Posted on July 03 2021
My wife Jean is down in Lordville to take in the fireworks and the Lordville parade. We drove around a bit this afternoon and were surprised at how few fishermen were on the river. Looks like with Covid 19 in remission, families are going to be spending the weekend together (not a bad thing).
Ed & Ken you started a discussion that I thought would elicit more responses from Beaverkill fishermen. I have about 35 years fishing the BK mostly from Horton down to the junction. As usual my input is lacking scientific knowledge and is based only on personal observations from which I am sometimes guilty of creating reasonably believable scenarios that have no basis in fact.
So as not to risk the ire of Dr. M, we should be able to agree that global warming is occurring, without a discussion on man's role, if any, on the subject matter. Warming has caused hatches to occur earlier on average than they did during my youth. Some bugs do well in cold water (sulfurs & olives), while others prefer warmer water (Ephron's, tricos and drakes). It would seem that the warmer water now found in the Beaverkill would favor some while limiting others but that the biomass should stay the same.
I have read where the acid rain situation in the Adirondacs (my old stomping grounds) is actually improving due to the decrease in coal burning utility plants and improved technology for removing the acid at the source. Also have been told that the Catskill region is equipped with far better natural buffers than the Adirondacks.
The Beaverkill is certainly flood prone. The plus on this is that, at least in the areas I fish, it is (compared to the WB), silt free). On the other hand, before the three major floods that occurred just after the turn of the century, I was able to fish heavy Hendrickson hatches every year in the BK from Horton down to its junction with the UEB. Since the 2006 flood I have seen but modest Hendrickson hatches in the same area (and I look for them every spring).
Again it is only my unscientific opinion but mother nature seems to provide sufficient reproductive resources for species to survive. Man wiped out many of the predator's that have subsequently returned, this has in most cases been off set by catch and release fishing. I could add Loons and big brown trout to Kens list of predators.
Hatchery trout and specifically the currently stocked 15 inch ones, may be a far greater hazard to wild trout fisheries than people think (please read an earlier blog post "The case against hatchery trout in the UEB" for my opinion on the stocking of large hatchery trout in wild trout streams).
My personal fishing observations are from fishing the lower reaches of the BK. Thirty years ago I stumbled upon pools that were considered "too warm for trout" that each held about a dozen wild browns ranging in size from yearlings to 20 inchers. As the years went by more and more wild rainbows appeared until they outnumbered the browns in many pools. Then the pools were discovered by a dedicated group of eastern European fishermen who seem to possess a different mindset about catch and release fishing. They have taken advantage of the 5 fish per day limit and every year systematically reduce the population of wild trout in the section I fish. Because of the number of boats on the Delaware system this year I spent considerable time on the lower BK. I found enough bugs hatching to get fish feeding and caught both 15 inch hatchery fish and, to me, a surprisingly good number of wild browns and rainbows. I did not encounter the eastern Europeans.
Would like to hear from other BK fishermen both as to their fishing experiences on the river and their opinion, if any, as to what should be done to improve what I told the DEC four years ago " - - was the poorest managed stream in the Delaware River system.
I apologize for posting twice, didn’t think it went through the first time. While I’m here however, I wish to add a few more comments if I may. Without hard core scientific data from years and years of research for comparison, we can only guess at the reasons for our perceived decline of this and other fisheries. The present discussion we’ve been having, points to only some of the possible contributing factors. How about a few more to consider. Have we thought about the effect of chemical runoff in the form of fertilizers, pesticides and/or herbicides? What about airborne chemicals that may enter the watershed and eventually enter the tributaries? Science accepts the premise that some aquatic insects are more sensitive to changes in water chemistry (than other more tolerant species), and their numbers subsequently decrease until conditions can eliminate them entirely from certain locations. More tolerant species can potentially fill the void, but the result would lead to less species diversity and therefore less biomass in an effected area. Has anyone noticed that over time? I’m not proposing that this is the only cause, but changing water chemistry in general, is high on my list. I believe the “downturn” began before we became aware of global warming. Although fishing pressure and styles surely have an impact on the fishery, other than trampling over aquatic insect habitat, I question what direct impact that would have on diminishing insect populations. That seems like more of a fish population issue to me.
