Delaware River Report / Conditions June 3, 2013
Another “summery” day yesterday, with bright sun early, and patchy clouds throughout the hot, humid afternoon. The predicted 1.5″ of rain turned into about .015″ of rain, as we only had a few brief, passing showers. There was not much for hatching during the day, aside from some sporadic Iso and Sulphur action in shady areas. However there was a great Coffin Fly (Green Drake) spinner fall on the lower West Branch last night. Emphasis on “night,” as it happened about 5 ’til dark-thirty. The fish were certainly into that buffet, and several very nice fish were taken right at the buzzer. As far a as conditions go, there is still quite a bit of water spilling over the dam, which is mercifully keeping us full as our release has been cut back to 275 CFS. Yet again, Mother Nature saves our bacon. Imagine 275 and this heat we’ve been having? There are some things I just don’t want to think about. As for today, we are looking at some more cloud cover and slightly cooler temps moving into the area, which will hopefully trigger some daytime hatching and earlier spinner falls – hopefully when we can still see them!
Ephemera guttulata – Green Drakes – #8-2XL
Stenonema fuscum – Grey Fox – #12-2xl
Hydropysche species – Tan Caddis – #16 & #18
Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18
Epeorus vitreus – PED, Pink Lady – #14
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerella invaria– Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,480 cfs @ 63º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,730 cfs @ 59º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,590 cfs @ 55º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,180 cfs @ 59º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,400 cfs @ 64º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 543 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 103.7% – 273 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions June 2, 2013
UPDATE: The Release from Cannonsville Reservoir has been dropped to 275 CFS, and we are still at the lowest Table (4a). Please do not try to apply logic in this situation, it won’t work.
It was definitely a summertime day yesterday – except for the part where we have oodles of water, of course. Bright sun, hot air temps made for a slow day of dry fly fishing, but the streamer bite was incredible! That being said, as we approached evening, there were good hatches of Dorthea and Isos, as well as psuedos and Green Drakes. Even in the heavy current the fish were coming up and eating – even more so in the slower back eddies and shallower flats. The DEP is still releasing 1,000 CFS as best we can tell (they have not updated the notification), as our temps are definitely lower on the West. The “1.5 inches” of rain predicted for today has evaporated, but we are still expecting some thunderstorms to roll through in the early afternoon. The additional cloud cover is welcome, and will do nothing but help the fishing overall!
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,970 cfs @ 60º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,430 cfs @ 53º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,950 cfs @ 56º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,650 cfs @ 60º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 6,110 cfs @ 60º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 607 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 103.7% – 1,000 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions June 1, 2013
There is certainly water everywhere, and we saw something rarely seen – over 50+ miles of the river system all at the same temperature – about 59F, which is fantastic considering the blistering heat we felt yesterday. The bright sun kept the streamer bite down a bit, until it lowered into the hills. By then we did have rising fish in the slower water and back eddies, with fish taking Isonychia and (believe it or not) Pseudos – tiny blue wing olives. How they could see them, I have no idea! But, the water has cleared tremendously, and now the powers that be have decided to release 1,000 cfs out of Cannonsville. Don’t ask me why, or on what regulation, as the most water we were supposed to get was a 525 release. This will cool down the water coming over the dam, and defintely help to further clear the West Branch. All that being said, today should be a great day, if we get the cloud cover predicted – clear, high, cool water always = good bugs, and good fish!
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 3,290 cfs @ 60º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 3,380 cfs @ 55º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 2,470 cfs @ 59º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 3,500 cfs @ 59º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 7,700 cfs @ 61º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 710 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 103.7% – 1,000 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 31, 2013
As much as we beg, plead, and pray for water, Mother Nature has certainly given it to us in spades. While both the West Branch and East are high, it seems as though they have peaked, and out front the West is already looking much cleaner than it did yesterday. The sudden influx of color (i.e. mud) was from the high flows hitting the dry banks. Now that we’ve peaked, the water is going to drop, and be continually clearing. Since we are at 3,000 cfs this morning, wading will be dangerous pretty much anywhere aside from the bank, until we drop down under 2,000 cfs or so. That being said, those with boats are in for a treat, as we already have seen alewives in Home Pool, and the streamer bite is likely to be spectacular in the short term (provided our cloud cover holds). The dries are certainly still there, and the fish will be looking up for them, but only in the slack water on the rivers’ edges, as we saw last night. This makes for some fun drifts – like the kind where your fly lands where you want, then magically goes upstream instead! Regardless, the water is a definite boon with the hot weather we are having, and will definitely extend our day-time dry fly fishing further into June. No complaints there.
