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Early Season Action


The first 2 weeks

The Trout fishing in the Upper Delaware River System is off to a fairly normal start. The weather has been a mix of nice days and gray damp days. Daytime high temps have been in the 40's to low 50's with nights near freezing.

The next few days are expected to be on the colder side (40's) with a 30% chance of rain each of the next few days.

Currently our rivers are running on the high side which is normal for April. There is some wading opportunity in most of our rivers but knee deep is where you want to stay. Conditions are about perfect for anglers fishing from drift boats. Our guides have some openings in the coming days.

Our guides have been on the water daily and doing pretty good.. Streamer fishing is the main game but there are bugs and some rising fish every afternoon. Below are some shots from this week.

Right now there is a mix of insects about. Stoneflies and Caddisflies are bouncing around the water at times. The steady action however has been when Bwo's and Blue Quills have been on the water. If you are planning to look for this action look for the slowest glassy pools you can get to. This is where the action is at this time. The tailouts of the larger pools are always good in early season.

The trout that have been up feeding are not really selective if you feed them something they have been seeing. I am partial to CDC knock down duns, hackled cripples and spinners. #16 and #18 will cover the Quills and Olives that are about.

Currently the best shot for rising fish is on the tailwaters. The East, West and Main always get going before the Beaverkill and Willowemoc.

The Streamer action is good right now. If you put your time in and cover water you will come tight on some fish. I always like larger flies during early season. I think you have to show them something worth having. Most of the time I will fish a 5" to 7" bait fish with a smaller 3" pattern as a teaser about 18" to 20" inches in front of the larger fly. This approach almost never fails me.

Until the water warms and the trout become more active slow and deep is the best approach. Sharp strips of the fly line followed by long pauses is the way to go. In early season wild trout are not everywhere. Work areas where you have had past success thoroughly and make sure you cover the dead spots methodically.

Below are some examples of the flies our guides use in early season. All are currently in stock.

We have some openings in the coming days if you would like to get out for a streamer trip that also has some possible dry fly action.

Give us a call today at 607-290-4022 to plan a trip.

If you are heading to any of our local waters make sure you stop by our shop in Roscoe. We are now open daily and are fully stocked with the best custom flies for the Upper Delaware and Catskill streams.

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