delaware-river-main-stem

Delaware River (Main Stem) is a river in New York.

It ranks #3 among the 12 waters of New York in the registry, and is of national prominence.

Its official name is Delaware River.

Also called Main Stem, BR, the Big D and Upper D.

Fished for trout (inferred from the species listed).

Species: brown trout and rainbow trout.

USGS GNIS record: 217887.

Confluences: Junction Pool.

Features: Callicoon.

Buckingham (access). It is fishable and launchable. Launch/takeout site (Troutfitter 'Buckingham launch site'); the Balls Eddy to Buckingham float is the standard Troutfitter drift.

It is upstream of Callicoon.

It is downstream of Stockport.

Lordville Bridge (access). It is fishable. Troutfitter's fishing camp is in Lordville; anglers wade up and down from the bridge. Position against Buckingham and Callicoon not stated.

Stockport (access). It is fishable and launchable. PA-side access (Troutfitter drive list: Shehawken, Stockport, Buckingham).

It is upstream of Buckingham.

It is downstream of Junction Pool.

Sourced from 3 independent fly sites.

Sources: cnytroutfitter.com, cnytroutfitter.com (2), cnytroutfitter.com (3), cnytroutfitter.com (4), cnytroutfitter.com (5), cnytroutfitter.com (6), cnytroutfitter.com (7) and The Perfect Fly Store (retrieved 2026-10-20).

Hatches

Gray-winged Yellow Quill

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Grannom (Little Black Caddis / Apple Caddis)

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Green Sedge

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Small Sulphur (E. dorothea) (Ephemerella dorothea)

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Dark Blue Sedge

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Very abundant.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Short-horned Sedge

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Trico

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Smoother, slower water.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

March Brown and Light Cahill

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Fast water and riffles.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Quill Gordon and Blue Quill

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Each lasts about six weeks.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Cinnamon Sedge

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Terrestrials (ants, beetles, hoppers)

Stage: adult. Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching, peak
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching, peak
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Peak: late July-early September

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Flying ant falls in June.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Brown Drake and Eastern Green Drake

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Some slow-water sections.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Blue-Winged Olive

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Several species; a second window from about July 1 through November is listed separately; some BWOs hatch much of the season.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Little Brown Stonefly

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar hatching
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Faster sections.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

White Drake (White Fly)

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Gray Drake

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ. Slow-water areas.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Golden Stonefly and Giant Black Stonefly

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Eastern Pale Evening Dun (Sulphur, E. invaria) (Ephemerella invaria)

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr hatching
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Spotted Sedge / Little Sister Sedge

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May hatching
  6. Jun hatching
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Blue-Winged Olive (second brood)

Sourced.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul hatching
  8. Aug hatching
  9. Sep hatching
  10. Oct hatching
  11. Nov hatching
  12. Dec

Page covers all three Delaware sections; dam discharges shift timing by section, so tailwater timing on this branch may differ.

Sources: The Perfect Fly Store

Also named, timing not yet researched: Hendrickson.

Access, closures and rules change; check with the state agency before you go.