Today, I’m not here.
Well, I’m somewhere… just not in front of the computer. I’m waist deep in one of the historic rivers of New York’s Catskills. I’ve met up with a friend to chase big trout on spectacular water for a handful of days. And even if you’re not on the water with me, I want to share a little bit of what this amazing area has to offer.
This edition of the Rusty Flybox is a little different. Below, there is an article, a video, and a podcast. Each has to do with the Catskills. Whether you’ve fished this area or not, there is something worth picking up for the benefit of a future trip, nostalgia, or general knowledge of the angling heritage of upstate New York.
Click on the header link for each post to head to the original, full article. Or, simply enjoy everything that you can find below!
Read: The Hardest Fighting Trout Around
The Upper Delaware system is a place where an East coast fly fisher can get a sore arm. You have to cast farther because the water is bigger. You also have to cast farther because the fish are spooky. Tailwaters are clear under nearly all circumstances, and fish that live in clear water that face a lot of pressure are wary in all circumstances. So everyone but saltwater anglers will be exercising their shoulder and related muscles more than normal from long casts. Then you tie into a fish, and those same muscles get torqued in all new ways. But it’s a good burn.
I know that I don’t go fly fishing for trout to catch something that is going to tug on my line super hard. I can fish for smallmouth, carp, and any number of saltwater species for that specific thrill. “Hard fighting” probably isn’t in my top five priorities when it comes to pursuing trout. But if the trout in front of me happen to exercise my disc drag? I won’t complain.
Read the rest of the article here.