River Respect

River Respect

From where I sit along a sandy stretch of river beach, I watch a young man ply the Delaware River with his fly-fishing rod. Hip-deep in the sunlit waters, he navigates along the rocky bottom roughly twenty feet from shore.

Between us, the glistening water stretches like a peaceful dream. From the shoreline, the river beguiles with its patterns of soothing fluidity. It appears passive and predictable. This illusory sense of calmness and gentleness is like an invitation. Extended in the clinging heat of summer, its allure is difficult to resist.

click for story

Access, access, access

Without access a river is of no use to fishermen or canoeists. As of this moment two long-used access points on the West Branch and the East Branch are under attack. Property owners are attempting to exclude recreational users from access points that have been in use for forty years or more.

click for story

Children in the Garden

As summer begins to wind down, and the start of a new school year is on the horizon, I thought now was a good time to reflect on this summer. For me, it has been a summer of firsts. It’s the first summer in our new (to us) home in Jeffersonville, the first summer writing this column and, perhaps most importantly, the first summer working as gardener at one of the area summer camps.

click for story

Also in this issue:

• Anglers’ paradise at the Fly Fishing Museum
• Native American healing lore
• Deer management banquet scheduled