Despite the return of winter this past week, with snow, sleet, rain, gusty winds and even an earthquake (!) trout fishers were out in good numbers and all were enthusiastic to open the season.

By Wednesday afternoon area rivers and streams were high and discolored. The Beaverkill had risen to slightly above the average flow but by Monday morning had receded somewhat to 985 cubic feet per second, below the Median average flow on this date of 1190 cubic feet per second over 110 years of record-keeping. It looks like a slightly warmer but rainy week ahead for the most part, typical of the traditional “April showers” we are used to.

The two Rockland towns of Livingston Manor and Roscoe celebrated in high style, with the Manor’s Trout About Town and Roscoe’s Two Headed Trout Weekend.

Town merchants offered “treasure hunts” with coupons and special events all weekend long to celebrate the season’s opener.

On Saturday morning Tom Mason and the Catskill Cane Rodmakers (also known as the Bamboo Crew) conducted the Mike Canazon Catskill Cane Revival at the Roscoe school gymnasium. The event was well attended, with a group of about 25 people who, according to Tom, did a lot of casting with a lot of nice rods. Everyone had fun swapping and trying out different bamboo rods, with about 30 or so to choose from.

Some were brought by the rodmakers who organized the day, others by fly-fishers who stopped by to participate, eager to sample the action. Gerry McVicker and Jeff Phelan provided helpful hints and tips to those who were new to the tradition of casting with bamboo.

By noon time the group headed over to the Catskill Fly Fishing Center’s gift shop for some refreshments, including Agnes Van Put’s delicious homemade soups, Nancy’s fresh bread and Martha’s brownies. The room was filled with fly fishers and well wishers, all happy to convene together again after the long winter. Joan Wulff, First Lady of Fly Fishing, came to sample her favorite chicken ball soup and visit with her friend Agnes, as did NYS Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, herself no stranger to fly-fishing.

There was free admission to the CFFC Museum all day, and just after noon, Guest Fly Tyer Phil Street had set up his vise and materials to tie for the afternoon. Phil was first taught how to tie a couple of patterns as a young teen by his granddad, who was a passionate fly fisher and fly tyer but said it was after moving here (Livingston Manor) a year or so ago that he really got the ‘bug’. Last December joined the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and the Catskill Fly Tyer’s Guild and really got into the Catskill history of the sport. He’s been studying up on Reuben Cross, the great Catskill fly tyer, admiring his style of tying, and now ties his own Catskill dry flies in that very sparse manner.

Phil credits his quick adeptness in tying to photography, mentioning taking macro closeup photos of his flies, to better help him see where his tying could be improved. He’s been tying a fly or two every evening, stating that he likes “the routine, it’s very relaxing, and I take my time and wind down over the evening.” He thanks Catskill Fly Tyers Guild members for being so welcoming and helpful and generous with their time and support.

On Saturday evening the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce hosted the 63rd annual Two-Headed Trout Dinner at the Rockland House. It was a sold-out event, and featured guest speakers and two awards: the 2nd annual Joan Wulff Award for Excellence in Fly Fishing, given to nationally renowned Nancy Zakon, and the first annual 2024 Golden Trout Community Service Award given to the Harris Funeral Home, Roscoe, NY. A great time was had by all.