Winters Grip

The trout fishing season is getting off to a slow start. Over the last few days the Upper Delaware has had blustery weather with pretty steady snow squalls. Over the last few days probably 5more inches of snow has been added to the mountains surrounding our rivers. Despite the fact that the conditions are tough to fish today, long term this weather is probably good for the river ecosystem.

It looks like a warm may be coming soon. The forecast is calling for temperatures to climb slowly through the week to around 60 degrees for next weekend. This is perfect spring weather and at a perfect time. Next weekend there are lots of activities planned in town. Roscoe will be celebrating, spring and trout fishing and the return of good friends after a long winter. The big event is next Saturday as the Chamber of commerce host the Annual Two Headed Trout banquet at the Rockland House. If you have never attended, start the tradition this year. This great night is full of fun. Door Prizes, Raffles, Auctions and a 5 course dinner. Check out the Roscoe Facebook page for details,

Now the fishing

The action is pretty slow now. The slow snow melt and very cold nights have water temperatures right in the range to produce slow lethargic trout.

The Upper Delaware and Catskill Trout Streams are spring time high. The most fishable / wadable water can currently be found in the Willowemoc, Beaverkill and East Branch. These are all fishable with near normal spring conditions. The West Branch and Main Stem are much higher due to Cannonsville Reservoir spilling over it's dam.

The best bet right now are streamers and nymphs. Big is better on both fly types. It is important early season to make the reward worth the effort. A big bug or baitfish is the ticket. Even with the right fly fishing now is still an exercise in how slow can you go. Any offering has to be presented directly in front of the trout's nose and it will have to stay there for a while to seal the deal.

I like 2 streamer types early season, The big chewy ones with lots of rabbit and marabou for maximum movement with a slow presentation. The other is A more stiff profile type baitfish like the E.P. Minnows and the more traditional Hackle Wing Streamers. These flies keel in the water and tumble in the current like a wounded or dead baitfish. These are killer when alewives are present.

Our new dfly shop is fully stocked with custome streamer patters.

In the bug department it is mostly about drift and getting the flies to the right depth. This is best accomplished with large tungsten or brass bead head nymphs. Normally I will rig 3 flies in line. Some of my early season favorite include Rubber Leg Stonefly, Hares Ear, Pheasant tail and Ice Pupas. These all fall into the category of comfort food for trout as they are available year round in our rivers. High Sticking with 10 to 12 foot rods will give you the best presentation under the current conditions. The choice of tight line or indicator fishing should be chosen and matched to the water conditions.

Look for another report in a few days. We will switch to daily as soon as the water temps. rise and we have new information. This year Baxter House will continue with the plan of having all of our guides contribute to our Upper Delaware and Catskill Fly Fishing Reports.

If you have the need for maximum information be sure to follow us on Facebook. Baxter House Outfitters. This is where a lot of info. hits first. All of our guides post interesting stuff directly from the river. We have also been streaming Facebook live action at times. Follow Us Today!

We are still offering our early season streamer fishing special. This is a 6+ hour float trip dedicated to hunting big brown trout. This trip has a special cost of $375.00 through April 15

Call us today. We have some openings available during the warm days forecast for later in the week. 607-348-7497

Our fly shop is now open daily. If you are planning to fish make sure you stop by.