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The other night I decided to go old school and fish Les Shannon's Lemon Cahill, a great Catskill style Sulphur pattern. Happily, a native Brookie liked the fly. John Kavanaugh, a member of the Catskill Fly Tyer's Guild has tied a several dozen for the shop in a variety of sizes along with some other classics including the South Branch Chub by Bob Jacklyn and the Ken Lockwood Streamer. The streamers are $2.75 apiece but the other dries and emergers are $1.95. John is an innovative tyer and his patterns have been very successful at catching fish not only in the Northeast but out west as well.
As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, we continue to be open for phone and email orders including Monday, Memorial Day. We will have normal business hours throughout the weekend opening at 8am on Saturday, 9am on sunday and 8am on Monday. Curbside pick up is available. The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife completed its Spring Trout Stocking this week. Major area rivers and streams were stocked including the South Branch, Musky and Pequest. A full list of waters stocked this week can be found here: https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/trtinfo_spring20.htm#updates
Fly fishing this weekend should be excellent this weekend. We're expecting a little rain which shouldn't hurt and with the new fish in the water I expect strong catches especially on nymphs and emergers. Sulphur hatches are underway late in the day into the evening. Grey Wing Yellow Quills, Epeorus vitreus will be joining them. Caddis are hatching in the morning into the early afternoon along with Baetis, Blue Quills, March Browns and Blue Duns. Don't be surprised to see some large Blue Wing Olives, D. cornuta in the late morning. Soon we should begin to see Isonychia (Slate Drakes) and Light Cahills. Remember that hatches begin below the surface usually at least an hour before any duns appear on the surface or in the air. Use a nymph and emerger tandem rig at this time for best results. For Sulphurs this means fishing a Pheasant tail or Hare's Ear #12-16 trailed by a Sulphur Emerger of the same size about twenty inches behind the first fly. Many anglers also enjoy fishing a dry/dropper rig as the insects begin progressing up the water column. With many of the other mayfly species hatching now especially those that are smaller, darker in color and hatch during the day, I'll downsize the nymph to a #16-18 and go with a # 16-20 RS2 Emerger.
Until we get the green light, we have to wait on guided fly fishing and apologize for any inconvenience. On the positive side, we are getting deliveries in weekly so ask about Fishpond packs, Chota waders and boots. We just received another shipment of the very popular Cortland EuroNymph rods in the 10'6" 2wt. We also have 3weights and 4 weights. Douglas rods have been in demand this spring as usual. We just received a shipment of 8 1/2 and 9' 4weights. With dry fly fishing upon us, it is hard to beat a Winston Pure and we have the best models in stock in 4 or 5 weight. For those going up to the Delaware, try the Alpha Plus or the Freshwater Air. Beautiful rods as always from Winston.
Local Hatches 5/22/2020:
Morning 9-11 am:
Spotted Sedge Hydropsyche spp. Tan Elk Hair Caddis #14-18, LaFontaine's Tan Sparkle Pupa #14-18, Hare's Ear Soft Hackle #14-16, Tan Bird's Nest #14-18.
Green Sedge Rhyacophila lobifera Olive Elk Hair Caddis #14-18, LaFontaine's Olive Sparkle Pupa #14-16, Partridge & Soft Hackle #14-16, Olive Bird's Nest #14-18, Henryville Special #14-16
Midday through Late Afternoon 12 noon - 5pm:
Caddis may continue to hatch. see above
Blue Wing Olive Baetis levitans, interclaris, quebecensis, vagans. RS2, BWO, Pheasant Tail Nymph #18-20
Pale Speckled Wing Olive Callibaetis ferrugineous Adams, Blue Quill, BWO #16-18, Pheasant tail #16-18
March Brown Maccaffertium vicarium March Brown Deer Hair Emerger, March Brown dun #10-12
Evening 6-8pm:
Eastern Brown Quill Siphlonurus quebcencis Adams, Grey Wulff or Blue Dun #10-12
Grey Winged Yellow Quill Epeorus vitreus Sulphur #14
Mayfly Spinners #12-20 (Use a Rusty Spinner for species listed above except for E. dorothea. Use Sulphur Spinner #16-18)
Here are a four more of Tim's videos focusing on the Sulphur. These are some great patterns from Matt Grobert, Tim and the late Les Shannon: