Roscoe – The Roscoe-Rockland Chamber of Commerce is preparing for the 64th Annual Two-Headed Trout Dinner, the Chamber’s annual fundraiser and a favorite tradition of the town of Roscoe to mark the opening of trout fishing season in “Trout Town USA.” 

Purchase a table or individual tickets to support the town and enjoy this cherished Catskills tradition. https://www.roscoeny.com/two-headed-trout The 2025 Two-Headed Trout Dinner will be held Saturday, April 5, at the historic Rockland House at 6 p.m., featuring a multi-course meal, awards, exciting local speakers, and the Two-Headed Trout Raffle and Silent Auction.

The Two-Headed Trout Dinner is also an opportunity to celebrate people who make Roscoe great, through The Joan Wulff Excellence in Fly Fishing Award, which honors contributions to the sport of fly fishing, and the Golden Trout Community Service Award, which recognizes those whose caring and generous spirits strengthen our community.

The Joan Wulff Excellence in Fly Fishing Award pays tribute to local Fly Fishing legend and award namesake Joan Wulff. Wulff is known as one of the greatest casters of all time, who won the National Fisherman’s Distance Fly Championship in 1951, served as the first ever paid woman spokesperson for a fishing company, and, after a trip to Roscoe, she and her husband were inspired to open a fly-fishing school in Lew Beach in 1979 that is still in operation today.

This year, the Chamber, with Joan Wulff’s blessing, will be honoring the fly tying tradition of the Dette family and Dette Flies with the “2025 Joan Wulff Excellence in Fly Fishing Award.” Joe Fox and Kelly Buchta, 4th generation owners of the local Dette Flies, the oldest family-run fly shop in the world, will accept the award on behalf of the Dette family and the Dette Flies staff. 

Members of the Dette family - Roscoe’s own - attended Roscoe Central School, and still live in Roscoe near the site of the original Dette Fly Tying Shop. 

The shop expanded to Livingston Manor in 2018, but the name “Dette” remains synonymous with Roscoe, and with the sport of fly fishing. Joe and Kelly, along with the Dette Flies crew, carry on the legacy and tradition started by Walt and Winnie Dette, and passed on by Mary Dette, making “Trout Town USA” what it is today.  

Wendy LaManque, Co-Chair, Two-Headed Trout Dinner Planning Committee, said, “We are so grateful for the opportunity to honor Joan Wulff, the First Lady of Fly Fishing, and the Dette family who for generations have kept the sport of fly fishing and its traditions relevant, accessible, and exciting to new generations of caster by offering equipment, supplies, fly-tying workshops and even entomology classes for anglers to deepen their understanding of the connection between fly fishing, the water, and its ecosystem. 

“Their dedication to fly-tying helped Roscoe earn the title of ‘Trout Town USA,’ and they deserved to be celebrated for all the wonderful recognition they have brought to our town,” LaManque said.

The Golden Trout Award honors outstanding Roscoe community members who help keep Roscoe wonderful -- the unsung heroes of the town. This year’s recipients are Phil and Donna Vallone. “Few have had a sweeping impact on the business landscape of Roscoe as this hard working couple. 

From creating the beautiful Trout Town Inn with its beautifully rendered performance stage right on Roscoe’s Stewart Ave to the equally beautifully conceived Roscoe Beer Company on Roscoe’s Restaurant Row. Not stopping there, the Vallones have been stalwarts in the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce and tireless in promoting Roscoe as ‘Trout Town USA.’” - Siobhan “Sam” Loizeaux Bennett, Two Headed Trout Dinner Awards Sub-Committee Chair, said.

“These awards are such a special part of our annual tradition. Both of these awards give us an opportunity to recognize members of our local community who are dedicated to preserving the things that make our town a great place for year-round residents and visitors alike.” Chrissy Routledge, Roscoe-Rockland Chamber of Commerce President, said.

The Two-Headed Trout Dinner is a time-honored Roscoe tradition dating back to the 1940s. It remains one of Roscoe’s favorite events and serves as the annual fundraiser for the Roscoe-Rockland Chamber of Commerce, which supports local businesses and attracts tourism to the town throughout the entire year.

The Dinner also provides the Chamber with an opportunity to celebrate Roscoe, highlight and promote local business, raise awareness about preserving Roscoe’s beautiful waterways, and honor luminaries in the sport of fly fishing.