September 24, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 24, 2013

60 degrees yesterday? The weathermen need to check the mercury in their thermometers. The wind blew steadily downstream yesterday, and it definitely made for a bitter, biting day on the water. As the afternoon progressed the bugs did come out to play – especially the Pseudos which hatched en masse for the majority of the afternoon. The fish on the other hand were having a hard time seeing these critters as the wind was futzing up the surface tension. The Isos they saw were definitely gobbled, but the rises were definitely sporadic and slow, unfortunately. The fish never seemed to get as active as they should have been with the number of bugs on the water. Today, they are calling for a much warmer day, with hopefully a whole lot less wind than yesterday!

Brian Pocrass fights a nice Main Stem Brown as Bruce Miller readies the net. Photo: Frank Howard

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 23, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 23, 2013

What a difference a day can make. Sunday was a 180 degrees change from Saturday, literally in the case of the wind! There were bugs and fish active throughout the day, especially the times when the wind quieted down. Folks were seeing good numbers of fish on the West and Main, pretty much from Hale Eddy all the way to Buckingham and a bit beyond. It was a good mix of bugs, with huge numbers of Pseudos going untouched, but the Isos, big stenos, and white flies certainly made up for it! Today we have another shift in weather, this time to bright sun. We’ll still have some wind out there, but the temps are supposed to stay in the low 60s, which will hopefully mean the bug activity continues, possibly with some Trico action thrown in for good measure. Otherwise, it will likely be an evening game when the sun starts to drop behind the mountains. The cold nights is also starting to bring out the colors in the trees, so if nothing else, things are going to get beautiful around here in a hurry!

Our other kind of favorite fall colors! Photo: Steve Shen

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 22, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 22, 2013

Well, that sucked. That’s pretty much the only way to describe the fishing yesterday. It had potential early on, and several folks had good hatches of isos early on in the day, but then the wind came up ( the air pressure also began to fluctuate wildly), and the fish just quit for the rest of the day. Nymphs, streamers, dries – it basically didn’t matter, the fish just didn’t care, and hunkered down. We did have a good, steady rain as well, which bumped us up infinitesimally, but definitely did not color up the water in the slightest. The hope for today is that overcast skies and cooler temps (along with a whole lot less wind) will entice the fish to come back around today. The atmospheric pressure balancing out will also help us. Although the fish were not cooperative, there was some excellent hatching yesterday – with some crazy stuff like Ephoron Lukon – White Flies on the Main, along with decent Isos, and hebes as well just for good measure. If they keep popping, the fish should start looking!

The day wasn’t a total loss for Frank Howard, as he caught this big rainbow yesterday with Bruce. Photo: Bruce Miller

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 21, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 21, 2013

More summertime fun out on the water Friday, with bright, HOT sun, and temps into the 80s (if you weren’t in the shade!). Many of the bugs could care less, and were hatching during the day – including some smaller olives. The fish on the other hand, were not that impressed with the hatching, and laid fairly low until the sun started to drop in the afternoon, when they started paying attention, and fed well on the Lower West, and in places on the Main Stem. Big changes are afoot today insofar as weather is concerned, with rain predicted throughout the day, as well as some pretty windy conditions at times as this warm front moves out of the area. Sounds prime for Olives, but I would fully expect to see Isos and Stenos kicking around as well, river-wide.

Steno….. mmmmmm yummy! Photo: Bart Larmouth

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 20, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 20, 2013

Mixed bag out there yesterday, with some folks having lots of luck, and others seeing really picky, annoying fish. Regardless, there were plenty of bugs to be found, on every river. The fish were not too keen on the bright sun on the Main, but there were some steady fish rising on the lower West in teh heat of the day. Tricos did fall later than usual (noon), and those out in Methodist Pool seemed to see the majority of them. Today we are looking at more of the same – bright sun, and Indian Summer weather – highs around 77! We will see what that does to the fish today, but it should make for good evening fishing, as there is not supposed to be a large temp drop once the sun goes down.

Dark-thirty pictures are tough, but not as tough as this big Rainbow Doug Ewing landed last night! Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 19, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 19, 2013

Another beautiful day out on the river Wednesday, and the bugs definitely showed themselves again. The fish were not as enthusiastic in the bright sun as they have been lately, but as it dropped in the sky, they certainly became hungrier and active. There were good numbers of Isos on the Main, as well as olives and the occasional hebe and steno. Today we’ve got a warmer day predicted, with similar amounts of sun expected. Yesterday, that brought decent trico action in the morning, and I would suspect the same today. Hopefully the fish have acclimated to the slightly lower levels in the West, and will be looking up for a tasty treat in the mid-day sun.

Rich Baker with a colorful Main Stem fish! Photo: Bruce Miller

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 18, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 18, 2013

The bugs were out in force yesterday, especially as the day wore on into evening. Plenty of smaller stenos on the main, olives on the West, with some brown caddis (#16) popping out, but the fish did not seem to key in on them. We had a very cold overnight, which brought our river temps right back down, and today we expecting another mostly sunny day, but a bit warmer – in the low 70s. If the sun does stay out and bright, there is a good chance for flying ants this afternoon as well – there were a handful reported on the lower West yesterday, so there is always hope! Otherwise, the tricos should come when the morning sun burns through the fog, and get things rolling for the day.

