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:

April 20, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 20, 2013

Well the storms definitely rolled through last night – the news claimed they were moving at over 50MPH and it sure seemed like it! Over here on the West Branch, we were spared a good chunk of the rain, so we only came up about 500 CFS. The water is slightly off-color, but definitely fish-able – brown enough for streamer fishing, but light enough to possibly see some dry flies kicking around as well, assuming the wind will lay down a bit this afternoon. The rain was also warm, bringing more good news for the West Branch – we won’t need to wait a few more days for another warm-up. Otherwise, the Main Stem and East Branch are definitely going to be blown out for the foreseeable future – most likely as a result of the Willow and Beaverkill – they took the brunt of the rain it seems. Things will likely be changing throughout the day, feel free to give the shop a call for a more up-to-the-minute report!

Randy Rueb showing off again, having caught this beautiful Rainbow! Photo: Steve Shen

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:

April 19, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 19, 2013

If you see anyone who was on the river yesterday, and they look a bit red-faced please understand it’s not from embarrassment but the windburn they are likely recovering from. Even though the wind was whipping, the water temps got above 50 pretty much system-wide, and we saw some pretty active fish out there, albeit almost completely subsurface. Those fishing streamers and nymphs found hungry trout almost anywhere they looked. In the lee of the wind you could find some risers sporadically up and down the river, but it was not anything to really write home about. Today we’re looking for a bit more precipitation, but it is coupled with warmer weather, which equates to yet warmer water – exactly what we need to get these bugs moving! The wind is still going to be a factor, but it looks like it will come and go throughout the day (thus far – we’ll see how right the witchdoctors are!) giving us a bit of a break to put on some Chap-stick.

Randy Rueb holds one of his many fish from yesterday! Photo: Steve Shen

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:

April 18, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 18, 2013

UPDATE: Lordville guage is down as of 9:28 AM – so take the flow and temps there with a grain of salt.

It finally started yesterday! Well, at least on the Upper West Branch. Lots of Paraleps and Baetis flying around, and fish up and actively eating them (albeit sporadically at times) – our first real good dry fly day of the season. The only downer to that was the Upper West was the only portion of the river really fishing, despite huge numbers of hatching Chimarra caddis system-wide. The good news is, the Main Stem is already above 50 degrees at Lordville, meaning that if we maintain these consistent temps, the dry fly seasons should start in earnest in the very near future. Maybe even today! As far as weather is concerned, we have highs in the 60s today, with some passing showers rolling through as well. Let’s hope they get the rivers back up a little bit!

Tim Didas holding a nice Main Stem Brown caught in the wind this past weekend. Photo: Bob Lewis

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:

April 17, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 17, 2013

While the thunderstorms went around us, we still picked up some decent rain upstream, which was enough to keep our flows up – definitely good news. The fishing was a bit slow, likely due to the major pressure changes, but there were a handful of times when the fish were very active, and even feeding on top. Several nice fish were taken on the lower West and upper Main on Parleps (Blue Quill) as there was a nice little flush of them after the rain in the early afternoon. Today, we’ve got “partly cloudy” skies predicted, which will mean a nice warm-up of the water. The warmer it gets, the closer we are to Hendrickson time!

Rich Rueb with a NICE Main Stem Brown caught this week with Jeff. 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:

April 16, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 16, 2013

There were plenty of wind-burned faces coming off the water yesterday, that is for sure. On the West Branch, there was no real need to back row in a boat – you could just let the wind take you upstream. That being said, we had some decent fish caught on streamers, nymphs, and even a few isolated dry flies. The dries that were around comprised mostly of the chimarra caddis (little charcoal/brown) in about a size 18. There were some (reliable) reports of some strange “Baby March Browns” on the lower West – I’m hoping to capture one today. Could be some that had their growth stunted or the like. Bug-nerd-wise, this is important. Fisherman-wise, not so much as the fish weren’t on them. Today we’re starting with warmer water and air temps – this could bode well for a more dry-oriented day, but there are some thunderstorms predicted, and a little bit of wind (not like yesterday) coming out of the South again.

Terry Mulvihill with a nice, dark Rainbow he caught this weekend as part of the Project Healing Waters training session. Photo: Bob Lewis

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:

April 15, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 14, 2013

The weathermen did it again. Or is lying just their thing? Regardless, instead of the mid-50s sunny day we were so hoping for yesterday, we had cold weather and some serious breezes, and even SNOW flying around at times. That being said, it sure didn’t hurt the streamer bite at all, with some really nice fish moved throughout the day. There were some decent mayflies spotted on the lower West as well, but no fish were up and chasing, most likely due to the wind masking their presence. Today, we are supposed to get into the 60s with a good amount of sun. Obviously, I will believe it when I see it, but if it does occur the bugs should be happy, and the fish should be active. Let’s see if they get this one right!

Brian Campion holds a big, gorgeous Main Stem brown caught yesterday. Photo: Bruce Miller

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:

April 14, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 14, 2013

Yesterday was certainly interesting out on the river. While there wasn’t a ton of insect activity, there were periods of pretty intense action on streamers, then followed by real lulls in the fish activity. There were some nice fish boated, including a few random Smallmouth Bass thrown in for good measure. If the forecast holds for today, we’re looking at some banner fishing most likely – the sun will heat up the water early, and if the winds stay down as predicted, the bugs should be out as well. The water levels are falling, but not precipitously, meaning we will still have some decent floating conditions for the next few days, but keep praying for more rain!

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:

April 13, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 13, 2013

It was a little less than pleasant yesterday morning after my post – rain came down in HUGE sheets, then nothing, then HUGE sheets, then nothing then……you get the picture. The good news is that the West Branch was spared much of the run-off, but not so much that it dropped significantly. We had some color in the water, but just the right amount – perfect for tossing streamers and nymphs. If we had had some warmer weather, I think we would have seen some great dry fly action. Instead, there was a little flush of bugs in the “heat” of the day (when it got to 45 or so), but nothing the fish were able to key in on. Today however, we are looking at temps up in the 50s, with little to no rain. This bodes very well for a productive day, assuming the wind stays down. It also shows promise for an awesome Sunday/Monday – those look like the two days when it could just go ‘off’ here with dry flies…..

Here Hendo Hendo Hendo…..(ok, not quite yet, but soon!). Photo by: 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:

April 12, 2013

Delaware River Report / Conditions April 12, 2012

The rain and cooler temps definitely slowed us down a little bit yesterday, but did great things for our flow situation. The West Branch has stabilized around 750 CFS, and looks like it will hold around that level for the next few days. Great for those wanting to fish upstream a bit. Again, the parts of the West Branch in New York were the only sections with any real insect activity to speak of yesterday. The East and the Main Stem are clearing nicely, but still a bit too high to wade at this point – great for you boat folk! Today is likely going to be a mirror-image of yesterday, with clouds and showers here and there. The air pressure has equalized a bit, so I think that bodes well for us from a hatching standpoint, especially with water temps all starting above 40 this morning.

I did capture this Baetis vagans (BWO) dun whilst he was hanging around on the Open sign at the shop. A good start to he day! Photo: Bart Larmouth

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: