June 3 2018

22+ inch wild fatty

That's a real beauty which took a sulphur loop wing in Miller's Eddy at dusk.

Shad are still feisty too.

This guy took a Green Drake Emerger on the swing.

One more.

They all can't be trophies.

Bug City.

Green Darner.

May 30 2018

And, yes.
There are trout south of Callicoon.

Jim Miller with a brownie.

Thatsa better Jim!

20 inch.

"Poor Man's Salmon"

Mike Breen with a nice shad.

Levels...

River flows and levels (blue line) are still about a half foot above normal (orange triangles) for this date but they are now the lowest of Spring 2018 coming in at 2,200cfs at Callicoon.

May 26 2018

A note from a customer about my hand tied flies crafted in Narrowsburg, U.S.A.

A text from Don Zimmerman who fished Pine Creek near Slate Run, Pennsylvania.
While other anglers smelled skunk, Don was off the schneid in a hurry much to the chagrin of the other anglers astream.
Looking forward to our float on the Main Stem next weekend Don!


Ja! Herr Klinkmeister!

May 25 2018

Road Trip.

With the Main Stem Upper Delaware River out of commission due to very high levels and flows for the past five weeks (charts below), I figured I would venture out to a freestone like the Willowemoc which would have better flows for dry fly.

Before I did, I made my way to Bà and Me in the river hamlet of Callicoon, New York.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Joan Wulff and Vietnamese food on the Upper Delaware River.
Who would've thought? Thanks Nhi!

CDC Loop Wing March Brown

And, a tasty morsel for...

The same fly. Au naturale.

...this guy!

Let Me Take You Higher.

Undoubtably, this has been the most "challenging" aka worst season for dry fly that I've experienced in the past 24 years of guiding.

Look at those CFS flows and the amount of water the Upper Delaware has had in April and May. We didn't get a break on the Main Stem this spring.

Compare the actual CFS flows (blue line) at Callicoon USGS to the 42 year median for the same location and time period (orange triangles).

Let's hope we can get down to some decent dry fly in June when the CFS flow gets back near 2,500 to 3,500cfs which is normal.

May 15 2018

Destruction.



For the second time in ten weeks, our region experienced an intense weather event along with a multi day power outage.

This time it was a tornado / straight line wind event that produced winds up to 90mph on Tuesday afternon around 3:45pm ET and knocked out power for about five days to Tusten, Highland, Forestburgh and Lumberland.

Narrowsburg also lost Rasmussen's Furniture Store, a fixture on Main Street in our town since the 1920's due to an electrical fire which might have coincided when the substation was rebooted.

The photos speak for themselves...











Fortunately, no one was killed during this storm.
My sincerest thanks for all the service and volunteer companies that responded in a timely manner to this severe weather event which is now becoming more common in the past decade to our region.

May 9 2018

Mixed Bag.
Soaring Eagle to Callicoon.

Bill Murtha with walleye...


...and with brown.
Hatch: Hendrickson, Blue Quill and lots of caddis. Water is in the low 50's by late afternoon.
Level and flow dropping to 3,700cfs - lowest its' been this year and still above normal.

May 7 2018

Mixed Bag.
Soaring Eagle to Callicoon.

Jennifer Angelucci with walleye...


...and a hefty smallie.
Hatch: Hendrickson, Blue Quill and lots of caddis. Water is in the low 50's by late afternoon.
4,800cfs.

April 28 2018

Water.

These USGS charts from this morning speak for themselves.
The blue line is where the flow, height and CFS is right now.
The orange triangles is the 50 to 100 year USGS median of where we should be for this date.
It's been a very tough April with high, cold and fast water levels throughout the Catskill / Upper Delaware River system.
Let's hope May will be better.
Tight lines.

April 20 2018

The Culprit.

50 degree water last Saturday then dropping down to 37 degree water throughout the week put the fish and bugs on ice for the time being.

Fly: Triggerpoint Nymph




Steve's latest report from Lambertville, NJ:

Zilch.
Warmer next week.
Have a great weekend.

April 19 2018

Washout.


Steve's latest note from Lewis Fishery down in Lambertville, NJ regarding the 2018 shad run.

Current Levels on the Big D at Callicoon, NY


The river is very high and very cold.
8,000cfs at 39 degrees.
It's going to take a long time for this river to recede to somewhat "normal" levels since all NYC reservoirs are spilling.
Projected height in two days at Callicoon is 8,200cfs.
Not much change.
April has been a tough month. Better weather later next week. Warmer and drier.
Tight lines.

Spillin'.


NYC DEP reservoir chart.

April 18 2018

Will trout rise to dries at 4,000cfs at Callicoon?


Here's a blast from the past.
At 4.2 feet, or about 4,000cfs, trout were rising to dries steadily at the Callicoon Pool back in July of 2015 when NYC DEP dumped 1,500cfs out of Cannonsville for about five weeks due to a test bore drill mishap.
Yes, the water was in the grass and there was decent current in the pool but most fish were found well below the wire coming up for sulphurs in the slack water.

Today's chart.


9,600cfs and falling this morning at Callicoon.
Got aways to go to 4,000cfs.
Maybe early next week since not much rain is forecast.
Fingers crossed.

April 16 2018

Fly: Little Hellgie.




To scale.


Hellgies can only live in clean and well oxygenated water like the Upper Delaware River.
Look under shallow riffles of less than a foot or two with large flat rocks.

April 15 2018

Movin' On.


You are welcome.
It's been a pleasure to serve.

Much cooler and rain coming in


NOAA / USGS Chart.

The latest from Steve at Lewis Fishery in Lambertville, NJ on the Delaware River.


Cupcake.


For March Browns, Grey Fox and Sulphurs.
Just vary the size - #10 through #16.

April 14 2018

Fly: Señor Vonce.


Shad will hit these savagely in the riffles.
Wait til it's 55 to 65 degrees. In May and June.
Best Flow?
Less than 2000cfs measured at Callicoon USGS.

One more from report / email from Steve at Lewis Fishery in Lambertville, NJ on the Delaware River.


Water is 52° down there.
Rough week ahead.
Colder with rain.
Tight lines.

April 13 2018

First shad of the year at Lambertville, NJ


Looks like another excellent run for the shad this year via Rusty Balls Guide Service out of Lambertville, NJ.
Lewis Fishery netted the first take of 2018 at Lewis Island last night. Both bucks and roe's.
Much cooler weather by Sunday with rain. Water is 44 from Port to Callicoon.
Prognosis is shad will be here in two weeks or so.
2018 Shad Article.
Viva Rusty Balls!
Tight lines and have a great weekend.

