West Branch, Delaware River, NY 8/2-8/3

[jerseygeorge]

I have a new Scadden pontoon craft that I wanted to try out. I fished for a day and a half. The half day was better than the full day, probably because I started at 5pm.

I did a lower west branch float ending at Bard Parker. I was able to find feeding fish, caught some, lost some. Most of my success was on very small spinners. The smallest I had were 18's, and I was trimming the wings smaller. I saw no duns, and could not see what they were eating in the bubble line. Largest was a 16" rainbow that jumped four times.

On the second day I opted for a very long float. Deposit to Bard Parker. I rigged one rod for a beetle, one with a nymph, and one with streamers. I wanted to try the Kelly Galloup big streamer splash it in their face theory. I had six browns all attack a streamer, without one solid hookup. One large brown attacked it three times in deep crystal clear water near a ledge. I had a perfect vantage point for the show, but no hook up.

I then spent a lot of time trying to jump a fish on a beetle under overhanging vegetation. NADA.

I did a little nymphing, but not much. I had a lot of miles to make.

I saw a few regular risers, so I scared them back underwater as soon as I could!!!

I saw some mayflies in the afternoon and as able to jump a few small fish on a sulpher emerger.

Coming past the Methodist camp I saw a nice fish rising. Tied on an Iverson Emerger (if anyone remembers that pattern) and landed a nice 17" brown, right in front of a guide, his client and the clients wife. They enjoyed the show.

From the 191 bridge downstream there were rising fish. At Bard they were rising and I fished two hours, about 15 flies and could not get them to touch a fly. If I had a stick of dynamite.....

This was a very long float, lots of rowing, and not enough time to explore all of the water. But I wanted to try out the new craft, and overall it was a pleasant day fishing. A few pics will be uploaded when I have time.

ps. Gene and Inez look forward to our mini jam next month.

 

[mcwillja]

Nice report, but what is an Iverson Emerger? Are the sulphurs still popping in the upper west?

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Deposit to Junction? You are a friggin' MAN George. That's got to be close to 14 miles of river! If it was pumping around 900 cfs, that's still a long enough day.

We saw very, very few bugs the last 2 times up. Typically, you'd see the sulphurs in the upper section but I think I saw more near the junction pool last time up. Not sure what's up there but it got a few risers going.

We also had zippo on streamers. I hate to admit it but the nymphing was working on my last 2 trips up. Hope we see some olives, caddis, october caddis and iso's in September. Also hoping they don't drain the lake that weekend! WB, muddy and at 1600 cfs is no good!

 

[bam]

I'd say the sulphers hatch moved downstream with increased flows. All that extra flow really cooled off the water and probably the fishing a little as well. On Sunday we had more action once we got into PA. Aside from a caddis here and there, it was hard to find a bug on the water and we covered the entire WB. I'm not sure we came across a riser on the NY side...

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

J,

If he tells you what the Iverson Emerger is.... he will have to kill you. LMAO. If you come up in Sept, maybe George will have some of them to share... hint, hint. 😉

 

[jerseygeorge]

For Starters: Here is a link to a thread on the Iverson Emerger. About halfway down there is a pic of the finished fly, and a picture of the inspiration for the name.

Yes, it was a very long float. There was not much wind, but guess which way it blew when it did blow? How does it always know to blow up river?

The goop in the river was not terrible. Maybe clean the streamer every 3-4 casts. But every 3-4 casts I am untangling it from my hat, oar, boots, anchor so that was not so bad. By Hale Eddy I did not have any more problems with algae.

I saw Olives, very few, during the day (I call every small grey fly an Olive). I started way too high on the river to see any Trico's if they were happening down lower.

Later in the day someone told me there were very small Sulphers, and that possibly my "olives" were sulphers. In the evening, starting around 5pm, probably from Meth down there were lots of what I think were Olives, but they were very small (20ish) and there were sporadic feeders. I paddled down to Bard, and there I saw the smaller Olives and larger Sulphers. Not a blizzard hatch, but enough to bring up regular feeders.

Yesterday was a nymphing day, or a chuck and duck day. I opted for chuck and duck, because I am not much of a streamer fisherman, but I bought the video and I am trying to improve. It is also a good way to burn up the miles on the river.

I never stuck a thermo in the water, but it was chilly. Flows were above 900, I rarely bumped bottom. It was overcast most of the day also.

 

[jayL]

Regarding streamers from the 'toon...

How do you do it? Do you just attempt to keep a straight float and fish from the boat, or do you wade likely areas?

I have only floated in a toon once, but I am buying one this weekend. I wasn't overly confident in my ability to fish out of it, but I'd imagine that comes with time.

 

[bam]

Jay...

You'll figure it out in the first couple minutes, but I'd say it's more of a means for transport and throwing streamers is easier than nymphing or dry fly fishing. Still not an ideal way to fish. I wouldn't do it in the runs, but when you're just floating through dead water it's a good way to keep your line in the water. If you want to fish runs or riffles, get out and do it or you'll just end up spinning around, grabbing for the oars with line everywhere or running into stuff.

