Saturday morning, the opening of the new trout fishing season, dawned under foggy, overcast and rainy skies – we were awakened at 4:00 am by torrential downpours pounding on the metal roof – and I was unable to fall back to sleep, as was typical on the night before Opening Day of the trout fishing season for much of my life.An hour or so later I rose and prepared for the exciting day ahead, donning my waders and heading out just after 6:30 a.m. for Junction Pool on the Beaverkill.

Well wishers and fishing enthusiasts line up to watch and photograph the ceremonial “first cast” at Junction Pool, Roscoe, at 7:00 am on Saturday …

Thankfully the rains subsided by that time, and the hardy crowd of well-wishers, stoked by hot coffee and delicious pastries offered by the Roscoe Campsite Park, trooped dutifully down the path to the river’s edge at 7:00 am to view the ceremonial “first cast.”  Despite the chilly 40-degree water temperature, Ahu Terzi joined the half-dozen or so anglers who had waded into the swirling waters of Junction Pool to officially open the new trout fishing season of 2023. 

With the fog and drizzle of the early morning, no flies were apparent hatching or on the water, and dry fly-fishers soon changed their tactics to fishing below the surface with wet flies, nymphs and streamers. 

The unofficial “first trout” caught on Opening Day of the 2023 trout fishing season - a hefty 12-inch wild brown trout, caught on a Blue Fox by …

The unofficial “first trout” of the season was a beautiful hefty wild brown trout of about 12 inches in length, caught on a Blue Fox by a youngster named Enzo, of East Branch, New York, while fishing with his Grandpa, Henry DeCinque, of Livingston Manor. Enzo reported that the duo had been fishing since at least 6:00 a.m. and related that he has opened the season at Junction Pool “every year for the past six or seven years”, and that he’s been fishing with his Grandpa since he was about five years of age. 

Trout fishers and enthusiasts had plenty of activities and refreshments to choose from over the weekend in both river towns of Livingston Manor and Roscoe, with free coffee and bagels at Dette Flies and Agnes Van Put’s famous hot soups and home baked cookies at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center. Businesses offered prizes for patrons through the Roscoe Passport and Trout About Town in Livingston Manor.

The sun came out in the afternoon on what turned out to be a beautiful first day of April, a stark contrast from the early morning, which encouraged more grateful trout fishers to try their luck.

Saturday evening’s annual Two-Headed Trout Dinner had been sold out for a few weeks, and the Rockland House was filled to capacity with an enthusiastic crowd of supporters, and a live band that performed during the Social Hour and after-dinner dancing.  Two-Headed Trout Dinner co-chair Siobhan Loizeaux Bennett welcomed the group and opened the evening on a whimsical tone, noting that it was also April Fool’s day, and kept the program moving along with jokes and announcements of the winners of the raffle buckets and silent auctions.

Keynote speaker Ramsey Adams, Founder and Executive Director of Catskill MountainKeeper, discussed the early inhabitants of this area, describing the Lenni Lenape and how they cared for and revered these precious lands and waters, and urging today’s residents and visitors to take up the banner of protection to preserve our Catskill waters for future generations. He continued with the beautiful prose of naturalist John Burroughs, ending with the legend of the famous Two-Headed Trout, for which the dinner was named. 

According to the long-time tale, the great fish had migrated up to Junction Pool, where the waters of the Beaverkill and Willowemoc join, and was unable to decide which to ascend - and so grew two heads, one facing each famous stream, as he resides in Junction Pool.

Richard Schager, Esq., 2022’s Two-Headed Trout Dinner’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree for his efforts in Conservation, recognized the late Ted Rogowski for his outstanding contributions in the field of conservation and protecting the environment. He then presented the 2023 Inaugural “Joan Wulff Excellence in Fly Fishing Award” to Ed Van Put, avid fly-fisherman, author and environmental activist in conservation and protecting our rivers and streams, whose 40-year career with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation included acquiring 52 miles of prime trout waters for the public to fish, in perpetuity.

Ed ended the evening’s program with thanks and appreciation to Richard Schager, the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce, and Joan Wulff for the special award, and concluded his acceptance speech by stating – “some of you may wonder why I received this award? Perhaps you didn’t know, that I CAUGHT the Two-Headed Trout – not once, but twice!”