5/7-8/2000
This was a great trip, although a little expensive. The West Branch of the Delaware is an excellent river to fish, with a fish/mile rating rivaling those of some of the best western rivers.
This was a trip that Todd and I actually planned ahead. (Normally we just pick a spot, drive and when we see water, get out and fish. When we get tired, we try to find space to sleep) We reserved a cabin at the West Branch Anglers Resort in Depot, New York. This worked well for 2 reasons.
1) We had a place with river access right outside of the room. ( the above picture is what you looked at from outside our cabin window.)
2) The resort had all the amenities!!! Drift boat rentals, fly shop, restaurant, etc.
The resort is a little pricey, but when your the best place in town, you deserve it. The cabin was roomy and well appointed for a small, 1 room place. It slept 4 and had an area to cook and eat. A bathroom that had a flush toilet (not a hole with a cover) and a shower with hot water and pressure!! BUT at $120 a night for 2 people it should!! Outside of the cabin on the porch there was a place to hang your waders and store your rods rigged.
The fly shop was great and had everything you could possibly need from licenses and flies to box lunches. (The selection of flies were outstanding and the shop manager knew which hatches were coming off and what sizes and patterns you would need.) If you needed a new rod, waders, reel, glasses etc, they had them and a wide variety of each. They also had a fly-tying shop for you die hards (like me).
OK... Now for the fishing. The West Branch is about 2 1/2 hours from NY City in the Catskill Mountains, making it accessible. It is about 20 miles passed Rosco (Trout Town USA), but like it's sister river The Beaverkill, It is a joy to fish, and a lot less crowded. (Less crowed means less pressure and more fish!!)
Day one we rented a drift boat at the fly shop, another pricey endeavor ($80 for the boat, $20 for putting the boat in the water and $20 for dropping your car off at the pick-up spot) You can opt for a guide, but being the men we are, we decided to go by ourselves. The obvious advantage of a boat is that you can get to places that no one else can, and the disadvantage is you get stuck a lot!!!!
So we did a 6 mile float and had a great day. We both took out a few nice nice wild rainbows and browns and fished pools that no one else could. We got stuck a lot, too. The fish were fickle, because the weather was hot and most of the other anglers we encountered were not having much luck. (That was also because there was 5 different hatches going on at the same time and the water was verrrrry clear, so the fish were quite choosy. There were duns, spinners, emerges, and nymphs of all kinds around...It was great, but frustrating!
After we got back to the cabin we ate at the Wild Rainbow . Good food, cold bear, nice surroundings, moderate prices.
Day 2 we fished on the river right in front of the cabin, same type of day, better results. Todd got 2 bows over 16", a nice brown and a few smaller fish. I did not do as well, but had a great time anyway.
We highly recommend the river and the resort and intend to do this one again!!
We rate it 4 rods.
