Fly Fishing Report for the Upper Delaware and Catskill Regions

Guide Matt Hackett with a nice Brown from his float yesterday. Matt Has been on the West Most days and has been dialed in on big browns.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

This weekend is shaping up to be repeat of last weekend. We have just about the same river flows throughout the region. We also have a similar weather forecast. As of now we are expecting some heavy rain storms today that could drop 3/4" of rain on our already wet mountains. This rain is expected to continue on and off throughout the night and tomorrow.

If the forecast is on target I expect the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Lower East and Main Stem to be too high and turbid for quality, safe fishing. I expect the Upper East and Upper West branches to rise to a lesser degree and most likely stay in a great range for trout fishing. This is almost identical to last weekends conditions.

For the anglers who have been taking advantage of the wet weather and fishing with our guides it has been mostly great. We have been taking a good amount of nice Trout on Streamers, Dry Flies and Nymphs.

If the weather forecast is correct and the tailwater rivers rise, it should kick off another hot streamer bite. We have a few openings starting Sunday and throughout next week. Like all summer high water events the open trips slots will book up quickly.

Below are some of this weeks fish photos.

The Smallmout Bass action has also been pretty good. With the higher water the catch rate has been down a bit. We have however been taking some above average sized Smallies. The photos below are from yesterday's trip with Guide Zachary Anderson on the Main Delaware.

THE FISHING SPECIFICS

THE FISHING

Summer is a technical time in the Upper Delaware but there are a lot of options.

The fishing is technical due to the lower steady flows, crystal clear water and the abundance of mostly smaller insects. In addition to these factors our trout have been fished hard since mid April. All of these factors make summer dry fly fishing a very rewarding challenge.

For the Dry Fly fisherman there is some sort of activity at all times. Tricos, Sulfurs, Olives, Isonychia, Cahills, Midges and Terrestrials will supply an almost around the clock buffet. This is however the season where the Trout will feed in spurts of activity or slowly pick away at floating insect throughout the day.

Summer is also a great time for fishing a variety of nymphing techniques. Our guides offer special summer trips devoted specifically to the nymph enthusiast.

July and August are also the best months for Mouse and Streamer fishing the hours of darkness. Our guides are all about hunting giant Browns and they will be offering guided mouse trips through mid September.

Below is a big boy from last night. Photo from Guide Rich McCombie

Early morning is Trico Time. This is a hatch where the fish will feed steady for a few hours.

These tiny mayflies are prolific in many areas of the Upper Delaware river system. There are areas of abundant Trico activity to be found on the Upper East, Upper West and Upper Main Stem. As I have mentioned in past posts the key is finding the areas of activity. The key is targeting areas of mid to slow water with aquatic vegetation and grass lined river bank. It is also important to search areas with water temps that range from mid 50's to mid 60's. In the Upper Delaware the timing can be from sun up through around 11:00 am.

If you plan on giving the Trico hatch a shot make sure you stop by the fly shop. We have a great selection of flies specifically for this activity. We can also help out getting you on the specific locations where these insects are abundant.

Mid morning through early Afternoon is the time to work the banks with Terrestrials. If you see the occasional bank sipper he is probably an ant or beetle eater. Breezy days are the best for blind fishing terrestrials.

Mid afternoon through dark is the time for Sulfurs, Olives, Isonychia, Cahills and more. If you are heading out remember that the colder water closest to the dams will have little diversity in hatches. For the most part these waters will be Olives, Sulfurs and Midges. Fishing the waters above 55 degrees late in the day will increase the amount of insect species that you will encounter. Both Isonychia and Cahills have been active along with mixed sized spinners.

If you are planning to fish the tailwaters make sure you stop by. We have a full selection of Dry fly and Nymphs specifically designed for the East and West branches of the Delaware.

SMALLMOUTH BASS ACTION PEAKING!

Mid summer through fall is prime time for Smallmouth Bass. All of our recent trips have been non stop action!

Currently Popper Flies, Streamers and Buggers are taking fish with fly tackle. Soft Baits on jigs, crankbaits and poppers are effective on light spin tackle. Right now the Delaware is low and the water is warm. The current conditions are optimum for smallies. Anglers should note that the largest fish will be active at the times where the sun is indirectly influencing the water. The first few hours in the morning and the last few before dark are when the big boys will be hunting.

The average sized fish are opportunistic feeders and they will aggressively strike at about any time of day. Currently our trips are averaging several dozen fish per person. The next month is the perfect time to book a Smallie Trip. These trips are also the perfect way to introduce young anglers to river fishing. Take a Kid fishing today

Give us a call today to book your next Upper Delaware Fishing Adventure. 607-290-4022