Above: Photo of a brown trout fresh from the Pepacton Reservoir on April 1, 2013, the first day of trout season, posted on Facebook by the Vineyard Wine Bar in Downsville.
From April 1 through October 15, it's open season on trout in New York State -- the time of year when that migratory species, Anglerus waderii, flocks to our clear, cold Catskills trout streams from far and wide.
This year, with snow and ice still clinging to the banks of many streams, the season kicked off chilly and damp. In a press release about the 2013 fishing season, the state Department of Environmental Conservation tells anglers that the fish will perk up when the weather gets more spring-like:
Early season trout are typically lethargic and anglers will have best success using bait and lures such as spinners that can be fished slow and deep. Fishing will improve markedly once water temperatures warm later in the spring. This also encourages aquatic insect activity, which will improve opportunities for those preferring to use fly fishing gear. Some of the best fishing of the year in lakes and ponds often occurs immediately following ice out, which can be as late as May in some northern Adirondack ponds.
The DEC also issued a reminder for anglers to clean their gear when moving from one stream to another, to prevent the spread of the algae known as didymo or "rock snot," a nasty invasive that has already gotten a foothold in several Catskills creeks.
This year, April 1 marks the beginning of a new pilot program to allow trolling motors on the Cannonsville Reservoir, a first for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection . If the Cannonsville trolling motor program goes well, it may be expanded to other city reservoirs. Fishing from non-motorized rowboats is allowed on the Ashokan, Schoharie, Pepacton, Neversink, Rondout and Cannonsville reservoirs, with a DEP-issued access permit.
The city's vast reservoirs are an especially picturesque spot to drop a hook, but they aren't the only DEP watershed areas open to anglers. In a recent press release about the opening of fishing season, the DEP listed about half a dozen lesser-known creekside spots on watershed land where the fishing is good, some of which are open to anglers without a DEP access permit.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced recently that the state is hosting a series of free fishing events and clinics throughout the season, in a joint effort between the DEC and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Locally, there will be a "Family Fun and Fishing Day" at Wilson State Park in Mt. Tremper on June 8 -- although someone ought to tell Cuomo that Mt. Tremper isn't in Orange County.
In the trout-obsessed hamlets of Roscoe and Livingston Manor, the real action begins on Saturday, April 6. A full day of trout-themed festivities starts off at 7am at Roscoe's Junction Pool for the annual First Cast. At 9:30am, the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum in Livingston Manor will bring a few famous faces to their annual Opening Day celebration on the Willowemoc Creek; this year's lineup includes champion flyfisher Joan Wulff, Sally Jesse Raphael and Don Trump, Jr.
The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum has a lot to celebrate this spring: The center is nearing completion on the construction of a new art gallery and workshop space, slated for a grand opening on May 25.
On the evening of April 6, the Rockland House in Roscoe will host its annual Two-Headed Trout Dinner, a six-course affair with door prizes, raffles and a silent auction. Tickets are $45 per person.
Happy fishing, Catskills -- and if you catch a big one, let us know at editor@watershedpost.com. (Pics or it didn't happen.)