Poor Man's Salmon.
How long? How long?


Lambertville to Narrowsburg ---> 120miles / 6-8 mpd = 15 to 20 days+/-
or April 28 at Narrowsburg (April 22-24 at PJ) depending on river flow and water temps in the next two weeks.
Tight lines.

April 8 2018

22° this morning in the Catskills.



A good day to cook...





...and tie.

April 7 2018

Argentina?



The last time I checked, the Catskill region in the United States was in the northern hemisphere.
However, eventhough the days are getting longer in New York and Pennsylvania, the water temeperatures as these charts will attest are getting colder.

April 6 2018

Winter is back.



Below freezing air temps at night for the next week won't warm the water.

Water temps all around the Catskills this morning.



Ice cold water temps at 38 degrees and the levels are high.
A better weekend to tie and think of warmer days.
My educated guess is that we have another two weeks of this BS until we get into gear.
I'll call it around April 22nd or so for Paraleps and Hendos...

April 4 2018

Introducing Mr. Kinkmeister



It is conceivable that the biggest fish that you will catch on top this season will be caught on a Red Quill Kinkmeister®

Dry Fly and Hatches Will Have to Wait.



Addendum.
We're not going to see decent hatches until the third week of April this year in the Catskills with this weather.
Chart from NOAA attached. You want the water to consistently reach 50 degrees and stay there for bugs.
In addition, fish are still sleepy. Water is 40 right now, will be 38 tomorrow morn.
Cannonsville is now spilling at 100%+. Cold for the next 10 days.

Voids?



Current and forecasted river heights for the next 72 hours.
So much for creating those "voids" at Cannonsville Reservoir via the new Flexible Flow Management Plan (FFMP) protocols.
Cannonsville Reservoir (WB Del) was at: 99.7% via NYC DEP yesterday afternoon.
It will begin spilling this afternoon from inflow from Walton from NOAA and continue for a few days.
Rain forecast again for Friday, April 6th.

April 2 2018

High Water.



Projected height at Hale will go over 7 feet by Thursday morning. Chart.

March 31 2018

River / Fish Report: 3/31/18



Not yet.

Weather Forecast via NOAA for the upcoming week.



My God.
More snow.

March 30 2018

Fly: "The Stormy Daniels Collection"



Rated X for
Exquisite
Excellent
Extreme
Excelsior!
The Upper Delaware River 'bows crush these.

Just like a trip to Zabars on an empty tummy...



...appetizing for the wild Upper Delaware River trout that just can't get enough of these morsels.

Rivers are cold, stained and rising.  
We've got aways to go before the fish get happy and the bugs start hatching.

March 23 2018

Fly: Bead Head Bernie



Soon.

March 18 2018

Damn!
Now, the name below sounds serious!
     



Makeover!
Since the developer (in this case, Delaware River Solar) is getting a big subsidy in the millions for each of these commercial facilities from New York state and, at the same time, asking for 20 to 30 year tax abatements from both the county and state, we really need to get the public on our side!
Let's change that name to something nicer...




Read more from the Sullivan County Partnership interview with Rich Winters, CEO of Delaware River Solar.

Yes, Virginia, it is a... FARM!
2.7 Megawatt Commercial Solar Array
Callicoon, New York is now online.
Biggest facility is New York State.




Uh-oh!
BUT, now town of Delaware officials are having second thoughts about this new type of "farming"!
Their planning board en masse petitions the town board to rescind their existing commercial solar law and begin a... moratorium!
Excerpt from The Sullivan County Democrat:

Another moratorium.
Again.


Bigly.
This is what that new fangled "farming" looks like in western Sullivan County!

Aerial map.

Q:
So what's all this worth to the 1) Developer of a commercial solar facility, 2) the person that leases the land to the developer, 3) the person that ties their residential NYSEG utility into this and lastly (usually), 4) the town for (duh) any lost revenue in the form of exemptions, PILOTS { Payment In Lieu Of Taxes} and tax abatements given to the developer in the name of progress?

Here's an interview with Rich Winter, CEO of Delaware River Solar, from ithaca.com:
Damn, that's one helluva crop! $300,000 per year from one array!
How many farmers bring in that kind of dough from 20 acres and then get a generous tax deferment?

What's the deal?


The fine print.
This is the deal that the Sullivan IDA struck with the town of Delaware.
$10,000 per megawatt per year or 6% of gross revenue from the sale of electricity from each commercial array equates to about $20,000+ per year as a Payment In Lieu Of Taxes.
The complete IDA contract / resolution can be read here.

Q and A. Straight from the horse's mouth.

Source: ny-sun.ny.gov O.K. What does Delaware River Solar receive at Baer Rd.; Sullivan County, NY?

In the Baer Road project, DRS received 1.3 million dollars from NYS for a 2.7 megawatt commercial facility along with tax abatements from the IDA.

9800 solar panels / providing power to 350 homes.

What do NYSEG customers that tie into DRS - Baer receive?

A 10% discount which would equate to $60 per year!
{$50 +/- per month x 12 months = $600 annual NYSEG bill less 10% = $60.00 savings for the first year.
2% increase after the first year in cost each year thereafter.

-------
People have been asking to compare the power of the Tusten municipal solar array off of NYS Route 97
which powers just three buildings in Tusten (town hall, highway and water / sewer department) to the Baer Road solar facility.

Town of Tusten Municipal Solar Array: 109.8kw

Baer Road; Town of Delaware; Sullivan County, NY: 2.7 Mgw


Baer Road is 25 times more powerful and takes up about that much space. -------
What kind of PILOT deal?
Examples of two other projects near Ithaca (Enfield - Tompkins County, NY) and the PILOT deal that they cut with the town.
PILOT deal (Town of Enfield) was $8,000 per year per megawatt - or $16,000 per year for revenue to the town. Those were 2 megawatt.
2% annual increase + sales tax + mortage tax benefit
Worth reading the comments from their boardmember below.

=======================================================
Articles:
One article

And another article.

One more article.

