Upper Delaware River, May 16-20

Team 7x spent 3+ days in the UD area, fishing the East Branch, Beaverkill and Willowemoc.  Flows were unusually low on the EB, making it difficult to disguise the imitation amongst the natural caddis, spinners, bwo's, and a few March Browns.  PMD's were just starting to show as well as the big sulphurs.  Areas above Airport and below Power Lines (for those who know the EB) with moving water provided us with better opportunities for rising fish.

The Beaverkill was at perfect levels and offered a solid hatch of March Browns and smaller Gray Fox beginning in the early afternoon...lots of caddis present as well.  The rocks in-stream were covered with shucks...emergent caddis is shown here.  It took many casts over big browns rising to natural MB's to fool 'em but we were rewarded with 18"+ hard fighting wild fish!  We fished Baxter's pool on two days with no one in sight and plenty of rising trout...amazing since most of the other pools were jammed.

Team member Matt landed a solid 20 inch wild brown on a sulphur emerger on the Willowemoc rest area pool...gorgeous fish and she decided to return to the stream as he brought her to hand! Big sulphurs were just beginning to show and this wild beauty fought hard!

The Upper Delaware area is a challenge, no doubt, but the choices are superb...4 world class trout streams, AND a few other sights as well.  Our cabin, stream side on the EB offered up another unusual sight, courtesy of Pileated Woodpeckers...looks like they borrowed a chain saw!

On the bank of the East Branch Delaware