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Frequently-Asked Questions

Professionally-licensed fishing guides spend four full seasons a year in the wild, gaining critical knowledge about habitat and hatches that will make your trip a memorable experience.

Here are a few questions first-time clients often ask us...

What gear do I need to bring for flyfishing?

Similar to western rivers, the Delaware system is fairly "large" water. Most anglers prefer an 8'6" or 9' rod in 4, 5 or 6-weight lines. I lean towards 5 or 6 weight gear to improve casting distance in frequent windy conditions. Bring all your suitable gear such as waders, boots, vest, jacket, reels, leaders, flies, etc. and don't forget your rain jacket regardless of what the weather appears to be.

What type of line is best?

A good weight-forward floating line addresses most of our needs. There are times such as fishing with streamers when a 5' fast sinking-tip will improve your odds of catching fish. This rig can also be used for fishing nymphs and wet flies.

What size leader do I need?

I start with a 9' leader usually around 4X diameter and then tie on a piece of smaller tippet based on conditions and or fly size. My total leader length is about 11' unless we're into low, clear-water conditions. I would then start out with a longer base leader and add tippet accordingly.

Can I do any dry-fly fishing?

Absolutely! Because the Delaware is a tailwater with cold water releases, dry-fly fishing opportunities occur daily and can last for hours depending upon the bug species. With that said, because weather and biology are complex issues, the availability of surface hatches is always subject to change. In the absence of surface bugs and top-feeding fish, or if water conditions warrant, we'll often adapt our fishing methods and present nymphs, wet-flies or streamers.

How many fish can I expect to catch?

This is a tough question and many variables are involved. The presence of weather fronts moving in or out, water levels and clarity, wind conditions, and, yes, even angler experience ultimately bear on your success. We have to keep in mind that this is a wild fishery and these fish do behave differently from a stocked fishery. This is truly a wild environment and awesome creation. As other things in nature can be very fickle, so can these fish. We have to be very tactical in our approach, not that the fish are smarter than us but because we are going to their "home turf". There are all sorts of threat levels that the trout deal with daily such as attacks from Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Blue Herons, Mink and Otter to name a few. Throw us anglers into the mix and fish are right to be wary. In my opinion the single most important issue is how we present our fly to the fish. Drag-free presentations are key!

Can I keep fish?

We are very adamant about catch & release and do not allow any of our anglers to keep fish. This fishery is wild, there is no stocking on the West Branch or the Main Delaware. Resulting from all-natural reproduction, the wild population is too precious to kill these fish. It is largely due to flyfisherman practicing catch-and-release conservation that have helped make the Delaware the fishery that it is today. Many of our clients marvel at how strong and healthy these fish are for their size and many are indeed large. While the average trout is about 14"-15", a 20- to 22-inch fish is not uncommon at all. It is estimated that over 50,000 visitors fish this system throughout the season. Can you imagine the impact it would have if each person kept just one fish?

Do you fish from a boat?

A drift boat is employed most of the time. There are times when the rivers are unwadeable and we will fish right from the boat. Other times, conditions are right to exit the boat and wade. There are also times when the water levels drop beyond the floatability of the boat. When this occurs we still have the option of strictly wading or using a nicely-equipped square-backed canoe to drift the river.

What license do I need to flyfish?

A New York State One-Day, Seven-Day or Full-Season permit is available at most sporting goods stores and Town Clerk offices. It is the most universal license allowing you to fish all of the New York water and the border-water section along New York and Pennsylvania's shared boundary. A Pennsylvania license can be used for the border-water section of the Delaware, but does not allow you to fish any of the rivers that are entirely in New York.