Ramblings of a Catskill Flyfisher

Tying flies

For some, fly tying is an art form, demonstrated by the significant beauty of the elaborate patterns developed in England and Scotland for Atlantic salmon fishing. Based on their cost, an …

The last day

It was October 15, the last day of trout season in the Catskills. That was a few years before the implementation of the new trout stream regulations, which went into effect in 2021, and now allow …

How aquatic insect populations are monitored and evaluated

As fly fishers, we spend a great deal of time discussing aquatic insect activity. Most of our dialogue has to do with the various mayfly and caddis fly hatches—or the lack thereof—that we …

‘Small in the Eye of a River’

Although the name Frank Mele has appeared in this column on more than one occasion, his renown has been associated with the water releases legislation and bamboo fly rods. That being said, …

The impact of cold release water on the life cycle of the sulphur mayfly

Of all the topics that I’ve written about for the River Reporter, none has received more attention than those about the little sulphur mayfly, Ephemerella dorothea. From a fly …

Isonychia mayfly hatches on the Esopus Creek

The Esopus Creek begins its journey from its source at Winnisook Lake on Slide Mountain in the Catskill Mountains, before joining the Hudson Estuary near Saugerties some 65 miles away. The …