I went fishing on the Delaware River with friends a month ago, bought some flies and never touched them again as they were specific to the Delaware River, Wrong! I was fly fishing one of the nicer stretches of water in Northern Maine famous for it’s Land Locked Salmon. If you are not familiar with fly fishing in the Northeastern regions of the United States, you may be asking yourself, “What is a Landlocked Salmon?” In simple terms, a Landlocked Salmon is an Atlantic Salmon. The difference being that Landlocked Salmon do not go to sea because their access to the ocean via the river systems has been cut off by dams. So, they are identical species of Salmon, the only difference being is that the Landlocked Salmon are “Locked In” by land and dams. Anyway, the day started overcast and cold, caught one nice fish in a pool fished by 6 fly fisherman and a crow. One of my friends announced he was fatigued and would go home to fix his tractor. The rest of us ate lunch and then changed positions to a spot up river. The Sun suddenly burst out of the sky and the air temperature warmed up to about 65 degrees. Hendricksons started hatching like people getting off the subway in Harvard square at 5 pm. I looked in 3 fly boxes and could not find what I was looking for and then I saw the Hendrickson emerger pattern from the Delaware River that watterwhippa had picked out for me. It was a cdc Hendrikson emerger and best used in conjunction with the powder floatant he had me buy. I guess that river specific stuff is silly, 4 casts 4 takes! No more of this fly is from the west or some other river. From now on I’ll use it regardless of origin. Thanks again Whippa! I owe this fish to you.
Awesome story and pics. I learned that lesson also. Sometimes it’s the fly from a different region that literally catches their attention!! Great job.
Along the same lines, I am going to reply to your story with a story. The scene was a gloomy Delaware County day. The participants were two very hungover college students taking their lumps on a very difficult river with a limited amount of fly fishing hours on small streams. We were catching one or two trout per trip either in very fast water or right at dark when the inspection of our traditionally hackled flies would be quick at the very least and struck at out of reaction. We were in questionable public water and were “removed” by one of the most well-known fisherman/outfitters on the river to make room for a fly-fishing class which was about to start. Now the best thing we could have done was to join the class however we drove up and down the river looking for more parking and a new spot to slap the water. Once knee deep in currents again, my roommate hooked a 12 inch brook trout which, upon inspection, had a small fly stuck in it’s jaw which had been snapped off in a previous battle. How strange was this fly? No hackle. No duck or hackle tipped wing. It was just a tail, dubbing and some sort of spiky wing sticking up. Hhhmmm. Well, I gave it no thought and went back to my risers. Splash splash, I looked up as my partner reeled in another fish. hhmmm. Alittle while later he reeled in a third, and a fourth. What are you using I asked. “I don’t know” he replied. I ended up with my usual one or two fish, he had the day of the year. We took that fly home, put it on the kitchen room table and started to tie flies to look like it. What is the tail? What is the wing? I don’t know? We tried everything with mixed results however when we finally went back down to the Delaware, we marched into the shop whose owner had removed us from his water, presented the mystery fly and said…”How do I make these”? From there, our fly fishing has taken different twists and turns but those lessons on the Delaware are with us always. Are there any other waters which are challenging? for sure but I have never seen any other system which has demanded such learning while plying it’s waters and insistance on bringing your “A” game while fishing. I learn something new everytime I step into the Delaware’s currents. Bottom line, if something get’s the delaware fish? It will get any fish
Greg, Glad to see that pattern worked out for you on the LL’s. It is nice that you can use those flies up there as well. Don’t go to crazy and lose all of them. I’m sure you will be needing a few when you make your way back down to the Catskills!
Great Article….Wish I had held out for the afternoon fishing.
Who knew? It’s fate and you were tired and I almost went to!