====================

"During Wednesday's hearing, Enfield Councilwoman Beth McGee voiced concern about the tax revenues that will be lost from the projects' PILOT agreements. She noted each project also will receive state subsidies. "The amount of revenue from these projects that will be lost in this town, many of whom struggle to pay tax bills each year, will be nearly $300,000 over the term of these PILOT agreements," McGee said. "All anyone has to do is look around this facility, or our deteriorating equipment inventory or take a drive through town to think of what we could do with $300,000 if we weren't providing these gifts to developers with investors who have money to spend. ... When county reps regularly chastise New York state for strangling municipalities with unfunded mandates, I hope they might see the irony in the IDA accepting development agreements that don't reflect the needs of our communities." The Mecklenburg solar project will receive more than $500,000 from New York taxpayers, and the Delaware River project will receive more than $300,000. McGee said Enfield residents will have to forgo town revenue of $146,000 over 20 years because of the Mecklenburg Solar project. Residents will have to forgo $136,000 because of the the Delaware River Solar project. Both projects will result in no jobs being created in Enfield, she said."

========

CALLICOON, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state's largest community solar project has been completed in Sullivan County. The 2.7-megawatt solar array with nearly 10,000 solar panels received close to $1.3 million from the state's NY-Sun initiative. It's owned by Delaware River Solar. The governor's office says the facility in Callicoon is expected to cut energy bills for more than 350 homes and businesses. Community solar projects provide access to solar energy in areas where residents may not be able to install their own solar panels.

And on a lighter note...



Sulphur Deer Hair Emerger.

March 16 2018

Kellams Bridge Is Closed For Repairs







Kellams Bridge on the Upper Delaware River located between Long Eddy, New York and Hankins, New York (see map) is closed from now through June 29 2018 and also will be closed after Labor Day.

Plan your float trips accordingly.

Lefty Kreh. R.I.P.



One of the best.

A wonderful teacher and ambassador that the sport of flyfishing was fortunate to have.
New York Times obit here.

March 10 2018

People Planet Politics


I took part in a panel discussion at the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance this afternoon in Narrowsburg, New York.

The complete video can be accessed here.

Panelists (left to right): Tracy Carluccio (Delaware Riverkeeper Network), Ari Mir-Pontier (Sullivan County Human Rights Commission), Barbara Arrindell (DCS), Tony Ritter (Town of Tusten Councilman), Wes Gillingham (Catskill Mountainkeeper)

A few March Browns


Sparkle Duns and Snowshoe Loop Wings Emergers.

March 9 2018

Riley and Quinn Arrested for Disorderly Conduct


An excellent article written by Matt Shortall from today's Sullivan County Democrat of the aftermath of last week's two nor' easters and how warming centers aided rural communities in Tusten, Highland, Lumberland and Forestburgh.
A Gift from Catskill John


Look what I found!
My main man, Catskill John, a great tier in his own right and superb angler with the long rod, sent me some nice urine stained fox fur for those snowshoe Hendos I do love to tie and that the wild Upper Delaware River trout love to devour.
Thank you John! Let's have a drink and pizza this season.
May you have light breezes and many tight lines in 2018.

March 8 2018

Snowcover: A Two Week Comparison


Well, here's a nice simple graphic of the current snowcover (right map) we have in the Catskills / Poconos / Upper Delaware region of New York and Pennsylvania.

We've gone from no snowcover two weeks ago to over 16 to 24 inches today.

Here are the stats from NYC DEP:
After thaw, all NYC reservoirs will all be spilling this year.
Total NYC storage for this date is: 95.5%
Historical NYC storage for this date is: 86.9%
Cannonsville (West Branch Delaware River): 94.2%
Pepacton (East Branch Delaware River): 94.9%
Neversink (Neversink River): 99.2%

A lot of water and we still have 6 to 8 weeks more of seasonal precip.
Catskill / Pocono rivers and streams will be full and cold this spring. Good for trout and shad.

NEXT...

Since last Friday, March 2nd, the Upper Delaware River Valley has experienced two Nor' Easters. On the morning of Friday the 2nd, we got shellacked with Riley with brought heavy snow and sustained winds of over 50+ mph for over 16 hours. The combination of heavy wet snow and high winds throughout the day snapped trees and limbs which then brought down many power lines and Narrowsburg was out of power for about four days before power was restored on Tuesday the 6th.

Then, on March 7th, we experienced Quinn which also brought another foot of heavy snow to the region.
Areas, however, to the south and east, received more snow but this time we didn't have the strong winds.
Unfortunately, many in the outlying areas in the town of Tusten were still without power after six days and the town of Highland, the township to our south, still has 75% of their residents without power (screenshot below) and that is now almost a week!




NYSEG.
Our operators are standing by.
No matter how hard NYSEG crews, (along with many other crews from Canada and other states) battled to restore power to the region, and they did a yeomans job through bad roads and downed trees, the data and information on NYSEG's corporate website was either incomplete or incorrect.

Your best source for data mining for up to date and truthful information was social media like Facebook.
Kaitlin Carney Haas, a town councilperson for the town of Highland deserves many kudos for keeping her constituents and neighboring townships informed on a timely basis.
Thank you Kaitlin!

E/C Caddis: From the trout's perspective.
With all this snowcover, the spring season, when it finally begins, should be excellent.

My guess is that the hatches will be normal to late this year which bodes well for water temps to be in the 50's and 60's all the way through June with reservoirs at over 100% and plenty of water in the rivers and streams.

Last year, we had the best shad run in twenty years along with plenty of cool, high water (scroll back) and this year looks to be similar.

One fly pattern that's been a killer for the Upper Delaware River wild trout has been Ralph Cutter's E/C Caddis. Spring will soon be here (let's hope). Tight lines!

The Calm After the Storm

Why we live here.

March 7 2018

The Maestro!


The Maestro, Alan Kaufman, stopped by my booth at the annual four day fishing EXPO in Rockland over the weekend.

In my new article on Upper Delaware River smallmouth bass fishing in the Spring 2018 issue of Catskill - Delaware magazine they featured Alan with a gorgeous trophy bronzeback he caught and released.

Here's Alan alongside yours truly at the show and - YES! - that's Alan on the pedestal with a smallie photographed about 20 years ago.

Alan's the only client and friend that looks younger after twenty years but his fish keeps getting bigger!

Alan with a nice Upper Delaware River shad...


Wow!

...and a trophy Big D. smallmouth...


Nice fish Alan!

...and a beautiful Upper Delaware wild 'bow!


A great angler who is a terrific friend!

February 27 2018

NYC DEP Snow Survey


Here's the latest snow survey from NYC DEP along with charts comparing the previous four years.
In 2017 there was no snow for this date but we got walloped with 36 inches on 3/15/17 and had a wet spring and in 2016 there was no snow for this date and we had a dry and warm March.

