mayflies on the neversink

[moosekid]

I've only been fishing it for 5 or 6 years so I don't know this first-hand -- but from what i've heard, the Neversink was hit pretty hard during Irene and people say the hatches of mayflies have been pretty non-existent since.

I've spent a good deal of time down in the gorge. Outside of cloudy day olives in May, and sporadic evening Isos in late August/September -- I've never seen a "hatch" of mayflies. I'll see one here or there mixed in with the pretty regular caddis hatches, but nothing that would encourage you to tie on a mayfly pattern.

Maybe i'm wrong about the whole thing -- but I was in a blizzard hendrickson hatch the other day. You could cut the number of bugs in half and it would still be four times as many Hendricksons as i've ever seen down there...and I usually get a good 5 or 6 days in there about this time a year each season. I think I woulda seen some if they were around.

Anyways -- could be a good sign...

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Irene was nearly 8 years ago, and any damage done is more or less considered in the past by now when it comes to macroinvertebrates.

Sorry I wasn't with Rick Axt when he bumped into you and your drift boat last week. Rick is a notorious NEFF lurker, so maybe I can pull him out of hiding to respond here. He mentioned he needed to get his login in reset as it has been years since he posted regularly.

 

[flyI4]

The neversink has some great mayfly hatches- you just need to fish further upstream for more reliable dry fly fishing. The gorge gets the most attention because its a unique/wild/pretty area but the reality is that water is far less productive than the upper stretches that more mirror a tailwater and provide better habitat for both bugs/fish on a year round basis. You will find afternoon sulphers up top just like the other tailwaters during the summer, and as you said the hendricksons were epic there this year. Fish size is also much larger on avg up top with the avg fish being 14-15'' in my experience.

 

[moosekid]

The neversink has some great mayfly hatches- you just need to fish further upstream for more reliable dry fly fishing. The gorge gets the most attention because its a unique/wild/pretty area but the reality is that water is far less productive than the upper stretches that more mirror a tailwater and provide better habitat for both bugs/fish on a year round basis. You will find afternoon sulphers up top just like the other tailwaters during the summer, and as you said the hendricksons were epic there this year. Fish size is also much larger on avg up top with the avg fish being 14-15'' in my experience.

I've fished the Woodbourne area alot. Good fishing and a great place to catch a Sunday matinee of Fiddler on the Roof. It's like driving into another time-period...

Irene was nearly 8 years ago, and any damage done is more or less considered in the past by now when it comes to macroinvertebrates.

Sorry I wasn't with Rick Axt when he bumped into you and your drift boat last week. Rick is a notorious NEFF lurker, so maybe I can pull him out of hiding to respond here. He mentioned he needed to get his login in reset as it has been years since he posted regularly.

I forgot about that. I can't tell you how many lurkers/neff folks i've met in the tops parking lot.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I forgot about that. I can't tell you how many lurkers/neff folks i've met in the tops parking lot.

I was with both RickA and Agust G yesterday up on the WB. Good Hendricksons up the WB still. Never seen them hatch as late as June 1 that I can recall ever. No complaints as there were targets everywhere you looked.

 

[mudbug201]

I was with both RickA and Agust G yesterday up on the WB. Good Hendricksons up the WB still. Never seen them hatch as late as June 1 that I can recall ever. No complaints as there were targets everywhere you looked.

Guess I chose the wrong river yesterday. I hit the EB instead. Great looking conditions with clouds all day, but zero bugs throughout the day. Went 3 for 6 before 10am, 1 for 2 right at dusk - the rest of the day was watching the water, looking for hatches that never materialized.

Which part of the west did you hit?

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Guess I chose the wrong river yesterday. I hit the EB instead. Great looking conditions with clouds all day, but zero bugs throughout the day. Went 3 for 6 before 10am, 1 for 2 right at dusk - the rest of the day was watching the water, looking for hatches that never materialized.

Which part of the west did you hit?

I was in the no-kill, but the Hacklebarney TU chapter is staying at Dreamcatcher this weekend and they are doing great right there. All the anglers and guides I know have been saying how spotty the mainstem has been this year and chub filled it is. The East seems to be fickle so far as well, but the West is just now wadeable the last week or less.

The weird thing is that the angler trails along the West are way overgrown with Japanese knotweed because nobody was trampling that early in its growth cycle in April and May due to the high water. I had to either hack my way through or just walk in the river in places I would normally not walk in the water. I'm sure the crowds began this weekend and the wade anglers will beat it all down so you can walk from spot to spot.

 

[mudbug201]

I was in the no-kill, but the Hacklebarney TU chapter is staying at Dreamcatcher this weekend and they are doing great right there. All the anglers and guides I know have been saying how spotty the mainstem has been this year and chub filled it is. The East seems to be fickle so far as well, but the West is just now wadeable the last week or less.

