Upper Delaware Fly Fishing Report
WEEKEND OUTLOOK!
Last night mother nature issued wade fly anglers another challenge. Some substantial rainfall came down which should make it more difficult for wade anglers to access their favorite stretches of the river. For drift boat anglers the additional water along with some turbidity may make it easier to approach the Trout.
This morning all area rivers have been recharged with fresh water. Tributaries are running strong the overflow at the dams has increased and the main rivers are on the rise. There is a chance of some additional light rain before skies clear for a couple of days.
The current flows will make the Willowemoc and Beaverkill the only real option for waders. Bank and shallow wading are the safe option for those on foot. Both of these rivers are fishing well with Quill Gordons, Blue Quills, Hendricksons, Caddisflies and Stoneflies on the water. Both rivers were stocked with Brown Trout by the state this week. The Beamoc waters are the only place where the fishing is currently good.
Drift boat anglers will have high water to contend with but some areas fish well at high water.
Overall this week has been pretty inconsistent. The culprit behind the slow fishing and late start is clearly the weather. Half of the nights this week have brought us frost and yesterday I never found water over 42 degrees on my float. Our staff guides were spread about the system and can report that the warmest water found was in the lower Main Stem and this topped out at only 47 degrees. Our Trout are SLUGGISH. The approach this week has been to fish hard with Nymphs, Dries and Streamers to put a few fish into the net. Right now success is directly tied to persistence.
The hatches don't ever wait for the Trout and they have been improving daily. At this time all of the insects we expect to see in the month of April are present. Here is a quick rundown of what our guides have observed on the various sections of river that we fish. Please note that all sections are not producing all of these insects. Some have only been observed in isolated areas while others are widespread. They include - Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Hendricksons, Early Stoneflies, Caddisflies, Small Tan and Apple Caddis and Midges.
The trout are feeding but only in the slowest and most protected waters. The riseforms are slow and deliberate and in many cases very difficult to see. If you specifically target the dead spots you should have success. I have seen fish on the rise from noon until dark but there is a definate peak of activity from around 3:00 -6:00 pm. I have also observes some sporadic and isolated spinner activity which was mostly the smaller blue quills.
With the higher water anglers may want to consider a float trips. We have a few openings in the coming days give us a call for the details. 607-290-4022
Next week we have some warmer days forecast. This should start the water on a warming trend and put the quality of the fishing back on a consistently improving trajectory.
