Hook, Line and Sinker by Judy Van Put

Fishing conditions over the past week have changed – thanks to the much-needed rains we’ve been receiving. River levels rebounded from less than one-quarter of the historical average flow to more normal levels for this time of year, and then started their descent again.

The East Branch Delaware at Fishs Eddy, as of May 1, is flowing at 767 cubic feet per second (CFS). This is below the average flow on this date of 1,230 cfs over 57 years of record keeping. The highest flow recorded on May 1 was 9,460 cfs in 1996; the lowest recorded flow was 510 cfs back in 1985.

The rain we received over the weekend added some much-needed volume to area rivers and streams. The USGS website shows that on Tuesday morning, April 24, the East Branch of the Delaware River at Fishs Eddy was flowing at 1,720 cubic feet per second. This is above the average flow on this date of 1,400 cfs. The highest flow recorded on April 24 of 6,730 cfs occurred in the year 1972. The lowest recorded flow was 429 cubic feet per second in 1926.

Water levels continue to slump. We are looking at serious drought conditions with the lack of winter snow and substantial spring rains. At this writing, Monday morning, April 16, the USGS website posts that the East Branch of the Delaware River at Fishs Eddy was flowing at a paltry 404 cubic feet per second. This is the lowest recorded flow on this date over 56 years of record keeping. The average flow on April 16 was 1770 cfs; the highest recorded flow was 14,800 cfs in 2007. The lowest recorded flow was 585 cfs in 1968; we are currently more than 25 percent below that level.

April 1 dawned with overcast skies and temperatures in the 30s, and the prospect of rain during the day – pretty typical of an April morning and the opening day of the trout fishing season. Undaunted by the chilly wet weather, Jennifer Grossman of New York City and Livingston Manor traveled to one of her favorite spots on the Willowemoc and accomplished a feat that may be duplicated but never topped – she caught a large brown trout on a dry fly on her very first cast of the new season!

The surprisingly warm and sunny weather we’ve enjoyed so far this year has brought eager fishermen out in the Special Regulations Catch and Release sections of the Beaverkill and Willowemoc since mid- March. In addition to early sightings of fishermen in the streams, we have seen good numbers of midges and stoneflies hatching and fish rising, even in the mornings. Water temperatures of at least as high as 49 degrees Fahrenheit have been recorded.