Is it fall yet? Temps over the weekend were borderline sweltering. Most creeks, streams, and rivers are very low, clear, and warm. And even though the trees in the hills are starting to show blots of color, it’s hard to believe it is early September. Here’s what you can expect for fishing in the week ahead: Catskill River Trout: The Catskill river report is mixed due to the warm and dry weather. The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are low and warm so be careful to watch temps and focus efforts on the morning hours if fishing these waters. The West Branch of the Delaware River release was bumped up to 850 CFS. It is still wadeable and this should make for good fishing conditions. There are reports of the green crud in the upper river, so make sure to clean flies frequently. The upper East Branch is also flowing well with good water temps. Hatches are gradually shifting to the autumn cycle. Sulphurs are fading while BWO’s are becoming more dominant. Flying ants can be great at this time of year. Light cahills and Iso’s are also about as are caddis.
Great Lakes Tribs: There are more salmon moving up into the Salmon River, but it is still very much hit and miss. While there was an increased water release over the Labor Day weekend, continued warm temps and sunny conditions have not helped things. As of this posting, the 800 CFS release from the weekend has been cut back to approximately 400 CFS. This lower flow and continued warm temps could impact the run over the next week. Its a good time to get salmon / steelhead gear ready to go while waiting for conditions to improve.
Local Creek / Stream Trout: Local creeks remain very skinny. Longer leaders and stealth will be needed to fish successfully. Nymphs, dry flies, and terrestrials will be the key fly types to use. Fishing early or late in the clear low water is one way to fish for spooky trout. Keep an eye on water temps. Also keep an eye on the possibility of local thunderstorms as sudden increases in creek and stream flows can make for excellent fishing.
Warmwater Rivers: Local rivers are now at new lows for the year and will continue to drop. With relatively high temperatures and low flows, the fishing reports are mixed. Flows of the Susquehanna in Vestal are nearing the 500 CFS level, giving wading anglers excellent access to riffles, runs and pools. Fishing is generally good with bass, fallfish, carp, and catfish in the mix. At this time with temps as they are, the best fishing will be on early mornings or late evenings. The tailouts of pools will produce as fish will hold and feed there when the light is low. The rivers could use a shot of rain and cooler temps to get the fall smallmouth bass bite going. Continue reading http://www.examiner.com/article/southern-tier-fly-fishing-is-it-fall-yet?CID=examiner_alerts_article