Sports Columns - Sullivan County Democrat

Cedar Waxwings

Birding is a very popular pastime for folks, and many of us feed the birds. According to estimates from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, approximately 7.4 million … more

John S. Van Etten | 7/3/26

Beautiful 21 1/4-inch brown trout caught by Steven Makky on a Rusty Spinner fly size #16.

Fancy Fly and the Magic of Mentors

It’s the end of June/beginning of July, and we enjoyed a wonderful two weeks of cool temperatures and some ample rain showers heading into the heat of the summer. Water temperatures on the … more

Judy Van Put | 6/30/26

Changes to Deer Hunting Regulations in NY

Back in March the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation proposed some changes to the regulations for hunting deer. They asked for public input and after receiving more than 1000 responses, … more

John S. Van Etten | 6/29/26

A spectacular wild brook trout that measured 14 inches, caught by Seth Cavarretta on an Atherton #3 nymph Seth had tied. Seth said it was the largest brook trout he’s ever caught. Note the beautiful red spots encircled with blue, and the white leading edge on its fins.

Father’s Day, Family Days, Fishing Diaries

Sunday, Father’s Day as well as the first day of Summer, brought picture-perfect weather - sunny, bright blue skies with puffy white clouds and temperatures in the low 70s, and just enough of a … more

Judy Van Put | 6/23/26

Red Knots

Red knots are a medium size shorebird. They are some of the largest members of the sandpiper family, with six known subspecies. Red knots have one of the longest migrations on record. The red … more

John S. Van Etten | 6/18/26

Tiny, beige-colored Caddis flies, possibly a size #28, seen swarming by the thousands just above the water’s surface on the Willowemoc this week.

Fishy Fun

Saturday June 13 was Livingston Manor’s 20th Annual Trout Parade, and hordes of supporters descended upon the town to celebrate and enjoy some “fishy” fun under summery sunny skies. Local … more

Judy Van Put | 6/16/26

Invasive Species Awareness Week

Welcome to the thirteenth annual Invasive Species Awareness Week in New York. There are four basic categories of invasives: insects, plants, animals and pathogens. According to the Department of … more

John S. Van Etten | 6/12/26

Seth Cavarretta on another successful fishing trip, shown with a beautiful rainbow trout ready to be released back into the water.

Life in June, Legends in the Catskills

The first week of June arrives with a profound stillness, yet the natural world is bursting with new life. Everywhere around us we are reminded of these precious days of June: a child’s delight in … more

Judy Van Put | 6/9/26

These Lands Are For Everyone

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced a new program called “These Lands Are For Everyone”. It’s designed to open up State land and make it more accessible to … more

John S. Van Etten | 6/5/26

A group of students and their mentors from the Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock Campfire Event, staying at Timberlake West, Livingston Manor, visited the Catskill Fly Fishing Center on Saturday.

Flies Hatching, Fish Catching; Passing Along the Legacy

Despite a weekend that felt more like the last week in April than the last week in May, with 40-degree morning temperatures and gusty, blustery winds, area rivers and streams are in excellent shape, … more

Judy Van Put | 6/2/26

NY Deer Harvest Report Released

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced that approximately 227,032 deer were harvested during the 2025-26 season. That is up 2 percent from the previous year and … more

John S. Van Etten | 5/29/26

The Catskill mountains offer clean air, beautiful landscapes, forested mountains, and the cold, pure, highly oxygenated water required by trout.

Trout Fishing - and What Makes The Catskills Special

Recently, students from the Salisbury School, Connecticut traveled to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum to learn more about the history and culture surrounding fly fishing in the … more

Judy Van Put | 5/26/26

Mole Salamanders

Most of our readers are familiar with the little Red Eft, a terrestrial juvenile stage of the Eastern Newt. It’s common to see these little salamanders in moist areas while out in the woods. They … more

John S. Van Etten | 5/22/26

Pammie Pacciocco catching the fish that won the Joan Wulff Special One-Fly Contest.

Mid-May Magic and the Joan Wulff Special

Mid-May - and fishing is on the minds of many …..although the catching has been slow until just this past weekend, with the return of the sunshine and warmer weather. By Sunday our rivers … more

Judy Van Put | 5/19/26

Weasels

New York is home to three different weasels: the Long-Tailed Weasel, the Short-Tailed Weasel and the Least Weasel. Let’s learn about these tenacious little predators. Weasels are members of … more

John S. Van Etten | 5/15/26

Mid-May, Nymph Fishing, Beamoc Update

After receiving more than an inch of rain this weekend, our rivers and streams have been replenished and are running high; and most of the Catskill reservoirs are overflowing. A check with the USGS … more

Judy Van Put | 5/12/26

DEC Announces Hunter Achievement Awards

NYS DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton has just announced a new Hunter Achievement Awards (HAA) Program. Hunters and trappers in New York will be eligible for the new awards for successfully … more

John S. Van Etten | 5/8/26

Beautiful brown and rainbow trouts caught by Seth Cavarretta. Notice the striking lateral stripe on the rainbow trout.

The Sweetest Month

At last - it’s the merry month of May, often referred to as “the sweetest month”. The earth is humming with new life: the birds seem to be singing a little more melodiously, the landscape … more

Judy Van Put | 5/5/26

HuntFishNY Update

Last year around this time, I wrote about the NYS DEC’s exciting new HuntFishNY program. Anne McNamara and John Milo, from the DEC Hunter Education Program (HEP) for Region 3, held their annual … more

John S. Van Etten | 5/1/26

A Hendrickson Mayfly seen hatching along the Willowemoc Sunday afternoon.

Signs of Nature in April

Saturday’s rain may have dampened the spirits of some who had hoped to spend time out of doors but was really just what our rivers and streams needed - the inch or so of rain that fell raised water … more

Judy Van Put | 4/28/26

Beautiful Quill Gordon fly tied by Seth Cavarretta with which he had successful fishing.

Streamside: Wild Weather, Waiting for Hendricksons

It’s been a wild weather week - with temperatures reaching into the high 70s and even 80s last Tuesday/Wednesday - and on Sunday at this writing, snow/sleet mixed with rain and hail...which is … more

Judy Van Put | 4/21/26

PA Game Commission Adopts Changes

The Pennsylvania Game Commission adopted season dates and bag limits for the coming year at its April meeting. They also approved some changes to the rules and regulations. Some significant … more

John S. Van Etten | 4/17/26

Pictured is 12-year-old Cole Reynolds with a beautiful female trout he caught in Cairns Pool. Cole was fishing with his father, Hugh, and guide George Glantzis, and had hooked 2 smaller fish before landing this 18” rainbow using a pheasant tail jig.

The Promise of Spring!

Conditions on our trout streams during this first half of April have been easier for fishing access than expected, especially after such a long, cold, and snowy winter. With water levels below the … more

Judy Van Put | 4/14/26

North American River Otters

One of the great success stories of modern conservation has been the reintroduction of the North American river otter to areas where it was wiped out due to pollution, loss of habitat and overharvest … more

John S. Van Etten | 4/10/26

Manny Zanger, of Roscoe, moved here many years ago because of the trout fishing. He is a passionate conservationist and activist for our rivers and streams, was a past President of the original Beamoc Chapter of TU, and now serves as Advisor for the newly relaunched Beamoc Chapter.

High Rivers, High Spirits

After a week of stream levels that were below average, the heavy rain and downpours on March 31 made fishing conditions more typical of April 1, the official Opening Day of the regular trout … more

Judy Van Put | 4/7/26