Sports Columns - Sullivan County Democrat

Changes to NY Deer Hunting Regulations

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has just announced some last-minute changes to the regulations for the upcoming season. Electronic tags (e-tags) can now be used; hunters must report … more

John Van Etten | 10/10/25

Upcoming Special Youth Big Game Hunts in NY and PA

New York will be holding the Youth Big Game Hunt this year during October 11-13. Pennsylvania will have the Special Firearms Season for antlerless deer and black bear from October 23-25. It’s … more

John Van Etten | 10/3/25

Guests assembled around and under the billowy white tent, festooned with candle lights as the evening began.

Autumn Arrives, Exciting Events

What a difference a week makes! The Beaverkill received some much-needed rain last Wednesday which brought levels up to about 800 cubic feet per second in the wee hours of Thursday morning; but by … more

Judy Van Put | 9/30/25

Northern Harriers

Northern harriers are also called ring-tailed hawks or marsh hawks. They are listed as a threatened species in New York. The best place to see one here in Sullivan County is down in the Bashakill … more

John Van Etten | 9/26/25

Successful fishing was had by Seth Cavarretta last week fishing the Tailwaters; note the small flies on the water.

Low Water - Watching Reserves; CFFCM Catch & Conserve

We are desperately in need of rain, raising concern about the water table - many wells and springs are dangerously low. The NYC DEP website shows that as of September 19, our Catskill Reservoirs are … more

Judy Van Put | 9/23/25

Raccoons

Have you ever seen a black raccoon? Odds are that you haven’t. I’ve only seen them in pictures. Just like the black color phase of grey squirrels, the black (also called melanistic) color … more

John Van Etten | 9/19/25

The “La Peute” fly.“La Peute” is a French idiom meaning “Ugly”, and refers to its non-specific, impressionistic appearance, tied to entice the fish rather than to imitate a particular insect. La Peute is a pattern that was made popular by the famous French fly-fisherman Henri Bresson (1925 - 2011) photo and fly tied by Tom Mason.

Good Fishing Returns, Reservoir Overturns

It’s been another wonderful week, weather-wise, as September continues to bring us warm sunny days, cool evenings and mornings and clear skies. However, for our rivers and streams, rainfall is … more

Judy Van Put | 9/16/25

Sullivan County Longbeards Jakes Event September 20th

It’s that time of year again when the Sullivan County Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) will host its annual Jakes Event at the Roscoe-Rockland Firemen’s … more

John Van Etten | 9/12/25

The Tup’s Indispensable dry fly, tied by Seth Cavarretta and “used to good effect” last week.

Return of Good Fishing, Rodmakers Gathering, Rebirth of Beamoc

These wonderfully cool nights of September have brought a resurgence in trout fishing over the past week or so. Water temperatures on both the Beaverkill and Willowemoc have cooled to a favorable … more

Judy Van Put | 9/9/25

Guidance on New NY Crossbow

There is some confusion about the new crossbow law that has gone into effect here in NY and hunters have been asking a lot of questions about it. The DEC has sent a FAQ sheet to Hunter Education … more

John Van Etten | 9/5/25

Fishing is a gentle, relaxing sport - to enjoy the beauties of nature and the restorative powers it contains.

Fishing Etiquette; Annual Catskill Rodmakers Gathering!

Last week Streamside featured an article about fishing with children, and the importance of mentioning etiquette and a respect for nature while teaching children about fishing. I was reminded of a … more

Judy Van Put | 9/2/25

NY Crossbow Bill Signed Into Law

NY Governor Kathy Hochul has signed into law the bill to make crossbows part of archery equipment. Previously they had been classified similarly to muzzleloaders and were only allowed in the special … more

John Van Etten | 8/29/25

Every fish caught, whether large or small, is a triumph and a success for a tiny tot’s early fishing experiences. Be sure to include plenty of stories about nature and your past fishing experiences - and have fun!

