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3. Catskill Trip May 2016 Part 2

The house on the West Branch of the Delaware

The second to the last pic is for Willy...When he was going to school at Cornell he use to haunt the Catskill Fly Shop and have long "philosophical" discussions with Dennis, the shop owner pictured here with me...I stopped in to say hello on Willy's behave and to buy a new pair of waders...But that's a story for later...Maybe?

The picture above Dennis and I is "The Good Doctor" Tony, stringing up to do battle with some wise-ass fish in that glassy water next to him...Tony is like a Blue Heron when there are rising fish about...He locks on them and takes his time getting into position, just like a GBH!

Spence

Nice pictures but did anyone catch any trout?

Matt...Fish were caught...Not sure about how many if any were photographed. Out of the four of us, our top two rods were Eric and Tony...They may have pictures to post.

All of us have been busy since our return from this trip. This is why this post is showing up in June and not early May...I fished up in Grayling, and had a big family wedding here, Eric had a graduation and a trip to Florida, and Tony came home to his Penns winning the Stanley Cup. Maybe they can add something here, though I think Tony's off to the Henry's Fork this week.

My introduction to the Beaverkill was a comedy of errors. I had discovered a small leak in my waders on opening day weekend here and could not find the cause. Eric and I went in to fish and had rising fish etc and I started to feel really cold.

I had on a pair of fleece wading pants under my waders and began to feel I had a leak. We waded to the shore only to find out I looked like the Michelin Man! Both legs had ballooned out...

The pair of Simms waders I had were an older pair and were a style that had a slim cut and were always difficult to remove...Skinny-legged. This time they came right off, no problem...Swoosh! Water poured out.

As I was standing next to the highway, nearly naked, looking for dry clothes, Eric held my waders up and said, "Spence. I think I found your problem!" There was a big tear in the seat. How I missed it I don't know!

Had to return to Roscoe for a new pair of waders.

Wading for me in some of these rivers was tough for me. It took a few moments to get use to the bottom, along with the current, and depth we waded...I'm spoiled on the Au Sable. Compared to your streams it's a walk in the park. The guys had told me to add cleats to my boots and I had done this, but it still took me some time to acclimate.

On a float on the main-stem of the Delaware I had caught a nice fish, but it was foul hooked...It had rose to my fly or a nearby natural and when it turned away my fly caught it near the pectoral fin and unfortunately I had to hydroplane it in...I refused to have this fish photographed. We made sure it was ok and got it back in the water ASAP.

My nicest fish I lost to a lazy rookie mistake...We were fishing behind the house one night. Across the river and down was an access site and six guys had waded up on the other side of the river and we had four spaced out on our side...

I spotted a rise upstream from me and waded closer to shore and upstream and put a cast over it. The fish took the fly and off it went and my old Hardy was squealing! The fish made a couple hard runs and ping my leader gave way. I let out a howl and when I looked up everyone was looking at me...

I remember that when I was tying the first blood knot above the fly I may have scraped the knot with the clippers a bit...I even remember telling myself that I should re-do that knot. Well...I didn't and when I checked it out there was a nub left with a wrap or two of the blood knot and a clean break...Oh well!

Spence

Check your knots, Spence! Bad knots caused me to lose 2 smallies to break-offs - if there is a fish that will find your bad knots, smallies are most certainly among them! Now, I did catch one of those again and he gave me back my fly...

Also Spence, it might be time to stock up on Hardy fly-fishing gear - I just read that the Pound has hit a 31-year low on the news of Brexit...that's back to 1985!!!

Jonathon

Sounds like a nice trip Spence.

Nice, really nice, nice photo of the Eagle...great.
Did you know the Eagle program kinda really got a hold in Alcove, N.Y. And on the Alcove reservoir, years ago. Worked out well... I see.

Yes...They and the Osprey are making a fair comeback, here in Michigan as well.

We have placed transmitters in 11 or 12 young Osprey over the last few years. We have only 3 of them still alive. Migration is really tough on birds mortality rates. Some make the mistake of flying over Cuba and some fish farm lakes and are shot there we believe.

http://michiganosprey.org/

Some have decided not to return to Michigan and have set up residence in the Carolina's. :)

Spence

Nice, infro.... I always stop what I am doing when I see them birds. I grew up not seeing them. Now they are back, some doing better then others, but life is life. Some mistakes of man, can be semi-undone. But man has a ways ta go....We won't see many fixes but some things are a started...
Still great photo... price-less!!!!!!!!
Milt...

Nice Shots!