The Fish Were Biting For Some on Opening Day

By Liz Page

BLOOMVILLE – Fishermen were few and far between on the opening day of trout fishing season on Monday, April 1, at least early in the day. As I made my way downstream for the "annual rite of spring" for anglers, I saw one group of UTVs along the stream between South Kortright and Bloomville, one pickup truck in South Kortright and one truck at the bridge in Bloomville.

School was out on Monday and I thought I might catch up with a few father and son or father and daughter fishing parties, but I didn't.

Even veteran angler, Cliff Mueller, of Stamford, said he had not seen any evidence of other fishermen in the spots he checked on Monday morning. Oh yeah, he caught a nearly three-pound brown trout that he gave to a friend for dinner. The fish had been eating crayfish and minnows. Mueller caught it on a Phoebe lure at a secret location. The lure he was using looks like a minnow.

He was able to keep his catch on Monday. Trout season is now open year around, but April 1 is the date you can keep your legal size trout. From Oct. 16 to March 31 you must use lures and you must release your catch. It is a catch and release season.

"The trout was chasing my lure as I was reeling it along, but not going for it, so I stopped reeling and let it sink and he hit on it," said Mueller.

He was happy. If it warmed up, he said he might go out fishing again.

Justin Mattice, of Walton, has been fishing on the opening day of Trout Season since he was a young kid, - at least 20 years. His grandfather introduced him to the pleasure of fishing.

"I always go out on opening day. I took a vacation day today. Yup, I go on opening day every year."

He was fishing with his roommate, Brian. The two are fishing buddies and fish for Salmon in Pulaski and Steelheads when they can.

On Monday, they started at the headwaters of the West Branch of the Delaware River and planned to make their way downstream to Walton and Hancock. They had been at one other spot before I caught up with them at about 9 a.m. on Monday in Bloomville.

Mattice's three-year-old son did not make the fishing trip in the morning because it was too cold. However, dad was hoping his son might join them for the afternoon fishing. "It was cold first thing, but it isn't bad as long as you are dressed for it," he said.

When I asked him what it is about fishing that he enjoys, he answered, "I fish as much as I can. It's nice to step away and be out in nature. It is a good stress reliever and it's fun."

There it is, that's the attraction of fishing.

My dad loved to fish and there were many nights after work that we would pack up and go to a fishing hole my dad and his fishing buddy liked. Mom and his fishing buddy's wife, would cook out while they fished. I liked going fishing, although I'm sure dad knew it meant extra work for him to untangle my line, help me bait the hook and remind me to quit reeling the line in to check it. Fishing was a family pastime.

My brother used to venture down the Susquehanna with my dad and my uncle, Frank Page. Uncle Frank also loved to fish and we still have the photo of my brother holding a prized fish for the camera in the family collage of photos.

Mattice is now learning to fly fish and while he and his fishing buddy had not yet had a bite, they had the rest of the day ahead of them to drink in the pleasure of first day fishing and enjoying nature.

Scratch one more thing off the spring calendar list.

Trout stocking is underway with stocking planned for the Charlotte Creek in the second week of April. Stock fish vary from eight to 15 inches, with different sizes released at different locations.

They will be stocking in the Middletown, Roxbury areas during the fourth week of April. Kortright will be stocked earlier and go through May on the West Branch of the Delaware.

The stream stocking schedule is available by county on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) website at dec.ny.gov under Spring 2024 Trout Stocking. You will also find guides and maps and other valuable information on the website, including free fishing days that do not require a fishing license.'