Delaware River Report

[tkhour]

Got a chance to get up to the big D this weekend for a two day float. With all the rain we didnt have many options. The decision was to float the WB and it was the right call. Got out on Sat with my buddy Bill who happened to be able to get away from the wife and kids and spend the day fishing. It was his birthday. Boy did he get rewarded. Sunday got a chance to float with Wylie. Hit the same water and we were rewarded once again. Smiles all around. Got a chance to meet Ralph "Rford" and JC "Fly14" from the site. They floated in their boat from Balls down to Shehawken and did well also. Good group of guys. I will let the pics tell the story of the weekend. P.S I actually got a chance to fish for a little bit and caught a few. Great times and great fun. Hope to see you guys up there again so we can hopefully have a repeat of the weekend. All fish C&R unharmed.

 

[tkhour]

Pics continued. Gotta love his hat:hubbahubba:

 

[kindanewbie77]

Pics continued. Gotta love his hat:hubbahubba:

That is some hat...how does it stay upright with all that metal on the brim?????

 

[bhaase]

those pics got me stoked! i'm heading up next friday...a full two weeks after your trip, but hopefully they'll still be willing.

well done!

 

[Trout 4u]

Very Nice fish....congrats

 

[emerger]

Looks like a great weekend!

 

[MACFLY]

Got a chance to get up to the big D this weekend for a two day float. With all the rain we didnt have many options. The decision was to float the WB and it was the right call. Got out on Sat with my buddy Bill who happened to be able to get away from the wife and kids and spend the day fishing. It was his birthday. Boy did he get rewarded. Sunday got a chance to float with Wylie. Hit the same water and we were rewarded once again. Smiles all around. Got a chance to meet Ralph "Rford" and JC "Fly14" from the site. They floated in their boat from Balls down to Shehawken and did well also. Good group of guys. I will let the pics tell the story of the weekend. P.S I actually got a chance to fish for a little bit and caught a few. Great times and great fun. Hope to see you guys up there again so we can hopefully have a repeat of the weekend. All fish C&R unharmed.

TK thanks for the report. What were the hatches this past weekend?

The D puts out some might nice lookin Trout.

 

[Broadheadscreek]

Congrats TK some mighty healthy trout there!! Nice report and pictures you guy's hit the jackpot !! Better play the lottery awesome stuff!!

 

[tkhour]

TK thanks for the report. What were the hatches this past weekend?

The D puts out some might nice lookin Trout.

Green Drakes and Sulfurs for the most part on Sat. Sunday the same with Olives in the mix.

 

[dcabarle]

Green Drakes and Sulfurs for the most part on Sat. Sunday the same with Olives in the mix.

I just have to ask... Was this the same WB of the Delaware River that I fished this past Saturday, May 30, 2009? You saw fish, bugs, and caught fish with bugs?

The only hatch I saw was .... well, take a look at the picture. Only 2 boats are missing. Mine and the one with the guy fishing just about butt naked in his speedo.

Edit:
I forgot to mention that we saw at least 7 Pontoon boats.

 

[brachycentrus]

Dennis,
They must have got sick of the boats and came downstream.
All railroad tracks trespassers. One guys was wading his 2 kids out way too far and they had to be saved.

 

[dcabarle]

Dennis,
They must have got sick of the boats and came downstream.
All railroad tracks trespassers. One guys was wading his 2 kids out way too far and they had to be saved.

Incredible and unbelievable! I understand that access points on the WB aren't the greatest, but they are there and if you just take a little walk, you can be on fish.

The problem with some guys (like the ones fishing in your picture) is they know an access point and figure, "Ok, this is it". They won't walk 1/4 mile up or down. That picture looks worse than Cairns pool on the Beaverkill, top it off with some dope who tries to do the right thing by bringing his kids fishing but then doesn't use common sense and has to be rescued!

 

[tkhour]

I just have to ask... Was this the same WB of the Delaware River that I fished this past Saturday, May 30, 2009? You saw fish, bugs, and caught fish with bugs?

The only hatch I saw was .... well, take a look at the picture. Only 2 boats are missing. Mine and the one with the guy fishing just about butt naked in his speedo.

Edit:
I forgot to mention that we saw at least 7 Pontoon boats.

Dennis
Yes I was.I think it depended on what part of the WB you were on that day. I was out early and floated hale to shehawken. Wylie and others were up top and saw few if any bugs.Drakes and sulfurs came off in the gamelands around 12pm. Fish were not rising though. We caught our fish on streamers. P.S I saw that zoo on the WB later in the day as I was getting my truck at Hale. It was around 7 pm and the gamelands was littered with people. Like to get out early usually and see if I can get a few before everyone else shows up.
Glad I did.

