After having a steady release of 500 cfs for most of the Summer a lot of us were wondering when something crazy would happen. The release was cut to 400 cfs yesterday due to a change in the FFMP charts. This morning the release from Cannonsville was increased to 795 cfs. This is likely due to the downstream flow targets. Our best guess is that they are not going to run water out of Lake Wallenpaupack this weekend and the recent rains missed us dropping the flow in Montague, NJ. At some point we will likely be cut back to 400 cfs when they start to release downriver again. Hopefully they will step it down gradually when the time comes rather than drop us 50% in one shot. Dropping the release 24 hours before they increase the release seems a bit crazy but I’m sure they will say they had to run the releases that way due to the FFMP. If that’s the case then the Flexible Flow Management Plan isn’t all that damn flexible.
Nymphing will be tough today since the increased release probably knocked a bunch of the slime loose. Streamers may productive but check your fly often. The hatches should still come off on the upper West Branch. The water temperature change will be less dramatic closer to the dam. The lower West could go either way today. If the water temps drop quickly it may shut the bugs down initially but then we may see increased daytime hatching as the cooler temps level out. Tomorrow everything should settle in and offer decent fishing provided the higher release continues.
steady, down, and up
Hatching:
Slate Drake – 12-2xl- Isonychia bicolor
Sulphur – #16-20 – E dorothea
Light Cahill – #14 – 16 – S. ithaca & canadense
Golden Drake – #12-2xl – Potomanthus
Trico – 22 – 26 – Tricorythodes sp.
Tiny Blue Winged Olive – #22 – 26 – Psuedocloeon spp.
Blue Winged Olive – #18 – 20 – E. lata
Light Blue Winged Olive – #16 – 20 E. attenuatta
Tan Caddis – #16 – 20 – Hydropsyche spp.
Dark Brachycentrus sp. – #14 – 18 – Dark Grannom
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Blue Winged Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans (updated name: Baetis tricaudatus)
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 813 cfs |
48° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 750 cfs rising |
50° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 170 cfs | 55° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 285 cfs | 63° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 607 cfs | 63° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 113 cfs | N/A |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 795 cfs | |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 57° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 61 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 68.5% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 80.2% |