Hatches?
It all depends on this March. Stay tuned.

Showtime!


March 1 through 4.
INFO
I'll be at Booth #425 at the Rockland Fishing EXPO in Suffern, New York.
Stop by and say hello if you're at the show!

February 23 2018

Think Spring.
New article in the Catskill - Delaware Spring 2018 magazine!


My article on the feisty Upper Delaware River smallmouth bass hit the stands today in the Sullivan County Democrat .

Did you know that Field and Stream named the Upper Delaware River as one of the top five smallie rivers in the United States?
The magazine will be available at the four day fishing EXPO next week at the Rockland County College Fieldhouse.
Show dates are Thursday through Sunday, March 1 through 4 and I'll be giving seminars on Thursday and Saturday and will be at Booth #425.

Fish info for show dates, times and exhibitors are here.

February 21 2018

The Big Push.

The Big Eddy. Upper Delaware River. Narrowsburg, New York.
12 noon; Wednesday February 21 2018.

That's it folks!

Snowcover?
Gone.


All gone.
The Catskills / Poconos / Upper Delaware River Valley region is in the yellow oval.

Plenty of water.

Currently we are above the historical average for total water in New York City's reservoir storage for this date.
A good thing for the upcoming spring trout season.
We had a similiar situation in 2016 where there was no snowcover in March and Hendrickson / Blue Quill began to show in Callicoon by April 15th.
Too soon to tell.
It all depends on whether we get hammered with snow in March (like in 2017) or not (like 2016).

February 12 2018

Snowcover... diminished.


As you can see, the current snowpack in the Catskills / Poconos has greatly diminshed over the past few days since we received rainfall. We have anywhere from 2 to 6 inches depending on shade and elevation down from over a foot a week ago.


Mid winter thaw.

40's to low 50's is forecast for midweek and that will melt most of the remaining snowcover.

Experimentation.

I borrowed from Hans Von Klinken's (Klinkhamer) and Ralph Cutter's (E-C Caddis) pattern to design a hybrid of two very successful patterns. Pictured is a big meaty March Brown found in the Catskills throughout May but this pattern can be designed to match almost any mayfly - just vary the hook size and color.

Upper Delaware March Brown Kinkmeister

Look how The Kinkmeister sits flush in the water. The abdomen slightly below the surface while the parachute keeps the fly from becoming completely submerged and the deer hair post acts as a great strike indicator.

February 7 2018

We got snow.


Current snowpack in the United States with the Catskill / Upper Delaware River region in the red box.
We have about 6 to 10 inches depending on location, elevation and shade.
After today's storm, the Upper Delaware River Valley will have more than a foot and higher elevations near Slide Mountain with have close to two feet.

Current NYC DEP reservoir stats

Actual water storage for this date is very close to the historical averages with 6 to 8 weeks of winter to come.
Snowcover will add to the volume when the snow finally melts.

Doppler radar of the current storm.

It looks like an all day affair.
NOAA is forecasting from 6 to 12 inches.

Home Sweet Home.

A good day to tie flies!

The Fly Fishing Show - Audio / Podcast by Guide Rob Snowwhite
Didn't make it to last week's Fly Fishing Show in Edison, New Jersey?
No problem. You're in good hands with my man, Rob Snowwhite, who guides out of The Old Dominion.
Rob and I along with "Uncle" Bob Hopken shared a table (that's right - ONE table - and, yes, it was cozy) at the Fly Fishing Show tying all sorts of patterns that amazed and enthralled the crowd.
Sit back, sip a single malt, close your eyes and enjoy the festivities.
Will Chuck and Ben invite us back again next year? Well, that remains to be seen.
My plug about the Upper Delaware River starts around 7:55.
Thanks Rob...wishing you light breezes and tight lines for 2018!

February 2 2018

Lot of ice...but no snow.


As you can see, here's a photo of The Big Eddy on the Upper Delaware River in Narrowsburg, New York taken this afternoon which has a lot of ice but no snow.
It's been a cold winter so far in the Catskills with very little snow.

Paraleps (aka Blue Quill)


Recipe:
Daiichi 1180 size 18
Thread: Uni 8/0
Shuck: EP Trigger Point (sparse / grey)
Body: EP Trigger Point [grey] wound tight to form segmentation
Wing: EP Trigger point (full / white / cut like comparadun style)
Thorax: Fine grey dub (full)


New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (D) Joins
Neighboring Governors in United Front against Fracking

Article published yesterday.
The tally?
That's 4 governors (NYS, PA, NJ and DE) that make up the Delaware River Basin Commission IN FAVOR OF the DRBC frack ban along the Delaware River and 1 NAY (FEDS)
Majority rules. The vote will probably occur late in 2018 or in 2019. Mazel.

January 29 2018

The 2018 Fly Fishing Show


Yours truly at the annual Fly Fishing Show.
This year the show was held in Edison, New Jersey and the attendance was great.
Got a few comments on the pony tail.

Loop Wing Sulphur Emerger


Was tying next to Uncle Bob Hopken out of Jersey who is on the Enrico Puglisi's pro staff so I started playing around with EP Trigger Point fibers at the show and knocked out a few loop wings in place of my beloved snowshoe rabbit.
Needless to say...I'm hooked.
More importantly, I believe the fish this season on the Upper Delaware River will be too!

Recipe:
Daiichi 1150 size 16
Thread: Uni 8/0
Tail: Phesant tail (webby / sparse)
Body: EP Trigger Point wound tight to form segmentation
Breaking loop wing: EP Trigger point (picked out)
Thorax: Spectrum Caucci-Nastasi Sulphur Dub (full)
Legs: Partridge

No snow cover in the Catskills / Upper Delaware River region


Going into the last week of January, the Catskills has absolutely no snowcover.

October 21 2017

Pretty woman.
Beautiful fish.

Leslie Yee with one of many smallmouth bass that she caught and released on today's float trip from Long Eddy to Callicoon.
Leslie caught The Delaware River Grand Slam - rainbows, browns, walleye and smallies with this fish taping out to 17+ inches.
The weather in the Catskills has been fabulous for late October - 70's, dry and sunny.

September 27 2017

First Cast.

Didn't even have to row the boat far for this beast.
After launching the driftboat, I was demonstrating the finer points of casting a four inch Senko to the client and...BAM!
Yes. The smallmouth bass fishing has been superb on the Upper Delaware River.

September 24 2017

Upper Delaware River Trophy!

