Upper Delaware - WB & Main NY/PA 5/15 to 5/18, 2026

Hey all-

I wanted to give a report after spending the last 4 days up on the Upper Delaware. I haven't really spent a ton of time on the Upper D, and this was the first time we DIY'd it with floating. I've fished with guides twice and waded a bit on it, but aside from that one could say we were rookies. My buddy has an NRS raft, so we used that to float 3 of the 4 days.

Flows: WB on the drop, 1000ish CFS
Water Temp: Upper 40s, low 50s.

5/15:
We met up in Hancock at the Bat Factory and decided we would float the WB from Balls Eddy down to Shehawken. It was pretty cloudy and pretty cold still that morning in the 40s. We launched at 11AM and made our way down starting with some streamers in the riffles and nymphing until the bugs picked up. We moved some fish on streamers but nothing to net. Continuing downstream the caddis started coming off pretty good and we switched over to dries. We had some pretty solid eats, but still nothing to net. We sat at a pool for an hour so during the caddis hatch but there were so many bugs it made it difficult get fish to eat the fly vs the real thing. Once we got down to Shehawken we popped into Cross Current for the goods. We figured it would be tough with the cold weather, not having the right flies for the caddis that were coming off didn't help either.

After resetting we decided to do a quick evening float on the upper reaches of the WB near where we were staying, and finally had some success. Pretty quickly we got a 15" brownie to eat a hendrickson emerger. Continuing downstream we saw some sporadic rises, that seemed to be smaller fish. I saw a sip in a riffle and made a cast, and hooked into what ended up being the biggest trout of the trip. Not sure on size, as we didn't measure it, but I guessed over 22"+? Hard to tell.

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As it got darker we found some more risers and missed a few more. Overall it was a good day. Tough at first, but the second float made up for it.

5/16:
We decided to float from Balls Eddy down to Buckingham. It was longer float but we figured eliminating the second float would be a good idea. We put in at 10AM, a little early but we figured we'd be in a good spot for the afternoon hatch. Pretty directly we found rising fish in a riffle. We anchored and waded for them. I had one on but it ran straight for the anchor rope and broke off as I tried to horse him away. Solid fish from the look/feel, maybe 18". My buddy had a big rainbow break him off and I also moved another brown. Continuing downstream we scoped out spots where we saw actively rising fish from the day prior, but nothing. Super intermittent rises but nothing consistent, nor was there a consistent hatch. Once we hit the main stem that's when it got really windy, we were getting blown all over the place in the raft and the fishing blew as well. We did find some actively rising fish but it was short lived. The wind really put the hatch down. We caught the skunk aside from a fall fish. Instead of doing round 2 of the night float, we waded instead from 730PM to 9PM. There was a crazy caddis hatch coming off once we got to the spot. I managed to hook/land a solid 17-18" brown on a caddis emerger. A pasting rain shower killed the hatch off, and we decided to call it.

5/17:
After two days of meh fishing off the boat, we really wanted to have a good day. We put in at Barking Dog and floated down to Balls Eddy on this last float. Fishing started out slow, again. Nymphing was yielding much. We had some shots at rising fish on the bank in the shade but the sun/wind combo was not great. Around 1PM we found rising fish, which yielded two more brownies.

Next pool we found more of the same. Broke one off cause the net was in the boat. But shortly after landed another one. My sunglasses came off the retainers and fell into the water mid fight, but we found them tumbling down the side of the pool luckily. Action waned a bit and we finished out the float. My buddy had to head home for work the next morning, but I stuck around for the evening hatch. The pool I was at seemingly had more fisherman than rising fish, but I found a spot that had some risers right in front of me. I stuck one on a hendrickson emerger that ended up being a solid 18" brown. Ended the night by whiffing on much bigger brownie. Thunderstorm rolled in and I got off the water pretty quick. I decided rather than drive 3.5 hours home at 9PM that I would crash at a motel. Smith's in Hancock saved me, luckily they had a room left.

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5/18:

Honestly I wasn't sure how it would go. It was sunny and hot with a high of 86F. Quickly I found a solid 18" riser in the next riffle upstream:

I worked the riffle for a bit, had some little guys swipe at my fly but then worked the tailout of the adjacent pool. Found another 16" brownie on the caddis that worked well yesterday. I continued to work up the pool and picked the side that would have the wind at my back, which made casting easier. Rising fish really dropped off by 1.

Kept moving upstream and hit a riffle for the rest of the time I was there. Caught a 15" bow and another 12" brown.

Had a couple of negative experiences with other fisherman. When I got there I waded into a riffle and didn't see someone on the other side of an island, he seemed irked and was staring/pointing at me to his buddy that I was 100-ft up stream. I didn't even make a cast, I was just watching the hatch progress.

