Streamside - Sullivan County Democrat

Pictured are some of the 26 volunteers who worked at Junction Pool on Sunday, March 29, for the Beamoc TU Work Bee, in conjunction with the CFFC&M, to clip, clear, and clean up the area for Wednesday’s Trout Season Opener. Manny Zanger, far left, will do the First Cast honors at 7:00 am sharp!

At this writing, Sunday afternoon, March 29, we have much to look forward to this week! Our rivers and streams are in excellent shape for Wednesday morning’s official Opening of the (regular) Trout … more

Judy Van Put | 3/31/26

A beautiful wild rainbow trout, first of the season, taken on the Beaverkill last April.

Traditions

Traditions - such as the Opening of the (regular) Trout Fishing Season in New York State on April 1- are near and dear to the heart of many, a date that has been eagerly looked forward to during this … more

Judy Van Put | 3/24/26

This redd was leftover from last year; it is not an active redd, but is easy to identify by the circular “pit” left in this sandy stream bottom. Redds are dependent upon the bottom substrate; most are constructed in gravel rather than sand, when available.

End-of-Season Warning: The Trout Are Spawning

For many years, October 15 (and previous to that, September 30) marked the end of the trout fishing season here in New York State. The reason for the end of the season coincided with the spawning … more

Judy Van Put | 10/14/25

Guests assembled around and under the billowy white tent, festooned with candle lights as the evening began.

Autumn Arrives, Exciting Events

What a difference a week makes! The Beaverkill received some much-needed rain last Wednesday which brought levels up to about 800 cubic feet per second in the wee hours of Thursday morning; but by … more

Judy Van Put | 9/30/25

Successful fishing was had by Seth Cavarretta last week fishing the Tailwaters; note the small flies on the water.

Low Water - Watching Reserves; CFFCM Catch & Conserve

We are desperately in need of rain, raising concern about the water table - many wells and springs are dangerously low. The NYC DEP website shows that as of September 19, our Catskill Reservoirs are … more

Judy Van Put | 9/23/25

The “La Peute” fly.“La Peute” is a French idiom meaning “Ugly”, and refers to its non-specific, impressionistic appearance, tied to entice the fish rather than to imitate a particular insect. La Peute is a pattern that was made popular by the famous French fly-fisherman Henri Bresson (1925 - 2011) photo and fly tied by Tom Mason.

Good Fishing Returns, Reservoir Overturns

It’s been another wonderful week, weather-wise, as September continues to bring us warm sunny days, cool evenings and mornings and clear skies. However, for our rivers and streams, rainfall is … more

Judy Van Put | 9/16/25

The Tup’s Indispensable dry fly, tied by Seth Cavarretta and “used to good effect” last week.

Return of Good Fishing, Rodmakers Gathering, Rebirth of Beamoc

These wonderfully cool nights of September have brought a resurgence in trout fishing over the past week or so. Water temperatures on both the Beaverkill and Willowemoc have cooled to a favorable … more

Judy Van Put | 9/9/25

Fishing is a gentle, relaxing sport - to enjoy the beauties of nature and the restorative powers it contains.

Fishing Etiquette; Annual Catskill Rodmakers Gathering!

Last week Streamside featured an article about fishing with children, and the importance of mentioning etiquette and a respect for nature while teaching children about fishing. I was reminded of a … more

Judy Van Put | 9/2/25

Every fish caught, whether large or small, is a triumph and a success for a tiny tot’s early fishing experiences. Be sure to include plenty of stories about nature and your past fishing experiences - and have fun!

Low Water Fishing - and Fishing With Children

It’s Sunday afternoon, a bit overcast with rain sprinkling down outside. The weather this past week has been wonderful, just about the best that summer has to offer - delightfully cool mornings … more

Judy Van Put | 8/27/25

The beautiful blonde Friendship Rod, custom-built bamboo rod by John Apgar, has two tips.

Low Flows, Angler Woes, Finishing the Rod

Our rivers, streams, and tributaries are all showing the effects of the past few weeks of limited moisture - despite a spate of rainy days in June and July, the NYC DEP website showed that the NYC … more

Judy Van Put | 8/19/25

A bluish-cast brookie, its scarlet red spots are circled in blue.

A great day on the water

It was another picture-perfect weekend signaling the start of August. After a few hazy days at the beginning of the week, we awoke to delightfully cool mornings warming to sunny, breezy … more

Judy Van Put | 8/12/25

Mr. Masaki Takemoto, of Japan, on left, was First Prize Winner of the beautiful silver Hardy Cup, along with a Hardy Rod and Reel outfit. Mr. Frank Payne, of Fairmont, NY, on right, won Second Prize, a Hardy Reel of his choice. Each is holding the bamboo rod they used in the competition in order to win the contest; and each had built his own rod.

The Best Weekend of the Year:

The past few cooler nights have provided a bit of a respite in water temperatures, with a welcomed (though short-lived) spike in water levels Thursday evening through the wee hours of Friday morning, … more

Judy Van Put | 8/5/25

The Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum’s Summerfest is coming up this weekend! Free admission and much more!

