Fishermen Ready for the Annual Rite of Spring On Monday

CATSKILL REGION – The Easter Bunny has hopped through, maple producers have held their open houses and Spring is official on the calendar. Now it's time for the anglers to welcome spring.

Monday is the opening day of Trout Season harvesting and it has always coincided with April Fool's Day - April 1. No matter what Mother Nature has in store, the die-hard anglers will make their way to a local stream or pond to drink in the fresh air and cast a fishing line into the water. Many refer to it as the 'Annual Rite of Spring'.

Although Trout may be caught all year, Monday is the date anglers will be able  to keep their catch and will not have to release them.

Monday's temperatures are predicted in the 40's with a low probability of rain.  There should be a few days without precipitation ahead of the opening, which may help the trout see the worms and lures. It should be a relatively good opening day, weather-wise.

Anglers will tell you it really isn't about catching a fish, it is  about getting back out into nature and casting off the throes of winter. 

Even in the worst of weather, there is always at least a couple of fisherman.  There is just something about watching the line move downstream, replacing the bait on the hook and soaking in the peaceful commune with nature that fishing brings. There is something very calming about listening to the water lap the stream bank. And you never know what other creatures you might see enjoying their first days of spring as well.

We live in an area that is famous for its trout, both rainbow and brown trout, wild and stocked, along the east and west branches of the Delaware River. The most famous areas are the towns of Hancock and Deposit. The east branch runs through Hancock, and the west branch runs through Deposit. Those areas can be crowded on opening day, but there is still a lot of fishing upstream, all the way to the headwaters in Stamford.

“The mild winter afforded New Yorkers some trout fishing opportunities during the catch-and-release season,”  said New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos in a press release.  “However, April 1, the traditional opening day of inland trout fishing season, brings the excitement to another level as spring arrives and the state’s streams and ponds are stocked to provide additional opportunities for anglers.”

April 1 marks the opening of the harvest season after year-round fishing was greenlit on most streams in 2021, with the implementation of an Oct.16 to March 31 "artificial lures only, catch-and-release" season, according to the release.

DEC trout stocking began this month and will include the placement of 1.9 million catchable size brook, brown, and rainbow trout in streams and ponds across the state by early June.

“Stocked-Extended” streams, listed in the Inland Trout Streams Regulations section of the freshwater fishing regulations guide, will receive fish every other week for two months to enhance season-long opportunities for angler success. Most streams will also receive a seeding of larger stocked trout.  Spring trout stocking lists, including the week of stocking for trout streams, can be found at DEC's website.

Links to the  Trout Stream Fishing Map and a User Guide  as well as  fishing regulations  and  planned stockings listed by county  are also available on the DEC website.

Trout fishing utilizes a number of techniques and perhaps one of the most written about is fly fishing.

The Catskills are the fly fishing capital, with many streams providing ideal spots to  try your hand at this very popular type of fishing. But trout also go after night crawlers and garden worms and other natural bait, as well as lures and other artificial bait. In the early days of the season, fisherman often have the best luck with these baits.

I have fishing friends who enjoy tying flies and trying different combinations of fur and feather to create them.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) launched a new interactive   Trout Stream Fishing Map   to provide anglers with information about how and where to find their preferred type of trout angling opportunities. And there is now a fishing app. If you need more information about regulations or where to buy a fishing license, visit dec.ny.gov.