 

[onemorecast]

I was out early and floated hale to shehawken.

Alright, I gotta know - how do you get your trailer down that Hale Eddy "ramp"? That space looks barely wide enough for a boat, let alone a trailer.

 

[tkhour]

Alright, I gotta know - how do you get your trailer down that Hale Eddy "ramp"? That space looks barely wide enough for a boat, let alone a trailer.

Looks a lot worse than it is.My first time doing it was hairy but now it is no big deal. Don't recommend it to anyone if it is there first time dropping a boat off a ramp.Balls would be a good start.

 

[theartoflee]

Tom

Sunday was definitely the trip saver, thanks for the invite Tom! It was fast and furious streamer action. J.C. and Ralph are a tough act to follow but we still managed to show the fish something a little different. I admitidly need to work on my streamer technique a little more.Tom does such a good job on the oars and always seems to know the right things to say at the right time. Boy was it fun and my arm actually aches which is rare for me and I almost got a blister.

Since Tom let the cat out of the bag that we saw Ralph I will be glad to let everyone know how he is doing. Ralph is doing well, not much has changed he can still pound the banks with the streamers and is still catching smaller fish than me .
:victory:

 

[dcabarle]

Way to pour salt on my wounds!

Tom

Sunday was definitely the trip saver, thanks for the invite Tom! It was fast and furious streamer action. J.C. and Ralph are a tough act to follow but we still managed to show the fish something a little different. I admitidly need to work on my streamer technique a little more.Tom does such a good job on the oars and always seems to know the right things to say at the right time. Boy was it fun and my arm actually aches which is rare for me and I almost got a blister.

:Victory:

 

[GARYB]

Glad you had a good trip TK, but you all can't keep saying how great it is to be fishing
the WB/Main Stem and all the fish you catch.............and then turn around and complain what a zoo it is becoming. What do you expect.

 

[Wbranch]

Very good point - if we want to talk about our great exploits and victories on the rivers we shouldn't be wondering why those same rivers are becoming more and more crowded every day. When I first retired in 2005 I could go up during the week and often hardly see anyone. Now if I don't go out early for a few hours of quiet fishing I won't hardly be able to get a "spot" to cast in most of the pools within walking distance of parking. Before anyone chimes in I admit to have posted some comments and pictures that should not have been displayed on an open forum.

 

[AKSkim]

we shouldn't be wondering why those same rivers are becoming more and more crowded every day.

That Damn movie A Run Runs By It.. no wonder why there are so many pople out there shadow casting at anything that moves.

Talk about anything that moves...

Looks like the Russian discovered the WB

At first I thought it was a photo from the Salmon River.

Guess I was wrong.



Then I saw this...

It's a Duck Race on the WB.. yippie.... !

 

[brachycentrus]

That Damn movie A Run Runs By It.. no wonder why there are so many pople out there shadow casting at anything that moves.

Talk about anything that moves...

Looks like the Russian discovered the WB

At first I thought it was a photo from the Salmon River.

Guess I was wrong.



Then I saw this...

It's a Duck Race on the WB.. yippie.... !

At least the boats accessed the river legally.
All of the waders walked across private posted land to get to the river.

 

[tkhour]

Glad you had a good trip TK, but you all can't keep saying how great it is to be fishing
the WB/Main Stem and all the fish you catch.............and then turn around and complain what a zoo it is becoming. What do you expect.

The WB is not a secret nor has it ever been. Regardless of my posts or any others on this site, you are not going to stop people from fishing up there. It is so unique.Weekends up there are always crowded. I expect that every time. I plan accordingly and usually fish less popular areas. One thing that is nice is the fact that there is so much water to fish usually.This past weekend was an exception with all the rain. At the end of the day though, are we not here to share info amongst fellow flyfishermen? What then is the point of this site if we don't give reports? Do I post with no pics as well? Maybe. Will that help? Probably not.I feel I'm giving back to the people that help me. If that is wrong. Shoot me. Lastly, I don't think I have ever complained about the crowds.I just state facts. My two cents. Good fishing

 

[ratmatt]

Like the man said the crowds will be there, regardless of what gets posted on this site....It doesnt make much of a difference to me due to the fact that, half of them dont know what they are doing, 90% of them are within 20 yards of a parking spot...All you need to do is walk up or downstream a few hundred yards and most of the time you will have plenty of elbow room......As for what to do about the crowds???? Claymors and Snipers are the first thing that comes to my mind

 

[Wbranch]

Well I see I have one thumbs up and one groan for my post on WB pressure. I actually thought is was quite useful but I'm biased. Whomever thinks that the Internet, and FF forums, hasn't added significantly to our rivers continually growing popularity and pressure is being naive. The information explosion is going to ultimately ruin your fishing.

