Upper Delaware Fly Fishing Report

Thursday

The Upper Delaware rivers are now ICE COLD again!

This morning all of our rivers have water temperatures that are at 55 degrees or lower!

Insect hatches are now great and the trout are feeding well. Yesterday our guests were treated to one of the best fishing days of the year. The trout are super aggressive and we had action all day. On my float we had several dozen nice trout come to net . Right now the nymph action is excellent and the Trout are crushing the bigger Mayflies.

Yesterday we also had a lot of smallmouth bass rising to dry flies which added an interesting twist to the evening hatch.

Below are some photos from yesterday.Joe continued with his hot hand landing many Trout including a few 20+" Browns. There is also a photo of a dry fly eating Smallie. For those who don't know we run evening trips in July and August to specifically target rising smallies.

River Flow Table

Beaverkill - 199 cfs.

Wilowemoc - 120cfs.

Upper East Branch -122 cfs

Lower East Branch - 417 cfs.

West Branch -226 cfs.

Main Stem -795 cfs.

Our fly shop is now open daily. We are fully stocked with the essentials and the best local fly patterns in the area. If you are planning to fish and want to get the scoop on what's happening on all area rivers, stop in. Our guides will be in and around the shop from 8:30 am until they leave for their trips. You can pick their brains on the latest hatches, techniques and locations. Our staff will be available to you on a daily basis from now through the end of June

Currently there are Hendrickson's emerging from all Upper Delaware Rivers. There is good spinner activity every night. Blue Quills, Apple Caddis, Stoneflies and some March Browns are also on the water at times.

Today's Upper Delaware Fly Selection

March Browns, Sulfurs, Blue Quill CDC Duns, Quill Gordon Cripples, Hendrickson Knock Down Duns, Hendrickson Cripples, Red Quill Cripples, Elk Over CDC Caddis, X Caddis, Peacock Klinkhammers, Apple Caddis, March Brown Duns, March Brown Cripples

BH Copper Johns, BH Pheasant Tails, Ice Caddis, KT Pupas, BH Stoneflies, Flash Back Pheasant Tails, Cased Caddis

Small Zonkers, BH Wooly Buggers , Sculpins, Bottom Wigglers, Muddlers, Small Atriculated Flies

Streamers of 3" or less will be most effective at this time.

BEAVERKILL AND WILLOWEMOC

Both the Beaverkill and Willow are fishing decent under normal spring conditions. . Both rivers have excellent wading access at this time and there is very little angler pressure on these waters. At this time the Beaverkill and WIlloemoc are the only rivers in the system that are at very nice fishing levels. The current flow rates are where these rivers fish best.

Hendricksons are emerging well and there is good spinner activity late in the day. Apple Caddis are on the lower Beaverkill in good numbers.

Anglers should nymph early and start looking for risers in mid afternoon.

EAST BRANCH

The East is very low through it's entire length. There is good dry fly action with Hendricksons.

Spinners are falling daily. The lower river is now thick with Apple Caddis.

Fish are getting tough to approach with the very low flows. The East is living up to it's reputation as being a tough dry fly river.

WEST BRANCH

The West is also very low. The insect activity is very good and this river should be bug soup for the next month. Anglers will easily find rising fish at this time.

Angler activity will also be at it's peak over the next month and with the greatly reduced amount of water the Trout are in for a beating. This river really needs some rainfall or an increased release from Cannonsville.

MAIN STEM

With the low water the Main Stem is now handling all of the drift boat anglers over a much reduced area of river. The Upper River is a daily parade of drift boats especially on the Buckingham stretch. The water temperatures are good and the trout are rising.

Despite the heavy pressure the fishing is good. The insect life has been incredible over the last 10 days or so. Both the insects and Trout are now fully established in their daily routines.

March Browns, Sulfurs and Olives are on the water in solid numbers. Yesterday our guests were treated to the heaviest spinner fall of the year. There is also a good amount of Stoneflies and Caddisflies about.