Stu Baker with a monster rainbow caught this weekend with Bruce. Photo: Bruce Miller

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 17, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 17, 2013

Not bad out there yesterday, so long as the wind stayed out of your way. When the clouds were around, the olives made themselves known, and even the isos made an appearance here and there. Acivity slowed towards dark, as the temps began to drop. It also looks like our release on the West has dropped to 375 cfs for the time being – I’m looking into it, but it should not adversely affect the fishing, being such a small change. Today, we’re looking at bright sun, with highs in the mid-60s. With the water starting of very cold this morning, the sun should not be a deal breaker, and you’ll likely see some activity right in the middle of the day, especially the hebes and stenos.

James Lewis releasing a beautiful rainbow from this weekend. Photo: John Snipes

What’s Hatching:

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14 – Sporadic

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Ephemerella lata – Dark BWO – #18

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 16, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 16, 2013

It was a great day out on the river yesterday! Aside from a lull right around lunchtime, there were bugs and fish pretty much throughout the day. It started with good streamer action, turned into nice trico hatches (depending on where you were), and finished with olives and stenos throughout the day and into the evening. Today is a BWO enthusiast’s dream – overcast skies, spitting mist and light rain all day with very little wind to speak of. Temps are slated to be in the mid-60s, and we are starting off in the mid-50s, so it definitely feels a whole lot more comfortable this morning than it did yesterday. The tricos will likely start a bit earlier (10AM or so) with this warmer start, so drink that coffee, and head on out there!

Almost to scale (kidding) – size 8-2XL caddis – Platycentropis radius. While there are plenty of these “October Caddis” kicking around, the fish typically aren’t as interested in them as they are on other streams. Photo by: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14 – Sporadic

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Ephemerella lata – Dark BWO – #18

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 15, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 15, 2013

It has been awhile since the weathermen were as off as they were about yesterday. The day started off cold and overcast, and it stayed that way for the duration, so I guess we can’t complain! There certainly was a breeze in the afternoon that would shut the hatching down a bit, but overall it was a pretty decent day. The streamer bite was on in the morning, and the olives came out strong throughout the rest of the afternoon, on into evening. This morning we are starting off very cold (38F), but we are supposed to reach up into the low 70s before all is said and done. There will still be some decent cloud cover to keep our olives happy, and the sun will warm up the water a bit as well, getting those fish nice, active, and happy a bit earlier today. Watch for hebes and small stenos as well – they made a brief appearance yesterday and we’ll likely see more as the month progresses.

We have been seeing some olives that could be  the younger brother of this guy – the Cornuta. Similar colors, just a bit smaller! Photo: Jeff White

What’s Hatching:

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14 – Sporadic

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Ephemerella lata – Dark BWO – #18

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 14, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 14, 2013

Definitely a mixed bag out on the water yesterday. Tricos were spotted pool to pool throughout the morning (i.e. one would fish, another wouldn’t), and then there were good but sporadic olive hatches throughout the day on the West, tapering off in evening once the air temps started to drop. We had a cold overnight last night, which means our bugs will not likely show until later on in the morning today, and with “partly cloudy” skies predicted, we’ll likely be seeing more hebes and stenos in the mid-day than olives. The Isos are starting back up, so they are definitely a threat as well! River levels are steady, and very wadeable, with great clarity out there (just a hint of color!). Looks like it could be a fantastic start to the weekend!

Bruce Miller holding a great fish caught by his buddy Joe Dsole Thursday. Photo by the angler

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions:

September 13, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions September 13, 2013

Happy Friday the 13th! I hope you aren’t a triskaidekaphobic! We certainly did get quite a bit of rain during the day and overnight, but the good news is that river levels (at least on the West) remained pretty steady – we’re up around 800, but with very little color in the river at all. There was  a good streamer bite on, with olives and some hebes thrown in for good measure. Today we’re looking at more scattered showers, which means nice, cloudy skies and (finally) cooler temperatures. The air pressure looks to be stable, which is always a good thing for hatching, which means we definitely should have good olive hatches, and maybe even a spinner fall or two, as well as Tricos early on. The 13th is a lucky day afterall, right?

Jim holds a nice, thick West Branch Brown he recently caught! Photo: Rich Buerman

What’s Hatching:

Ephemerella dorthea – Sulphurs – #16 & #18 – starting to wane

Epeorus vitreus – PED / Pink Lady – #14

Isonychia bicolor – Iso – Slate Drake – #12-2XL, #12

Stenonema species – Various Light Cahills – #14

Pseudocloeon species – BWO – #22 – sporadic

Heptagenia hebe – Olive Sulphurs – #16

Current Flow Conditions: