May 2, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 2, 2013

It was another great day out on the river yesterday, but not quite as hot as the one previous. We had rising fish from just after lunch all the way until dark, with a few lulls here and there, depending on where you had decided to get your waders wet. Fish could definitely be picky at times, and landing one on a particular pattern didn’t necessarily mean that his buddy next door would take the same thing. We had Hendricksons, Caddis (Apple Green & Tan), as well as a good flush of Paraleps yet again, this time the smaller size 18 variety. Today we are expecting even warmer temperatures, so the water should heat up pretty quick across the system, and hatches will likely start earlier as a result. The heat of the day might slow things down a bit, but don’t worry – that just means a great evening of rising fish!

Mark Li holds a nice upstream Brown caught on the West Branch. Photo: Mike Phillipe.

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

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

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

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

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Still very fishable!

Current Flow Conditions:

May 1, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions May 1, 2013

Welcome to May! And April definitely went out with a bang! Yesterday was some of the best dry fly fishing that we have seen this year, with fish up and rising on every river, pretty much in every riffle run and pool for near the entirety of the day. Hendricksons were back on the West Branch, as well as the East, but Apple Caddis were the fly of choice on the Main Stem, with a few Hendos thrown in for good measure. The warm, humid weather predicted over the next three days bodes well for this type of action to continue, so long as our water temps stay where they are.

Mike Phillipe with a KILLER West Branch Brown caught on a Hendrickson Parachute. Photo: Mark Li

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

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

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 30, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 30, 2013

A cold, rainy day yesterday brought us the toughest day of the year so far. Cool water and even cooler air stifled the bugs for the majority of the day, with some folks on the West seeing Paraleps but no fish, an others on the Main seeing fish but no bugs! Yeah, definitely one of those kind of days. Today we’re looking at temps in the mid-60s with a bit more sunshine, which is a good thing for water temps, and hopefully bugs. Winds should be fairly calm as well, which was one of the highlights of yesterday also. It sometimes feels like we live on the Great Plains lately with all the breezy days we have been having. The hatch will likely start later in the afternoon, as it will likely take that long for the rivers to warm up a tad.

Samantha Chain holds her FIRST fish on the fly! A West Branch Brown! We tried to tell her how big a deal that is…… Photo by: Proud Papa Paul

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

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

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 29, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 29, 2013

It was definitely a crazy day out there on the river yesterday. Without a doubt, it was the busiest I have seen it in my 10+ years around here. Although there were a ton of boats and waders, the fishing was still pretty dang good – folks found good pods of rising fish throughout the system. It was tough at times, but definitely not impossible! Today we’re expecting a hint of rain, with clouds throughout. Needless to say perfect BWO weather! We’ll see what materializes, but you’ll definitely find me out there after the shop closes at 6!

Peter Ahlberg holds a beauty of a fish! Photo: Kevan Smaracko

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

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

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 28, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 28, 2013

Another odd one out there yesterday, with good to great numbers of hatching bugs, but sporadic fish activity, depending on the section of river you were on. Not much rhyme or reason to it, just luck of the draw in many cases, although the sheer number of boats and waders likely played a role.  Those who did hit it right saw Hendricksons, Paraleps, and tons of Caddis. There were also SNOWSTORM-like flights of Caddis down river, thicker than I have even seen out west. This didn’t mean that the fish were on them, as these guys were just true ‘flights’ – not actual hatching insects, so they were not making it to the water in any great number. Frustrating when you see that many! The good news is that this particular hatch is moving up the river, and the fish will definitely find the time to eat them. Today we’re looking warm and sunny again, so the water temps should get up where we like them to see more mayflies pop.

Pat Regan holds a nice West Branch Brown. Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

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

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 27, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 27, 2013

Another good day out there yesterday! We still had spots that were on fire and others that were a little bit slow, but overall the bugs were out and the fish were up. The Main Stem fish seemed a bit more interested in Caddis than Mayflies, while fish on the East and West were definitely in full Paralep mode. The wind was stiffer than predicted (What’s that Bart? Are you saying the weathermen were wrong?) system-wide, which did slow down the action at times. Today is supposed to be calm, with temps in the high 60s, which should start the hatching even a little earlier than yesterday.

Bob Cirocco with a nice Main Stem Brown from yesterday. Photo: Kevan Smaracko

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

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

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 26, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 26, 2013

Definitely an interesting day out there yesterday. The Main Stem finally lit up, and the Lower West slowed down. Folks fishing from the Gamelands upstream had good numbers of rising fish taking Paraleps (which were blanketing the water) with decent hatching, but downstream from there the Hendricksons barely got started, and most fish were taken on charcoal caddis. The Main had Paraleps and a few Hendricksons down towards Buckingham, but really good numbers further on towards Long Eddy. We also saw our first appearance of the Apple Green Caddis, and the fish in the Lower East and Main both seemed to be quite interested in them. With good starting water temps today, as well as moderate air temps predicted, we could be in for a heck of a day today as well, and the weekend is looking better and better too! The only variable is the spillage from CAnnonscville – if it really starts to go, the DEP will release 1500 CFS until it stops under their so-well-designed FFMP (that was sarcasm people). I’ll post an update if it jumps, so be aware if you are wading the West Branch today.

Dave Zmijewski with a slammin’ West Branch Brown! Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 25, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 25, 2013

Well, that was an interesting Wednesday. Between the wind being 7 hours late, and the NYC DEP sudddenly shutting the dam off, it was more than a bit stressful. First, the release was dropped to 0 CFS (yes, you read that right) yesterday to allow NYC to make a repair to an outflow pipe. This was done with basically NO notice (shocking, right?), but fortunatley only took a handful of hours to correct, so we are back to a 396 release at this point. We will see how it affects the fish up that direction. Otherwise, it was a pretty decent day of fishing out on the West Branch, with Caddis being the preferred food of the day. Today the winds are “supposed” to lay down, so it should only get better. Let’s just hope the Main and East are being a bit more cooperative today!

Rich Bauer holds a nice fish from his float on Tuesday. Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 24, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 24, 2013

What a day yesterday! For real, that’s not just fly-shop sunshine and rainbows talk. We had four boats out yesterday, and everyone had good, consistent rising fish (big ones at times!) taking Hendricksons, Blue Quills, and Baetis, right up until dark. The wind did add some difficultly at times, and there were sections of the river that were pretty devoid of activity, but overall it was a spectacular day for most out there. Today, we have thunderstorms in the forecast which keep changing in both duration, precipitation amount, as well as timing. So I guess it is just a good day to pack your rain coat and be ready. Air temperatures are going to hover in the high 60s with some humidity, which bodes very very well for insect activity throughout the day.

Joe Hodikowski holds a BIG West Branch Brown caught on top yesterday afternoon. Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 23, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 23, 2013

Our old friend the wind was back yesterday, despite the witch doctor’s promises to the contrary. As such, there were definitely bugs (Hendos included!) but the fish had a tough time seeing them at times. When the wind did quiet down, the fish were pretty consistent, taking Dark Hendrickson duns as well as Paralep emergers (CDC and deer hair). Now today, we’re looking at bright sun (good for water temps), and supposedly calm winds. The release from Cannonsville has also FINALLY been raised, it appears the powers that be at the DEP realized the reservoir is filling up after all. This should not affect the fishing much, but will give us a much needed buffer on the West Branch, allowing us to continue to float! Good luck out there today!

Thorn May having a good sense of humor after working hard to catch a rising “lunker.” Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 22, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 22, 2013

They’re Heeee-rreee! Hendricksons are out on the West Branch, and the fish were definitely chomping down on them yesterday. The wind was stiffer than expected, so the activity was patchy up and downstream, but those who ran into in had fantastic days. Things can only get better as the hatch progresses and increases to over on the East and Main as well, now they that are both dropping and clearing. This is where I would normally talk about today’s weather/wind situation, but one customer has informed me that anytime I mention a calmer, milder day ahead, the opposite seems to happen, making me the jinx in the situation. So, I will be indirect and more general and just say the weather just keeps looking better!

Steve Shen (right)holds a BRUTE of a 22″ Brown caught by George Fielding yesterday afternoon on the lower West Branch. Photo: Christine Fielding

Ephemerella subvaria – Hendricksons – #12 & #14

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions:

April 21, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 21, 2013

It felt like winter had crept back at us yesterday, that much is for sure. By “crept,” I mean blowing with seemingly gale-force wind at times. With the East Branch and the Main pretty much blown out yesterday, the West Branch was the only real game in town, with plenty of waders and boats taking advantage. Successs was a bit tough to find for some, as certain areas of the river had active fish, while others were quiet. The big news of the day? HENDRICKSONS!!! Good hatches were seen on the West, and there were even a few fish feeding on them as well. The Parleps were still going strong, as well as Baetis, but for the most part the wind kept the dry fly fishing to a minimum. Today on the other hand, we are looking at a partly sunny day with temps in the low 50s, but the winds are supposed to lay down for the first time this season. The bugs are ready to pop, and today could be the day the fish really start looking up and seeing them!

Theo May holds a nice West Branch Brown caught on a #14 Hendrickson Comparadun yesterday. Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Chimarra species – Charcoal Caddis – #16 & #18

Taeniopteryx fasciata – Early Black Stonefly- #18

Brachyteraspecies- Early Brown Stonefly – #12/#14

Baetis species – BWO – #16 & #18 – Very sporadic, getting started

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva – Blue Quill – #16 & #18 – Same as Baetis

Current Flow Conditions: