The very name “Delaware River” evokes emotions in fly anglers running the gamut from total elation to complete despair. This fishery is the birthplace of American fly fishing. There is something romantic about the thought of Theodore Gordon and Lee Wulff wading the same flows and pitching their flies, to the same seams and drifts that I do on a weekly basis. I have had the opportunity to fish some of the most technical spring creeks, freestone streams and tail waters in this country and I have come to one conclusion, the Delaware is truly a study in trout behavior. The quantity and quality of aquatic invertebrate in this river are paralleled only by a handful of rivers in the Northeast and Rocky Mountain States. The browns that inhabit this system are more wary and educated than your average resident fish. They will drop downriver in the current with the drift of your fly for five feet and usually find a reason to refuse it. I have witnessed this fishery bring the most seasoned, veteran anglers to their knees. The fact is you may only get one cast at a 20+ inch trout that is sipping duns off the surface. Not only are you throwing 60 feet of line every cast but your tippet is tapered to 6x and in low light conditions it can be a struggle to see your offering. If you have the slightest bit of drag in your presentation you could put that fish down for at least an hour. The hunt is just as intense as stalking Cape buffalo on the African plains.After five years of trying to crack the code on this river my friend Nate and I have really come into our own. Like anywhere else you journey to fly fish, 10% of the anglers are catching 90% of the fish. As of the past two seasons on the big “D” we are finally in that 10% group and it feels really good. Keep in mind we miss around 70% of all takes, so for every three fish landed seven are not even pricked. Not only are we consistently hooking and catching fish every trip, they are also over 20” which is a major accomplishment in anyone’s book down there. Last trip I watched Nate work a fish for three straight hours in the morning to no avail. He returned to that same spot for the last three hours of light. After at least 300 to 400 casts he struck pay dirt and was rewarded with a 23” Brown that was as wild and impeccable as any trout you would land on the South Island of New Zealand. This is a testimonial that perseverance really pays off.I am a Steelhead addict through and through. Slowly but surely I have come to realize there is nothing quite like a wild Delaware brown on a dry fly. Pound for pound they give Great Lakes Steelies a serious run for their money. Unbelievable acrobatics and blistering runs into your backing is the rule rather than the exception. I can’t wait until this weekend. I am truly strung out on this fine fishery. If any of you guys have ever considered a trip to the big “D” I would highly recommend it. World class fish, in world class waters