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3. A Visit to Mark Libertone's Hometown

I was invited to fish the Catskills with Eric, and Tony the week after Mother's Day. (More on this later)

I decided to leave a little early and stopped a couple places in PA to add the state to my states birded list.

I also planned on visiting the hometown of Mark Libertone with the intentions of fishing his home water the Genesee.

After hiking the Erie National Wildlife Refuge I headed towards Mark's town of Wellsville.

A note for those new to this site. Mark was a favorite contributor to this blog and was a huge fan of the wingless wet, or softhackle flies. He and I sent many messages to each other over the few years I knew him and I own a couple pieces of his art work.

I drove through the Allegheny mountains and the scenic route I took led me over hills, and around curves, and basically it took me a great deal longer than I had hoped to get to Wellsville.

I slept over night in Wellsville and decided that I would visit access sites along the river and if I could I'd fish. Mark had written a short piece about fishing between the PA/NY border and a town called Belmont north of Wellsville.

I also decided that I may be pressed for time and unless I saw fish rising I wasn't going to fish, but recorded all the birds I saw along the way. 23 species in all.

I only saw a few anglers and they were fishing hardware. An old-timer in Belmont was putting on waders and told me he had caught an 8lb Brown near the access site where I had seen him a couple years back.

This then is a pictorial tribute to an old friend.

For those interested there is a link to Mark's flies on this site that Jason was so kind to provide for us.

http://www.troutnut.com/libstudio/FS&S/

So, Mark's home waters? And can I assume you ran some of his favorite patterns through them? It would be hard not to feel his spirit if you did so. I assume any fish pics will be a separate post.

Very nice pictorial, Spence. I look forward to hearing the fishing stories.

Jonathon

Excellent, thank you!! Mark Libertone was a great contributor, painter and soft hackle nerd.

PS - You can tell us older farts by the binoculars hanging around our necks. :-) Nikon binoculars by chance?

Yes, I didnt know him personally, but very helpful and most eager to share his knowledge with others. I remember corresponding with him about soft hackles and "flymphs"in particular.

No...Swarovski. The Nikons went to my wife and the nephew if he tags along.

John. Just before Mark passed away I was out at the Campfire Lodge visiting with another softhackle nerd, Jim Slattery. We had a nice conversation about Mark. It was good that he made it to the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum before he passed as well...He was given a nice fly fishing rod and reel there.

I will post, when I get a moment. About my trip to the Catskills with Tony and Eric. I visited the museum twice and the Dette's fly shop.

My May has just been over-the-top busy and I barely had time to squeeze this thread in. Heading to Grayling tomorrow for Drakes and ISO's I hope...I've been struggling so far this season! I did the Catskill trip and had to get home here to host Gary Borger for two days here at the homestead, and then my regular week in Grayling before Memorial Day...It's all. A blurr!

In August I head west...Maybe I bit off more than I can chew this year! :)

Spence

PS...I even finally got to meet Matt! I promise to get caught up soon.

Jonathon...Not sure you read my post...I didn't fish the Genesee...I just visited it. That fourth picture looks to me like the place of the print I have of his...Not sure.

I saw one riser just above the hardware boys under the bridge there. Once they found out I was a fly fisherman I got to hear some puns sent my way like, "I once caught a trout on a dog biscuit...They'll hit just about anything.'

Mark's town was a nice little town. I can see why he liked living there. Folks were nice to me...Even the hardware boys. :)

I did have my Libertone box of softhackle so in my vest just in case.

Spence

"I did have my Libertone box of softhackle so in my vest just in case."

Good for you! I'm sure Mark would have liked that. Throw some around here for him.

Jonathon