Earlier this month I spent 12 days in my homeland, New York State. Between visiting friends, a family gathering, and attending an opening at the Corning Museum of Glass there wasn’t much chance to fish, but I did sneak in a few hours in Westchester and Putnam counties on the fringes of NYC’s suburbs. Now, having lived in Seattle some time, when I’m back visiting I realize just how special and beautiful New York, and the whole Northeast is.
Northern Westchester is a land of wooded gneissic ridges crisscrossed by rock walls left over from its early agricultural days. Now, few farms remain other than the wealthy residents’ equine estates. Scattered across two counties are 12 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes that form NYC’s Croton water supply, built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The city owns large conservation easements around, and tightly controls access to these reservoirs and their connecting streams. For the most part, the only way to legally access these areas is for licensed fishing.
I stayed the first week at a friend’s house just across the street from the Middle Branch Reservoir.
I’ve seen Capr here, and know that people occasionally bow hunt them, but haven’t had the chance to chase them myself. It’s too bad; my friend even has a boat (also strictly regulated), and hardly ever uses it. Fortunately his boat was not victim of last winter’s blowdowns.
The first place I fished was a city owned Land Trust, said to be home to Westchester County’s last naturally spawning Brook Trout population. Maybe. The creek is quite small, even in spring conditions, and must get really thin by late summer. It’s a beautiful place to walk around, and does not appear to get much fishing pressure.
I poked around for a few hours and saw bupkis in the brookie department. There were few spots that looked like prime trout water, but one in particular fairly screamed “I’m Here!”
Nada.
My next outing was to the West Branch Croton River. This creek has more volume, plenty of good holding water, and a population of resident Brown Trout. I’d fished this last year, and was expecting a challenge; these Browns seem way more fussy than our local Cutthroat. Time was tight too, and I was only able to hit a few spots. That’s OK, I’m basically just out for a walk and if I can out-think a few trout, so much the better.
And so goes the fishing. I’ve got another friend who chases Stripers out in Long Island Sound and need to get back for that. The rest of the trip was primo:
Drive upstate and stop at Hancock Shaker Village.
Over the Berkshires to visit more friends.
A busy four days in Corning, then back home. ‘Here’s an area I’d like to get into this summer…..
Northern Westchester is a land of wooded gneissic ridges crisscrossed by rock walls left over from its early agricultural days. Now, few farms remain other than the wealthy residents’ equine estates. Scattered across two counties are 12 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes that form NYC’s Croton water supply, built in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The city owns large conservation easements around, and tightly controls access to these reservoirs and their connecting streams. For the most part, the only way to legally access these areas is for licensed fishing.
I stayed the first week at a friend’s house just across the street from the Middle Branch Reservoir.
I’ve seen Capr here, and know that people occasionally bow hunt them, but haven’t had the chance to chase them myself. It’s too bad; my friend even has a boat (also strictly regulated), and hardly ever uses it. Fortunately his boat was not victim of last winter’s blowdowns.
The first place I fished was a city owned Land Trust, said to be home to Westchester County’s last naturally spawning Brook Trout population. Maybe. The creek is quite small, even in spring conditions, and must get really thin by late summer. It’s a beautiful place to walk around, and does not appear to get much fishing pressure.
I poked around for a few hours and saw bupkis in the brookie department. There were few spots that looked like prime trout water, but one in particular fairly screamed “I’m Here!”
Nada.
My next outing was to the West Branch Croton River. This creek has more volume, plenty of good holding water, and a population of resident Brown Trout. I’d fished this last year, and was expecting a challenge; these Browns seem way more fussy than our local Cutthroat. Time was tight too, and I was only able to hit a few spots. That’s OK, I’m basically just out for a walk and if I can out-think a few trout, so much the better.
And so goes the fishing. I’ve got another friend who chases Stripers out in Long Island Sound and need to get back for that. The rest of the trip was primo:
Drive upstate and stop at Hancock Shaker Village.
Over the Berkshires to visit more friends.
A busy four days in Corning, then back home. ‘Here’s an area I’d like to get into this summer…..