The hot weather of summer has arrived, and a limited amount of rain has kept area rivers and streams at a typical low level over the past week; on Sunday afternoon the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls registered 182 cubic feet per second, which is just above the median average flow of 174 over 110 years of record-keeping. 

However, with no evening respite from the heat, water temperatures have risen to the point where the Beaverkill hasn’t gone below 70 degrees since last Thursday and hit 80 degrees on Sunday afternoon!

With such high water temperatures, in the mid to upper 70s, trout fishers should not be fishing these streams, and should head to the cooler tailwaters to fish, or try fishing in one of the NYC reservoirs.

Last week we reported on members of the Catskill Fly Tyers Guild, who traveled over to the Delaware River to assist at summer camps and help teach the camp kids how to tie traditional trout flies. These are terrific opportunities for youngsters to participate in and have a fun and educational camp experience in addition to learning how to fly-fish and learn all about the sport.

The New York State Council of Trout Unlimited hosts a one-week Trout Waters Youth Camp at Big Valley Lodge in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, near the West Branch of the Delaware River at Hale Eddy, New York. Open to boys and girls aged 14 - 17, the camp is a safe place for young people to explore and learn about the natural world. The camp is fully insured by the National Trout Unlimited organization, and all camp personnel have been background checked and vetted by TU National. The goal is to provide an experience that youngsters will enjoy and learn from, as well as giving youngsters the opportunity to make friends with other young fly-fishers.

Each year, approximately 15 boys and girls are hosted, regardless of their prior skill level or their family’s ability to pay. The campers are provided with three healthy meals and snacks each day, beginning with Sunday evening dinner and concluding with a family luncheon on Friday.

The children receive lessons on fly-tying, fly-fishing, entomology, ecology and conservation from top-notch professional guides, fly tiers, and authors from the area. Each evening, they are able to enjoy one-on-one stream lessons with experienced Delaware River anglers, and try their hand at fly-fishing for wild trout.

The Delaware River and its East and West branches provide some of the best tailwater trout fishing in the country, thanks to the cold water releases from the Pepacton and Cannonsville reservoirs. These cold water releases during the summer months provide excellent fishing when other rivers and streams are too low or too warm to fish and, coupled with consistent and bountiful fly hatches, attract trout fishers across the country.

Jesse Vadala, TU’s Engagement Coordinator (NY/CT) Northeast Coldwater Habitat Program, talked about the benefits of the camp and shared a great story about Ryan, one of the TU campers, and his experience fishing on the Delaware River.

Jesse reported that Sulphurs were heavy during the midafternoon and early evening on the West Branch over the last few days, and that the night before, they had “a fine young angler, Ryan, put to the Delaware wild trout test! After spotting and stalking a large sipping trout, he waded in slowly to a position where he and his mentor, Kyle, could both watch and wait. 

“While studying the trout’s every move, Kyle double checked a few knots and lengthened the leader to nearly 16 feet. For an angler wading chest deep (but not yet five feet tall) even with a 9 foot rod, this makes for quite a challenging scenario to load and launch a fly line delicately over 30 feet! The trout rose and fed eagerly, and Kyle could see Ryan’s hands trembling with anticipation. 

“As the trout rose and receded once more, Ryan’s patient mentor gave the greenlight to make his move. With a crisp and well-practiced double haul after hours on the pond, Ryan laid out a masterful cast and one quick mend a few feet above the target. As he slowly lifted to make a second precautionary mend, a massive brown Hoover of a trout rose to vacuum up his fly and bolted for the bank! 

“A small crowd of volunteers in the background heard the unmistakable rush and cinch of a trout on the take and hollered in support of young Ryan. He patiently framed and followed this trout with ample side pressure, while wearing a smile ear to ear from his first big wild trout encounter on the mighty Delaware. 

“The photo says it best. All were blessed by the experience and waded quietly back to the bank to let another young angler try their luck.

“While the sun’s setting glow slowly faded to dark, Ryan’s fellow campers all gathered to celebrate a truly special ceremony on the water and delighted as he recounted every ripple in the story. No ‘fish stories’ were needed for exaggeration and he was praised constantly by his mentor Kyle for his incredible patience and practice.”

Kyle called Jesse the next morning on his way back to Buffalo to recount the highlights. Without hesitation, Kyle said that last night’s program and mentoring Ryan was one of the most rewarding experiences in his year of working for Trout Unlimited.

Jesse added that “it can be difficult to explain the schedule of our field team this time of year and we are often blissfully “out of office” for long stretches supervising reconnection projects, climbing in and out of culverts and ditches, while cultivating community around conservation. 

“We are so thankful for opportunities like our Teen and Veteran programs where we can spend time teaching the next generation and celebrating our veteran families in these same communities.”