Had another dude yell at me from the opposite side of the pool telling me he didn't want me fishing right in front of him when I was easily 150-ft away from him, I could barely hear him lol. He had plenty of space to make a poor 20-ft cast into the wind. It seemed like the tough fishing and heat compounded the grumpiness I found.

Overall the trip was good. Definitely a learning experience for finding fish in difficult conditions at times. I think that next time we go to float the Upper D we will have more success based on what we learned. I was pretty happy with the overall size of fish caught too.

Tom

 

Great report and thank you

Thanks Dave!

 

Thanks Dave!

Keep the reports coming. Love the fish pictures.

 

Seems like a good time. I’d love to get up there have not fished it yet.

It was fun, even though the sun kind of hindered fishing mid-day, it was worth it. I've had done 2 guides trips up there before but this was the first "real" fishing trip there, so I'm pretty happy with the result

The Airbnb we stayed at in Deposit was really nice (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1632939322117491267?source_impression_id=p3_1779278414_P3xKkSZNu0oziXmX). Smiths Colonial Motel was really nice too.

 

Nice report, sad I missed the fish handling post.

In regards to the WB, its a zoo. Need kid gloves up there for anything you do. So much etiquette to follow or someone is in your ear. Just gotta be ready for it and expect it.

I just fish the East as long as able, before I join the zoo.

 

Nice report, sad I missed the fish handling post.

In regards to the WB, its a zoo. Need kid gloves up there for anything you do. So much etiquette to follow or someone is in your ear. Just gotta be ready for it and expect it.

I just fish the East as long as able, before I join the zoo.

Had 2 different people yell at me up there this weekend for really no good reason. One guy claimed I “high holed” him while him and his buddy were sitting there eating sandwiches and I rowed over about 250-300 feet below him to check out a spot real quick that I know holds big fish. The other was a dude who clearly was having a bad day and decided that my going far bank and targeting a riser well downstream from him somehow interrupted his ability to target fish that continued to rise 100+ feet upstream and across from us. I used to care more about what other people said up there but I’m at the point where I realize you’re always going to be pissing somebody off, and unless you’re doing something egregiously wrong or malicious they’re just probably hot heads or having a slow day out there. A lot of them are the same NY and NJ people that ride your *** doing 95 mph on 287 and pass you on the right when you’re trying to merge to an exit.


I did return fire to the second guy though. If he’s on this forum I meant what I said… “your casting sucks” 🤣. Somehow I doubt he is though.

On the other side of it, whenever somebody rows over the pod of fish I’m casting to, I usually just give em a wave and ask em how their day is going. The way I look at it, I was just gonna let em go anyway and if I didn’t have the skill to catch them before that boat got there (rarely do they show up at 45 mph around a blind curve) then I guess that’s a “me problem”. If you want solitude go where the main hatch isn’t. There are rising or otherwise feeding fish for almost 100 miles of water up there on any given spring day as long as the temps aren’t bad.

 

In regards to the WB, its a zoo. Need kid gloves up there for anything you do. So much etiquette to follow or someone is in your ear. Just gotta be ready for it and expect it.

A lot of the etiquette stuff with the WB and other streams that big is nonsensical, in my opinion. It's a crowded river with all the boats and people, but at the same time there is plenty of water for everyone. Give everyone enough room to fish and it's fine.

Kind of funny, but the guys who I didn't see at the island fishing the riffle who were pointing and whatever got a good show from the leaping brown trout I caught 100 yds upstream of them. Seemed like a karma type situation.

 

Had 2 different people yell at me up there this weekend for really no good reason. One guy claimed I “high holed” him while him and his buddy were sitting there eating sandwiches and I rowed over about 250-300 feet below him to check out a spot real quick that I know holds big fish.

That's absolutely insane, lol.

 

I did return fire to the second guy though. If he’s on this forum I meant what I said… “your casting sucks” 🤣. Somehow I doubt he is though.

Good for you! If ignored, guys like the one's you encountered will feel emboldened and will only continue that behavior with other fishermen.

 

Great report - all the info just makes me want to stay as far away from the D as I already am - it’s a special place to be sure - I’m pretty much done with the parade of boats, rafts, yaks, tubers, ill tempered anglers etc. especially after a 4 hour drive - Im hoping all the regulars in those waters have a great season and renewed respect for the resource

 

Great report - all the info just makes me want to stay as far away from the D as I already am - it’s a special place to be sure - I’m pretty much done with the parade of boats, rafts, yaks, tubers, ill tempered anglers etc. especially after a 4 hour drive - Im hoping all the regulars in those waters have a great season and renewed respect for the resource

Thanks! There definitely is solitude to be had up there, we had plenty of pools to ourselves. It was cool being able to drift into a pool, hop out and wade for risers and then keep on moving when needed.