Wow!
That's Bob Keene with a 20 inch trophy!
What a great looking river bronzeback.
Perfect smallmouth bass conditions continue on this outstanding resource.
Great fish Bob! Tight lines!

September 23 2017

The Guide.

Our trip took us from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River.
What a gorgeous day!
The water is gin clear, temps are in the 70's and the levels are great. Friends, just use those 4 inch Senkos rigged Wacky and that's all you'll need to catch a lot of fish.
Hey, that me holding Max Thomas's nice smallmouth.

Max's Pop

That's Max's Dad, Michael, with one of many legal smallmouth bass father and son caught and released on today's float trip on the beautiful Upper Delaware River.

September 22 2017

Perfect smallmouth conditions!

Outstanding smallmouth bass fishing on our beloved Upper Delaware River continues.
Crystal clear water, water temperature in the low 70s and great low levels.
Big bass and lots of the them on our float from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River this afternoon. Half day trip is yielding 40+ fish with 50% legal and many over 15 inches. No rain is forecast with more warm and sunny days for the next week.
Wet a line for smallies. All four inch Senkos rigged Wacky.

Yep. Per.

Gol darn that's the beautiful Narrowsburg Bridge in the background with John Margicin and some real nice fish.
Tight lines! (Which we had plenty of today!)

September 19 2017

*****

Did you know that the Upper Delaware River was named by "Field and Stream" magazine as one of the top five smallmouth rivers in the United States?
Article

Blog

September 18 2017

Perfection.

Couldn't ask for better conditions for river smallmouth.
Gin clear, low levels and water temperature at 73 degrees.
Outstanding!
Dave Speck with a nice one caught and released on today's float trip south of Narrowsburg, New York.

Legal+.

One more...

It doesn't get better than this.

Dave plying the waters of the Upper Delaware River near Railroad Bridge #9 near Tusten Settlement.

September 17 2017

Yo Yo.

Great to play with.
Wonderful to listen to.
Awful when it comes to water management.

An example of a yo-yo release from Cannonsville on the West Branch of the Delaware in the last 24 hours.

September 10 2017

Upper Delaware River Selfie.
You're really as young as you feel.

Playing in the Band.


Bronzebacks galore!

Mike Leonetti with a nice one.
Gol Darn! Was it nice out there this afternoon or wha...?

Thumbs up.

And another.
And another...

Topwater Feed at Dusk

Jimmy Parilli with a nifty bass north of Ten Mile River.
Superb conditions with the better bite late afternoon into evening.
Blessings and prayers to our Southern friends.

September 8 2017

Well fed and chunky.

The same white shad popper as seen below used on today's float trip from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River successfully.
The better bite is in the afternoon towards evening.
Water is gin clear, at normal levels and cool at 61 degrees but the smallies took the topwater poppers with abandon after 3:00pm.
Plenty of mayflies on the surface for them to look up to - BWO's, Iso's, Cahills and Sulphurs. Great topwater conditions!

Home Sweet Home.

There's no place like the Upper Delaware River!

September 7 2017

Well, well, well...

Read on dear readers...read on.

September 6 2017

Topwater blitz!

Close up of one of my white shad popper designs tied on size 4.
This has been a very successful pattern on the smallmouth bass at dusk for the past few weeks due to the abundance of shadling heading back to the Atlantic Ocean.
It doesn't take much to get a nice gurgle and pop out of this baby.

Current Conditions.


Water levels are gin clear and at the lowest levels of the season.
Perfect for topwater!

NYC Cuts Reservoir Releases from 500cfs to 250cfs at Cannonsville (WB Delaware) as of September 5th.


As you can see due to the failure of the states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware to agree on an extension of the FFMP, NYC released more cold water than they had to for the past 90days as of June 1st for the benefit of wild trout and businesses during the summer months.
That release has since been cut back after Labor Day per NYC and will be cut back more after October 10th.
Cannonsville is currently at 79% capacity. Pepacton at 86%.
Total NYC storage for this date is about 8% higher than the historical average. 86% (Actual) vs. 78% (Historical).

September 3 2017

LABOR DAY EDITION: Entrepreneurs on the River
Hey! Hot Dog Man!
Gimme two with some kraut and mustard.

Here's a nifty video of the Delaware River shot about 125 miles south of us.
Far, far, far below the area that the National Park Service (NPS) and the United States Congress has designated where the river is "Scenic and Recreational".
Daytrippers enjoying the great outdoors down there declare that
The Delaware River..."better than the Caribbean!".

Click for full video!
Heck, I see more bald eagles than people kayaking or tubing on the beautiful "Scenic and Recreational" Upper Delaware River on most stretches up here (and forget about those string bikinis in the video...wish there were!).
Well, you can't have everything but the fishing is mighty fine.
Enjoy...and tight lines!

August 28 2017

Perfect conditions!

Well, right off the bat, Mark Freemyer nailed a dandy river smallmouth at the Narrowsburg / PA access to start our float this afternoon.
The trip was the usual 5 mile stretch- Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River - which has been very hot for the past month using 4" Senkos and Kei's so why change when the sports are catching fish.
Water: Gin clear / 68 degrees / lowest levels and flow for at least a month+.
Great conditions.

August 25 2017

All you need are Senkos.

Steven Goldfield with one of many legal Upper Delaware River bronzebacks he caught and released on this afternoon's float trip south of Narrowsburg, New York on the Upper Delaware River.

August 24 2017

Coming to the Upper Delaware River on September 5th!



Word from Adam Bosch of NYC DEP yesterday is that as of September 5th, NYC will cut back all the water releases from their reservoirs - Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink.
Cannonsville on the West Branch of the Delaware will be reduced from 500cfs to 275cfs until early October when the release will be cut more.
You can read NYC DEP's complete press release here.
Sullivan County (NY) legislators have chimed in on this matter as well.
Here is their official letter to all the players.
This is an interesting policy change from NYCDEP since the total capacity for this date is currently: 89.5%
when historically it should be: 82.1%
So, right now, we're way above where we should be regarding water availability.
My guess is that they're cutting back due to cooler nights and shorter days thus the trout will not be in any danger due to warm water but let's hear it for Chris Christie, lame duck governor of New Jersey.
New Jersey's inaction at the bargaining table with the other DRBC states to address the ongoing concern of the Flexible Flow Management Plan (FFMP) since June 1st has accounted for this stalemate.
Christie's approval rating is now about 18%. Nope. Make that 15%.

August 21 2017

Meaghan!

