Fly Fishing Report for the Upper Delaware and Catskill Rivers

The fishing around the system is very good. The unpredictable rainy weather and cool nights are exactly what trout and insects love. In most of our rivers insect hatches are heavy and the water temperature is right for trout to be active and aggressive. Now is the time to be out on the water!

Currently all of our upper Delaware rivers are running bank full. The conditions range from very high on the Main Delaware to wadable but on the high side for everywhere else. The best bet for wade anglers remains to be the West Branch. This river has not changed very much from the recent rains. The next best bet is the Willowemoc which has good access. The other areas should be waded with caution and anglers need to stay within their comfort zone when entering the rivers. The good news is that many of the best fish are near the banks feeding so being waist deep is counterproductive in most places.

Our guests have been all smiles lately. All of our recent trips have produced big numbers as well as big fish. On my last few floats double digits with brown trout has been the norm. I have also been handling several huge trout every day. For the last week we have only been fishing dry flies and every fish in our recent photos came to net on dry flies.

If you are planning a trip Hendricksons, and Apple Caddis are still the main insects. Both are on the water daily along with millions of hendrickson spinners. There is no prime time now. The fish have been feeding around the clock as there are always spinners or spent caddis in the drift.

Recently I have been seeing some March Browns and Sulfurs about. Still no big numbers but there have been some flurries of activity. It should be noted however that my recent trips have been in the tailwater sections and March Browns come later here. I would suspect that when the flows drop and I get back to the Main Stem this action should be underway.

The next few weeks should bring us the Big Bug action that we look forward to every year.

If you would like to beat the high water with a float trip give us a call. Our guides are available to plan your next Upper Delaware Fly Fishing Adventure. 607-290-4022