July dawned bright and sunny, with temperatures that rose throughout the week. Fishing this week has been a bit challenging; an evening trip on Friday to the Beaverkill and Willowemoc above Roscoe was slow, despite favorable flows and water conditions - air temps at 72 degrees and water at 67. No flies or hatches were seen, nor rises, despite fishing hard with an Isonychia dry fly upstream, a Baby Brown Trout streamer down, back up with a Green Meanie dry, back down with a Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph and Royal Coachman wet fly combo and finally an Adams at dark.
During this heat-of-summer time, anglers are reminded to bring along a stream thermometer and use it - the best times to fish now are early mornings and later in the evenings through dark. And when water temperatures rise to 70 degrees, it’s best to head upstream or try the smaller tributaries (and take a water temperature there, as well!) or head to the cool, refreshing Tailwater fisheries of the East and West branches of the Delaware or the Neversink below the dams.