October 10, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 10, 2012

A little bit warmer out there, and none of the ‘predicted’ showers made it our way. We had slow and steady action out front in Home Pool for the majority of the day, the majority from our friendly neighborhood Pseudos. The fish would still take an iso or two (of course!) but the yellow bug (Steno & Hebes) hatch wasn’t as strong as it has been. Today we’re looking at some much-needed rain to keep the flows on the East and the Main up at floatable levels. The air temps shouldn’t be too bad, so as long as we don’t have a deluge, we’re looking at another great fall day of fishing!

One of the larger “October Caddis” that are hatching and being ignored by our fishy-friends. This guy is a size #10. Photo: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 9, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 9, 2012

Boy did it start off bitter on the river yesterday – cold air temps with some biting humidity. Reminded me why I like the weather in the Rockies so much. However, it did warm up a bit throughout the day, and we had fish rising (albeit sporadically at times) into the evening. There was a fairly substantial Pseudo hatch on the Main Stem which strangely went mostly ignored, but fish were found eating the occasional Iso, and they certainly could be drummed up on them as well. A good flush of #14 Cahills (Stenos) made their way down stream mid-afternoon, and the Hebes were out here on the West Branch. The fish were there – they were just “bitchy,” according to Jeff. The temps are going to warm up a bit today, with cloud cover expected for the duration. The slightly warmer air temps will definitely help, and we’ll hopefully see rising fish until dark.

Jamie Frazier holds his FIRST Delaware Rainbow, and it’s a fat one! And what did he eat? An Iso, what else? Photo: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 8, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 8, 2012

It was definitely chilly out there yesterday. Temps hovered right below 60, and didn’t jump above there except for the few times when the sun peeked through the clouds. All in all, a truly “October” type of day. There were bugs hatching throughout the day however, with teh only real ‘shutdown’ occurring just after 6PM. Isos were the name of the game, as well as stenos and pseudos making their presence known. The fish were a little tougher for some reason (read: being picky bastards), but there were definitely some nice fish caught. Today we’re looking at a mix of sun and clouds, but the air temps aren’t supposed to make it above the mid-50s, so we’re goig to see another day of activity happening during the middle of the afternoon, with it turning off right before dark. Happy Columbus Day!

A cool shot of a steno spinner that didn’t make it. Photo: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 7, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 7, 2012

Yesterday turned out to be a fantastic day, despite the winds and big pressure change / temperature shift (we went from ~65 in the morning to 55 in the afternoon). Good hatches of our three compadres – Isos, Psudos, and Hebes definitely brought the fish up. The only tough part was you needed to have the fly right on the fish after he rose – taking a million false-casts was a killer yesterday. Today we’re expecting some similar weather, with a few rain showers thrown in for good measure. The lower temps means the hatches will likely start a bit later in the morning, and end a bit earlier in the evening as well – bummer for those of us on shop duty! The wind is supposed to lay down as well, so we could be looking at another banner October day.

A nice, healthy, post-spawn West Branch Rainbow. Photo Courtesy of Bruce Miller

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 6, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 6, 2012

Well the sun reared its ugly head yesterday, and shut the hatching down whenever it made its presence known. That being said, the warm, humid air made for some great hatching when that big glowing ball of fusion hit behind the clouds. We had fish rising on the West, and reports that the Main fished well into the dark of the evening. Today, we’re expecting some showers during the day, with much cooler temperatures all around. Good for the mid-day fishing, bad for those of us who are in a shop until 6PM. We’ll see how it goes!

Although he’s not an Intern, anymore, I will reiterate that interns shouldn’t catch fish like this. David Burgher with a great WB brown. Photo by: Steve Shen

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 5, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 5, 2012

What an interesting day yesterday – clouds, sun, fog, a good amount of rain – almost felt like I was out in Yellowstone again. The air temps were warm throughout the day, making for some perfect BWO conditions when the clouds were around (majority of the day). However, since the weather was changing constantly, the bugs were there, but on-and-off due to pressure changes / sun popping out, pick your reason. The fish were definitely looking up for dinner, so when the bugs were out risers were easy to come by. The warmer temps did allow us to have some decent evening fishing, all the way until dark. As for today, we’re looking at temps in the mid-70s, and mostly cloudy conditions. Could be decent out there – the bump in flows from the rain yesterday wasn’t too dramatic, so the East and the Main should continue to fish well, even though they jumped a few hundred CFS. The West Branch remains unfloatable, but perfectly wadeable – great for everyone on foot!

Mark de Jong with a nice brown he caught on the Main Stem recently. Photo: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 4, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 4, 2012

Wednesday turned out to be a pretty dang good day, pretty much river-wide. The overcast skies coupled with some warmer air temps kept the hatching going well into the evening, and we saw plenty of olives on the water throughout the day. The only downer? Those olives were Pseudos – so #22 hooks and 6X tippet were the name of the game. We’re starting with warmer water temps today, so the activity should begin earlier than usual, and likely once the fog has lifted a bit from the valleys. Rain is predicted for much of the day, but it does not appear to be too heavy – more good news for you Olive enthusiasts. Otherwise, there are still plenty of Stenos and Hebes around – so be ready for them if you head out on the water.

