The bamboo rodmakers were in town for the 32nd Annual Catskill Gathering. Beginning Thursday, September 10, a small group of about 20 gathered at the CFFC&M bridge and caravaned over the mountain, along the Willowemoc, Neversink, Beerkill and Sandburg Creeks, then the Rondout, VerNoy Kill and Stony Kill on our way to Benbyre Farm to see the renowned, private bamboo fly rod shop and heritage museum operated by Jamie Bendelius, near Accord, NY. There we met Jamie and a half-dozen other cane rod enthusiasts and enjoyed an afternoon learning how fine split-cane bamboo fly rods are meticulously created from tonkin bamboo. 

The rest of the group arrived at the CFFC on Friday and stayed through Sunday afternoon. About 100 people attended, hailing from many states and other countries, including Canada and Japan. The program was fresh and exciting, and leaned heavily on history, heritage, and tradition of cane rods. The name has been changed from the Annual “Catskill Rodmakers Gathering” to “Catskill Gathering,” as it isn’t geared just for rodmakers, but rather for anyone interested in cane, whether they want to build it or use it and who have an appreciation for beautiful bamboo. This year’s seminars included New to Bamboo with Frank Payne; Bamboo Ferrules with Bill Heim (in the Rod Shop); Fiberglass Ferrules with Frank Payne (Wulff Gallery); Fly Rods And The Catskill Rivers: How a Region Influenced Rod Styles and Design, by John Shaner; Friendship Taper with Tom Smithwick (Rod Shop); Early Rod Influences by Per Brandin (Wulff Gallery); and An Afternoon Chat with Hoagy Carmichael, followed by a live auction. Every show was well-attended and enthusiastically enjoyed. 

Comments that were heard after this year’s Gathering included “it was amazing” “we finally had time to cast rods” and, from Tom Mason, long-time participant, “the best one I ever attended.”

One of the highlights was getting to cast rods with the opportunity to show the rods they’ve made and have others try them out and compete in the Demarest Challenge. This year’s Criteria for the Challenge: “Rod builders must craft a 7-foot, 4-weight quadrate (4-sided) rod. There are no restrictions on weight, number of sections, or ferrule type. Casting evaluation is judged entirely on accuracy and roll casting using a 406 double-taper 4-weight line.”

And the 2026 Demarest Challenge Winner was Bob Demler, of Bergen County, New Jersey. This was Bob’s first Gathering and first crack at the Demarest - and in the 32 years of the Catskill Gathering, no one has ever before won on a first try. Way to go, Bob! 

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The last weekend of summer has officially ended; Autumn begins at 8:04 p.m. September 22. The weather was beautiful on Saturday, and many were seen out fishing on the Willowemoc and Beaverkill. Water levels and temperatures were favorable thanks to continual, replenishing rains. The Willowemoc was flowing at 63.9 cubic feet per second, well above the historic median flow of 32 cfs, and water temperatures remained in the high 50s. The Beaverkill fared similarly, flowing at 253 cubic feet per second, double its historic median flow of 123 cfs. Water temperatures hovered around 60 degrees on Sunday.

Fly activity has dropped off, with most activity reported in the mornings. Watch for tiny Trichos, midge-size (#22 and smaller) as well as very small (size #20) Blue-Winged Olives. Be sure to use fine tippets (sizes 6X and 7X) when fishing these tiny flies. There’s a chance of some remaining Light Cahills in about size #16, as well as smallish tan or green caddis. Don’t forget to try a couple wet flies (especially soft-hackle flies) or nymphs during this late-season period, as brown trout can feed aggressively below the surface as the water cools ahead of winter. And with such a good flow of water, streamers are also a good choice during this fall season to imitate young-of-the-year fish, and are fun to use and watch below the surface as you fish them.

It was heartening on Saturday to see so many families out fishing with their children, some for the very first time (one tiny tot was much smaller than the rod he was timidly using), others more comfortable with their family’s “reel rituals”. We fished the lower Beaverkill on Friday and Saturday and noticed large Stonefly nymph shucks on the rocks. Our little granddaughters, ages 4 and 5, enjoyed a trip out together, wanting to experience every part of the process (even the worms!) and getting to carefully release a beautiful wild rainbow trout caught and netted by Evie’s dad. No rises, hatches or flies were seen on the water, but Tyler managed to raise fish on a green-bodied (Olive) Elk Hair Caddis. 

Although it’s late in the season, these last warm, sunny days provide a great opportunity to share with your children or grandchildren on a stream, lake or pond. This can firmly establish a love for a tradition that has deep roots here in the Catskills, growing with them, and hopefully creating a “habit” that they, in turn, can pass on in a continuous flow down through generations.