Spring in the Catskills brings a day that many look forward to all year. Opening day is a chance to get outside, enjoy the warmer weather and unwind after a long winter. Despite the fact that the governor announced large outdoor stadiums can reopen at 20 percent capacity, we're not talking about baseball. We're talking about the other opening day.

The trout fishing season began yesterday with the ceremonial first cast at Junction Pool in Roscoe. This is a special place steeped in local history and tradition. It's where the waters of the Beaverkill and the Willowemoc meet. Legend has it that a migrating trout, unable to decide which direction to go, made its home in Junction Pool and sprouted a second head so that it could sit facing up both ways.

Every year, anglers from all over the world visit the Sullivan Catskills to experience our rivers and streams and partake in the same traditions that go back generations. While it sometimes seems like residential and commercial development is the only measure of a place's success, our greatest asset continues to be the splendor of our natural environment.

Before you head out to the water, be sure to pick up a copy of our Spring 2021 Trout Magazine. You can read about how the Catskill State Fish Hatchery is stocking our waters with hundreds of thousands of trout. Read about how the new owner of Trout Town Flies has tried to keep merchandise stocked in the face of large demand from pandemic-weary customers who want to get outside and enjoy life again. Hear about the efforts by Friends of the Upper Delaware River to protect and conserve the crown jewel of New York's natural resources and so much more.

Plan a trip to visit the The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in Livingston Manor. They're officially reopened today after using the past year to renovate, resort and reset. Visit them at cffcm.com to learn about their plans for a year of youth and adult education programs both online and limited in-person. The museum and its 501(c)(3) non-profit organization is truly an asset to our community, dedicated to the mission of preserving the heritage of fly fishing in the Catskills and educating the next generation of anglers and conservationists.

Trout fishing season is a great time of year in the Sullivan Catskills and, after the year we've all just lived through, we could all use some time with nothing to do except go fishing.