Low Water Fishing - and Fishing With Children

It’s Sunday afternoon, a bit overcast with rain sprinkling down outside. The weather this past week has been wonderful, just about the best that summer has to offer - delightfully cool mornings … more

Judy Van Put | 8/27/25

American Junior Golf Association Golf Hub Open

Starting Monday August 25th the AJGA‘s JUNIOR GOLF HUB OPEN will be playing at the Villa Roma Country Club. 78 Juniors from the ages of 12 to 19 will qualify on Monday morning to join the other … more

Matt Kleiner | 8/22/25

The beautiful blonde Friendship Rod, custom-built bamboo rod by John Apgar, has two tips.

Low Flows, Angler Woes, Finishing the Rod

Our rivers, streams, and tributaries are all showing the effects of the past few weeks of limited moisture - despite a spate of rainy days in June and July, the NYC DEP website showed that the NYC … more

Judy Van Put | 8/19/25

CWD Found in Wayne County

CWD has been found for the first time ever in Wayne County, PA. The infected animal was a captive red stag in the northeastern part of the county. CWD has not yet been reported in the wild deer … more

John Van Etten | 8/15/25

A bluish-cast brookie, its scarlet red spots are circled in blue.

A great day on the water

It was another picture-perfect weekend signaling the start of August. After a few hazy days at the beginning of the week, we awoke to delightfully cool mornings warming to sunny, breezy … more

Judy Van Put | 8/12/25

Our friend Marvin

Last week the local community lost a great man. Marvin Newberg was a friend of mine and friend to many in this county. He was a fellow golfer and a good one at that. He competed in many local and … more

Matt Kleiner | 8/8/25

Bald Eagles and Lead Bullets

I traveled up to Ithaca, NY, to the DEC Reynolds Pheasant Farm over the weekend and attended a training seminar about Bald Eagles and lead bullets. It was held for Hunter Education Program … more

John Van Etten | 8/8/25

Mr. Masaki Takemoto, of Japan, on left, was First Prize Winner of the beautiful silver Hardy Cup, along with a Hardy Rod and Reel outfit. Mr. Frank Payne, of Fairmont, NY, on right, won Second Prize, a Hardy Reel of his choice. Each is holding the bamboo rod they used in the competition in order to win the contest; and each had built his own rod.

The Best Weekend of the Year:

The past few cooler nights have provided a bit of a respite in water temperatures, with a welcomed (though short-lived) spike in water levels Thursday evening through the wee hours of Friday morning, … more

Judy Van Put | 8/5/25

American Black Ducks

I’ve always loved to hunt ducks, ever since I was young. Part of that comes from the pleasure that I find in swamps. Everyone else seems to want to bulldoze them and put in new shopping malls … more

John S. Van Etten | 8/1/25

The Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum’s Summerfest is coming up this weekend! Free admission and much more!

Bamboo - Building for Beginners, Beamoc, See You At Summerfest!

Heading soon into the last summer month of August, our rivers and streams have received a bit of replenishment from showers and thunderstorms. However, on Sunday evening, the Beaverkill at Cooks … more

Judy Van Put | 7/29/25

Rules

There are many rules in the golf game but I’m going to just discuss three of them. 1. Out of Bounds: Defined by white stakes or lines around the course. If … more

Matt Kleiner | 7/25/25

NYSDEC Proposes Deer Hunting Changes

The NYSDEC is proposing several changes to the regulations for deer hunting and is asking for public input on them. Please reach out with your comments at wildliferegs@dec.ny.gov (use “e-tags … more

John Van Etten | 7/25/25

“The Friendship Rod “casts beautifully, as Laura Colangelo demonstrates with the nice loop overhead. Other CFTGuild members enjoyed casting the rod as well.

Nature’s Balm, Beautiful Bamboo, Beamoc TU

Thanks to fairly consistent rains our rivers and streams are in reasonably good condition for trout growth, running just a bit below the average flow. Temperatures have been cool the last … more

Judy Van Put | 7/22/25