New York's Beaverkill River: The Trout River Where Legends Were Made

There may be no more historic trout river in the United States than New York's Beaverkill River. This is the river that gave birth to American fly-fishing and such patterns as the Hendrickson and Quill Gordon. Many of the legends of our fine sport once stood on the banks of this Catskill River and even today it is easy to see why they were so fascinated with the Beaverkill.

The Beaverkill River is a very picturesque trout stream. It's long flat pools attract many of the dry fly anglers, but the boulder filled runs and riffles are just as productive as the pools. From its junction with the Willowemoc the Beaverkill is almost entirely public water until its confluence with the East Branch of the Delaware. From Roscoe, a.k.a. Trout Town USA, just hop on old route 17 and it follows the river for approximately 15 miles. The first pool you encounter is possibly the most historic, Junction Pool. The historic marker next to this pool is a must read and I won't ruin it for you. Junction pool is formed where the Beaverkill and Willowemoc come together and a large, very deep pool is formed. This pool is home to some of the rivers largest trout and is also the scene for the opening day ceremonies. Every April 1^st a famous person makes the first cast of the season, local television crews are there and there is a free breakfast for anyone who shows up.

As you continue down old route 17 you will notice that almost every pool, riffle or run has a historic marker next to it describing how the pool got its name and then gives some history of the river. It seems as though there is a parking area about every 100 yards or so and at certain times of the year almost everyone is full.

The majority of anglers that visit the Beaverkill are fly fishermen and with good reason. The Beaverkill is home to all the major northeastern aquatic insects and in large numbers. The Hendrickson and Green Drake hatches are the most famous and draw the most anglers to the river, but in the springtime there are many other hatches that draw large fish to the surface. The largest emergence I witnessed year after year was the Shad Fly. The Shad Fly is actually a caddis fly that gets its name from the time of year it emerges. It tends to hatch the same time the Shad are running the Catskill Rivers. The hatch and even more so the evening return of the egg laying Shad Caddis often darkens the sky. If you are unfortunate to be driving along the river during these times the caddis can actually cover your windshield. It is a remarkable sight to say the least and it must be witnessed.

For those uninterested in fly-fishing the Beaverkill the wildlife and Scenery still are breathtaking. Bald Eagles, Osprey and many other aquatic birds call this river home. It is also very common to witness mink running along the banks of the river and it is a true joy to witness young mink playing on the banks. River Otters are present but also very elusive, you can find evidence of them but often times they shy from humans. The scenery of the river is also hard to beat. The river itself is a beautiful sight and seems like it was picked straight out of a painting. The mountains that lie on either side of the river and the lush forests are the perfect background to this perfect river.

I was blessed in my life to work 40 hours a week on this river and call its banks my home. It seemed almost every day I would witness something amazing or fascinating, and every day I couldn't wait to get to work (even though I lived along the river). The Beaverkill holds a very special place in the heart of most anglers. For fly fishermen it is the river that was home to many of our legendary founding fathers. The patterns they developed on the banks of the Beaverkill are still used today and are still very effective. People flock to this area from around the world for the history, the natural beauty and of course the fantastic trout fishing. There is a reason they all come and then keep coming back, so if you have yet to make a trip to New York's Beaverkill River you'd better hurry because more and more people discover it each year.