Upper D

[njk3395]

Anyone else fish the Delaware this weekend? It was on fire, between me and my buddy we netted 40-50 fish.. fishing rising everywhere, eating anything you put over them.

 

[englishprof]

Going to West Branch next week. Were you on the Main or one of the branches?

 

[njk3395]

Main, went buckingham to long eddy

 

[englishprof]

Good job. Obviously floated . Mostly rainbows?

 

[Stimey]

I floated west branch from deposit to balls eddy Saturday. March browns and sullphers all day. Fish rising all day.....lost count of fish landed. Mostly browns. Only down side was it was super crowded. Kinda like playing Froggger in the drift boat.

 

[wsender]

Everyone is making me regret not going today...

 

[TDB]

Main and West was on fire - we had boats out. Now they dropped the flows (not sure why?) - floating is out on the West, but those that like to wade will be in their glory. Main should fish great the next 10 days at least. It was just one of those days - I'm sure there will be others with decent activity over the next couple weeks...

 

[midgeman]

Just got back from fishing the west branch for the first time. As everyone said, it was on fire!!!! I fished around balls eddy and cleaned house. I fished from 8 to 5 to risers all day. Bwo's size 20-24 and midges 20-24 were the ticket in the morning til 1ish. Then the sulphers size 14 orange came off. Then cream/ yellow sulphers size 16-18 came off. I targeted pods of risers and cruising monsters. Definitely, the best fishing I've had on the east coast since before the gunpowder flooded in the summer '07!

On a side note-
I was very concerned that I would get skunked after hearing how difficult the Delaware system fishes. Perhaps I just may have caught it on one on those few red hot days. Thanks God!!!!

 

[TDB]

Midge, that was one of those "few" days... Don't expect it next time...

 

[mcwillja]

It's crazy to hear these different reports. I fished the WB on saturday and where I was not 1 fish took a sulphur, however, they were eating size 10 Isonychia for the better part of the day. A rare day on the D for sure.

 

[krayfish]

Funny you say that. I talked to a guy that floated the upper 1/3 of the river and they killed it on ISO dun, nymphs and rusty spinners. We floated the middle 1/3 and saw mostly sulphurs, caddis, olives, a few drakes and a few March Browns. We took our fish on MB nymphs, Snowshoe Sulphur emergers and March Brown compara-duns.

You know how it goes up there. One section is sick while everyone else is standing on the bank looking for bugs/fish. Now, on 5-13, I think the entire river was "on fire". That was one of the sickest days I've ever seen.

 

[mcwillja]

Midgeman,

As others have said, don't expect that everytime you go. Saturday had 3 huge things going for it. And number 1 being the most important.

1. Cloud cover all day
2. No wind
3. 42 degree 600 CFS bottom release

 

[TDB]

Actually the funny thing about your 3 points is that the release was dropped about mid-day Saturday. I'm not sure if that would trigger something or not. Coupled with the super cold night Friday night might have been the recipe for the "epic" hatch. Nevertheless, just another odd day on the D - something that seems to be prevelant. If you were there be thankful, if you weren't just keep trying and realize it is a crap shoot...

 

[mcwillja]

My dad stayed at camp and fished friday and the part he was in was dead, the entire day. The same section where we had the luck with the Isos...go figure. It was sunny yesterday too which doesn't help.

 

[midgeman]

The fish turned off only for 20 minutes when the clouds cleared. Then the number if rising fish took off. There are good days and bad days. Yesterday happened to be one of the best for me

On a side note, I saw a tremendous amount of non biting black flies. Do any of you guys fish black fly patterns?

 

[krayfish]

mcwillja,

I fished Friday also. The winds were a steady 20 with gusts near 35-40. I hooked myself in the nose past the barb and had to yank it out. Ouch. It was bordering on unfishable on the cornfields section. With all of the wind, the Sulphurs, Drakes and some MB were coming off and the fish were going crazy. It was tough just to get 20' of line out. Saturday was better conditions in the same section but little in the way of bugs or feeding fish. Go figure. I wish we were on the section you were on.

midgeman,
No.

 

[fisherboy3]

Man you are lucky! I was supposed to have a float trip with a guide, since i have never fished the upper d before, but the East branch was all chocolate milk colored, and high and off. This was last weekend though. He said before this happened, the fishing was on fire.- Instead, we fished the poconos, where i landed a 5 lb bow :lol:

 

[midgeman]

Thanks Krey, I'm sure many over look them because they are small.

 

[wsender]

So when I go, should I bring my 8'6'' 6wt or my 9' 4wt?

I imagine the correct answer is 'both', but when should I use either rod?

 

[midgeman]

I was using a 8'3" 4 wt lt5 Winston. It helped presenting small offerings, but I think a 5 or 6 wt would be a better option. Even the little guys are strong!