April it, 1908.] 
579 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
Trout Fly-Fishing Near Home. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
“Where can I have a little trout filing in the 
spring without the expenditure of much time or 
money?” 
This question is asked by many anglers season 
after season, and is becoming more difficult to 
answer as the years go by. Not only has fly¬ 
fishing become extremely popular, but many 
waters that were formerly free to the public are 
now preserved. This has been offset to some 
extent by the rehabilitation of old streams by 
means of judicious stocking with fry or finger- 
lings. The European brown trout is not too par 
ticular and seems to thrive nearly everywhere if 
the conditions are at all suitable. 
It must be confessed, however, that the op¬ 
portunities offered to the man who has only a 
few days at his disposal are not many, nor can 
he be assured of finding sport on free water 
near any of our large cities. He can have his 
outing and wet a line. He can have the sur¬ 
roundings that he has been longing for and 
temporarily cure that fever for the trout country 
that has been burning in his veins for weeks or 
months. If he is lucky in the matter of weather 
and water, he may return to the c.ty with 
memories of a happy day and a very fair basket 
of trout. 
Long Island and Connecticut will no doubt 
afford the usual amount of sport, and the Cats¬ 
kills will be visited by many anglers. These are 
perhaps the easiest of access, and the next in 
order is Sullivan county. At one time there 
was good fishing, I am informed, in Basher 
Kill, near Wurtsboro, and something may be 
done near Ellenville. I know nothing person¬ 
ally of these places. Next in order as one fol¬ 
lows the Ontario and Western railway is the 
Neversink River, and the best station to leave 
the train at is, I think, Fallsburg—102 miles 
from New York; fare two cents per mile. The 
road from this village follows the. course of the 
river, for the main part, six miles to Wood- 
bourne. At this point there are several hotels 
and a guide may be had if desired. A few big 
fish are taken near here, one of 4 pounds 10 
ounces last spring. Early in the season a good 
many fishermen stop here. There is a place 
near Hasbrouck, a short distance up the river, 
but no more hotels until Neversink village, five 
miles from Woodbourne, is reached. Here 
there are two small country hostelries. 
The main road leaves the valley at Neversink 
and several steep hills have to be surmounted 
before it returns to the Neversink below 
Claryville, nine miles from Neversink village. 
Two small hotels will be found at Claryville. 
The distance from this village to Big Indian on 
the Ulster and Delaware railway is twenty-four 
miles. With good weather, it might be pleasant 
to drive from Claryville to Willowemoc or De- 
Bruce on the Willowemoc River; distance, nine 
to twelve miles. 
If going direct to the Willowemoc, the rail¬ 
road ticket would be bought for Livingston 
Manor, 130 miles from New York, this is not 
a bad point for early fishing, but a very com¬ 
fortable report will be found six miles up the 
river at DeBruce. There are two large sum¬ 
mer boarding houses at DeBruce, and one at 
least caters to the wants of sportsmen in search 
of spring fishing. One enormous advantage 
here is that there arc large stone fire-places in 
the sitting and dining rooms, and after a hard 
day the angler can be comfortable and enjoy 
himself, usually in congenial company. Coun¬ 
try inns are not heated usually, and this is a 
cold country. The fishing at DeBruce is about 
as good as anywhere else on these streams. 
From Livingston Manor the Beaverkill River 
can also be reached by a drive across country of 
about seven miles, or one can continue on to 
Rockland or Roscoe by rail. These two villages 
arc practically one, and are located near the 
junction of the Willowemoc with the Beaverkill. 
Fair hotels may be found here, also at Living¬ 
ston Manor, and the fishing is sometimes good. 
There is about twenty-five miles of good fishing 
water between Rockland and the Quaker Clear¬ 
ing on the Beaverkill, and a few years ago all 
A NEARBY PENNSYLVANIA TROUT STREAM—BR0D- 
IIEAD CREEK. 
of this was free; now posting begins three 01 
four miles above Rockland, and clubs and in¬ 
dividuals control many miles of the stream. 
Something may be done near Beaverkill post 
office, Lew Beach post office, etc., but the 
angler should drive up this beautiful river even 
if he has not time to fish. By making inquiries 
at any of the places mentioned, local fishing 
cranks may be found. These men are usually 
good fishermen and will often consent to act 
as guides. If pleasantly treated they may give 
one valuable hints. 
For instance, about four miles above Living¬ 
ston Manor on the Willowemoc, a small 
tributary called the Sprague Brook, the outlet 
of Orchard Lake, enters the main stream. This 
tributary is well stocked with brown trout 
Local men can also post you in regard to bits 
of free water and other matters of interest. At 
Orchard Lake large numbers of native trout 
may be taken, but have to be paid for by the 
pound, if one wishes to retain them, 
There are other streams worth visiting in 
this part of the country, and I have always in¬ 
tended to pay a visit to the upper portion of the 
East Branch of the Delaware River. I am in¬ 
formed that after the water warms up a trifle 
some very large trout may be taken where cold 
brooks or springs enter the river. Of course 
every one knows that there is good bass fishing 
lower down the Delaware. 
These notes have been hastily written, but 
may be of some slight service to brother 
anglers. By making a few inquiries in regard 
to the men willing to serve as such, I could 
make out a list of guides. It would not pay 
to make a business of guiding hereabouts. 
Theodore Gordon. 
Fishing in California. 
San Francisco, March 28. —Editor Forest and 
Stream: California anglers are now turning 
their attention to the steelhead season, which 
reopens in tidewater on the first of April. Sam 
Wells, president of the California Anglers’ As¬ 
sociation, is looking for first class fishing 
throughout April, as the weather has.so far been 
very propitious. A big anglers field day will 
he held at White Horse Pool in Marin county 
on April 12 including- a dinner after the day’s 
sport. Over forty-five prizes will be presented 
in the day’s events. On March 30 the associa 
tion will give a smoker in its club rooms, 1771 
Geary street. President Wells George Went¬ 
worth and others will compete for the best fish 
story. 
The trout fishing season opened in Nevada on 
March 15 and a number of San Francisco anglers 
have been busy on the Nevada end of the 
Truckee River since that date. Good catches 
are reported. Parties on their way from Cali¬ 
fornia to the new mining camp at Rawhide, Nev., 
are known to have dynamited the Truckee neai 
the Derby dam, killing thousands of trout. So 
far as known no arrests have been made. 
The Truckee River Fish and Game Associa¬ 
tion met at Truckee, Cal., last week and ar¬ 
ranged plans for the coming season. 
At Catalina Island the button competition has 
already begun. O11 March n Charles D. Cullary, 
of Pasadena, secured the first bronze button of 
the season by catching a 23-pound yellowtail. 
The following day Capt. O. L. Danielson, of 
Chicago, caught an albacore weighing 56 pounds. 
The plans for a greater fish hatchery in Santa 
Cruz county. Cal., are fast materializing. An 
agreement has finally been made between this 
county and Santa Clara, San Mateo and Mont¬ 
erey counties by which all will dombine for its 
support. The State Fish Commission has 
promised to see that the hatchery is kept up 
to the standard. A. P. B. 
The series of rodmaking articles printed in 
these columns recently will during the present 
month be published in book form by the Forest 
and Stream Publishing Company. This will be 
Vol. /. of Perry D. Frazer’s “The Angler’s 
Workshop,’’ and will deal with “Rodmaking for 
Beginners.” The book contains 180 pages and 
besides the working drawings, will be illustrated 
with several half-tone plates. Orders may be 
sent at any time, and the book will be sent post¬ 
paid for $1. 