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 3,080 cfs @ 59º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 3,130 cfs @ 58º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 2,770 cfs @ 58º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 4,030 cfs @ 58º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 7,780 cfs @ 60º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 836 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 101.9% – 250 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 30, 2013
What a difference a day can make. With the heat and humidity, the air felt just plain thick yesterday, and the patchy sun definitely kept the bugs down for a good chunk of the day. There was decent action to be found, depending on where you were fishing, but definitely slower than it has been for the previous few days. The spinners (Coffin Flies in particular) are starting to fly out over the water, but no real large falls at this point. The Dragonflies were out in force, mowing down mayflies and caddis like the little Apache attack helicopters they are – always cool to watch! Also, there is pretty big spill-off coming from both reservoirs now, coloring up the East and Main, while blowing quite a bit of the dreaded “green slime” downstream from Deposit in the West Branch. This will eventually settle out, but until then expect times where your Sulphur will turn into a BWO.
Last Minute Note: The crazy thing just brought to my attention is the fact that Walton (the inflow into Cannonsville) is at 6,100 cfs this morning, meaning the spill will continue for quite awhile.
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,070 cfs @ 59º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 989 cfs @ 59º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 2,100 cfs @ 55º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 3,090 cfs @ 57º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 3,790 cfs @ 60º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,170 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 100.7% – 250 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 29, 2013
Plenty of bugs out on the water yesterday at times, but the fish were not as crazy about eating them as you would expect. Maybe they were full after the last few days? Regardless, there were some nice fish taken, and some very cool hatches seen, including a full-fledged Iso hatch on the West Branch. Warmer weather and thunderstorms today could affect what has been happening, as well as the fact that both Cannonsville and Pepacton are currently spilling over warmer water. This will also likely flush some of the “green stuff” from up by Deposit on to us here downstream. With significant cloud cover however, we could also see some of our first real heavy spinner falls resultant from last week’s epic hatching.
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 377 cfs @ 53º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 580 cfs @ 49º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 900 cfs @ 52º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,700 cfs @ 52º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,120 cfs @ 52º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 991 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 100% – 204 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 28, 2013
Well those clouds I expected yesterday certainly never appeared! The bright sun definitely hampered things more than a little bit, at least in the early going of the the day, but the bugs were still on the surface. While the sulphurs tended to be the primary insect seen, there were definitely plenty of Grey Fox and Green Drakes around to keep the day interesting. Today cooler temps are called for, along with some rain showers here and there. If that ends up producing serious clouds, they today could be another banner day, especially with the lack of wind! Spinner falls, here we come! Also FYI – Pepacton Reservoir is currently spilling, we’re waiting to see if the same is true at Cannonsville with the large influx from above near Walton. Stay tuned!
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 224 cfs @ 43º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 330 cfs @ 52º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 764 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,700 cfs @ 52º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,460 cfs @ 56º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 787 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 97.2% – 225 CFS release |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 27, 2012
It was definitely a different story Sunday versus Saturday, that is for sure. With the winds being much more intense, and bright sun throughout the day, the fish were not exactly motivate to feed on the surface. There was still a ton of insect activity, with plenty of sulphurs coming off – both dorthea and invaria, as well as some Coffin Flies (Green Drake spinners) flying over the water in places. Green Drake duns were also popping here at there, along with March Browns and Grey Fox. Today, we are looking at temps in the 70s with (thankfully) less wind, and supposedly some decent cloud cover. With the sheer number of insects hatching over the last few days, this could mean some excellent spinner falls in our future!
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
Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic
Ephemerellainvaria- Sulphurs – #14
Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16
Current Flow Conditions:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 227 cfs @ 42º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 351 cfs @ 50º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 390 cfs @ 47º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,580 cfs @ 49º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,590 cfs @ 51º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 997 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 97.2% – 225 CFS release |
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!
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:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 227 cfs @ 42º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 443 cfs @ 45º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 326 cfs @ 47º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,130 cfs @ 47º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,670 cfs @ 50º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,510 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 97.2% – 225 CFS release |
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!
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:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 227 cfs @ 42º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 396 cfs @ 49º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 326 cfs @ 51º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,660 cfs @ 50º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,560 cfs @ 52º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,100 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 97.2% – 225 CFS release |
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!
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:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 224 cfs @ 43º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 377 cfs @ 54º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 249 cfs @ 59º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,430 cfs @ 58º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 1,270 cfs @ 62º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 882 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 97.1% – 225 CFS release |
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.
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:
FLOWS AS OF 8:00 AM: | |
West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 224 cfs @ 44º |
West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 348 cfs @ 57º |
East Branch at Harvard, NY | 292 cfs @ 65º |
East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,350 cfs @ 61º |
Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,320 cfs @ 67º |
Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 882 cfs @ N/A |
Cannonsville Reservoir Level & Release | 97.1% – 225 CFS release |