Fly Fishing the East Branch of the Delaware River. Ken Tutalo

      27 . East Branch Delaware River

       Location: Central New York, about 2 hours from New York City, a 2½-hour ride from Newark, New Jersey; and a 4-hour ride from Boston, Massachusetts. Full-service airports are available in all three cities.

      In 1955, Pepacton Reservoir was built on the East Branch of the Delaware River. It became New York City’s largest reservoir, at 5,763 surface acres with a capacity of 140.2 billion gallons of water. After the reservoir was completed, coldwater releases, which average roughly 40 degrees, created the perfect environment for trout and the insects they feed on.

      The East Branch of the Delaware is one of two rivers that combine to form the Delaware River. The East Branch

      is approximately 75 miles long from its source to its confluence with the West Branch of the Delaware in Hancock, New York. From its source in Grand Gorge, New York, the river winds its way along the western edge of Catskill Park, draining an area of roughly 371 square miles.

      The section of the East Branch that is of most interest to fly fishers is between the dam in Downsville and the confluence with the West Branch in Hancock. This section is roughly 33 miles. Over its course, the river offers everything you can expect in a great fishery. The diversity of water is excellent. The insect hatches are reliable and prolific. The river also has high fish numbers and a good population of large fish.

      The first section, from

      Downsville downstream to the town of East Branch, is about 16

      miles long. This is the area most influenced by the coldwater releases from Pepacton Reservoir. Anglers are often surprised to find that the river here resembles a large spring creek. In this section, the river meanders through a beautiful valley with terrain that varies from steep forested slopes of cherry and hemlock to fields planted with corn and other crops.