Hook Line and Sinker by Judy Van Put

It was great to finally have a nice weekend, weather-wise, and even better that the warm temperatures coincided with Memorial Day. Despite the fact that gasoline hit $4 per gallon, we saw numbers of anglers fishing (and catching trout) and managed a few ourselves. This is also the last full week of turkey hunting season, and it has been a productive one, judging by the numbers of photos published in local newspapers.

Weather conditions here in the Catskills this past week just confirmed what everyone who lives here has known all along – “typical spring weather” and “Catskill weather conditions” are two very different topics. We’ve experienced a range from warm sunny temperatures well into the 70s last Wednesday back down to 33 degrees and SNOW showers on Monday morning! And along with the cold front that blew in with windy, rainy and chilly conditions all weekend, came a lull in the trout fishing.

May is such a special month – it brings the softest greens of early leaves and grass, the fragrant blooms of the fruit trees and showy flower blossoms, the warmth of the sun.

Again this past week we had our wood stove fired up to take the chill out of the house, caused by those cold early May nights. On Thursday, May 1 (the opening of the turkey season) the thermometer registered a chilly 23 degrees! And mixed in with the rain showers were some snow flurries over the weekend…we’re about out of good seasoned wood and are looking forward to some warmer temperatures for the middle of May.

Typical of our Catskill weather (which is that you can pretty much count on it to be atypical!) we went from a week of 70- to 80-degree temperatures, during which time we shut down our wood stove, back down to the 40s and 50s, with our furnace coming on at night.

 

Spring has finally sprung. Last week I finally saw some daffodils blooming. And those beautiful days of temperatures in the 60s and 70s really do a lot to raise spirits As soon as the water warms up, we can anticipate good fishing again.

Al Carpenter of Al’s Sports Store in Downsville reported that the first week of the trout season was very busy. He saw a “fair amount of fish” come through the store and said that both the East Branch of the Delaware River and Pepacton Reservoir had fished well.

Mild temperatures this weekend have spurred early trout fishers into action; thanks to catch and release (no kill) sections along some of our streams (the West Branch of the Delaware, Beaverkill and Willowemoc) a number of preseason anglers were already out fishing.

The countdown to Opening Day of the trout season is growing shorter – just a few more days till we can shake off the winter blues and officially ring in the promise of Spring with our first casts of the season!