After a week of stream levels that were below average, the heavy rain and downpours on March 31 made fishing conditions more typical of April 1, the official Opening Day of the regular trout fishing season in New York State. Area rivers were fast-flowing and a bit too high for productive fishing; but spirits were just as high, as depicted by the smiles on the faces and numbers of trout fishers and well-wishers who headed out to Junction Pool in Roscoe, NY, for the 7:00 a.m. First Cast celebration. 

Stemming as far back as the 1940s, a legendary or esteemed angler has been honored each year with inaugurating the season by making the first cast into the swirling waters of Junction Pool, the famous confluence of the Beaverkill and Willowemoc. This year’s honoree was Manny Zanger, long-time area fisherman and esteemed conservationist, known for his efforts in protecting and preserving our trout streams. Manny was, for many years, President of the Beamoc Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and is currently serving as Advisor for the newly re-launched Beamoc Chapter. 

Dozens of enthusiastic supporters were on hand by 6:45 a.m. on this relatively balmy morning to join in the fun, make a few casts, and enjoy the coffee and delicious breakfast offerings that the Roscoe Campsite Park provided, in conjunction with the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce and the Catskill Fly Fishing Center, who organized the event. Old-timers and newcomers crowded the banks of the Beaverkill, shaking hands and sharing hugs, renewing old friendships and making new, reuniting after the long winter. Some traveled from afar, as evidenced by a father and teenaged son, who traveled up from the state of Virginia. He explained that when he was younger, he fly-fished quite a bit and has now introduced his sons to the sport. They both love it as well, and after learning that Roscoe was just about a 5-hour drive away, the family decided it would be a great destination for a spring break trip and decided to come up - their very first trip to the area. With morning air temperatures in the mid-50s and heading up to the 60s, water temperatures also warmed up to between 47 and 48, a bit surprising for April 1. And after spending some time casting upstream in the Willowemoc, we headed up to the upper Beaverkill. It was interesting to see the variance in water conditions between the two “sister” streams - the Willowemoc was elevated but fishable, and not too difficult to wade, while the upper Beaverkill was high and roily. It was a bit daunting to wade in very far as the stream bottom was not visible. But it was exciting to see at about 10:45 a.m., a hatch occurring on the upper Beaverkill of tiny (size #22) Blue-Winged Olives! The minute flies were in the air, none were observed on the rushing water’s surface, nor were there any rises, but the period of fly activity lasted for about 20 minutes. BWOs, or 

 Baetis, as they are often referred to, are tiny mayflies (as opposed to stoneflies or caddis flies) in sizes #18 - #22. They often emerge on cool, overcast and rainy days and are a hardy little fly that can appear as early as March into the month of May, depending on water and weather conditions. 

Dry-fly fishers are anxiously looking forward to when water temperatures warm a bit and reach that “magic” number of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. 50 degrees F is the catalyst that will trigger the first fly hatches that dry-fly fishers hold dear. When waters warm to this degree, the cold-blooded trout (which match their body temperature to the same degree of the waters in which they reside) will become more active. They begin to move from the deep, slower-moving waters near the bottom of the stream up toward the surface, often just before or during a hatch. The trout’s body chemistry warms and begins to function more quickly, signaling the need to feed - the fish will rise to take the flies hatching on the water’s surface - and then the fly-fisher’s fun begins! 

This weekend promises to be an exciting one - beginning Friday night, April 10: The Castkill Fly Fishing Center is sponsoring the 20th annual Fly-Fishing Film Tour. Tickets are sold out; a waitlist is available by emailing office@cffcm.com 

Saturday April 11 at 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. is the celebrated Re-Launch Party of the Beamoc Chapter of Trout Unlimited at the Rolling Beaver Lodge, 36 Beattie Rd, Roscoe, NY. Come out and join/support Beamoc, we’ll be celebrating with live music, fly casting contests, raffle prizes, BBQ and beer! Beamoc T-shirts and patches will be available for sale. Tickets are available for the event at this link: 

https://tu.myeventscenter.com/event/The-Beamoc-Chapter-Re-Launch- Party-Roscoe-Ny-121146 

And later Saturday evening the Roscoe Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring their annual Two-Headed Trout Dinner at the Rockland House, another sold-out event. 

This year the Chamber will be honoring Tom and Martha Mason, of Livingston Manor, with the 2026 Joan Wulff Excellence in Fly-Fishing Award. Tom and Martha have been honored in the past as Catskill Legends by the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum. 

Tom is revered as a Catskill fly-tyer, and both Tom and Martha are well-known as fly-fishers and avid supporters of the communities of Livingston Manor and Roscoe, the CFFC&M and the rivers and streams we love. Guest speaker for the evening’s presentation will be Jesse Vadala, who serves as Trout Unlimited’s Engagement Manager for New York and Connecticut. Jesse is an avid angler and conservationist and, along with Manny Zanger, Advisor for the newly re-launched Beamoc Chapter of Trout Unlimited.