Fish tales

On May 20, a group of gals and guys from the Upper Delaware Chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU) gave some brief information regarding fly fishing to the students of the Sullivan West Elementary School. We attempted to cover entomology, fly tying, fly casting and stream conservation techniques. Putting a fly rod in the hand of a small child who has never before held such a tool is a rewarding experience. First, they are doubtful, then hopeful and finally, wow, I can do this. That reaction sure makes a fellow feel good. I only wish there was some way to build on that “wow.”

The real excitement of the day for the kids came when they released the fingerling brown trout they had so carefully been nurturing into the waters of the East Branch of Callicoon Creek. Under the supervision of their teachers, with help from troubleshooter Val Reinhardt, they had succeeded in raising their fish to fingerling size and were now wishing them goodbye and good luck. Congratulations, `twas a job well done.

The major financial contributors to the Trout in the Classroom program were the Jeff Bank, the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited, the Sullivan County Federation of Sportsmen and the Sullivan West School District. There were also numerous smaller donations. The Upper Delaware Chapter of TU thanks everyone involved.

On May 24, I fished the East Branch of the Delaware due to the generosity of Dr. Oliver Herz, who owns a camp at Centerville. Dr. Herz, his friend Larry Giegiese and I tried our luck but achieved only minor success. Dr. Herz lost a fish, which he had almost in hand. Larry took a small brown. I lost a large, strong fish which none of us unfortunately ever were able to see. This trout hit my nymph as if it was a piece of steak, not merely fur on a hook. Instead of running it sank into the depths of the pool all the while shaking its head violently to rid itself of the irritating thing in its jaw. Oliver, Larry and Barb were all observers of this event. I called out to Barb to try to get some pictures when I landed this one. Ha! No sooner were the words out of my mouth than the hook lost its hold. As Mike Bachkosky likes to say, “Sometimes the fish win.” Darn, I wish I could have had a glimpse of this fish.

Dr. Herz is certainly fortunate to own this section of the East Branch. It contains several hundred yards of lovely trout water. The lack of hatching insects surely contributed to our lack of success on this day. The good food we enjoyed plus the friendly people we met more than made up for the slow fishing.

Writing this column sometimes brings pleasant surprises. My mentioning Dan Bailey’s “Wall of Fame,” brought a phone call from a young lady who was familiar with the wall, plus she had been a good friend of the above-quoted John McDonald, a well-known fly fishing author. We enjoyed a pleasant chat. You just never know who your words will touch.

Early June water conditions remind me of a line from the “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” “water, water, everywhere nor any drop to drink/Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink.” Some of our rivers cannot be waded while others can be waded only with caution. Conditions are bound to improve. Go fishing!