Weekend Outlook for Fly Fishing the Upper Delaware and Catskill Rivers

This great Brown Trout took a Isonychia Nymph at mid day with Capt. Ken

The fishing in the Upper Delaware is improving daily. Some cool nights and some grey days have improved both Trout and Insect activity. We have a forecast for frost for the next 4 nights and daytime high temperatures are expected to be in the low 60's. These are prime conditions for both Trout and Insects to be active.

All of our guides have been busy this week. We have had Trips on the water daily both day and night. Over the last few days our guides have fished about every river in the system.

Nymphing is still the best bet for most of the day. Streamers are taking fish early and late in the day. Dry fly action is when you find it but Blue Wing Olive hatches are picking up.

Currently every bit of river in the region is a low water conditions. Anglers planning on fishing in the coming days will find the system to be extremely wader friendly at the moment. You will have full run of the river.

There has not been much change on where our guides are fishing. Right now the best action remains on the West Branch, East Branch and Upper Main Stem. This is where the coldest water was all summer so the fish are in a good routine. The West and Main Stem have the best overall conditions. This week the West got a bit lower than it had been so expect the technical aspect of fooling fish to have ticked up a few notches.

The West and Main Stem remain slightly tinged with turbidity. This turbidity although present is not limiting the action at all. All of the other rivers are fishing at low water conditions and running gin clear.

Anglers planning to fish in the coming days will have some options. Tight line and indicator nymphing will produce if you stay in the riffles and the transitions to deeper water. BH nymphs are the ticket. Isonychia, Zug Bugs, Soft Hackles and Pheasant Tails will keep the rod bent.

All of our recent guided trips have produced steady action with indicator nymphing. Now is the time to book a trip if you want the chance to really run the numbers up.

Below are a a pair of hot flies for the current conditions. Either of them paired with smaller pheasant tails are deadly for fall trout.

https://baxterhouseflyfishing.com/collections/flies/products/3-bh-soft-hackle-mayfly-nymph

https://baxterhouseflyfishing.com/collections/flies/products/bead-head-zug-bug-nymph-zug-bug-nymph

A nice on from a recent trip with Guide Luc

Streamers have been taking some nice fish for our guests. I have been playing it basic lately. Not too big and not too flashy. Simple leeches, buggers, zonkers in natural colors are working best. Don't be afraid to snip a bit of the flash from your fly on bright sunny days. Currently the transition water right where riffles meet the deep is where the bites are coming. The other hot spot is in the potholes found in the mid stream aquatic vegetation.

These great Leech Patterns and more are available at the link below

https://baxterhouseflyfishing.com/collections/flies/products/small-conehead-leech-conehead-rabbit-leech-conehead-streamer-fly-string-leech-1

DRY FLY ACTION

On the surface the action has been Tricos in the mornings but this is waning with every cold night. Mixed insects are about during the mid day with occasional rising activity. In the afternoon to evening some larger insects are about. Isonychia and Cahills really stand out on the water. The sulfurs and olives are more prominent late day. This is when the most reliable feeding activity has been occurring. The amazing dry fly fishing associated with our blanket hatches of Blue Wing Olives is not yet established. I have seen a few flurries of olives hitting the water in numbers but it has been pretty random and only on the few cloudy cooler days we've had. It takes sustained colder weather and shorter daylight to set this hatch in stone so maybe the next few nights will be the catalyst. Once it establishes anglers can expect to find steadily rising Trout every day until it's too cold to fish.

Right now Blind fishing the riffle water is fairly productive. My guests have had steady takes this week on Isonychia cripples, Isonychia Comparaduns and the Mercer Missing Link pattern. These highly visible strong floaters are great searching choices.