Hook, Line and Sinker by Judy Van Put

The weather was wonderful over the much-anticipated Memorial Day Weekend, the first unofficial weekend of the summer season. The heavy rains and thunderstorms that were predicted seemed to pass us by, and instead we were graced with sunny skies, warmer temperatures and a cooling breeze. Many trout fishers were out and about and reporting good success fishing the reservoirs.

The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development hosted the first Public Forum on Brook Trout in the Catskill Mountain Region on Sunday, May 17. Trout fishers and interested members of the public filled the meeting room at the Erpf house and enjoyed the presentation given by the panel comprised of Trout Unlimited Fisheries Scientist Nat Gillespie; DEC Fisheries Manager Mike Flaherty and Ed Van Put, DEC Principal Habitat Technician and author of Trout Fishing in the Catskills.

Mark your calendar for this Sunday. The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development in Arkville is host to the very first Public Forum on Brook Trout in the Catskill Mountain Region. The public is invited to come and learn about the Catskills’ most beautiful native fish. Topics will include information on the past and future of brook trout in the Catskills, including brook trout management, environmental threats to brook trout, and water quality indicators.

Flies have been hatching this past week – on trips to the East Branch of the Delaware River and the lower Beaverkill in Delaware County over the weekend there were great numbers of caddis flies in the air, on the water, and in the willows lining the banks. Some Hendricksons have made their appearance, resulting in good catches of trout, and just prior to the stocking of our area streams, reports of catches of good-sized wild and holdover trout have come in.

Fishing this past week was a bit slow. Mike Cornwell, of Al’s Sports Store, Downsville, reported one nice brown trout taken by Gary Skiba of Binghamton. Gary used a Gold Krocodile to catch his fish, which weighed six pounds, 10 ounces. Mike also noticed a good number of flies hatching along the river, and hitting his windshield as he drove home.