3wt7X
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2008
- Messages
- 704
I had a break in my schedule, which allowed me to get away for a couple of days, so I called up a fishing buddy and we took the trip up to the famous Upper Delaware River region. We arrived on 05/30/2009 at about 06:00 pm and immediately noticed the high water levels. The West Branch was running at about 1700 CFS and the water was slightly off colored. The Main Stem was still pushing at close to 7000 CFS, so we chose to stick with the West Branch.
Upon entering the West Branch, we noticed that the water was moving pretty good, but wading was managable. That evening the air temperatures were in the 60 degree range and there were numerous bugs on the water. I observed green drakes, Slate drakes, sulphers, and numerous caddis. There were other mayflies, but my identification ability is limited. The wind was blowing pretty hard until about 07:45 pm, so I started by nymphing and my buddy was throwing an olive bugger. He missed a trout almost immediately after our arrival and I did not get a hit on my prince nymph. At about 08:00 pm, we noticed thousands of spent mayflies on the water and the fish started slurping the top. It was one of the most frustrating evenings fly fishing that I have ever had with so many naturals on the water. I found myself simply setting the hook to the rise forms in the area of my fly, which left me empty handed. My buddy had the same luck and we returned to the truck amazed at the spectacle that we witnessed, but a little perplexed as to what to do the next night to prevent getting skunked again.
The following morning was a definate redeemer. I had read about the alewife population in the reservoir above the West Branch and I decided to get up at 05:00 am and throw some white streamers. This produced immediately as I landed a nice 18 inch female brown on my third cast. I was the first one on the river, so I waited for my buddy to arrive after his morning coffee to move upstream. He tied on a similar pattern and was hooked up shortly after with a beautiful 19 inch hook jawed male that fought like a much bigger fish. I then found a nice side channel to the river with some overhanging trees and root systems. I made a decent presentation and started stripping the fly as fast as I could and witnessed an eruption. After about a 15 minute battle, I landed a very thick 21 inch brown. I think the the key to that streamer fishing was a fast presentation because those fish really wanted to attack the fly. Shortly after, the sun rose above the mountain and the streamer fishing stopped. My buddy's brother, who joined us from Connecticut, landed a nice brown on a caddis pupa nymph, but the fishing slowed significantly for the better part of the mid-day.
We rested for a while and did some local exploring in the truck. We also spoke to some local guides, who suggested a size 14 rusty spinner as a consistent pattern for the evening hatch. Monday evening was cloudy and more humid and warm than previous night, but the insects were not nearly as thick. The water did not seem to drop much on the second day, but it did appear much clearer. I set up on a nice looking eddy that I scouted during the previous day and the fish began to rise at about 08:10 pm. I immediatly stuck a small brown on the rusty spinner and three cast later at the end of a long drift my dry fly was slurped again. I set up on this fish and it was in my backing in seconds, so I started chasing it down stream. I finally caught up to it about a football field away from my original spot and managed to get it into slow water. My buddy's friend helped me net it and I observed a very health 19 inch wild rainbow. That fish was by far the hardest fighting stream trout that I've taken, but those Upper Delaware Rainbow's reputations proceed them. It got dark shortly after and I returned to the truck a very happy fly fisherman.
The next morning was rainy and cloudy and we did manage a fish or two early, but we had to hit the road by noon. In all, as some of you may have experienced, the Upper Delaware System is an amazing fishery. We only covered about a mile and a half of one of the branches and we were very fortunate. I feel that this is one of New York and Pennsylvania's top notch resources and it deserves the respect and protection to ensure that it stays that way for a long time. I know that I will be paying a lot more attention to the politics surrounding the Delaware now that I've had the opportunity to enjoy it.
Upon entering the West Branch, we noticed that the water was moving pretty good, but wading was managable. That evening the air temperatures were in the 60 degree range and there were numerous bugs on the water. I observed green drakes, Slate drakes, sulphers, and numerous caddis. There were other mayflies, but my identification ability is limited. The wind was blowing pretty hard until about 07:45 pm, so I started by nymphing and my buddy was throwing an olive bugger. He missed a trout almost immediately after our arrival and I did not get a hit on my prince nymph. At about 08:00 pm, we noticed thousands of spent mayflies on the water and the fish started slurping the top. It was one of the most frustrating evenings fly fishing that I have ever had with so many naturals on the water. I found myself simply setting the hook to the rise forms in the area of my fly, which left me empty handed. My buddy had the same luck and we returned to the truck amazed at the spectacle that we witnessed, but a little perplexed as to what to do the next night to prevent getting skunked again.
The following morning was a definate redeemer. I had read about the alewife population in the reservoir above the West Branch and I decided to get up at 05:00 am and throw some white streamers. This produced immediately as I landed a nice 18 inch female brown on my third cast. I was the first one on the river, so I waited for my buddy to arrive after his morning coffee to move upstream. He tied on a similar pattern and was hooked up shortly after with a beautiful 19 inch hook jawed male that fought like a much bigger fish. I then found a nice side channel to the river with some overhanging trees and root systems. I made a decent presentation and started stripping the fly as fast as I could and witnessed an eruption. After about a 15 minute battle, I landed a very thick 21 inch brown. I think the the key to that streamer fishing was a fast presentation because those fish really wanted to attack the fly. Shortly after, the sun rose above the mountain and the streamer fishing stopped. My buddy's brother, who joined us from Connecticut, landed a nice brown on a caddis pupa nymph, but the fishing slowed significantly for the better part of the mid-day.
We rested for a while and did some local exploring in the truck. We also spoke to some local guides, who suggested a size 14 rusty spinner as a consistent pattern for the evening hatch. Monday evening was cloudy and more humid and warm than previous night, but the insects were not nearly as thick. The water did not seem to drop much on the second day, but it did appear much clearer. I set up on a nice looking eddy that I scouted during the previous day and the fish began to rise at about 08:10 pm. I immediatly stuck a small brown on the rusty spinner and three cast later at the end of a long drift my dry fly was slurped again. I set up on this fish and it was in my backing in seconds, so I started chasing it down stream. I finally caught up to it about a football field away from my original spot and managed to get it into slow water. My buddy's friend helped me net it and I observed a very health 19 inch wild rainbow. That fish was by far the hardest fighting stream trout that I've taken, but those Upper Delaware Rainbow's reputations proceed them. It got dark shortly after and I returned to the truck a very happy fly fisherman.
The next morning was rainy and cloudy and we did manage a fish or two early, but we had to hit the road by noon. In all, as some of you may have experienced, the Upper Delaware System is an amazing fishery. We only covered about a mile and a half of one of the branches and we were very fortunate. I feel that this is one of New York and Pennsylvania's top notch resources and it deserves the respect and protection to ensure that it stays that way for a long time. I know that I will be paying a lot more attention to the politics surrounding the Delaware now that I've had the opportunity to enjoy it.
