The Catskills

The Catskill Mountains of New York. When I was a young boy growing up in Connecticut our family used to take trips there. It was a magical place. Lots of stories of a man named Rip Van Winkle who lay down in the forest and slept for twenty years. It was a place where the Catskill Game Farm was. A great place for both children and adults. You could view many native and exotic animals. At that time I knew nothing of the history taking place there, history of American fly fishing.

The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum is located along the Willowmemoc River in the town of Livingston Manor. The museum is full of memories and items from the golden days. The exhibits are wonderful. Some are the exact way these famous people left them. There is also a fly fishing hall of fame there. Plaques line the walls with the names of many fly fishers, and tyers.

The Willowmemoc, one of the Catskills finest trout streams.

Roscoe. A Catskill town devoted to the trout. The main street has fly shops and stores for the angler. One could take hours to shop them. There are restaurants, and the famous Roscoe Diner. You can enjoy breakfast or lunch in an area known to be the birthplace of dry fly fishing in America.

The Dette Fly Shop. The place where Walt, Winnie and Mary crafted exquisite trout flies. The business was started in the 1930's I believe and is still maintained by Mary, Walt and Winnies daughter. I had the pleasure to meet Mary on this visit. The shop is located in a house, and I was made to feel right at home. While shopping I purchased a few items and she was not certain of the price. I had told her I had seen them on their website, which she told me someone else takes care of. She led me into her house to a room off of the kitchen. There was a computer there and she told me to look it up. I found the site and the price, and we were both happy for that.

Mary Dette is a great fly tyer and a gracious person.

Catskill dry flies. Crisp, clean and meticulously tied.

Mary Dette in the fly shop.

The Land of Little Rivers. If given a opportunity to visit, please do.

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