The weird thing is that the angler trails along the West are way overgrown with Japanese knotweed because nobody was trampling that early in its growth cycle in April and May due to the high water. I had to either hack my way through or just walk in the river in places I would normally not walk in the water. I'm sure the crowds began this weekend and the wade anglers will beat it all down so you can walk from spot to spot.

It's been a whacky season so far, with no wading fishermen in the river. It's made for nice floating, but lots of the pools I fish are usually lazy dry fly water, and haven't been quite right, with lots of current in places where there usually isn't any. I imagine CDun sitting in his rocking chair in his log cabin overlooking the river, angrily watching the banana boats go by and waiting for the water to recede.

The hatches have been strange too. I think 80-90% of the fish I have caught this season have been on caddis patterns. Never seen UDR trout eat caddis like they have this year. My typical response to a blizzard caddis hatch is to get eye strain trying to spot the sporadic mayflies that the trout are actually eating. Not this year. Meanwhile, I saw my first green drake of the season today on my patio, sitting on my daughter's high chair, right next to a Hendrickson. Craziness.

Yesterday morning was a case in point. The lower EB was completely dead, and the water was a bit off-color - decided to throw a small yellow and brown streamer that has always looked good to me but never really caught a lot of fish. The browns in my home pool just attacked it. I had six takes in less than an hour, some of them ferocious. Couldn't explain it.

Later in the day, floating not far upriver from there, my 7 year old son spotted dozens of crayfish in a long shallow pool - he's pretty much the official crayfish census taker for the upper Delaware - never seen so many. Everything's a little off this year - not a bad thing, just makes things less predictable up there.

 

[moosekid]

I was in the no-kill, but the Hacklebarney TU chapter is staying at Dreamcatcher this weekend and they are doing great right there. All the anglers and guides I know have been saying how spotty the mainstem has been this year and chub filled it is. The East seems to be fickle so far as well, but the West is just now wadeable the last week or less.

The weird thing is that the angler trails along the West are way overgrown with Japanese knotweed because nobody was trampling that early in its growth cycle in April and May due to the high water. I had to either hack my way through or just walk in the river in places I would normally not walk in the water. I'm sure the crowds began this weekend and the wade anglers will beat it all down so you can walk from spot to spot.

I didn't see alot of Drakes on the Upper Main yesterday, but there was a huge coffin fly spinner fall so they must have been hatching somewheres downstream of me. Chubs were keyed on them.

 

[Trout Nazi]

I didn't see alot of Drakes on the Upper Main yesterday, but there was a huge coffin fly spinner fall so they must have been hatching somewheres downstream of me. Chubs were keyed on them.

They weren’t keyed in on the big bugs yesterday, they got to live another day. I did all of my damage on a small rusty spinner.

On on a separate note, man what a shit show up there. Was my first time up this year and there were people everywhere. I pulled into Bard, then pulled right out. Guys in there paddling around in Kayaks, canoes, people lined up in the bubble line. Stockport and all the other obvious places were the same deal. I had to think out of the box and burn a lot of felt to find a quiet spot.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

They weren’t keyed in on the big bugs yesterday, they got to live another day. I did all of my damage on a small rusty spinner.

On on a separate note, man what a shit show up there. Was my first time up this year and there were people everywhere. I pulled into Bard, then pulled right out. Guys in there paddling around in Kayaks, canoes, people lined up in the bubble line. Stockport and all the other obvious places were the same deal. I had to think out of the box and burn a lot of felt to find a quiet spot.

After an April and May with no wading for the most part, I guess I can't be surprised. Although I must say that last Friday wasn't too bad all things considered. Now that flows allow both drifting and wading, it will be zany for awhile.

 

[emoussa]

Hey Charlie. I'm thinking of making the trek into the gorge this weekend if I can find the time to sit down and tie a few flies beforehand. What patterns have been working down there?

 

[mudbug201]

After an April and May with no wading for the most part, I guess I can't be surprised. Although I must say that last Friday wasn't too bad all things considered. Now that flows allow both drifting and wading, it will be zany for awhile.

Seems like there's a serious herd mentality at work up there.

Every year, there are 4-5 weekends that are completely ridiculous on the West Branch and Upper Main Stem. I've counted 50+ trailers at the Buckingham pullout. Of course, with a hundred miles of trout holding river (depending on temps), there are plenty of other great spots to fish at those times, just gotta think outside the box a bit, as trout nazi did. Even on the most crowded weekends, there are spots that are very quiet.

Outside of those weekends (usually maybe 3-4 in spring and one in fall), the WB and upper Main are waaaay less crowded. If I only visited the WB on a prime May weekend when it was a parking lot, I'd probably never come back. But you can go up for a weekend in late June or early July or October, and have even the best pools to yourself.

