later in the day. We’re working on it!
To be totally honest (standard operating procedure on THIS blog at least), yesterday was one big disappointment. After all the anticipation and despite PERFECT weather / water conditions, we only had a brief window of activity on the water, with very few fish even taking advantage of it. That ‘activity’ lasted from about 11:30 to maybe 1:30 at the longest part, and as Jeff put it when I asked him what was hatching his response was, “Size 42 Pseudos. Oh, and we saw three isos. And one steno. And no one got eaten.” As such, I’m not optimistic about our chances today, especially considering we may have the first few winds from the “Frankenstorm” making their way to us later this afternoon. If we lose power over the next few days, I will try to continue to give river updates if possible. Since they are already staging all the PenElec trucks for a run to the cities, we may be without power for awhile up here if it hits.
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 (waning)
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 146 cfs @ 49º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 404 cfs @ 52º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 345 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 1,770 cfs @ 52º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 2,520 cfs @ 54º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 836 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 65.0% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 27, 2012
A Storms like Hurricane Sandy is like the damn Superbowl (please don’t sue me NFL) for the Weather Channel and every other meteorologist out there. Or Apocolypse. Take your pick, and take it down a notch guys, really. While it does look like it could bring some pretty serious weather up here, as of right now we’re “safe” until mid-Monday at the earliest. Winds are the concern, and we’re not hearing what kinds of rainfall we can expect in our area. Until then, let’s keep fishing! We had an unseasonably warm day here yesterday, and the bugs responded in kind and early – starting around 11:30 or so we had good Pseudo activity here on the lower West, and the fish were actually steady in places! The afternoon did get a little bit weird however, with certain pools (Home Pool being one) shutting down around 2:00PM, and others carrying on all the way into the evening. Today we’ve got more clouds, and even warmer temps, so the action should start early, and will hopefully continue on as it did yesterday.
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 (waning)
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 146 cfs @ 47º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 435 cfs @ 52º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 374 cfs @ 52º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 1,950 cfs @ 52º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 2,820 cfs @ 54º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 923 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 65.0% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 26, 2012
Another misty, cloudy, cool day yesterday, and that’s exactly what we’re waking up to as well. The rivers continued to drop and clear throughout the day yesterday, but the slight precipitation helped to slow that fall considerably. The west saw some good Pseudo activity during the day, as well as some decent flushes of Isos and Stenos (Light Cahills) throughout the day as well. The fish are getting a bit more steady/reliable as they adjust to the ‘new’ water level. The East and Main were still a bit too off-color for decent dry-fly action yesterday, mostly likely the result of the mud coming in from the Beaverkill. Things can only get better as air temperatures improve, and cloud cover stays around. We’re looking a possibly a fantastic weekend, which we’ll need if this hurricane decides to head our way early next week!
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18 (waning)
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 146 cfs @ 47º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 485 cfs @ 52º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 407 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 2,180 cfs @ 52º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 3,190 cfs @ 53º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 1,140 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 64.3% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 25, 2012
It was dark. It was gloomy. It was even rainy at times. So yesterday was a great day to stay the hell inside and find a nice soup for lunch. That being said, it was also a pretty good streamer day judging by the folks I talked to, and the river did clear up quite a bit during the day yesterday. The misty rainy weather did have the nice bonus effect of keeping the water levels steady – good for those of you looking to float! I would guess we are pushing between 800 and 900 cfs here at the club, and the tributaries are still going strong. We’re looking at another dark and dreary day like yesterday, so olives could absolutely be exploding out there on the water. If this storm stays away from us this weekend, we could definitely see this season go out with a bang!
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 150 cfs @ 47º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 570 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 443 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 2,370 cfs @ 51º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 3,500 cfs @ 52º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 1,190 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 63.5% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 24, 2012
Where was this rain in September when we really wanted/needed it? That being said, we definitely had a jump in flows, and it looked like the West Branch got the better of it for a change We crested a little bit over 800 cfs last night, and we are now dropping quickly. The rain was expected, but it wasn’t expected to dump as much as it did. The East and the Beaverkill came up slightly, and likely haven’t colored up too much – out front it looks a bit off color, but the low light this morning is making it difficult to tell exactly how turbid it really is, other than saying it’s definitely not chocolate milk, but certainly has visible staining. Great for streamers early on, and hopefully for dries if it continues to clear. We’re looking at a bit of a warm up today (Low 60s) so that will definitely help the bug situation, so long as the predicted showers remain just that – passing showers.
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 150 cfs @ 47º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 676 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 507 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 2,740 cfs @ 51º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 3,970 cfs @ 50º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 1,350 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 62.5% – 150 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions October 23, 2012
WELCOME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE!
It has taken quite a bit work, and I am sure that there will be a few glitches here and there (such as pictures from previous blog posts mysteriously vanishing), so if you see something that is wonky, please don’t hesitate to give me a call at the shop as the site is for you, our amazing customers!
Yesterday was a picture-perfect Autumn day, which is to say bright sun, no clouds, and a variable breeze whipping the leaves into the air. While perfect in concept, those conditions do not make for an optimal day of dry fly fishing. The river did warm up around 2:00 PM, and we started seeing Stenos and Isos in pretty decent numbers, with the fish again being sporadic-yet-catchable. Today, we’re expecting some slightly warmer temps, with a few passing showers heading through the area. If the clouds hold, the Pseudos should be out en masse today, and their big Slate Drake compatriots will hopefully be in tow!
Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14
Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18
Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26
Stenonema stenocron(et al) – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)
Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)
Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18
Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16
Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 150 cfs @ 47º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy,NY | 320 cfs @ 49º |
East Branch at Harvard,NY | 395 cfs @ 49º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy,NY | 1,880 cfs @ 49º |
Mainstem at Lordville,NY | 2,620 cfs @ 50º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls,NY | 825 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 61.7% – 150 CFS release |