April 4rd - Delaware River - Catskills - Fly Fishing Report

April 4, 2017

Guide Zach Anderson

I’m excited to describe the start of the 2017 season as normal. The weather was cold, windy and snowy and the fish were responsive but lethargic. After the dry conditions of last year, its a nice thing to see.

This morning finds all of the area rivers on the rise. Although this is going to hamper fishing efforts over the next few days, it is a great thing overall for the system. After the tough conditions of last season, extra water is welcome.

We have some open days and expect to have solid streamer fishing over the next couple weeks. If you are interested in throwing big streamers for big trout give us a call. We have a early season rate of $375 until April 15 for two anglers.

With the water temps hovering around 40 degrees, anglers might find fishing challenging. However those willing to brave the cold and work hard can be rewarded with some quality fish.

After a long winter of cold water the fish are just starting to wake up. Most fish are still going to be associated with wintering water. As the days get warmer and longer, expect to see an increase in feeding activity.

Yesterday we had beautiful warm weather and saw signs of spring on the river. During the warmest part of the day we saw Paraleps (Blue Quills) and stoneflies, both on the water and fluttering about (In surprising numbers for April 3rd). Not surprisingly the fish are not looking up yet.

During this warm period we had good action on streamers. We had 5 or 6 Browns take swipes at our bait fish patterns. Three of these fish wound up in the boat. Most came from deep holes.

Right now anglers will find the best fishing to be low and slow. When the water is this high we prefer streamers. Wade angling can be dangerous with some of the higher flows.

The 2017 season is off to a great start. I’m looking forward seeing everyone. ZA