Trout season officially began in New York yesterday, to the delight of zillions of anglers (and the Catskills businesses that depend on them). The DEC says it's going to be a great year:
The state has experienced two consecutive summers of cool wet weather, creating ideal conditions for the growth and survival of both stocked and wild trout. Stream anglers in particular are likely to experience excellent fishing for trout. Although many of the larger, popular streams are more reliant on stocked fish, last summer's relatively cool, wet conditions promise plenty of holdover fish. In short, this season has the potential to be the best in many years.
Manhattan fisherman Eli Gjonbalaj got the first trout in Junction Pool, says the Times Herald-Record:
By 6:45 a.m., Gjonbalaj, a native of Albania now living in New York City, was in the Roscoe Diner decked out in waders and ordering coffee. By 7 a.m. he had cast his line in the water at Junction Pool and shortly after 8 a.m., he caught a trout.
The Daily Star reminds fisherpeople to keep their boots clean, or risk spreading the Dreaded Rock Snot:
The Esopus Creek is one of the most beautiful trout streams in all the Catskills. The pristine, rock-cluttered stream flows in the shadows of the tall peaks near Big Indian. This great trout fishery is being affected by a microscopic algae called Didymo, commonly referred to as "rock snot." The mat-like blooms cover the bottom of the stream and choke insects and other organisms that the fish live on.
The pitiless march of invasive species into local streams, fields and forests is a heartbreaker. The Esopus is already affected, and it would only take one dirty boot to get Didymo into the Beaverkill, too. Here's hoping they've heard of rock snot in Jersey.
Photo of historic marker at Junction Pool by @LouisS on Twitpic.
