It’s Sunday afternoon, a bit overcast with rain sprinkling down outside. The weather this past week has been wonderful, just about the best that summer has to offer - delightfully cool mornings warming steadily to the seventies with plenty of breezy sunshine…..weather we wish we could bottle up and preserve like all those jars of jam, fruit, relish and pickles lining the pantry shelves, to bring out and enjoy when those dark, cold winter days are calling for more wood on the fire, and winds are blustery, covering our carefully shoveled paths with drifting snow.

The cooler evenings and mornings have improved water temperatures somewhat - the Beaverkill has remained in the more favorable 60s for most of this past week with only two spikes reaching above 70 on Friday and Saturday; however a trip along the river, both upper and lower Beaverkill, revealed how low conditions still are. 

On Sunday afternoon the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls registered just 81.6 cubic feet per second, as compared to the median average flow of 128 cfs and the mean average flow of 295 cfs based on 112 years of record-keeping. Sadly, on the upper river especially, the boulders, outcroppings, and little rock dams have become convenient launching pads for mergansers, belted kingfishers and even the occasional great blue heron, perched above the shallow water, waiting for a trouty target to pounce on and come up with in its beak.

Realizing that the summer is rapidly drawing to a close and school will be starting up next week, it was important to try and schedule some end-of-summer fishing dates with the youngsters. With all our rivers and creeks running so low, the natural choice was a pond, lake or trip to the reservoir; fortunately there are many to choose from in our area that offer great fishing opportunities.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides public access to several ponds and lakes for fishing in Sullivan and nearby Delaware County, such as Little Pond (located within the DEC Little Pond Campground), Big Pond, Mongaup Pond (located within the Mongaup Pond Campground), Waneta Lake, Crystal Lake, Trout Pond, Loch Sheldrake and White Lake, among others. Both Little Pond and Mongaup Pond require day-use permits, which may be purchased at the entrance, to fish and use the facilities.

Reminiscing back to my childhood, there were fond memories of spending many a pleasant summer day with my Dad in a rowboat, fishing in local bodies of water such as Mongaup Pond, Little Pond, and Big Pond, and putting a canoe in the Bashakill. 

There are a number of beautiful lakes and ponds in our area that can be fished from shore, as well as from a rowboat or canoe. In addition, we spent a fair amount of time fishing from shore in both the Rondout and Neversink Reservoirs. I remember a summer’s day fishing Rondout Reservoir when I was about 6 or 7 years of age and must have hit upon a school of yellow perch. It was exciting to hook and reel in so many fish - but after the first couple that I begged to take home, Daddy handed me a small jackknife and patiently showed me how to carefully stroke back the spiny fins and dispatch/clean my own fish. I dutifully did so, and then after a few go-rounds of unhooking and cleaning fish, decided it was more fun to catch, then release them back into the cool waters and watch them swim away, perhaps to be caught on another trip.

Remember that when fishing with youngsters, especially in the beginning, it’s necessary to make the outing fun and memorable! With small children especially, you’ll need to choose a location where they have the best opportunity to catch something - at their tender age, the catching will be more fun than the fishing, at least for the time being. 

Be sure to pack a hat and sunglasses if going out on a sunny day, raingear with boots (even for fishing from shore, as little ones tend to find puddles or ways to all of a sudden be standing along the shoreline rather than above it) and a change of clothing just-in-case. Pack a snack and water bottle even if just for the ride home.

Our outings with the children are always “nature” oriented - and so when the fish aren’t taking an interest in what you’re throwing out there, make it an enjoyable learning experience by asking about or pointing out birds, frogs, salamanders, whatever happens to be nearby that they can see or hear. Do some reminiscing about fishing experiences you remember when you were young; kids are always fascinated to hear those stories, especially when they involve a relative or loved one.

Be on the lookout for things in nature that you talk about, such as a fish swimming close to shore or near the surface with a discussion of what species it is, a bird swooping down to grab a bug or pull up a worm, a colorful butterfly (or lightning bug if at night) or something the child can collect as a “souvenir” - such as on our walk along the wooded trail during which we collected a feather, a colorful leaf, some ferns and wildflowers, an acorn and an oak leaf - ending with a discussion of which kind of tree produces acorns.

Remember to always demonstrate and talk about etiquette and a respect for nature when you’re with children - they have long memories - and you’ll want to make these early days on the water enjoyable and memorable for years to come. 

Judy Van Put is a long-time member of the NYS Outdoor Writers Association and is the recipient of the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited’s Professional Communications Award.