My buddy and I floated on Wednesday from 1:00 to 5:00. The flow was around 850 cfs. We took out early because the sun was so high and bright that we knew nothing would rise until maybe 45 minutes before dark. I didn't want to stick around. We floated Shehawken to Buckingham. The river was as stained as I have ever seen it. It was the color of diluted pea soup. Maybe 6" of visibility. We saw only one rise in the entire float and maybe a dozen #18 BWO's in the air. I made a few casts with my #7 streamer rod in Bard Parker and never made another cast. I rowed and he threw a little. We stopped a couple of times to have a sandwich and just to enjoy the absolute stillness of the float. We've been fishing partners for fifty-six years and most of the float was shooting the breeze about all the trips we have made and the fish we have caught. He did catch a 17" native. :lol:
Main Stem Delaware, Wayne County, PA. 9/25/19
- Thread starter wbranch
- Start date
Thanks for sharing. Sorry about the trout, but nice day on the water is still a good day.
Hi Dave,
It was a wonderful day! Between the two of us we have about 110 years of trout, salmon, and steelhead experience. We've caught so many thousands of trout 17" and bigger that a mediocre day is just fine as long as we can reminisce about the hundreds of great days. Here we are with a few Erie chromers.
It was a wonderful day! Between the two of us we have about 110 years of trout, salmon, and steelhead experience. We've caught so many thousands of trout 17" and bigger that a mediocre day is just fine as long as we can reminisce about the hundreds of great days. Here we are with a few Erie chromers.
Attachments
JohnPowers
Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 489
Those two young dudes have been fishing together over fifty years? Amazing. The orvis report for the same day had 36 inch visibility at the SGL. Unless the pea soup came down the East, orvis is getting some sketchy info.
Johnpowers wrote;
There was virtually no flow in the EB in Hancock and whatever flow is crystal clear. Orvis needs to get reports from people who don't have a vested interest in making people believe the water has good visibility, there is nice cloud cover, the Baetis are emerging, and the trout are rising everywhere. We would of preferred to float the WB. It was filthy. It stands to reason if Cannonsville reservoir is at 47.8% of total capacity and the release is from the bottom that the turbidity of the water is going to be significant. The lower EB was about 220 cfs on 9/25. The WB at Hale eddy was 1000 cfs. Therefore there was not enough clear water coming in from the EB to offset the dirty/low visibility water coming down the WB into the main stem.
There was virtually no flow in the EB in Hancock and whatever flow is crystal clear. Orvis needs to get reports from people who don't have a vested interest in making people believe the water has good visibility, there is nice cloud cover, the Baetis are emerging, and the trout are rising everywhere. We would of preferred to float the WB. It was filthy. It stands to reason if Cannonsville reservoir is at 47.8% of total capacity and the release is from the bottom that the turbidity of the water is going to be significant. The lower EB was about 220 cfs on 9/25. The WB at Hale eddy was 1000 cfs. Therefore there was not enough clear water coming in from the EB to offset the dirty/low visibility water coming down the WB into the main stem.
JohnPowers
Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 489
Agreed. Like getting a ski report from the resort. We fished the lower SGL, Stockport and Buckingham two weeks ago and found remarkable turbidity throughout. Stopped at the general store in equinunk for a sandwich and scored that old cobblers hammer I’ve been looking for. Been a disappointing year.
JohnPowers wrote;
I've owned my cabin for 23 years. 2019 was the worst year I've ever had for congestion on the river from client trips, lessened mayfly activity, and far fewer trout seen rising or caught.
Admittedly I generally only cast to rising fish and rarely fish above the Methodist Pool due to mobility limitations. But for years and years that stretch of river produced really good fishing with dozens and dozens of 16" - 21" trout and about half a dozen 21"+ to 23". I told my wife that if 2020 is similar we will likely consider selling the property.
I've owned my cabin for 23 years. 2019 was the worst year I've ever had for congestion on the river from client trips, lessened mayfly activity, and far fewer trout seen rising or caught.
Admittedly I generally only cast to rising fish and rarely fish above the Methodist Pool due to mobility limitations. But for years and years that stretch of river produced really good fishing with dozens and dozens of 16" - 21" trout and about half a dozen 21"+ to 23". I told my wife that if 2020 is similar we will likely consider selling the property.
tomgamber
Well-known member
Here's another "good" one......at the end of the piece they say he get $12K for one of these masterpieces.
JohnPowers
Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 489
I’ll bet the people in that article think FF is fun....like snowboarding. They are in for a surprise. It’s something but it ain’t fun. Not like that. All day....hell, all week without bugs or fish; Hendrickson’s years old because you couldn’t get near the river for the levels and never got to use the flies you tied in January. Rain....all day. All that Zen crapola. I’ve done it for 45 years, I love it but it isn’t FUN. it was a bad year up there. Take heart, I spotted no hipsters in the lower gamelands, Stockport or Buckingham three times up there. Since the bluestone burned there’s the diner, the Italian place and McDonald’s. Maybe that’s the reason.
