SULLIVAN COUNTY-The Wulff Gallery at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center was the place to be last Saturday, October 12. The Catskill Fly Tyers Guild held their 3rd Annual Fly Tyers Roundtable, their much-anticipated Autumn event, which drew a sizable and enthusiastic crowd.

The Roundtable assembled a range of well-known fly tiers at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum, creating a unique opportunity, by way of an open forum, for attendees to learn tying techniques, ask questions of some of today’s Catskills masters, as well as learning the history related to the region’s tiers, techniques and rivers.

The event ran from 10 am to 3 pm, with a $10 entry fee that was a donation to the CFFC Museum to help support costs for the event. There were bucket raffles, a silent auction, fly-tying materials and books available for sale. Christina Muller brought along a generous supply of Collins capes and hackles for a special sale that began at 11:00.

About twenty fly-tiers were seated at the Roundtable, including Phil Street, John Bonasera, Seth Cavarretta, Dave Catizone, Pat Crisci, Frank Payne, Tom Mason, Mike Stewart, Jesse Vadala, Laura Colangelo, John Collins, Tim Flagler, Bruce Pollock, Anthony Magardino, John Shaner, Mark Sturtevant, Judy and Ed Van Put. Chairs were set up opposite each tier, to encourage interaction with the audience as flies were tied and displayed.

Throughout the day, author Richard Lodge was on hand selling signed copies of his newly-released book, The Rise of the Neversinker: Fly Tier Rube Cross.

Ed and Judy Van Put gave a special presentation on the Beaverkill, beginning at the headwaters, and following its history from the earliest trout fishers to present-day conservation efforts and a look to the future of the wild trout in the stream. There were lots of photos of fish, flies, fly-tiers, and the river itself, featuring many of the famous pools on the lower river.

Following the presentation, an expert panel consisting of Dave Catizone, Tom Mason, John Shaner, Pat Crisci, Anthony Magardino and Ed Van Put held a discussion on fly-tying, fly-fishing, the Beaverkill and the triumphs and challenges facing the fishery today.