Fly Fishing Report for the Upper Delaware and Catskill Rivers
SULFURS ARE ON THE WATER!
Yesterday the Dry fly action bounced back in a good way. Several of our float trips were able to dry fly fish for the entire day. Others mixed it up with nymphing and killed it with this method.
On the Main Stem and Lower East the action really picked up since the water levels got manageable. On my float trip yesterday we started with nymphs and had instant action. We took 2 fish right away and found our first riser within 10 minutes of the launch. From that point on it was all dry fly fishing and we ran the numbers up. The fish were on the March Browns and just about anything else you wanted to throw.
The action was very similar with our other guides who were spread across several different sections of the river system.
Overall the insect activity looks like this - Sporadic March Browns throughout the day. Sulfurs on the water in the afternoon with a bigger push near dark. This hatch is still new and building up but the fish were eating them. Several Caddisflies on the water and fish eating them yesterday. (overcast Skies). Spinners in the drift throughout the day. ON the few difficult fish we found a switch to the spinner got it done.
Hendricksons are still active on the tailwaters. These rivers, East and West have been sporadic the last 2 days. Could be a minor between hatch slow down. Most likely only a few day glitch as Sulfurs and March Browns will begin showing.
NYMPHING TIME
Those of you who love to stay subsurface will find your time now! With the brief between hatch period that we are coming out of and the lower water the fish have been downright hostile towards nymphs. Now is the run the numbers up time. Some of our guides stuck with this technique through risers recently due to the steady action.
Our guides always fish a 3 fly rig designed to present the flies across the different water levels. They start with heavy decreasing to unweighted. Recently the best action has been on the unweighted flies.trailing behind the bigger bead heads.. The trailing flies we use are Ice Caddis, Pheasant Tails, Sunken Emergers and some custom nymphs. Our Bead Heads include our BH Soft Hackles and BH Copper John Soft Hackles, BH Wired Nymphs and some of the time proven generics.
With the much later start to the hatches this year we expect to see the main portion of the big bug hatches extend way into June this season. This is a great opportunity to get out for another trips or book during a hatch that has not occurred yet. There are dates open in the next few weeks that should see the spectacle of the Green and Brown Drake action. Give us a call today 607-290-4022
