For many brothers of the angle, the Main Stem of the Delaware provides the ultimate flyfishing challenge:

     A large, difficult-to-read waterway with long, slow-moving pools... big, sipping browns and rainbows that are very   selective... tiny, hard-to-match flies... long casts...  invisible takes... the list goes on.

     This is the Main Stem of the Delaware. For the expert flyfisher, it can be a "10" on a scale of "10". For the advanced flyfisher, it can be a lesson in humility. For the average flyfisher, it can be an exercise in frustration. And for the novice, it can be a look at the dark side of   trout fever.

     Fortunately, things aren’t always that tough. For a good part of the  season. the Main Stem -- which also is referred to as "The Big D" or "The Big River" -- can be one of the most productive of the trio of rivers that make up the Upper Delaware trout fishery. And, it can be (and often is) kind to the novice flyfisher as well as the expert.

     The Main Stem of the Delaware begins in Hancock, NY, at the foot of Point Mountain and the junction of the East and West Branches of the Delaware, its twin tailwater tributaries. (See Map of the Main Stem.) Since the river’s status as a trout fishery depends on the cool waters of the tributaries that feed it, the Main Stem is a trout fishery for just the first 25 miles of its 300-mile length -- a stretch that extends from Hancock to Calicoon.

     Above Calicoon,  the Main Stem offers the flyfisher an opportunity to catch and release a trophy-sized trout. Like its big wild browns and rainbows, the river is large. It is studded with islands, many of which force the river into narrows that can make the river feel much smaller. In addition to its tailwater tributaries, the river is fed intermittently by cool, mountain feeder streams, where the fishing can be hot.

     During May and June, the Delaware also offers the flyfisher a chance to catch sea-run shad, which move up the river to spawn.   During their run, they can be caught on colorful, jig-like flies and have also been taken on large dries.  These fish can peel line off a reel like bonefish on a saltwater flat, and they offer a great bonus to a driftboat or streamside outing.

     Throughout the Main Stem’s 25 miles of trout water, the river is a series of deep, long pools, connected by both short and long riffles and strong, heavy runs. In many pools, the current slows to a crawl, which is the reason they are often referred to as "eddies." The fishing in these pools is extremely challenging, since the trout are forced to move to find food. Except where riffles spill into the head of a pool -- or the water gathers speed at the tail of a pool -- there are few holding areas where trout lie in wait for food to come to them.

     The pools create a unique challenge for the angler, who must either predict the path of trout on the move or immediately cover a sipping rise form before the trout moves on. This super-fine fishing requires pinpoint casting, delicate landings and absolutely drag-free drifts -- and good luck  Even when a big pool trout is hooked, bringing a wild Delaware brown or rainbow to net is a challenging affair.

     The riffles and runs along the Main Stem also boast some lunker trout, many of which can be brought to the surface by matching the hatches or by using big attractor or stimulator flies. A rise to a stimulator fly can take your breath away, leaving you with shaking hands and coils of line wrapped around your head and shoulders. Or, it can set your reel screaming and your heart pounding.

     Like the East and West branches of the Delaware, the Main Stem boasts excellent mayfly, caddis and stonefly hatches throughout the year. The Hendrickson and March Brown hatches on "The Big River" can be especially strong; and olives and sulphurs are a season-long staple. Big green and brown drakes occur in late May and early June, and Cahills begin in mid-June and hatch sporadically throughout July.  The Delaware also boasts an extraordinary hatch of huge stone flies, which can blanket the river, and a strong, season-ending hatch of Isonychia.

     Access to the Main Stem is extremely limited. Except at the few designated access areas, finding river parking is difficult, and private landowners are very unwilling to grant access to the river. As a result, driftboat fishing is the only sure way to see this wonderful river, which can offer the flyfisher a great sense of triumph or failure in about equal measures.

     Throughout its first 25 miles, the river flows through hardwood forests and occasional fields. There are times when the Main Stem can feel pristine and wild, separated from the buzz of humankind. It is moments like this when eagles and ospreys sail into view, and whitetail deer sip at the river’s edge.

     The Main Stem is a boundary between New York and Pennsylvania, and can be fished with valid licenses from either state based on a reciprocal agreement. While catch-and-release is recommended, one trout of over 14 inches in length is the legal limit.