The Upper Delaware River System
The Upper Delaware River System is indeed a fly fisherman's paradise. Steeped in the history of the earliest fly fishing in America, the Catskills is where it all began. The area offers many beautiful rivers to choose from; all offering excellent fish habitats, and featuring varied species to test your angling skills. Whether you fish the West Branch, the East Branch, or the Main Delaware, you'll fall in love with our area and our fishery.
West Branch of the Delaware River
Considered by many to be the finest wild trout fishery on the east coast, it is also the home waters of the resort. The West Branch of the Delaware River is the crown jewel of the Upper Delaware System. The West Branch is a tailwater fishery, a very unique quality for an eastern river, the river receives cold water year around from the Cannonsville Reservoir. Wild Browns are the main specie in the West Branch, amounting to about 90% of the total trout population, with Wild Rainbows and a few Brook trout making up the final 10%.
East Branch of the Delaware
A tailwater fishery that receives water from Pepacton Reservoir, as well as from the Beaverkill which is a freestone river. Pepacton is a New York City reservoir and is a reserve for drinking water for the city. The Lower East Branch tends to work more like a freestone, with early season runoff offering good trout fishing through May. In June, since NYC releases only minimal flows from Pepacton, the water temperature rises to the point where the Rainbows tend to slip back to the Main Delaware, and Smallmouth Bass, and Shad become excellent targets for fly anglers. The Upper East Branch, closer to Pepacton, still carries a good trout population, and offers some good fly angling for most of the year. The hatches on the East Branch are similar to the West Branch. Fall trout fishing on the lower East Branch will usually be very good, since water releases are often increased during that time.
The Upper Delaware River
This river receives most of its' water from the East and West Branches, though there are more streams feeding the big river than the two branches have. The main is a big river and it fishes big. Varying on water levels, the Main Delaware will challenge your casting and wading skills. We recommend taking a guided drift trip, a drift boat, pontoon, or canoe for optimal fishing on the Main. The size of the wild Rainbows and Browns in the river will make your efforts worthwhile. There are some major size "hogs" in the Main, and though you will generally catch less quantity of fish, the size of those you do hook into will challenge your skills with long runs and tippet breaking power. The prolific hatches on the "Big D" will be somewhat similar to the West and East Branches, however, some big flies such as Brown and Green Drakes are in much greater abundance. A size 14 Sulphur, E. rotunda, and size 12 to 14 Ephoron leukon, aka The White Fly, is found in much greater quantity than on the branches. Smallmouth and Shad fishing is also available to the fly angler on the Main Delaware.