If you have one where you can stand up, I'd say it'd be a good way to anchor and nymph or throw dries in areas that are tough to wade.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

Jay,

It is easy once you get the hang of pointing the boat in the right direction and keeping the line out from under the boat. I had Brandon and Alpa nymphing while floating through runs and we all had success doing it. You keep the one oar up and use the off hand to steer or manage your direction. Keep about 20-25' of line out and hit every seam and dead spot you can as you go through the section. No false casting. Pick it up and slap it down. I think we hooked more while drifting than we did while wading. I'll show you. Alpa wasn't digging it at first but warmed up to it pretty quickly. It'll take you a few floats to figure out where you want to put everything and how to best guide the boat / cast.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Don't know if you guys do this or not, but a neat trick I picked up is to run a length of nylon rope with a dog leash type latch on each end, from the front of your pontoons. My ST has rings on the front of the 'toons that work great for this. When you can stand up after hooking a fish, the boat can't drift away - the rope hits your legs and the boat stays with you. I keep the length of the rope fairly taught between the 'toons to avoid getting it caught on stuff while drifting. Works great to secure the boat to streamside brush when you want to get out and wade, too.

 

[jdaddy]

That's a great idea HA. I mean a really great idea. I am going to make some today for ST if anyone wants one let me know.

You can also attach bungee cords to the rings on front and let people haul you around when you forget your oars.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

HA,
If you jump out in water that's moving pretty good, the boat will spin around and blow your knee out. Right knee, May 2010 around Stockport on the main. I will give it a try though. I land most fish "up between the toons". With that in place, I'll have to go to the side which I think makes netting tougher. Maybe a net handle extension is in order.

Bungees to tow a person when they forget their oars? Are you kidding me? Nobody's dumb enough not to bring their oars.... are they? 🙂

 

[mcwillja]

Jersey -

That Iverson emerger is a great fly. I tie mine almost exactly like that. I am sold on biot bodies for dries as well as nymphs and emergers. About 90% of my fish caught in the D this year had a biot body on it. I even use the orange antron shuck shown in your photo, especially for the olives.

 

[sight_nymph_17109]

I always just called that fly a cdc emerger w/ trailing shuck. That is also what I fish 95% of the time when there's a hatch going. I'll have to try some different body materials though. Great looking fly JG

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Wish I could take credit for the idea, but the first time I floated the Big D was in a borrowed boat, and the owner had that setup in place.

I modified the idea by making the rope twice as long (plus another foot to allow for flex in the 'toons), attach one hook to a ring, then run the other through the opposite ring and back to clip to the same ring as the first. This allows me to unhook one clip, unthread it from the opposite eyehook, and it gives me twice the length to use as a tie down to streamside brush. I also used brass dog leash clips (Ace Hardware) to prevent corrosion.

sight - never had a problem with it pulling too hard on my legs. Those boats ride so high, there's not a lot of water resistance.

 

[jdaddy]

Doubling up is a good idea as well. I picked up the hardware to make a couple this afternoon.

 

[jerseygeorge]

Friends. I tried another tactic, and I am new to the toon. I used a Kayak the past two years. Out west flippers are really big. You use them to position yourself closer or further from the bank to keep a good distance.

I found that by sitting on the seat, or the standing platform, with my boots in the water, that with very slight kicks and leg movements I could change position very easily.

Now with big boots, you do not have the mobility of having fold up flippers, but I was surprised at how well I could position myself in relation to the bank, with very little effort.

So I wound up fishing standing on the platform, sitting in the seat, or sitting low on the standing platform. The good thing about the Scadden is that there are two feet supports. So if you are in shallow water, just pick your feet up and put them on the supports.

 

[jerseygeorge]

Any fisherman that forgets their waders gets a pass. Considering all of the things we hve to bring, it is a very easy oversight.

Bungees to tow a person when they forget their oars? Are you kidding me? Nobody's dumb enough not to bring their oars.... are they? 🙂

But not bringing Oars? Give me a break. Shred their license.

Hey, word to the wise. I think they passed a law that on the Delaware we need to be wearing a PFD while fishing. Keep that in mind. Not a dumb law.

 

[jdaddy]

But not bringing Oars? Give me a break. Shred their license.

Hey! For you information, I don't even have a NY license!

Hey, word to the wise. I think they passed a law that on the Delaware we need to be wearing a PFD while fishing. Keep that in mind. Not a dumb law.

If you are saying that all people fishing the D must wear a PFD, then yes it is a dumb law. Now if I have to have one on my boat that is ok. If I have to wear one while in transit, then that's ok. But saying I have to wear one while fishing . . . just stupid.

 

[TDB]

I think you need to wear a PFD from October 1 until May 1st I believe. And this is true as we got stopped in March and got read the riot act. We had PFD's and had to dawn them the rest of the way. It sure sucked wearing one of those dumb orange (around the neck) versions while trying to cast a fly rod...🙂