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Catskill Trout Streams

4K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  pmflyfisher 
#1 · (Edited)
Surfing the web yesterday ran into this page on the Global Fly Fisher page I had seen before. By the way a great site I think. There is a picture of Juro in one of their galleries. Looks like a serious fly fisherman to me. :hehe:

URL will take you to a picture gallery of the Catskill - BeaverKill and Willowemuc riviers where I grew up learning to fly fish. Lived in Northern NJ which is a 2 hour ride from Roscoe, NY the town which was fly fishing trout capital of the east coast back in the sixties. I guess it still is now.

These pictures bring back some great boyhood memories of learning fly fishing and matching the hatch on rivers with great and complicated hatches. Spent many day on Hendricksons pool and Horsebrook run areas as well as all of the other areas mentioned here. When the hatch was on and you had the right pattern a 30 fish day was not out of the question. The river would just come alive with brown and some rainbow trout. A few brooks here and there also.

This is where I met Schwiebert and Wulff, not to mention Walt Dette and the other classic Catskill school fly tyers. This is the area Theodore Gordon, Hewitt, LaBranch, etc.. did their research and development, and then put in print for the world. The cradle of American fly fishing.

The Middle branch of the Beaverkill from Junction Pool downstream for a number of miles was I beleive the first no kill fly fishing stream section in America. Also upstream from Junction pool the Little Beaverkill and Willowemuc had no kill sections. I remember we fished it in the spring of 1967 on my leave from the USAF - Keflavick, Iceland, and it had just gone no kill. Still have the Super 8 films of that trip with some old boyhood buddies fighting rainbows in Horsebrook Run (one of the pictures)

If you are a trout fly fishing person you really need to say you have fished this region before you depart this earth. I went through it two years ago on the way to a family wedding in NJ, and did not look like it had changed much at all. It was in August at twilight when we drove through it on Route 17 and I was tempted to stop the van with the wife and kids and get out to fish. Of course I could not since we were late for NJ relatives. If I could I know exactly what I would use and where I would go.

The major trout rivers you can fish in this region are : Big and Little Beaverkill, Willowemuc, East and West Branch Delaware, Esopus, Neversink. From what I hear due to the conservation efforts started in the sixties in this region it is still fishing good and will be preserved for future generations most importantly. Some other states like Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, etc.. need to take notice of the results achieved in the Catskills.

Enjoy the pictures and I will the memories !!



:D New York Catskill Region - Beaverkill & Willowemuc
 
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#2 ·
Fond boyhood trout fishing memories

Forgot I posted this when first joining the forumn last year. See attached post.

April to June was always a special time for me in the Catskills rivers, some are shown in the link below.

Anybody on the board going to be there soon?

Would like to hear how the rivers and fish are doing with the current drought conditions back east.

If you are dedicated FF you should try and get here once in your life to experience where they say it all started in North America with Theodore Gordon, Hewitt, etc. and Lee and Joan Wulff even resided.

Brings tears to my eyes the great memories from there.
 
#3 ·
What a great post, and perfect timing!

I'm going to be in the small town of Rosco NY, not far from the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum, the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc at the end June. Unfortunately, just for a few days with cousins, but I'll be able to get out on the water for at least one of those days.

Was hoping someone can offer suggestions as to the type of flies I should have, access areas and any other useful tidbits one might share. You certainly sound like you have plenty of info from what I have read.

Can you help me maximize and enjoy my one day? As always, your help is appreciated.

Ralph
 
#4 ·
Flyman

Yes Roscoe is the central town most every one stays when going to the Beaverkill/Willowemuc rivers.

Late June, Cahills (light and dark) were always good. As i recall the Hendrickson hatch was usually over by then. Late May to early June were the Hendricksons. June is a good time there, July can get much harder, we used Jassids size 22-28 and ants then.

We fished the Big Beaverkill down stream from Junction Pool which is in the town of Roscoe. Antrim Lodge is an historic old hotel where many famous FF stayed.

Cannot go wrong from Hendricksons pool down stream through Horse Brook run we loved that area. See the pictures in the URL. These are a 5 minute drive outside of Roscoe. Used a lot of nymphs there also, Zug bug, caddis, stone flys, prince nymph, Muddler Minnows (small). Irrestible (light & dark),

My favorite though was the Willowemuc which is on the other side of Roscoe. Also the East and West Branch of the Delaware are good. Lots of water to choose from.

PM me for more detailed information. Hope you have more than one day also to fish it

I was beginning to wonder if any one was fishing these from the forumn.

Hal
 
#10 ·
Ahhh my beloved boyhood waters of the Beverkills, Willowemuc, and Delaware branches what great memories. Have not fished them since 1984 or so, did drive through there with my family on way east from Chicago to Cooperstown and then down to NJ for a family event 5 years ago. It did not look like it had changed to much. Drove through at dusk along the delaware and beaverkill in early august all most killed me not being able to get out of the car and fish, but had car full of kids and the wife.:(
 
#11 ·
Yep I think one or more of my boyhood fly fishing essay's will be about one of my trips to this historical fly fishing area. This is where I really first learned about selective trout.

I fished every one of those river sections pictured in the above link.

What great memories !!:smokin:
 
#12 ·
Pmflyfisher,

I fished the Mainstem Delaware and the West Branch Delaware a lot from 1972 until 1979 when I left Hazleton, PA and moved to Montana. I never fished the the other Catskill streams because there were very good streams in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, and they were only 30 to 75 minutes away, instead of 2 1/2. I also had Penn's Creek, which was a favorite, only 2 hours away, and Yellow Breeches only 1 1/2 hours away vying for my attention as well.

I had the pleasure of meeting Schweibert on Pennsylvania's Analomink in 1971 at the railraod hole at the age of 18. I was getting skunked despite there being a tremendous Grannon hatch and he was catching fish seemingly at will. He ambled down to me at the tailout, struck up a conversation, and gave me a couple caddis emergers. Then I was able to catch a few fish.

I haven't fished back there since 1981 when I fished the West Branch and mainstem Delaware for several days in July on a trip back east to visit family
 
#13 ·
Flytyer

Yes that is a great area for trout streams, in contrast to you the Catskill rivers were closer to me (lived in Northern NJ) so I focused on them and only occassionally went to PA. But PA is a great trout fly fishing state. Last time I actually fly fished them was also the early 1980s, either 1981 or 82 and is I headed straight to the West and main branch of the delaware. Did not see another angler.

Drove through the area 5 years ago on way from Cooperstown down to NJ for a family event, and the Beaverkill, Delaware, Willowemuc area looked the same thank god not much more commercial development etc.. Have to get back their again for some fly fishing, before I leave the planet, if you know what I mean.

Some great FF memories from that area, will write some up in the essay thread when I get the time this winter.

Tight lines,

Hal
 
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