Fly Fishing Report for the Upper Delaware and Catskill Rivers

Weekend Update

The last week brought the Upper Delaware some unpredictable weather. Small cold fronts passed through the region most every day bringing us fast passing but heavy thunder storms.

This weather has changed the river conditions but there is a pretty big difference from section to section. The most stable and predictable at this time is the Main Stem. It has been on the rise and much higher than last week. This will continue as long as the storms persist simply because all water here goes to the Main Delaware. The water temperatures have dropped a bit which is a good change for the lower river.

The Beamoc Water and the Upper East and West are where the flows have been swinging. They have been rising quickly and falling quickly right along the storm paths. Areas where rain has been locally heavy have had turbidity which clears up in about 24 hours or less. Overall temperatures have dropped but anglers should always check the water temperature before fishing the freestone rivers in July and August.

There have been several days recently where I have stayed dry while watching heavy rain upstream There have also been times where I have been on the wet end of the same situation. It is always a good idea to have a light rain jacket during summer in the mountains. In most instances the rains have been 10 to 15 minutes in duration.

The Fishing remains good for both Trout and Bass. The Trout action is now pure summertime activity. Super fussy fish are the rule. Long leaders, light tippet and long casts are a must. Tiny Sulfurs, Olives, Trico's, Midges and terrestrials are your daytime choices. Isonychia and Cahills will take some fish towards dark. The best trout activity remains in the Upper East, Upper West and the Upper Main Stem Delaware.

With the heavy downpours you may find a good streamer bite in areas of turbidity. Recently we have been adding some nice trout to our daily catch on streamers worked along the edges of the dirty water.

The Smallmouth Bass activity is now steady and reliable. WE have been hitting it with both Fly and Spin tackle and our guests have been having great trips.

Fly guys will want to go deep in the sunny portion of the day. Baitfish, Buggers, Crayfish and other buggy creation will take some fish as long as they are slow and deep. When the light fades the action has been great on top. I have been rigging Poppers, Divers and Gurglers and all have been working well. There is also good match the hatch smallie action if you want to stay on the water until right at dark. The fish are eating Isonychia, Cahills and White Flies. They are not fussy so a big white wulff almost always does the trick.

Spin guys will have some luck with most techniques. I do have more confidence in soft baits so most of the time I rig various jigs. The key is to work slow and deep. Almost all of the larger Bass are hanging in the deep cuts during the heat of the day. Late day, rapalas and poppers have been working well.

We are now offering both half and full days for both Trout or Bass. Give us a call today to plan your next fishing adventure 607-290-4022