David Lisnock holds a fat little Main Stem Rainbow. This is as close to a grin as you will ever see out of this man. Photo: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 3, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 3, 2012

Strangely enough, yesterday went just about as ‘expected’ – the rain came and there was ample bug activity for the majority of day, due to warmer temperatures. The fish on the West Branch are now quite a bit spookier due to the lower water levels, but were still willing to take well-presented flies. The usual suspects as well – Isos, stenos, etc. Today is looking like a much warmer day, but still with cloud cover and a possible Thunderstorm. This could be a good one all day long, judging by the current air temp, and the fact I just saw fish rising in Home Pool. I’m just going to hope they’re not on the Caddis again.

One of the smaller stenos that have been hatching as of late.  Photo by: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL & #12 & #14

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 2, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 2, 2012

Well, they pulled the rug out from under us again, and dropped the flow out of Cannonsville – most likely since we hit October. Floating the West appears to be done until Mother Nature brings us some rain. There were mixed reports on how this affected the fishing, with some folks doing quite well down river, and others having a hard time on the West (the Gamelands, specifically). There were still good numbers of bugs to be had / found, and the fish were on them until the temperature cooled off for the evening. Today we’re expecting some rain throughout the day, the quantity predicted is in a state of flux – so we’ll have to wait and see. If we have a nice calm rain as we did on Sunday, the river could really light up with bug activity.

This is how thick some of the hatching caddis have been in the evenings. And nary a fish to be found eating them. Stupid caddis. Photo: Jeff White

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL and BIGGER!

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

October 1, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions October 1, 2012

UPDATE – the release from Cannonsville has been dropped to (most likely) 150 cfs as we are now in October. This happened after I had posted the blog this morning.

REMINDER – If you have a NY State fishing license, it expired yesterday – go get a new one, or order online at: https://nyfgisales.appsolgrp.com/fgnyia/html/index.jsp

So yesterday was definitely an “interesting” day over all. The bugs and fish went crazy mid-afternoon during, and shut right down both the second the sun came back out, and the second it hid behind the hills, forcing the temperature to drop what felt like 30 degrees. We also experienced some crazy rain smack dab in the middle of the day – with the sun out. Definitely one of the stranger weather days I have seen here on the river. However, when the bugs were out, we had good numbers of heptagenias and Isos, and some staggering numbers of caddis out and about, with fish sporadically eating them. Stupid caddis. Today, we’re looking at a warmer day, with less chance of rain / weather at any point, and unfortunately at little bit of sun mixed in. Let’s hope it hides behind the clouds, and becomes a non-factor, and allows the great hatches we’ve been having to continue!

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL and BIGGER!

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

September 30, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 30, 2012

It was an interesting day out on the West Branch yesterday. The streamer bite was in full force until just after lunch time, with the browns being very territorial and nasty, ready to strike at anything in their immediate viciniity. As the afternoon began, they seemed to calm down which meant a big lull in the streamer action, but fortunately a big rush of Stenos made up for it, with good dry fly activity for the rest of the day. The fish were a bit spotty and sporadic, but would definitely be accommodating if you put a nice presentation over their heads. The West Branch has slowed its drop in flow, so we should steady out a bit over the next few days and see some conitnued decent hatching / feeding. With clouds and rain predicted today, we can hopefully look forward to a few more psuedos out and likely a return of the heptagenias as well.

An outside wall of the shop this morning – covered with everyone’s favorite tiny BWO – the Pseudo! Photo by: Bart Larmouth

Tricorythodes species – #22 male and female (waning & sporadic)

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL and BIGGER!

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)

September 29, 2012

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 29, 2012

What a roller-coaster yesterday. The West Branch finally peaked around 1,200 yesterday, and has been immediately tapering back off. The fishing was pretty slow as a result of the big slug, and there weren’t too many mayflies kicking around. We’re at just over 600 right now, with stained, but not dirty water out front of the club. This could be a banner day out on the river, for sure! With clouds predicted for most of the day, coupled with the influx of water, expect bugs and fish to be very active today. The drop in flow has slowed down so expect the river level to fall at an even pace today – definitely another check in the ‘win’ column!

One of our smaller Isos made an appearance recently. This guy is a #14. Photo by: Jeff White

Tricorythodes species – #22 male and female (waning & sporadic)

Isonychia bicolor – Isos – #12-2XL and BIGGER!

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphur – #16 & #18

Pseudocloeon– Tiny BWO- #22-26

Epeorus vitreus – Light Cahill – (Male)- #14 (sporadic)

Ephemerella invaria – Large Sulphurs / Light Cahills – #14 (waning)

Ephemerella deficiens– Dark. BWO -#12-20 (when cloudy)

Ephemerella attenuata– Light BWO- #16-20 (when cloudy)

Hydropsyche- Tan Caddis- #18

Ryacophilia- Olive Caddis- #16

Baetis species – #18 & #20 (sporadic when cloudy)