Delaware river info please

[kbobb]

Hi folks,
Looking for some info on delaware river fishing in may. Never been there before but would like to spend a couple of quality days there as a special gift for a friend. Ideally a day with a guide-type person/float trip and another day fishing on our own would be good.

if you have any recommended names or names to avoid I'd certainly appreciate it. Also any good public access fishing directions would be great.

please PM me if you'd rather use that route.

thanks much

 

[afishinado]

The best guide I can recommend for the Upper Delaware is Joe Demalderis / Crosscurrent Guide Service.

I've sent many dozens of anglers to fish with him and have fished with him quite a few times myself. I've never had anything but raves from anglers after their float(s) with Joe.

http://crosscurrentguideservice.com/

There is plenty of public access to fish on your own. I suggest you post closer to the time you plan to fish to get the lowdown on current river conditions and hatches. Also, ask Joe to suggest the best places to try on your own, the day of your float.

Good luck!

 

[CathyG]

The best info is probably Paul Weamer's book Fly fishing guide to the upper delaware. He gives tons of info about public access.

 

[sandfly]

afish hit it on the nail, get ahold of Joe. he's the best up there

 

[kobalt335]

Joe D is the man for the Upper D.. Any of the crosscurrent guides are good.

 

[krayfish2]

I'm going to sound like the bad guy but .......

Joe is a great guy. Ben Rinker, Ben Turpin, Ken Baxter, Bob Lewis, Adrian LaSorte, Steve Shen,, on and on. There's a bunch of really good guides up there. It all depends what you are looking for.

PM sent.

 

[fisherboy3]

Ill post a bunch of info for ya here.

Ben Rinker and Ben Turpin both used to guide for the Delaware River Club. No longer do, theyve become independent guides. But they know the system very well. I stay at Ben Rinkers house when i go up there. He owns East Branch Outfitters. 65$ a night for a single room and a kick #censor# breakfast by his wife in the morning. Ive used both of them for trips and they are top notch.
Bob Lewis and Steve Shen currently work for the DRC. Good guides from what I hear.

Access-
Pa West Branch: Upper and Lower Gamelands
Balls Eddy
Shehawken

Mainstem Delaware Access
Pa: Stockport boat launch off 191
Buckingham boat launch off 191
Soaring Eagle Campground at Kellams Bridge (5$)
Ny: Bard Parker or Junction Pool
Bouxieville Brook
Basket Creek- These two are creeks that dump into the Mainstem but follow the creeks down to the river to good water.
Kellams Bridge
Long Eddy

Hatches during that time of year: early May you should see Hendricksons, Apple and grannom caddis
Mid may- Sulphurs, March Browns, Tiny Blue Winged Olives
Late May- green and Brown Drakes, sulphurs, maybe slate drskes. This time of year is tough fishing. Tons of fishermsn, and bug soup.
Make sure you have long leaders, i use a 12-14 ft leader for dry flies. No drag, and make sure you are upstream from the fish casting downstream to them. Best of luck, it truely is an incredible fishery.

Krayfish and I are true Delaware addicts. Once you go, its a real problem.

 

[raftman]

Soaring Eagle Campground at Kellams Bridge

Do you guys happen to know if there is any other camping along the river?

 

[troutpoop]

I went there last year a few times. I'm now ruined. I have trouble getting too excited about anywhere else. Its now my happy place when things are gloomy.

 

[DavidFin]

Read the Weamer book and get familiar with the flows. A guide won't commit to one branch or section until you're within a week or less of the trip for that reason alone.

You should also learn about the bows and the Browns exclusively because they feed differently.

 

[kbobb]

Thanks for the info folks, lots to ponder. have requested Mr Weamers book from the library.

will look into all the names mentioned here.

Appreciate it.

 

[DavidFin]

You should buy the Weamer book so you can bring it with you.

The reason why I mention the flows is because between releases and how rains from other areas of the Catskills can affect the rivers, you may have to move around a lot.

For instance, you may be on the east branch for drakes if you're there in late May, though I have a feelings hatches will be ahead of schedule this year. If it rains up on the Willowemoc and the Beaverkill you're going to be screwed if you're below where the Beaverkill enters (known as Jaws). If the flow above Jaws is lower than 400cfs you won't want to go above it, so now you're heading to the West Branch.

Having the book on you may make or break your trip.

Take it from a guy who has had some of his best and worst days on the Delaware on foot.

Also, do not overlook the Main Stem.

 

[fisherboy3]

Dont be afraid to stray away from the access sites. If you are on the Main or the West, you can wade downstream or upstream along the pa sides. The Mainstem has some big fish in it, but so do all of the brsnches. You are less likely to see anglers the farther down the main you go. And in May, fishing is prime on the Mainstem.

 

[Big-Bass]

My wife first bought be a guided trip on the Delaware as a Christmas gift in 2013. I used that gift in June of 2014 with cross current guide Ryan Furtak...he was very good but to be honest, I have fished the branches and main stem about a half-dozen times with Krayfish2 in the past two summers and he really knows his stuff... I live not to far from the fisheries and he seems to be my go to guy for info and he's a hoot to fish with (so are his dogs...Kramer loves fallfish!). One night in the summer we met Joe D at the launch going out for a mousing night as we were taking out and he really seems like a knowledgable and stand up guy and guide. Good luck with your fishing!

 

[krayfish2]

I'm not paying you for writing that. LMAO

 

[geebee]

i loved my trip up their last May with the White Clay FF club at Dreamcatchers.

sadly, they are not going til July this year - does anyone camp up there , i might give that a try in June.

i shall be hoping for more water this year - i think it was like 100CFS.

i still caught fish on a mink nymph - 20" brown was my biggest. twice !

cheers

Mark

 

[krayfish2]

Mark,

At 100cfs, you basically got to see the riverbed. I'd expect to see flows more in line with 600-1200cfs which could really limit your wading. It also changes where the fish hold so it may be completely different than your last trip.

As far as camping, it's pretty limited. There are a few places but you're 25-30 minutes from Hancock or 20 minutes from Deposit. Soaring Eagle near Kellums Bridge (lower main stem toward Callicoon), Paradise Valley (Upper EB past Harvard), Scotts Campground (East of Deposit). IF you go during 4th of July weekend, during "The Chill" or "Harvestfest"....enjoy the show. LMAO.

 

[fisherboy3]

You have a few in roscoe on the beaverkill or if you would want something seasonal the DRC has a seasonal campground right on the lower west.

 

[mcwillja]

before i had the camp I camped at Oquagua Creek State Park. About 15 min from Deposit. Just another camping option worth mentioning.

 

[geebee]

thanks guys.

with the low water we didn't push through the middle of the day, but instead did a lot of scouting upstream with the car - aside from the trestle pool, we found 10 or so spots from parking access points that i can hike into.

to be truthful, above deposit, even the DEC access was pretty good and if I camp i can go more than once, ha ha.i might go up early May, Late April too.

Cheers