For the many years that I've guided on this beautiful river, I've had the pleasure of taking fathers and son's (and daughters) out on the water to learn to fish.
Yesterday, Meaghan DeCelie fished with me for smallmouth bass.
As you can see, back in 2002, Meaghan exhibited her angling skills with her pink Barbie closed face spinning reel and her talents have gotten better throughout the years.
Meghan's now in college and I wish her a great year ahead.

Père et fille.

That's Frank, Meaghan's dad, and Meaghan after another successful float trip on the Upper Delaware River.
Time flies! I can't believe I've been guiding for 23 years...and with the same driftboat!
Frank and Meaghan - I wish you both light breezes and many tight lines for many many years to come!

August 18 2017

Testimonial.

Thanks John.
It was a pleasure to fish with you many times in 2016 and 2017.
Wishing you plenty of tight lines and light breezes.

August 17 2017

Trophy.

Jeff Doerner with a trophy 20 inch Upper Delaware River smallmouth.
Where else?
Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River. A very hot stretch.
Today it was all Senkos.

Quadruple legal limit.

Dave Weinstein with one of many legal fish caught and released on this afternoon's float trip in the beautiful Upper Delaware River.
Great conditions!

August 15 2017

50?
Yes, 50!

John Pellegrino fished with me on this great stretch of water from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River this afternoon and easily caught and released in excess of fifty smallmouth bass.

Scrappy AND Chunky.

Pound for pound, you just can't beat the Upper Delaware River smallmouth bass!

August 14 2017

Bronze Beauty.

The star of the show...the Upper Delaware River smallmouth bass!
Here with Kevin Kennedy on today's river float trip somewhere between Narrowsburg and Ten Mile River.
What a beautiful river bronzeback!

August 12 2017

Bonus walleye(s)

A few nice wally for my man, Rick Carney, who brought home the bacon with this nice 'eye along with over forty smallmouth bass on today's float trip south of Narrowsburg, New York on the beautiful Upper Delaware River.

Make it chartreuse.

Have confidence in what you throw.

August 11 2017

Shad fry are out.

Plenty of forage this year as the shadling head back down to the Atlantic and the smallmouth nail them in the skinnies.

Shad Popper

Don't leave home without one (or two) of these patterns in late summer / early fall.

August 8 2017

Big 'un.

Yep per.
THAT'S a good'un!
Great smallmouth conditions on the fabulous Upper Delaware River.
John Pellegrino with a nice bronzeback caught and released on today's river float trip.
Kei - Techs rule.

Clouser Minnow.

Works nice when the fish aren't hitting topwater.
With the excellent shad run this spring, they'll be plenty of 3 inch shadlings heading back down to the Atlantic in the next eight weeks.
Try one and hold on.

August 3 2017

Double limit.

Eight year old Mason Reed fished with me on the Upper Delaware River this afternoon and the young angler caught a double limit of smallmouth bass along with two dandy fish that went over the 17 inch mark.


Another nice bronzeback...


...and one more!
What a great afternoon for this terrific angler.
Tight lines always Mason.
It was a pleasure fishing with you and Steve today.

Fly...

My version of the topwater fly pattern "Blockhead Popper".
Use on a 7 or 8 weight flyrod.
Turns over great for a wind resistant fly, has a great gurgle and casts 50+ feet.
Available in yellow (shown), white, black and chartreuese by emailing me.

...or spin.

Mason nailed all these fish using a sixteenth ounce Gamakatsu lead head jig tipped with a 3.5 inch Kei-Tech.
Available at Tom's Bait and Tackle in Narrowsburg, New York.

July 28 2017

Here's savvy angler, young Dalton Miller, from the Buckeye State, who fished with me on today's float with his Pop.
Both father and son had never visited our beautiful river valley and spent a week camping out and exploring the Upper Delaware River.
The water is still stained to about 4 feet and has cooled down into the mid sixties. Last week it was in the upper 70's before we got hit with heavy downpours especially upriver in Hancock and Deposit.
Still, all in all, a very good float from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River today with over 50 fish.
Senkos and Kei-Techs are all you need for a productive day.

July 21 2017

60+ Fish.

Roger Gaglione with one of 60 bronzebacks our boat caught and released on today's river float from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River.
Great conditions with water temperatures in the mid 70's and good levels.
Kei-Techs rule.

Freshwater Lobster Traps Set in The Big Eddy.

They'll be some mighty fine eating at our local restaurants with this farm to table delicacy.

July 11 2017

The Kids Are All Right.

Johnny Pellegrino fished with his Grand Dad on the beautiful Upper Delaware River today.
Our float trip went from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River and both anglers caught and released in excess of fifty bass.
Superb conditions on the river right now for the bronzebacks. The water is clear, in the 70s and the levels are normal.
Senkos and Kei-Techs are all you need for a productive day chasing these scrappy and fiesty fish.
The Upper Delaware River...Living The Dream® ™

July 1 2017

Bonus Fish.

Gol' Darn!
Here's Alan Kaufman with a dandy Upper Delaware River striped bass he caught and released on today's float trip from Narrowsburg to Ten Mile River. Smallmouth conditions are superb.
Water temperature is 73, levels and flow are normal and the clarity is great.
Happy Fourth and tight lines!
The Upper Delaware River...Living The Dream® ™

June 22 2017

Summer's here folks!

Enjoy the river...but respect it.

June 17 2017

Shadmeister.

Yeah mon.
We still fish for the shad.
Jai Smith with one of seven shad he caught on the Soaring Eagle to Callicoon drift on the Upper Delaware River.
They were thick as thieves and fight like bonefish.

Bigger fish.
Jai's Seventh.

Helluva day on the Big D.

June 16 2017

Overcast and Drizzle...

...a perfect walleye day!
Jim Phillips with a nice fat Upper Delaware River walleye he caught and released south of Kellams bridge on today's float.
A mixed bag for Jim - 9 brown trout, 1 rainbow, 1 shad, 1 walleye and a handful of smallmouth bass.
That's what we call a Big D. Grand Slam.
Congrats Jim!

Looking south towards The Chutes.

There's no place like it.
The Upper Delaware River.

May 28 2017

They're still here...

...and feisty!
Alan Kaufman with a nice Upper Delaware River shad at Ten Mile River late this afternoon.
Cool weather is keeping the water temperatures in the upper fifties to low sixties which is perfect for trout and shad.

May 27 2017

The wild Upper Delaware River rainbows!

