After receiving more than an inch of rain this weekend, our rivers and streams have been replenished and are running high; and most of the Catskill reservoirs are overflowing. A check with the USGS website on Sunday afternoon showed the Willowemoc had spiked up to almost 500 cfs Saturday evening but was back down to about 313 cfs by about 3:15 pm. Water temperatures this past week fluctuated from a low of 43 early last week to a high of 59 last Tuesday afternoon, but hovered above and below that 50-degree mark for much of the week.
The Beaverkill at Cooks Falls showed similar temperature patterns, a high of almost 59 last Tuesday then dropping to just above and below 50 for the rest of the week. The river was flowing at 1250 cubic feet per second on Sunday afternoon; keeping many anglers home to celebrate Mother’s Day rather than brave the high waters. It has crested at about 1750 cfs after Saturday’s heavy rains. The median average for May 10 was 513 cubic feet per second based on 112 years of record-keeping, with the highest recorded flow over that period of time occurring just last year, at 3610 cfs, and the lowest recorded flow being just 192 back in 2001.
“Apple” Caddis (Brachycentrus appalachia), known for their bright apple-green abdomen have been seen hatching on area rivers and streams. They are often referred to as Shad Flies as they tend to emerge at about the same time the American Shad begin their annual spawning “run” up the Delaware River. These prolific flies usually appear as a tremendous swarm, with green egg sacs that plaster car windshields and grilles. We have not noticed many of the green egg sacs on the windshield as we drive up and downriver…..but hopefully they will be soon to come.
Other fly hatches have been pretty steady this past week; with good hatches of Grannom Caddis flies on the water, as well as Hendricksons and Blue Quills in the air and on the water. But on the sections of water we sampled and fished, there were hardly any rising fish noted, possibly due to the fluctuating water temperatures, which were still just at or below 50 degrees.
On Friday morning there were a few very large mayflies on the water up against the far bank of the Willowemoc, too far away to identify, but which by size could have been March Browns despite it being fairly early in the morning.
After such good rains and a full river, streamers and large nymphs are probably the best flies to fish over the next day or so, despite hatches of mayflies and caddis, unless of course you see trout rising and taking flies off the surface. The immature nymphal stage of aquatic insects such as mayflies is what we imitate by tying nymphs. During this stage of the fly’s life, the nymph lives under water, in the silt or on the bottom of the stream; and the nymph you tie and fish with will imitate the movement of a real nymph swimming underwater. When fishing with nymphs, you’ll want to cast a shorter line, slightly upstream; because the fly is under water and is not visible, a shorter line gives you better line control. Follow the line with your rod tip raised. You can often feel the fish take the fly or notice the line hesitate or stop moving as it’s coming downstream with the current, when you will set the hook. Some nymph fishers use a strike indicator, which is a small piece of white or brightly colored material that you attach to the point where your leader and fly line meet, or even a small dry fly, that makes the line easier to see. Again, be ready to set the hook if you notice any pause or hesitation in the line moving with the current, or if you feel the fish take the fly. Some anglers catch more trout with nymphs than dry flies or any other method of fly-fishing.
Don’t forget to check your tippet and leader - oftentimes when changing flies, your tippet can be shortened up enough to require more to be added so that the fly lands properly on the water. Wind knots, which commonly occur during windy conditions such as we’ve had lately, can impact your leader or tippet by creating a weak spot, especially if you hook a hefty or strong fish, and should be removed and tippet or even leader replaced to avoid losing the fish once hooked.