The Keystone State access ramp at this location also has several hundred yards of very good shore-fishing. The channel comes close to the Pennsylvania side of the river, so even normal casters can reach the hot zone with shad darts and flies. Also, just downstream around the river curve, there are good pinch points that can be reached by wading if the river is not high. Wading from the New York side is not productive, because the channel is too far away.

In the area centered around Narrowsburg, the major access roads are state Route 652 from Beach Lake into Narrowsburg and well as state routes 97 and 52.

There is a good ramp and long shoreline area at Pennsylvania's Damascus access on Route 371. Besides ample parking, the wading angler can walk a considerable distance downstream from the ramp and find sites to cast. The river here breaks into a couple of small channels and the shad are likely to follow numerous routes.

Route 371 leads directly into Damascus from the west. If you're in the Narrowsburg area, take New York's Route 97 from Narrowsburg to Cochecton. It's much shorter than doubling back.

CALLICOON TO HANCOCK
The area from Callicoon to Hancock contains numerous places where the river is relatively shallow with pinch points and pools adjacent to wadeable water.

In the Callicoon area, you'll find commercial and public accesses on both sides of the river, but a favorite is the PFBC access about one-half mile south of the bridge on a small river road. From there it's possible to wade a considerable distance through pinch points and spawning pools.

Upstream the channel below Kellams Bridge, with parking on the New York side, but with no ramp, is too deep for easy fly-fishing. You're better off working downstream at Callicoon.

Farther upstream at Lordville, New York, across from Equinunk, there is public parking below the bridge and a long stretch of water above the access that is suitable for wading. This pool is a good spawning site.

Access is also available on the Pennsylvania side at Buckingham, off Route 191. Walk downstream from the ramp about one-half mile to just above the bend, where there is a series of pinch points. At the Shehawken access off Route 191, you'll need to get out of the fast water at the ramp to find suitable places to fish.

For the northern part of the upper Delaware River, the standard access is state Route 191, which leads to several secondary roads from Callicoon to Lordville and then closely parallels the river past Buckingham and Shehawken.

For more information, call (845) 252-7100 to reach a recorded 24-hour river hotline between April and October. Also, call the federal Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in Beach Lake, Pennsylvania, at (570) 685-4871 or go to the Web site at www.nps.gov/upde.