Like most places the further you get away from an access point the herd thins a bit. I'd say its still worth the trip, plus aside from the WB, you have the main, EB, Beaverkill, etc. Overall it was a lot of fun, and I learned a good bit on the dry fly fishing front.

A few years back my wife and I did a trip up there and floated in September when there were plenty of iso's, definitely less people than in May/June.

 

Thanks! There definitely is solitude to be had up there, we had plenty of pools to ourselves. It was cool being able to drift into a pool, hop out and wade for risers and then keep on moving when needed.

Like most places the further you get away from an access point the herd thins a bit. I'd say its still worth the trip, plus aside from the WB, you have the main, EB, Beaverkill, etc. Overall it was a lot of fun, and I learned a good bit on the dry fly fishing front.

A few years back my wife and I did a trip up there and floated in September when there were plenty of iso's, definitely less people than in May/June.

Any river where you have a good chance of regularly catching 18-20+” wild trout on dry flies is going to be crowded. I don’t know of any other rivers in the entire northeast where that is more likely than the Upper Delaware. Most people are pretty respectful and chill, especially when the fishing is good.

I know of one closer that we float sometimes that is so polluted with dirty stockers that a certain “conservation group” insists upon throwing in there that it makes a wild fish an achievement some days, I also know of a few wade and raft access spots that can give up a stray 18-20 incher from time to time but nothing like a regular occurrence. But none have the quality of bug life, fish size and natural beauty that the western Catskills have to offer. Idk why so many fishermen are so hell bent on being out without seeing another human being- if your rod stays bent what is the difference?

Aside from the one weekend day where we willingly floated the same section of west branch as everyone else, it was a very relaxing and beautiful trip. And we all caught enough big trout to make it worthwhile.
When it’s 70+ degrees outside, I’d rather have a beer in my cupholder and oars in my hands on the way to the next pod of rising fish than be blasting through rhodos, briars or knotweed just to find another angler in the spot I spent an hour trying to get to. The quality float access primarily provided by the STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA up there makes that a reality.

 

Any river where you have a good chance of regularly catching 18-20+” wild trout on dry flies is going to be crowded. I don’t know of any other rivers in the entire northeast where that is more likely than the Upper Delaware.

I agree with you there. Honestly the average size I was catching was in the upper teens, which was pretty cool. I guess I really didn't expect it to be that way, I'm not complaining but I just thought it was interesting.

I've fished pretty much all over the NE except New Hampshire, and there is not really many places where that exists. Maine for example is a stronghold for brookies and LLS, but catching one 18-20"+ does not happen everyday (There are certain times of the year where that CAN happen) and the drift boat opportunities up there are limited. There's some other tailwaters like say the Deerfield, but again river mileage wise and consistency are different as those dams are for hydroelectric so the flows are different.

Idk why so many fishermen are so hell bent on being out without seeing another human being- if your rod stays bent what is the difference?

I think that's an interesting question, and to me it comes down to what the individual wants to get out of their time on the water. Whether that be fishing for big trout on the dry fly, solitude, a specific species of fish, scenery, or just to get outside and enjoy.

 

I think that's an interesting question, and to me it comes down to what the individual wants to get out of their time on the water. Whether that be fishing for big trout on the dry fly, solitude, a specific species of fish, scenery, or just to get outside and enjoy.

This. ^

 

The quality float access primarily provided by the STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA up there makes that a reality.

 

Any river where you have a good chance of regularly catching 18-20+” wild trout on dry flies is going to be crowded. I don’t know of any other rivers in the entire northeast where that is more likely than the Upper Delaware. Most people are pretty respectful and chill, especially when the fishing is good.

I know of one closer that we float sometimes that is so polluted with dirty stockers that a certain “conservation group” insists upon throwing in there that it makes a wild fish an achievement some days, I also know of a few wade and raft access spots that can give up a stray 18-20 incher from time to time but nothing like a regular occurrence. But none have the quality of bug life, fish size and natural beauty that the western Catskills have to offer. Idk why so many fishermen are so hell bent on being out without seeing another human being- if your rod stays bent what is the difference?

Aside from the one weekend day where we willingly floated the same section of west branch as everyone else, it was a very relaxing and beautiful trip. And we all caught enough big trout to make it worthwhile.
When it’s 70+ degrees outside, I’d rather have a beer in my cupholder and oars in my hands on the way to the next pod of rising fish than be blasting through rhodos, briars or knotweed just to find another angler in the spot I spent an hour trying to get to. The quality float access primarily provided by the STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA up there makes that a reality.

