You’ve heard me say it before. I’m going to say it again: One of the greatest things about fly fishing are the great people you meet. And one of the greatest is my friend Joe D., Capt. Joe Demalderis from Cross Current Guide Service in Starlight, Pa. Joe has been fly fishing since 1970. He’s been fishing the Delaware River since the mid-1970s and has been an Orvis Endorsed Guide for more than 20 years. He was the 2019 Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Outfitter of the Year in 2019.
Joe D. has traveled throughout North America fishing for trout, Atlantic salmon and steelhead. The Upper Delaware is his home water, but in the winter months he hosts fly fishing trips to Patagonia for wild trout and to the Bahamas for bonefish. A very experienced saltwater fly fisherman, he also spends many days each season fishing the New Jersey coast for stripers, false albacore and bluefish. But Joe D. is no fish snob. He’s a dedicated fly fishing guide who can be found pursuing carp, muskies, northern pike and smallmouth bass. In guide days alone, he’s logged tens of thousands of hours on the water.
But the home water calls Joe D. just like it does all of us. He and and Cross Current Guide Service are at home on the Upper Delaware. And if you’re not familiar with this iconic river, you should be. It comes in three distinct segments. The West Branch is a tailwater fishery below Cannonsville Reservoir. With cold water and gentle flows, it’s known for amazing insect hatches that make for tremendous dry fly fishing. The East Branch comes in two sections. The upper section is a tailwater and mostly a brown trout fishery. The lower section is warmer, and primarily an early season fishery for browns and rainbows. The main stem of the Delaware begins at the junction of the East and West branches. Before the water warms, the mainstem can be great for rainbows. But as you travel downriver, it becomes an exceptional smallmouth fishery, with a terrific spring run of American shad.
But as we all know, fishing isn’t just about catching fish. The best thing about fishing with Joe D. or any of the guides at Cross Current Guide Service is being there. These are guides who love being on the water with people. No matter your skill level or experience, you’ll learn something. And you’ll have fun doing it with Cross Current Guide Service.
Cross Current Guide Service and Outfitters
Joe Demalderis
Starlight, PA 18461
(914) 475-6779
crosscurrent@optonline.net