The Flood that won't End!

[Big_Spinner]

Well, here we go!

All the reservoirs are spilling.

Cannonsville spill is becoming more significant and the spill will continue to rise for a few days.

Luckily the rain looks about over and the tribs should start dropping soon.

River is coming up on the grass at the house tonight.

Alewives in the river, the puppies like to walk/wade the banks looking for a fishy meal or two.

Pictures of the yard at about 7:00 tonight. River has come up quite a bit since then. More pics in the morning.

Jim

 

[Future Fanatic]

Alewives in the river, the puppies like to walk/wade the banks looking for a fishy meal or two.

How does that work out for you when your pups start digesting them back at the house?

 

[Future Fanatic]

SNOW Coming down fast and furious. WE HAVE SNOWPACK! Temperatures to rise near 70 in a few days. It'll all melt at once. Take cover! I predict the reservoirs will spill, maybe.

This photo was taken by me 10 minutes ago. I'm at nearly 1800 feet here and you should be seeing downrange, the snow pack building in the hills above Trout Creek. Be safe everyone. Bread, milk, gasoline, NOW!

 

[Big_Spinner]

Hi All,

So here is peak flow so far at the house.

Hale Eddy measuring about 8000 cfs.

Expect the Hale Eddy flow to level out (down to about 7000 now) for a few days as the tribs recede and the spill increases.

Then the Hale Eddy flows will slowly go down.

With this much spill it is a bit unnerving as another modest storm will bring the river up quickly.

 

[Pete]

A flood on NJ's "opening day" is GOOD NEWS !

All the serious fishermen say home to avoid the drunken mayhem.
Thousands of worm dunkers, power baiters, and their misbegotten offspring, will be washed out to sea, never to be seen or heard of again...
The people will rejoice....

 

[JOE.T]

It's good to see a new fresh post has started to follow up on what I've been saying for months and especially the past week or so.


Quote:
The Cannonsville has started spilling.With the current inflow and the forecast for more rain it should pick up steam and we'll have a pretty significant spill.

With the inflows into the Pepacton and the Neversink they will probably start spilling in the next few days as well.

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

I'd say the drought is officially over.


The spill is good for two things:

1.The more clean water over the top (spill) will help clean the silt from the WB.That's a whole different topic.(SILT)

2.Alewifes are very important to the Ecosytem since they provide a great "dose" of protein for the Trout.My opinion among some others is that the lack of Alewifes over the years is impacting the fishery in a negative way.

 

[JeffK]

Amen on the silt situation. Down in NJ we haven't had bank full flows in a few years and some sections of my favorite streams were getting silted up. Hope this helps to flush em out.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Amen on the silt situation. Down in NJ we haven't had bank full flows in a few years and some sections of my favorite streams were getting silted up. Hope this helps to flush em out.

Unfortunately, we aren't getting any bank full flows here in NJ yet. High, but not bank full by any means. We need 2,000 cfs flows and most our streams topped out at 1,000 cfs or less.

Too soon to call NJ's drought over when it comes to trout fishing because we are totally reliant on ground water instead of reservoir water like much of the Catskills. And our groundwater was pitiful heading into winter. Flows are strong at the moment, but let's see what happens when they recede and we just have groundwater expressing into our streams.

 

[lightenup]

Unfortunately, we aren't getting any bank full flows here in NJ yet. High, but not bank full by any means. We need 2,000 cfs flows and most our streams topped out at 1,000 cfs or less.

Too soon to call NJ's drought over when it comes to trout fishing because we are totally reliant on ground water instead of reservoir water like much of the Catskills. And our groundwater was pitiful heading into winter. Flows are strong at the moment, but let's see what happens when they recede and we just have groundwater expressing into our streams.

Streams look good, they are not falling as fast as they were a month ago, looking much better, the head waters by me are also running well and the areas they start are good and swampy.....hopefully the wet pattern stays for a while...

 

[Big_Spinner]

Hi,

The WB is back in its banks.

There are alewives everywhere, lots here in Balls Eddy!!

There was alewife about every 2 square feet on the grass after the water receded and that was after the dogs have dined on a few of them!!!

Jim

 

[NJpatbee]

My sump pumps have not stopped running for over a week and they are strictly affected by the groundwater table. I am in Southern Sussex County NJ as a point of reference.

 

[mudbug201]

Hi,

The WB is back in its banks.

There are alewives everywhere, lots here in Balls Eddy!!