 

[SleepsWithFishes]

good 4-u,..i am so happy i'm gonna vomit joy,..and wow,.you met theartoflee,...or what ever the skinny boy-man is going by now as a web name,.(Mr. Messmypants,..or what???)..and the "legand in his own mind ,..Rford"..(lay in the bed you make ,..)...

its great you and your butt-dee fished and posted nice pics,..hope you all had a circle jerk after wards.//

(ps) all ass clowns can and will post your useless thumbs up your asses ,;;IT DONT MAtter -2-me...bring it on,.//:crap:

 

[GARYB]

TK

Don't know how long you've been fishing the WB, but I have since 1983. I use to
fish Balls Eddy on a Saturday and maybe see a couple of guys. Now I see boats going by
every half hour, if that. Plus there are guys in the pools all day every day. So if you have only been fishing there a couple of years, you don't know how good it use to be.
Plus drifting the river is much easier to get to the "good water" waders can't make it to
since most of the land is posted.
End of speech..............

 

[tkhour]

TK

Don't know how long you've been fishing the WB, but I have since 1983. I use to
fish Balls Eddy on a Saturday and maybe see a couple of guys. Now I see boats going by
every half hour, if that. Plus there are guys in the pools all day every day. So if you have only been fishing there a couple of years, you don't know how good it use to be.
Plus drifting the river is much easier to get to the "good water" waders can't make it to
since most of the land is posted.
End of speech..............

Gary,
I have been only fishing it for a few years. I should retract my comment that it has never been a secret. I'm sure the WB was not as popular in 83. Neither was Alaska or the Salmon River. Information is that much more available to everyone these days. I'm not going to change that and never will. Think about reports that are put out daily by flyfishing shops all over the country on their rivers they fish. Should they stop posting as well? We can debate this topic till we are blue in the face. I would rather not. In conclusion I fish the system regularly and believe me when I tell you, I would much rather see less people. Not going to happen unforunatley. I will tell you that I do plan on using more discretion In my posts going forward. I appreciate your comments.THE END

 

[AKSkim]

I will tell you that I do plan on using more discretion In my posts going forward.

THE END I hope not.

Now answer me this????

If people stop writing about the Mighty Del...

How on earth do any of you expect me to finish my book on Fly Fishing The Delaware River by AK Skim

 

[sstasiak]

I have to echo what wbranch said...not sure how anyone can NOT think all this advertisement on the internet is inviting exponentially growing numbers of anglers. I'm not saying to never post a picture...but if you're going to post a pic of every single fish you caught, at least use some discretion when talking about where they were caught

As for rattmatts and tk's comments, yea the crowds will be there now...and yes, the west branch is not a secret(because now it's EVERYWHERE on the internet), but does that mean it's fine to make the problem worse? That kind of thinking is what'll ruin a river.

 

[mob201]

Increasingly crowded rivers are probably a result of an increasingly crowded region. Look at the population growth in the Tri-State area since 1983, and all of the other things that have changed besides trout streams. Roads are more crowded, so why shouldn't rivers be?

In other words, my guess is the internet has very little to do with it and everyone can post here freely without concern that they're going to further publicize their fishing holes. Take a poll of the people in the photos below and see how many are there because of this website. I'll be surprised if you find one guy who's heard of it.

I just started fishing out east a few years ago, after fishing in Washington State as a kid, and on one hand I'm amazed by how crowded places like the Salmon River and the well-known public access sites on the WB and BK get. On the other hand, I'm also amazed by the fact that a little bit of research (say, buying a book on fishing the Catskills) and a little bit of walking or floating can easily get you a quarter-mile of river all your own, at least for a few hours. That's not something to take for granted, because it may change as well.

Last thing and I'll shut up. Sharing a fishing hole with another guy or two is fine if they're friendly and have good etiquette, even better if they share a pattern or a beer with you. It's when they're sullen a-holes that it ruins the fishing. This site seems to serve as a forum for the first kind of guy rather than the second, providing a place to share tips, photos, etc. What's wrong with that? Gives us a leg up on the jerks...