Hook, Line and Sinker by Judy Van Put

By Judy Van Put
Al Carpenter of Al’s Sports Store in Downsville reported that Pepacton Reservoir fishing has been good if you are out at the right time. One fisherman caught ‘a fair number of fish’ during the late afternoon, while his buddies were not at all successful fishing all morning. Al said that with a full moon, things change - and while the best fishing is traditionally early morning and late evening, fishing has been spotty during the full moon period. He predicted that conditions should be getting more predictable and improved this next week coming up; that a new moon fishes better than a full moon.

by Judy Van Put
No doubt that the July 4th weekend was the absolute best so far this summer as far as weather is concerned. Finally, two days of glorious sun, blue skies and warm breezes! Families were able to set up and picnic out-of-doors without the fear of rain to dampen their spirits. We celebrated the Fourth on both weekend nights and spent a perfect Sunday evening with friends along the small stream that runs below their horse pasture, cooking hot dogs over an open fire, racing homemade stick-and-moss boats downstream and then finishing off the evening with S’mores!

By now just about everyone, with the exception of ducks and the fish, is tired of the weather; rain, clouds, scattered showers, thunderstorms and hail and the forecast isn’t much better! The reservoir levels were all up and full, if not spilling as of last Friday.

A check with the NYS DEP Web site on Monday morning revealed that the NYC reservoirs are at the following levels: Pepacton is at 99.6 percent capacity; Neversink, 96.6 percent; Rondout, 98.2 percent; Ashokan, 98.6 percent; Schoharie, 83.8 percent. Only Cannonsville is currently spilling, and registered as at 100.9 percent capacity.

A check with the NYC DEP Web site on Monday morning showed that our Catskill reservoirs are at the following levels: Cannonsville, 101.6 percent; Pepacton, 100.4 percent; Neversink, 98.4 percent; Rondout, 97.6 percent; Ashokan, 99.2 percent; Schoharie, 89.4 percent.
Sonny Somelofski, of the Tremperskill Country Store, Andes, reported on the results of his May Trout Derby — 10 prizes in all were awarded! And the winning trout were all big, fat fish.