N.Y. West Branch Delaware report 4/21-23:

[Leif]

Awesome trip guys and great pictures. Sounds like a fun and productive time.

Only thing is the trout don't count unless they were caught on a fly rod. LOL

Leif

[Wilson]

Originally Posted by Leif

Awesome trip guys and great pictures. Sounds like a fun and productive time.

Only thing is the trout don't count unless they were caught on a fly rod. LOL

Leif

Y?

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Wilson

Y?

My mistake! "Dry fly fishing for trout" ......

Wilson, just an age old debate Fly vs. Spin for trout. I only fly fish up there. My son likes to catch them on the spinning rod but when we go up, no spinning rods allowed. He also wants to know why.

Didn't mean to offend. You guys certainly did well despite the conditions.

Nice trip.

Leif

[Leif]

Originally Posted by Wilson

I know all about the fly vs. spinning argument. I wanted to know what YOUR reasons are. Some say spin guys are litterbugs and meat hunters.
Some say fly guys are arrogant and snooty.
I grew up spin fishing and did fly fish for a couple of years. Fly fishing is too much work for me!
What ever way you fish don't litter and be nice to everyone...unless you find they don't deserve it.
The conditions on Friday would of had you watching TV, not fishing
And I'm not offended either, to each his own.

Oh OK. I think the reason for me is that I learned (grew up) on the fly rod just like you grew up on spin fishing. Plus I like to do things the hard way. I tie my own flies, fish 99% dry flies, won't fish from a boat, or use live bait, ect.

I like to eat a few, only keeping a few smaller fish for a meal.

I am sure if I was fly fishing with you guys I would have caught very few unless I was using streamers and even then, it would be a challenge.

Leif

[Lard Almighty]

The rain finally broke around 11:30 Saturday morning, called the guide and he was at the hotel in 15 minutes, raring to go. We did a half-day trip on the same stretch that Andy and Wilson floated on the first half of their trip. When we parked at Balls Eddy (the end point) water was high and a bit chalky, but very fishable. By the time we got to the launch point about 5 miles up, the river had turned brown! Visibility was only about a foot. We threw everything we could think of at those fish, but not even a sniff! Saw a few other fly guys in drift boats and from shore, they weren't having any luck either. Of course, by the time we got off the river to go home, it was starting to clear up. That's fishing, I guess.

Our guide Mike felt really bad about not putting us on any fish, but I don't think anything short of drifting crawlers could have scored a trout under those conditions. At the very least, we didn't get rained on. Plus, we had a bonanza on Friday, so getting skunked on the boat didn't sting as bad.

At the folks' house for Easter today, I'll upload photos when I get home tonight. Get ready to look at the most beautifully colored browns you may ever see!

[Life's A Beach]

Good report and pics. You ain't that tough on the eyes Wilson as long as you're holding a pretty trout LOL


Have done that float trip from Hancock and enjoy it every time.


Dry flies from shore vs spinners from a canoe = personal preference. As long as you're fishing and having a good time. Bottom Line!

[FASTEDDIE29]

WOW, nice catch fellas! Its amazing up there!

[AndyS]

I know we got some rain Friday night and Saturday morning, but I guess with the water tables maxed out it didn't take much to turn the Beaverkill and the West branch to chalk and mud. If the ground had been dry and it hadn't rained up there in a while it wouldn't have made a difference.
Really not a far drive, I guess you'll be in NY again next weekend, this time for bass !!

[Lard Almighty]

Last set, these are from a stretch running right through downtown Deposit behind a bunch of houses. This is the pool where the catching was insane.

By the way, the first person who can positively identify the spinner in photo 4 gets a dozen of them, on me!

[Lard Almighty]

As promised, here are the pics.

These are all photos taken on the Oquaga Creek in Deposit, a tributary of the West Branch. This first set is from the first spot we hit, at the Old Route 17 bridge. The brown trout I'm holding was one of the prettiest fish I have ever caught.