Spots, coloration, proportions, strength...the jewels of the river!
The Maestro. Alan Kaufman with one of four wild Big D. 'bows that he caught and released on today's float trip from Long Eddy to Callicoon, New York.
Overcast, no wind, water temperature was a cool 58 degrees for Memorial Day and the clarity is gin clear.
On paper, that's about a ten out of a ten.
Hatches, however were, weak. Caddis, sulphurs, Grey Fox and an occaisonal Drake but surface targets were few and far between.

What we fight for.
What is at stake.
Excellent essay in The New York Times by Jeff Skelding of Friends of the Upper Delaware River.

LINK
Please read and distribute.
Deadline is May 31st...in four days.

Please call these folks that will decide the fate of water releases for your river.


Thank you and tight lines!.

May 23 2017

Big Brown.

Who said that there's no trout south of Callicoon?
Here's a hefty 20 incher that John Pellegrino caught and released south of Narrowsburg. Yes, Narrowsburg on today's float trip.

Closeup.

Nice!
Great river conditions. Water was 58 degrees and the clarity and levels are excellent.
Hatches downriver?
Cadddis, Sulphurs and a few March Browns.

#9 Railroad Bridge near Tusten Settlement.

The Upper Delaware River.
There's no place like it.

May 20 2017

Mixed Bag.

More shad were caught on today's float trip from Long Eddy south to Callicoon on the Big D.
Here's Glenn Catanzariti with a nice American shad...

...along with a lanky 20 inch walleye.

Besides walleye and shad, Glenn was also into wild trout and smallmouth bass making the day's outing an Upper Delaware River Grand Slam!

May 19 2017

Upper Delaware River American Shad
"The Poor Man's Salmon"

What a run it's been this year!
Probably the best shad run in over fifteen years!
Here's Kevin Kearsey with one of five shad he nailed north of Callicoon, New York on the Upper Delaware River on our half day afternoon float trip.


What normal river levels and current flows looks like.

The green box....NOT the red box.
Great conditions right now on the Big D.

May 12 2017

Another day on the wild and wooly West Branch.
MORE big fish.

Richard Quigley, a veteran river angler, with a dandy wild brown that he caught and released this afternoon.
Hatches were sparser than yesterday with Caddis, Blue Quills and Hendrickson showing from 3:00 until 5:30pm.

Like father...like son!

Sean Quigley with another nice wild brown.
Richard and Sean caught over ten nice fish between them. All brownies except one rainbow.

------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
R.I.P.

Phil Chase

A great man has passed.
Phil Chase - teacher, angler, conservationist, was one of the original advocates for clean water and cold water releases for the magnificent Upper Delaware River wild trout fishery.
The river and those that love the Catskill / Upper Delaware River region have lost a true friend.
I will miss him very much.
His full obituary.

May 11 2017

Wild West Branch.
Big fish.

Steve Peleschuk with one of many big wild browns he caught and released on today's float from Balls Eddy to Buckingham.

One more.

Great hatches of caddis, Blue Quill and Hendricksons with happy fish rising from 3:00pm until 5:30pm.
Water hit 53, clarity is good and the river level is still high at 4500cfs so wading is very limited.

Seventh Heaven.

No wind, high clouds and good targets by mid afternoon.
We're about three miles south of Hancock on the Main Stem.

Auto Mall? Nope.
EVERYBODY loves to fish.

Balls Eddy Pennsylvania State Access with about 30 rigs...and it's a weekday!

Get a boat.

This USGS chart speaks for itself.

May 10 2017

West Branch.


Andy Vallardares with a nice wild West Branch Delaware Brown.
Point Mountain in Hancock, NY in the background.

Rivers are still high...

Water in the grass and wading the branches and Main Stem is not possible.

Due to Cannonsville and Pepacton Reservoirs...

...still spilling.
(They've now been spilling for about three weeks.)

Guess what?

MORE rain is forecast for this Saturday and into Sunday.
Over an inch.
When will it end?
Our actual precip for the past three months far exceeds the historical averages. See NYC DEP chart above.

May 6 2017

Spring 2017.
A lot of water.
Take a look at the charts below.

40 Day USGS Chart for Callicoon, NY on the Upper Delaware River.
75% of the time the CFS levels were above the 40 year median. (Orange Triangles)

And on the West Branch?
92% of the time, CFS levels were above the 40 year median. (Orange Triangles)
Incredible.

40 Day USGS Chart for Hale Eddy on the West Branch of the Delaware River.

May 5 2017

Wash Out.
Wipe Out.
Blown Out.
O.K., good morning.
Let's start out with where we are for Friday May 5th 2017 with a series of factual charts.
USGS numbers.

Here are the current USGS stats for the Upper Delaware River system.
As you can see, all of the rivers are high at 7500cfs, fast and cold at 47 degrees.
In fact, the water in Callicoon has dropped more than 12 degrees since this past Monday. Why? A lot of rain and colder air temps.
Rivers will rise over the next few days. Why?
Because it's raining right now.

NYC DEP Reservoirs Levels


Both Cannonsville (WB Delaware River) and Pepacton (EB Delaware River) are over 100% and continue to spill thus the river levels are not going down.

Radar for today - Friday, May 5th


Yep.
More rain today (and tomorrow).

Callicoon - Water level...


High, fast current and rising.

Hale Eddy - Water level...


High, fast current and rising.

And, lastly, NOAA water level/ CFS projections.
For Callicoon...

High, fast current and rising.

...and for Hale Eddy on the West Branch.


Ditto.
High, fast current and rising.
Not good.

Weather forecast for next week?


Cloudy and cool. That water temperature won't get over 52. and it will remain high.
Tight lines.

May 2 2017

Blown Out.


Yep.
Like I said yesterday. Take a look at the Beaverkill USGS chart for this morning. They received over 3 inches of downpours last night.
More rain is coming this Friday as well. At the point, we'll be fishing for trout through June!
(Once the rivers get back to normal.)
So, in the meantime, I'll tie up some more of those E/C Caddis. Tight lines!

The Big Eddy in Narrowsburg, New York


High, Brown and Windy.
Not exactly great conditions to toss a dry fly - or anything for that matter.

65 Day USGS Chart for Callicoon / Main Stem UDR


To show you how high the level has been this spring, here is USGS chart for Callicoon, NY
on the UDR & how often it was above the 40 year median.

Anything above 3500cfs at Callicoon is high & fast - not conducive for fish to come up for dryfly.
Callicoon is currently @ 14,000cfs or 3X the normal flow.
Chart attached. Red boxes are time periods in the past 65 days above the median level.
More rain this Friday!

