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, and we are now in the midst of those two weeks (last week in May, first week in June) that trout fishers eagerly anticipate. As evidenced by the numbers of both resident and out-of-state vehicles lining the riverbanks and parking areas, trout fishers have been out in droves - and for the most part, flies were hatching and anglers were catching.

This is the time of year where a whole host of fly hatches occur - from the tiny midges (size #20s) and Blue-Winged Olives, to the mid-sized Gray Foxes and the light-colored Sulphurs, to the larger March Browns and very large (size #8 and #10) Green Drakes, the much-beloved mayflies with greenish-tinged wings that tend to bring up the largest fish in the river to feed. In addition, caddis of various sizes and colors are also making their presence known: from the tan caddis to the very dark, almost black Sedge caddis that appeared in waves on Thursday evening while fishing the Willowemoc and Saturday afternoon while on the Beaverkill.

A lull in the afternoon’s activity was broken by the sudden, bright flash of a mink darting along the bridge abutment and, a short while later, bounding back along the bank, its long body undulating as it loped with its prize - a small fish - clamped in its jaws. Another angler, up from North Carolina and fishing nearby with his teenaged son on their first trip to the Catskills, also enjoyed seeing the mink and the abundant birdlife that afternoon, which brought to mind the quote “Trout streams are vibrant, and flyfishers often seek more than trout when they go fishing; they look for solace in the natural world of the stream.” (Ed Van Put, A Flyfisher’s Revelations, 2025)

Passing Along the Legacy

Sharing our passion - by teaching our children and passing along the legacy - is one of the most important things we can do to inspire the next generation to become future guardians of our natural world, igniting a lifelong commitment to protecting and sustaining clear running streams and a pristine environment.

On Saturday, while attending a picnic/barbecue at the CFFC&M, we saw a large group of children and adults outfitted in fly-fishing gear walking along toward the pond. We learned that it was a group from the “Brotherhood of the Jungle Cock” (named after a bird from India whose feathers are highly-prized and sought after for tying flies) who are staying up at Timberlake West, Livingston Manor. The “Brotherhood” is a non-profit entity that was formed in Maryland in 1940 by a group of fly-fishers who wished to create an organization that would do exactly what is described above - promote conservation and fly fishing by teaching children. Out of their success, the New York Chapter was started in 1996, and the following year, the first “Campfire” event was held at Timberlake West, Livingston Manor, in September 1997 and continues today.

Every aspect of fly-fishing is covered: from classes such as beginning knot tying, fly tying, stream-side instruction and “anatomy of a trout stream”, entomology, an introduction to fly fishing and fly casting. Classes are co-ed and are taught by the age (7-18) and skill levels of the students. Each child is accompanied by an adult - parent/grandparent/friend in this 7-year program, which advances in its instruction each of the 7 years as the children progress, to the last year when the students work one-on-one with a fly-fishing expert and participate in the Fishing With The Masters program. Additional information can be found at: https://www.nybojc.org/about

And as mentioned last week, students from the Rockland Elementary School ended their Trout In The Classroom program by releasing more than 125 brown trout fingerlings they had hatched from trout eggs they received from the DEC Catskill Fish Hatchery last fall. Mrs. Wendy Schwalb, who headed up the class in Rockland SD, provided information on this exciting project, which is Trout Unlimited’s environmental education program that has been in classrooms across the country for more than 30 years. TU describes it as “a gateway stewardship experience for students” that “fosters a new generation of advocates for salmonids and the watersheds in which they live.” Each year, hundreds of thousands of students nation-wide enjoy this exciting program, whose goal is to provide students with a daily hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math experience (called STEM) incorporated with encouraging critical thinking skills to learn how they can become the guardians of our environment and the natural world. And although the program locally involves 3rd and 4th graders, it can be adapted for any age group from Pre-K though 12.

The program had begun locally in Livingston Manor, Liberty and other Sullivan County schools in the 1990s, and was restarted in 2023 in the former Roscoe School district, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Phil and Donna Vallone, under the guidance and additional sponsorship of Trout Unlimited’s overall program across the country.

For additional information, please visit www.troutintheclassroom.org/.

Whether you have youngsters of your own or know of one in the neighborhood, why not ‘take a kid fishing’ - you’ll be passing along an important Legacy, never to be forgotten.