Delaware RiverWatch Video
It was time for our annual trip to the Delaware River. Wrh, from the site, myself and two of my best friends were looking forward to this fly fishing trip since February. The Green Drakes had showed themselves the week before, which was right on time, however the past few years, they had been late so we took this week off. We were still anxious to see many different types of insects on the water and we kept watching the long range forecasts and hoping that the rain would stop or at least hold off. It did not and the river rose 700cfs in one day. Our visions of rising fish in clear low water evaporated in the torrent. Of course, this was one of those, “we’re going anyways, I never get to fish with you guys anymore, we’ll make it a fun adventurous annual trip. So, we scrambled and tried to line boats up. The cost of the trip rose and we said, “boat one day, make the best of it the rest.” When somebody mentioned the word canoe I said, “Never done it, let’s do it.” We launched the first day in the off color river and started chucking white streamer flies at the bank and big Hellacious Brown Trout started crushing the zonkers. Hit the bank, strip, strip, strip, cast, strip, strip BANG! Fish On! This turned out to be the best streamer fishing I had ever seen on the Delaware River system and we were into big fish all day long.
Day 2: It turned out sunny and the river had cleared enough so we continued our float down the river. Wrh and my bud Kieth hit several big fish on streamers and at about 10 am the cornutas, size 14 blue winged olives started popping and Scott and I jumped out of our boat and started getting into working fish. 2 hours and an uncountable number of fish from 8 to 20 inches later the hatch had teetered out. It was as if the fish hadn’t eaten in 3 days and they were gorging themselves. We continued our journey and picked at the fish here and there for the rest of the day. We got to the end of our float at 4pm and threw the canoes on the cars and headed back for a second drift. We hit some fish, and Wrh got a nice 18 incher on a BWO emerger. We floated until 7pm and a spinner fall began. Again, the fish came up and we hit them once more. Wrh got a nice fish at dark and we all landed some nice fat ones during a sporadic cahill spinner fall with some coffin flies in the mix. The darkness was interrupted with “Oooh!” and “There he is” and Oh, Fish off haha.” A great time was had by all. Kieth’s truck was out of juice when we returned which put a small damper on the take out part of the trip but we managed.
Day 3: It was just Scott and I, and we had time for one last morning to early afternoon float. We didn’t throw streamers but just drifted until we saw the risers and pulled over. The river was much clearer today and we found some fish in moving water. In fact, most of our fish came from swifter water in 1-3 feet. With the high water, the larger pools were just too deep to fish effectively. We took several nice fish including a 19 inch Rainbow Trout, one of 4 caught througout the weekend. When we pulled over for the last time, the trip was in the books. We bid each other our traditional “See ya laters” and headed home in opposite directions. When we fly fish together, things happen, life goes on in the outside world but the only thing that matters is that we are fly fishing right now. It’s how it used to be and it’s how it will be again. In fact, I think Wrh will now be part of our group and join us on our future adventures.
Wow ! what a great video. That looks like a beautiful river to fish. Nice size browns too. nice work
Shaq,
What a great trip and outstanding video that did justice to the trip. After hearing so much about the WB Delaware and now finally seeing it. It is a unique fishery to say the least. I got a great introduction into it by fishing with Shaq and his buddies(Scott and Keith) who fished it all through college. Local knowledge is earned through time on the water and these guys have it.
Given the high water conditions we covering tons of water easliy and quickly with the use of canoes. Fishing access will never be the same on any river for me after this trip.
The most satisfying aspect of those wild trout is finding a working fish and trying pattern after pattern until you get the correct one and bam, the fish rises confidently…no hesitation…. fish on. The wierd thing is that each fish has it’s own sense of what item is on the menu. On most other excellent rivers once you figure out what one fish is eating then the rest are on the same pattern. In order to be succesfull good, long drag free drifts are a must on this water, accurate casts, careful wading, keen observation of what bugs are on the water and the type of rise form the fish that you are fishing to is making. While most of the fish could be figured out, there are the exceptions, the fish that can make you scratch you’re head and move on to an easier fish in disgust, as happened to me one night. I could see four different bugs on the water and tried emergers, adults and spinnners of each species and this fish isn’t taking and i’m getting good drifts, yet no takes. Redemption came when I saw the next riser and first cast, fish on. Great group of guys to fish with, who share a passion of fly fishing and being in the moment on the river. Can’t wait till next time.
Very nice!!! I have been having a craving to try that river forever. I just may have to take a trip down one of these days!!! I don’t think that anybody would want to come with me after reading my story on the trip to the Ausable!!! Sometimes I hate fishing alone. LOL. Sounds like you had an awesome trip. Streamers seem to be the ticket once th eriver gets high.
wow – that was awesome! those fish are beautiful … just looking at them .. it is obvious that they are perfect specimins …
these days – it seems as though it is kinda cliche to speak of “wild trout” … sometimes i get kinda sick of hearing about it and saying it myself .. but .. in my opinion, it is not just a trendy thing to say … there is absolute truth to the fact that fly fishing for wild fish vs. stocked fish is an entirely different experience …. they are so unpredictable, often very tough too trick and the look spectacular and pure.
great job — makes me jealous:)!
ps… who is that casting dries with back to camera at the end of the video? a nice cast for sure…
pps. wrh, i read your comment – maybe that is where i went wrong down there – i would focus on one fish too long …. i think you are right – different fish are just that … different … so when one was proving to be an unsolvable puzzle – i should have just found another feeder and tried my luck with him … ….. (however, i think i did try that too – and still got skunked. i guess i am just trying to make myself feel better after getting my butt handed to me down there)
timing is so essential. you guys sure had the timing down. adapting to the conditions by using a canoe. you obviously were not going to be defeated. great article awesome fish
That Caster is none other than our very own Wrh. A fine caster and very nice to watch. He’s a great fisherman and I know he would have gotten that tough fish eventually if he kept his sanity. SOmetimes it’s those subtle currents that twitch and micro-drag your leader that makes the fish so tough. From your position, you are getting a great drift but from underneath you are not. A change of scenery is just what the doctor ordered to get that next fish. The streamer fishing was great fun, tiring combat shock and awe type fishing which is the complete opposite of the dry fly stuff. That’s what made the trip so great. Alittle bit of everything needed to get the strikes.
Excellent vid guys. I love the fact that you stuck to your plans in spite of the somewhat unfavorable conditions. Spring fishing is always a challenge on the WB. Way to go fellas!
ps…Freddy Jones Band was a great compliment to the vid.
thanks, I don’t think I am going to the Del. without my canoe ever again. Can’t believe it took me this long. Sometime I can’t see the forest.
FJB, one of my favorite bands, they are back together after 8 years and touring again. No dates in the Northeast yet but I keep checking their website and hoping. Every time I listened to that song, I thought, gotta get a video for that,.
It was great to have you with us. You would have gotten that fish eventually. I know it.
jeremy, if I had a hand grenade I would have used it on that fish. It would work it’s way up a current seam and methodically take insects. Then it would drift down and start all over again. I changed casting positions and got closer to minimize drag to no avail. Since it was moving upriver I assumed that it was taking emergers as it could see them hanging in the film and the riseform looked that way. I have no idea why I couldn’t get that fish to take. I just gave up. I figured there is limited time during a hatch and there are most likely other fish to be had. Maybe it was microdrag as Shaq suggested or maybe it was keying on someother insect I’ll never know. The lesson for me was to let it go and move on. I can be stubborn, just ask my wife, but that next fish felt soooooo satisfying.