What does a guide do on their day off?
Say a prayer.


Please.
No more rain for awhile.
Please.

May 1 2017

1 for 4


The guide went .250 today with plenty of targets of caddis, Hendrickson and Blue Quill.
You couldn't ask for better fishing conditions. Falling barometer before a storm, dead calm, overcast with humdity, water level the best its been this spring and water temperature at 52.
From the monent I put the boat in the water at Callicoon Pool close to 3:00pm until about 5:30pm there were targets and bugs.
I went 1 for 4.

Callicoon Pool


The E/C Caddis nailed four fish this afternoon.
In fact, every fish caught on top this spring has been with that pattern!

T-Storms / Rain and a Strong Cold Front Coming


Pretty graphic.
Strong winds tomorrow and Wednesday.
Fishing will shut down for a few days.

April 29 2017

A better fish than Wednesday's brownie.


Another nice wild Upper Delaware River brown that smashed an EC Caddis in the Callicoon Pool this afternoon.
Water level is still up a foot but the clarity is great and temperature is 58 degrees.
Hatches of Blue Quill, a few Hendos and Caddis.
Cloud cover definately helps since the fish were rising mid afternoon eventhough we had to adjust to north wind gusts.

Close up of the killer fly. E/C Caddis.


Originally designed by Ralph Cutter in the High Sierra's. One of my favorite ties especially when the caddis are on the water. This has been a best seller for me. Try one...or two.

Pan of the Upper Delaware River


Looking south of Callicoon.
No place like it. God's Country.

A great stretch of river.


Fish or no fish.

Busman's Holiday


Anyday on this river is a holiday.
Amen.

April 26 2017

Finally. 2017 Dry Fly on the Upper Delaware River Begins!


A nice wild Upper Delaware River brown that took an EC Caddis on top this afternoon in the Callicoon Pool.
Water temperature hit 54 degrees and the level is at 4500cfs. That's still a foot plus higher than normal due to reservoir spill, release and feeders coming in.
Nonetheless, good hatches of Hendrickson, Blue Quill, various Caddis and EBS.

There's a nice Hendrickson perched on my sunglasses...


...wating to be eaten.

Great to back in Callicoon Pool!

April 20 2017

Early bird shad on the Upper Delaware River!


A nice silvery fat roe caught and released north of Callicoon, New York on the main stem Upper Delaware River.
Surprising since the river has been high, bank full and running fast with water temperatures today hitting 54 degrees. See chart below.

30 Day USGS river level at Callicoon


As you can see the river has been running very high and fast for most of April due to the reservoirs at Cannonsville (WB Del) and Pepacton (EB Del) being over 100% and spilling.
In addition, the Catskills has received a lot of rain as well as runoff from the 36 inches of snow we received in mid March 2017.

April 8 2017

Tasty.


Getting ready.
A handful of Early Black Stoneflies.
Yum.

Hi - Viz.


On their way out the door.
Some Hi - Viz Parachutes tied up for a fly customer. The trout love 'em.

March 15 2017

Shawshank.


Now I know what Andy Dufresne felt like digging out.
Narrowsburg got hit hard with 36 inches of snow.
Will be good for the water table and spring trout fishing.

March 4 2017

2017 World Fishing EXPO at Rockland County, NY


A nice crowd showed up for my seminars about the beautiful Upper Delaware River at the 2017 World Fishing EXPO in Suffern, New York.

November 22 2016

The 2016 International Fly Tying Symposium in Somerset, NJ


Yours truly tying away and meeting new friends this past weekend.

The water is real cold and we're ready for winter hibernation and tying flies...


In the 30's.

Capacity at Cannonsville Resrrvoir (West Branch Delaware River) is now below 19%.


Let's hope for some decent snowpack this winter to refill those NYC reservoirs since they are now about 20% below where they should be for late November.

November 10 2016

November...and the water temperature is a cold 45 degrees!
Wild Upper Delaware Rainbow.


Jack Curley with a beautiful Big D. rainbow that he caught and released near Hankins on today's float trip.

October 10 2016

Upper Delaware River.
Looking towards New York and Callicoon at the Pennsylvania boat access.


Very low water.

USGS Chart for Callicoon on the Upper Delaware River

Levels and flow are way below the 40 year median. (orange triangles)

October 6 2016

Trophy.
20 inch Upper Delaware River smallmouth bass


Michelle Leddy caught and released this beauty south of Narrowsburg, New York on this afternoon's float trip.
Great fish Michelle!

Yes. The Ice Pupa (again).

This time in green.
They both work well.

Eel weir south of Narrowsburg, NY.

Low water levels. Probably the lowest in five years due to no rain and NYC cutting back reservoir releases.

September 27 2016

More rainbows for Earl.


North of Hankins, New York on the Upper Delaware River.

When in doubt...


...the ice pupa abides.
Available in green, grey and, as shown, tan.

September 25 2016

Nice wild Upper Delaware River 'bow.


Earl caught and released this chunky wild Main Stem UDR rainbow on today's float trip south of Long Eddy, NY.

Thus, try the following this fall in the fast riffles on the Upper Delaware River...


Bead head Isonychia CDC nymph. Size 12.

Need rain in the Catskills.


Pan shot of Ten Mile River south of Narrowsburg, New York a tributary of the Upper Delaware River.
All of the Catskill / Pocono streams and feeders are very low and bony.

September 19 2016

An honest 16 inch fattie.


Right off the bat, Todd connected with this feisty river bronzeback and said:
"That's a good 'un!"
We agree.

September 17 2016

Wild Bow.


Señor James Parilli with a nice 19 inch wild rainbow caught and released north of Callicoon today.

August / September 2016

Upper Delaware Smallmouth Bass. The time to catch them is NOW.

Big.

Plentiful.

Great fighters

on spin...


and fly!

One of the best smallmouth bass rivers in the U.S.A.!
Here's a nice 19 and a half inch bronzeback that Alan Kaufman caught and released south of Ten Mile River this afternoon!





Even a 14 inch bronzeback will take you into backing.
This fish took a black gurgler on top at dusk.








Upper Delaware River Gurglers!
The bronzebacks smack these topwater flies silly in the skinny fast water.
Best on a) overcast days b) no wind c) at dusk d) fast shallow oxygenated water and e) in late summer and fall to imitiate the baby shadling heading back downriver to the ocean.