Anyone ever float Downsville to Callicoon on the Delaware?

[DavidFin]

I know it's totally dependent on flows, and I know camping those stretches is frowned upon. However, any input would be appreciated.

At a crossroads with work and I think it might be best for me to take a month or two off before I start the next job. My timing probably couldn't be better.

That said, if anyone is in need of a top salesman PM me!

 

[krayfish2]

Never heard of anyone going that.....but.......you could go from Downsville to Paradise vally campground one day, sleep and float to the Sunoco the next day and take out. You have to remember that the EB banks and riverbed are property of the landowner. Many of them are very vocal and will call state troopers if you trespass. Public fishing rights / access is somewhat limited and doesn't allow camping on the accessible land. Once you reach the lower EB, things don't get better but there are some islands where you could hide. Again, at the risk of a bad confrontation with the property owner. I've had shots fired over my head for anchoring to net a fish, a landowner film us while telling us to vacate his property (anchored mid river) and one very large man tell me I had 30 seconds to leave or he'd pound my head flat. I'll just leave it at 'camping on the EB is not suggested'. I'm thinking you could get away at with it on the main with all of the islands but would check on park rules first.

On a side note, forum member Jersey George once floated from Stilesville to Buckingham in one day. Lol. I think the flows were in excess of 5000 and he didn't do much fishing. More if a sightseeing trip but an insanely long float.

 

[DavidFin]

Kray, I hear you on the friendliness of the East Branch. Have had some pretty terrible encounters. I used to spend most of my time on the system on the East, and I can vouch that she's like sleeping with an ex girlfriend. Yea, she's pretty, but there's a reason why it didn't work out.

Most frustrating encounter was getting kicked out of a spot by a landowner on a quad who was smoking a cigarette over a 4 year old in his lap. Kept asking onto the poor kids head.

 

[krayfish2]

That would be right above Peas Eddy or at Fishes Eddy....am I right? Lmao

 

[DavidFin]

Definitely not Fishes. Where is Peas? I'm terrible with the spot names.

This happened around Harvard, maybe a bit upstream, near a bridge that you can only walk across.

 

[krayfish2]

OK. I was thinking 12-15 miles below that.

 

[DavidFin]

Is Peas Eddy between Jaws and Fishes? That's my favorite stretch of the East. Cut my teeth below the Fireman's field.

 

[JackM]

I tried, but I had to get back in the boat after about a mile and a half. Fortunately the boat kept on floating.

 

[Brianh]

I float the EB every year from Downsville with a group of guys. We never had any issues with land owners. Sometimes the waders will grumble a little but never anything worse than that.

 

[krayfish2]

Nope. Still in the wrong section. The section you're thinking of is nice water though. My nephew got so excited when he hooked one in there, he stood up and got out of the boat .....in 9' of water.

 

[Brianh]

We float from Downsville to Hancock, 2 different floats. We're usually there during the 1 fly event so we stay away from the west branch.
I hope it wasn't too cold when your nephew tried a new way to land one.

 

[krayfish2]

Water was 51 the day the youngster went swimming. He'll never do it again. During the 1 bug, they aren't just on the WB. They typically run from Oxbow to Hancock, all of WB and on Main all the way to Callicoon. They'll run every inch if they have the groups. I think it's all but sold out again. I just stay away from them or skip that week to avoid the extra BS.

I do want to get my boat steamed and try for brown in lake on sink tip when they get shallow in the spring. Always say I will but never do.

 

[Brianh]

Those crowds are why we usually stick to the EB.
We stay at the Pepacton cabins on the EB. There are usually a few guys staying there who fish the reservoir. They always come back with some nice browns. I think they use live minnows.

 

[krayfish2]

One of the guys I've known from the Capra for 12-15 years has 4 rowboats. 2 at Pepacton and 2 at Cannonsville. He throws spoons and manually trolls by rowing or uses sawbellies. He catches browns in the 5-12 pound range consistently. Catches a few smallie in the 5.5 - 6 pound range. Downsville is a quaint little place. Drove up there to look around and that little Diner is pretty good.

 

[AFISHN]

In the 1970s when I lived in Cochecton NY (below Callicoon) I floated from Hancock to the back of my house. In a Pan Yan car topper..12 ft boat
...still have it and used it to get to some cool spots on the LR last year.The trip.took a few days.Slept on shore under the boat..Did it two times...I kept a log and probably have it some place..great memories!

 

[TimRobinsin]

RickinPA and I did Balls to Buck in one day at 500cfs? in yaks. not a lot of stopping to fish. I thought it was long with a lot of dead water at the end. I would have been happy to do Balls to Shehawkin twice in one day rather than Balls to buck. just MHO, YMMV

 

[fisherboy3]

Ive done balls to buck, its a haul. Most of the end of the flost was rowed out in the dark. There is an old saying about the branches of the delaware:
The West: The town whore- everyone gets some
The East: The Princess- hard to get, but worth it in the end
The Main: the girl next door: shes around when you need her, shes a good time.

 

[krayfish2]

Kev,
That's funny. Never heard that before.

I took Mkerr down the D in the fall. One of his first floats was Hale to Buck. Lol. We took out at 7 and it was still light. We even stopped in town to grab a sub and a 6. Long day though.

Derek,
All that 'dead water' you two rowed through holds fish.