The farmington river in nw connecticut i grew up there. Its get hit hard. But lots of big browns wilds and stocked. Fished it hard cc 80s 90s now when i go back home and fish it im an outsider..being looked at like what u doin here ....lots of out of state plates there plus the well to do ct residents so yeah it is just as prevelent there too with etiquette. And dont get within 100 yds of some of the local guides and they know who they are !!!!

 

The farmington river in nw connecticut i grew up there. Its get hit hard. But lots of big browns wilds and stocked. Fished it hard cc 80s 90s now when i go back home and fish it im an outsider..being looked at like what u doin here ....lots of out of state plates there plus the well to do ct residents so yeah it is just as prevelent there too with etiquette. And dont get within 100 yds of some of the local guides and they know who they are !!!!

I fish the farmington regularly and get what you mean lol some days I don't think I could pay someone to say hello. I have met some nice folks who were happy to chat fishing and swap flies up there but its uncommon.

Thanks for the report tjsingle, I took the first week of June off work and am planing to spend a few days testing my luck on the upper Delaware. Hoping I can do a quarter as well as you did!

 

Thanks for the report tjsingle, I took the first week of June off work and am planing to spend a few days testing my luck on the upper Delaware. Hoping I can do a quarter as well as you did!

I stopped by Cross Current for the hookup on flies, well worth the stop!

 

I fish the farmington regularly and get what you mean lol some days I don't think I could pay someone to say hello. I have met some nice folks who were happy to chat fishing and swap flies up there but its uncommon.

Thanks for the report tjsingle, I took the first week of June off work and am planing to spend a few days testing my luck on the upper Delaware. Hoping I can do a quarter as well as you did!

As a long time fly guy who has fished the Farmington a lot - I've kept my cool in the most egregious situations....I just assume many of those guys lack common sense. I was once casting to a rising fish when a guy walked to the bank downstream of me - and slightly downstream of the trout I was casting too asking if I minded that he access the river. I said not at all....assuming he was going to wade downstream. He then gets in the water and starts casting to my fish almost crossing my line ? I just had to laugh inside as he was an older guy and I figured it was too late to educate him......another time in a large pool - I was casting towards a bank and a guy walks in behind me literally casting towards my back and I realize the fly is landing only 10 feet away from me ??? The best of all....during a sulfur hatch I was in a crowded pool...typical of the Farmington.....I was as far downstream as you can wade because it gets too deep.....the next guy upstream was about 75 feet away.....close.....then a new guy comes into the pool between us and the guy upstream from me calls him an ******* and they get into a shouting match with one guy leaving the water and kicking the water up as he's leaving to ruin the fishing for the other guy (and of course me as collateral damage). That being said - I try to avoid conflict but if someone were to yell at me I'll yell right back at them and insult them too in ways to ruin their day as much as they tried to ruin mine (I won't be the bigger person). I can tolerate people that may not understand etiquette - but being intentionally rude is another thing. I have focused more on the Upper D. and Catskills in general over the last few years - and really have not had issues. My only true run ins have been with landowners that falsely claim they own the river bottom and I am not allowed to wade in front of their property - regardless of the fact that I never actually used their property. I am rather well versed in NY River access laws (that is a whole story in itself) and explain to them they can feel free to call the DEC and Police - I'm not going anywhere.....and if I happen to be falsely arrested based on their misrepresentation that I am trespassing by wading a public and navigable river - once the charges get dismissed I'll be filing a civil action against them - and then maybe their property will become mine after all.

 

As a long time fly guy who has fished the Farmington a lot - I've kept my cool in the most egregious situations....I just assume many of those guys lack common sense. I was once casting to a rising fish when a guy walked to the bank downstream of me - and slightly downstream of the trout I was casting too asking if I minded that he access the river. I said not at all....assuming he was going to wade downstream. He then gets in the water and starts casting to my fish almost crossing my line ? I just had to laugh inside as he was an older guy and I figured it was too late to educate him......

That's just good wisdom.

 

I almost feel lonely when I fish up there. Guides follow the hatch and can’t burn the candle at both ends. There are minor morning hatches and fish rising at pools up and down the system (as long as the water temps are ok). Some of the best spinner falls I’ve ever fished have happened at 8 in the morning.

Head 30 miles down the mainstem and you can count the drift boats passing by on one hand (on a 300’ wide river). And yes you can bank fish the main in high water, I’ve fished some fabulous drake spinner falls in high water from the bank, next week is looking great for this.

I seldom if ever see other anglers on my morning streamer floats, I’m sure nymphs would work just fine.

Mark C