Bamboo - Building for Beginners, Beamoc, See You At Summerfest!

Heading soon into the last summer month of August, our rivers and streams have received a bit of replenishment from showers and thunderstorms. However, on Sunday evening, the Beaverkill at Cooks … more

Judy Van Put | 7/29/25

“The Friendship Rod “casts beautifully, as Laura Colangelo demonstrates with the nice loop overhead. Other CFTGuild members enjoyed casting the rod as well.

Nature’s Balm, Beautiful Bamboo, Beamoc TU

Thanks to fairly consistent rains our rivers and streams are in reasonably good condition for trout growth, running just a bit below the average flow. Temperatures have been cool the last … more

Judy Van Put | 7/22/25

Laura Colangelo busy at her vise tying the Joan Wulff Special.

Warm Weather Woes, Where a Female Fly Fisher Goes

A check with the USGS website early Monday morning showed that the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls was flowing at 1010 cubic feet per second, and heading straight up the scale after Sunday night’s … more

Judy Van Put | 7/15/25

Youngsters from the Bill Canfield FUDR Camp are shown around the Museum at the Catskill Fly Fishing Center on Saturday by CFFCM Docent Ed Walsh.

Warm Weekend, Cool Camp, Trib Tribute!

July dawned bright and sunny, with temperatures that rose throughout the week. Fireworks flashed throughout Friday evening, their beautifully colored bursts lighting up the sky; a welcoming warm … more

7/8/25

The original founding members Charter of the Beamoc Chapter of TU.

Celebrations Abound; Fishing’s Coming Around, Helping Beamoc ReFound

It’s been a busy week in all our local towns; the last weekend in June is typically Graduation time. Teachers, students, and parents have been bustling around getting ready for the big day. … more

Judy Van Put | 7/1/25

John Apgar tied these Isonychia Ermerger flies and had good success fishing them on the Willowemoc and Beaverkil this past week.

Summer Sweetness, Recurring Rainstorms, and the Beaverkill Behemoth

Anglers were out in droves over “Freedom” weekend beginning Thursday, Juneteenth and going into the first days of Summer. With reports of plenty of water in all our rivers and streams, … more

Judy Van Put | 6/24/25

A beautiful brown trout caught by Seth Cavarretta while fishing the lower East Branch Delaware on Saturday evening. Seth said he was using an Adams, and that the trout were rising steadily to Olives, Sulphurs and Cahills with a few Isonychia as well.

Father’s Day, Fishing, Fortunate, and a Fond Farewell

The middle of June - that lushest month - is upon us. Thanks to consistent rain showers our rivers and streams are in great shape for a Farewell to spring, heading into the summer. This much-welcomed … more

Judy Van Put | 6/14/25

Joan Wulff, First Lady of Fly Fishing, views the exquisite frame of An Adams For Ed, shown to her by CFTGuild Vice-President John Apgar.

Seeking Solace, Finding Fulfillment, A Celebration of Ed

In our busy, increasingly worrisome world, we frequently find ourselves seeking solace. For many who are fortunate to reside in this cosy corner of creation, far from the despair of day-to-day … more

Judy Van Put | 6/10/25

A Gray Fox mayfly, as photographed by Seth Cavarretta. Gray Foxes are among the many flies hatching for the past couple of weeks and into Bug Week.

Bug Week Blown Out, But Celebrations Surmount

The last weekend in May/first weekend in June, under normal weather conditions, kick off what is often referred to by fly-fishers as the widely-anticipated “Bug Week.” These are the … more

Judy Van Put | 6/3/25

The DEC Catskill Trout Hatchery set up a display of the cycle of life for the brown trout that the Livingston Manor elementary students released.

For Trout Fishers, The Flies Have It!

Just as our rivers and streams had settled down to a very fishable level, the forecast called for more days of rain at the end of last week. As of Thursday, May 22 when this was written (prior to the … more

Judy Van Put | 5/27/25

Children learned how to draw and paint trout at the art table.

Classroom Trout! In and Out!

Last week Mrs. Wendy Schwalb’s 4th graders at Roscoe School enjoyed a special day they had anticipated since the beginning of the school year: “Release Day” for the … more

Judy Van Put | 5/20/25

Female Beaverkill fly, tied by Ed Van Put in the style of its creator, George W. Cooper, with the yellow chenille that represents the distinctive yellow egg sac. Cooper created this fly to imitate the Hendrickson, a favorite hatch on the Beaverkill.

“High Flows, Anglers’ Woes, the Blacksmith Rose”

Heavy rains filled area rivers and streams this past week; the Beaverkill crested Friday evening at just below 7000 cubic feet per second, dashing the hopes of all who had planned to celebrate at … more

Judy Van Put | 5/13/25

A nice brown trout caught by Phil Street during a sparse Hendrickson hatch last Monday. Phil caught his first fish of the season on an Adams dry fly.

Hoping For Hendricksons, Catching on Caddis!

Finally, it’s the “merry month” of May - serenading us with the sweetest sounds of the songbirds, the lovely light green landscape dappled with fragrant flowers and bright blossoms … more

Judy Van Put | 5/6/25