 

[mudbug201]

A strategy that's worked out well for me when I'm wading is to fish above or below the most popular put-ins and pullouts. Wade up from Sheehawken and fish it in the AM, while everybody's putting in either below you or way above you. You'll have the river basically to yourself.

Wade below Buck in late afternoon (great water there) and you'll only have one or two kayakers pass you, because everybody's taking out above, and the next public drift boat launch is a long way downstream.

 

[Trout Nazi]

Out of the box for me usually involves steep embankments, a maze of knotweed, and long walks, and difficult return trips in the dark. The results are usually rewarding though. Usually.

 

[moosekid]

Hey Charlie. I'm thinking of making the trek into the gorge this weekend if I can find the time to sit down and tie a few flies beforehand. What patterns have been working down there?

If you have rising fish, they're not gonna be too picky. Have your favorite caddis patterns. The hendricksons will be done and the only other real mayfly hatch that happens down there is ISOs (bwos early in the day if it's cloudy).

It's been a couple weeks, but I would imagine that the stoneflies are hatching -- so searching with big stimulator patterns will probably bring fish to the surface when nothing's rising. Stimulator w/ a dropper is super fun in the pocket water this time a year.

Tie a bunch of nymphs 'cos you'll lose a ton. I really like a size 14 holy grail for caddis. You really don't need to be too specific down there 'cos the fish aren't very picky -- just have your bases covered on size/profile.

 

[JOE.T]

The Bugs have declined on the Neversink big time over the past 5 years or so even up River. Some are even Non-Existent.

Henricksons are weak, almost no Blue Quills.The Sulphur's last maybe a week.Once you get to the summer its all Tiny Olives (26) and Midge.Caddis are decent at times.

To much Silt.There are no March Browns,Drakes, or ISO'S.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

The Bugs have declined on the Neversink big time over the past 5 years or so even up River. Some are even Non-Existent.

Henricksons are weak, almost no Blue Quills.The Sulphur's last maybe a week.Once you get to the summer its all Tiny Olives (26) and Midge.Caddis are decent at times.

To much Silt.There are no March Browns,Drakes, or ISO'S.

The last big flood events that would have scoured the river was '06 which is a long time ago now, but the drakes are burrowing insects and prefer silt. The others are not, and I can see why they would suffer some, especially clingers like March Browns.

 

[tompg]

The Neversink has never had the bug life like the Beaverkill or Willow. Just not enough nutrition. There's are a fun book by Leonard wright on his efforts to boost fishing onhte Neversink.

https://www.amazon.com/Neversink-Leonard-W-Wright/dp/0385308000

 

[JeffK]

Yes and no. Leonard Wright was discussing the upper Neversink above the reservoir which is an infertile gin clear mountain stream and has practically no public access. It is like talking about the Willow above the village of Willowemoc or the Beaverkill above the club water. Below the reservoir it is a tailwater and had great hatches in some places. However, much of the water goes to NYC and the tailwater can get skinny in the summer. The best Hendrickson hatch I ever experienced was in the Neversink below the reservoir. The hatch lasted 3 hours and I caught 6 fish over 18" among boatloads of others, better than I ever did on the Beaverkill. The lower Neversink was a reliable early Hendrickson stream, but for the last two years I have struggled to find much action. Plenty of waiting, seeing a handful of bugs and a couple of risers and hoping for a fish or two. Can't find that consistent surface action.

 

[tompg]

I used fish the Neversink much more often than these days. Had some great days but was never lucky enough to get a big hatch. Some decent hatches in the gorge. The club water in the BK gets some great hatches. The drakes can get out of control. Have only been above the club water a few times...brookie territory for sure. It's bigger up there than I thought.

 

[JOE.T]

The last big flood events that would have scoured the river was '06 which is a long time ago now, but the drakes are burrowing insects and prefer silt. The others are not, and I can see why they would suffer some, especially clingers like March Browns.

I'm not being bragadocious here, but I have fished the Neversink for 32 years and live 20 minutes from there.So I would consider myself an expert on that River.

There never have been Drakes on that River,The river is on the acidic side of the scale which is why certain insects cannot thrive there.There used to be Potamanthus but they disappeared years ago.

Neversink by Lenny Wright is a great book if you like the Neversink.

JOE.T

 

[cingras53]

I fished there last week and there was a decent sulfur hatch going on. After telling my brother "they don't stock this river", i caught a fat hatchery rainbow. A few minutes later i got a big brown on on a soft hackle. Toward evening i had a pig sipping the duns in "glass-like" water and my fly had the tippet laying on top which raised the red flag to this huge brown. If I had some 7x flourocarbon, i think the tippet would have sunk into the film and maybe gotten a take. But who knows. Joe T, what say you?