There was alewife about every 2 square feet on the grass after the water receded and that was after the dogs have dined on a few of them!!!

Jim

Jim - I'm trying to increase the Omega-3s in my diet. Save a few for me.

A few years ago, Striperman (Mark Celebuski) gave me a great homemade fly tied to imitate a stunned alewife. It has a foam body and is neutral weighted, so it suspends and flutters like a half-dead fish. Been dying to try it out. This Friday sounds like my chance. Not a tier myself, but if it catches fish, I'll post a photo of it so people can tie imitations.

 

[lightenup]

Jim - I'm trying to increase the Omega-3s in my diet. Save a few for me.

A few years ago, Striperman (Mark Celebuski) gave me a great homemade fly tied to imitate a stunned alewife. It has a foam body and is neutral weighted, so it suspends and flutters like a half-dead fish. Been dying to try it out. This Friday sounds like my chance. Not a tier myself, but if it catches fish, I'll post a photo of it so people can tie imitations.

Just pick up a dead one and stick it on yer hook.......

 

[mudbug201]

Just pick up a dead one and stick it on yer hook.......

Is that how you fish sulphur emergers? Would probably work for them as well. And Hendrickson duns. And March Browns.

Sheeit. Why do we fish with artificials at all?

Lightenup - if you tie an extra McNugget that you brought home from work to a bait hook, you could definitely turn it over with a 6-weight. Just saying. Add a couple of jungle cock feathers for um.. realism. You'd catch more fish.

 

[lightenup]

Is that how you fish sulphur emergers? Would probably work for them as well. And Hendrickson duns. And March Browns.

Sheeit. Why do we fish with artificials at all?

Lightenup - if you tie an extra McNugget that you brought home from work to a bait hook, you could definitely turn it over with a 6-weight. Just saying. Add a couple of jungle cock feathers for um.. realism. You'd catch more fish.

McNugget?. please nothing but two all beef patties and special sauce......I catch yuuuuge fish!!!!

 

[Big_Spinner]

Hi,

River finally looking like a river again. Well back within its banks, but not yet wadeable.

A few boats floating by the house and a couple appeared to be targeting the occasional riser!!!

Still lots of alewives around, the fish are literally stuffed to the gills with alewives.

I wonder if anyone has tried a crippled floating alewife pattern? Or does anyone even have one to try?

Jim

 

[Big_Spinner]

NYC DEP ran a crazy test of their valve system today. Dropped the WB release from 1500 to ZERO for a few hours. Stilesville dropped to about 130 cfs for a couple of hours and Hale Eddy down to 400. There was still a bit of spill and stream flow to keep the river relatively wet. Just not sure why this was not scheduled last week when the spill of 500-800 would have kept the river in better condition.

This is a test they run annually, but other years it was not as noticeable. Last year the release was only 125 when they dropped it to zero and Stilesville dropped from 125 to 90.

The thing that gets me the most upset is that DEP notified the decree parties and the DRBC and others, but not the fishing community. They either felt empowered that it was not needed to let us know or the old adage that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission.

A few bugs in the air today, but I have not seen a mayfly.

Jim

 

[Big_Spinner]

Hey Mud,

Not sure how I missed your post about the alewife imitation. Sounds like what I was thinking about.

Let us know how you do.

Jim

 

[mudbug201]

Hey Mud,

Not sure how I missed your post about the alewife imitation. Sounds like what I was thinking about.

Let us know how you do.

Jim

Hey Jim, yep, around here, my name is Mud.

But you can call me mike. (kate and felix say hi)

I didn't end up going up last weekend. Too much work. Heading up Friday though, if all goes well. Might miss the alewives, but that won't stop me from throwing this fly Steve gave me.

(Given how much better white streamers are than any other color up there, it seems like the trout are keyed on alewives or similar bait fish all the time. I've always suspected they have a taste for baby shad, which are in the river more often than alewives, but that's just speculation.)

anyway, a full report will be forthcoming whenever I finally hit the water up there.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

If flows aren't wadeable up there by early next week when I take my big 17th annual trip to the WB, I'm going to have to blame some on here......

 

[lightenup]

If flows aren't wadeable up there by early next week when I take my big 17th annual trip to the WB, I'm going to have to blame some on here......

Just go and wade deep.

 

[Big_Spinner]

River still ripping. The WB over 3500 cfs.

The good news is boats floating by have reported lots of bugs and pretty good fishing.

Jim

 

[Future Fanatic]

Can't wait to hear Rusty tell us about his great week of fishing.