I echo Dick’s entry from July 4. I too continue to wet my waders in the BK if nothing but out of respect for the river, and the knowledge that it’s fish have conveyed to me over the years. This river in particular, with it’s hatches and selective trout, had everything to do with my evolution as a fly fisherman. The first day I fished the BK back in the mid 70’s, I knew I had a long way to go. That experience set me on a lifetime of research and border line fanaticism, that remains with me to this day. We all have a similar story, and we all are aware of the decline. And that’s why it hurts see it happen. I had the great fortune to have met Harry and Elsie back in the day. Harry was saying “the river isn’t what it used to be” even back then. I’m afraid that we all may need to accept the present day conditions as the “new normal”, just as I did back in the 1970’s when I arrived on the scene. We must however, continue in our quest to gain knowledge of the problem, in hopes that we may somehow slow down the inevitable decline of the fishery, and our sacred environment.
I echo Dick’s entry from July 4. I too continue to wet my waders in the BK if nothing but out of respect for the river, and the knowledge that it’s fish have conveyed to me over the years. This river in particular, with it’s hatches and selective trout, had everything to do with my evolution as a fly fisherman. The first day I fished the BK back in the mid 70’s, I knew I had a long way to go. That experience set me on a lifetime of research and border line fanaticism, that remains with me to this day. We all have a similar story, and we all are aware of the decline. And that’s why it hurts see it happen. I had the great fortune to have met Harry and Elsie back in the day. Harry was saying “the river isn’t what it used to be” even back then. I’m afraid that we all may need to accept the present day conditions as the “new normal”, just as I did back in the 1970’s when I arrived on the scene. We must however, continue in our quest to gain knowledge of the problem, in hopes that we may somehow slow down the inevitable decline of the fishery, and our sacred environment.
Hope everyone is enjoying the Independence Day weekend and thanks for your input on your experiences on the BK I’ve looked thru my logs going back to the early 70’s for times when I commented on the intensity of the particular hatch and I believe ( with no scientific knowledge) that some species have declined. Could be warmer average water temps as A119 noted .My logs show that some hatches (cornutas)are occurring as much as a week earlier than 20-30 years ago.. I also noted a recent pattern of very high ,cold water in the Springs of 2017,18 ,19 and 21 which would have impacted my personal fishing experience and I may have missed the better hatches . Didn’t fish the area inApril and May of 2020 because of covid. So this was a long way of saying-Has the intensity of the hatches declined???My limited observations say I think so. Perhaps the DEC could do some water quality studies(any sewer plant/septic tank pollution) and study the biomass and diversity of the biomass ?
I started fishing the BK around 1973. Through the ‘70’s and early ‘80’s I was fortunate experience some exciting incredible hatches… Hendricksons, March Browns, Grey Foxes, Green Drakes and caddis. Red Rose, Cemetery, Upper and Lower Laurel and area from Horton to the EB junction were exceptional. Many big browns were not unusual and the stocked “pellet heads” keep fishing interesting. The river appeared to decline sometime in the late ‘80’s and my attention switched to the WB. Reasons for the alleged decline…. everybody has an opinion… I drive along the river frequently, but fish it seldom… it’s like an old girl friend… a remembered romance, still mysterious, but not nearly as exciting as it once was
I’ve fished the lower Beaverkill since 2006, which I know is not that long. I love the history of the stream, and I see decent hatches most years, although I always read that they are but a faint glimmer of past ephemeroptera glory. I’ve been delighted to see some beautiful, large wild rainbows. I am very happy that the catch and release sections were retained in the NYS trout management plan. I recognize the DEC is trying to balance the interests of different groups of anglers with different priorities. I’m a catch and release guy who favors wild trout. But I can relate to new fly fishers who just want to catch a trout, any trout, and keep some. A couple of years ago, I saw a little boy at campground outside the no-kill catch one of those big wild rainbow on a nightcrawler. He and his Dad cooked it up, and I was happy they had that experience. So, overall, I don’t have any big gripes with the stocked-extended plan for the Beaverkill. But I’m surely open to suggestions on what could enhance this special fishery.
The amount of fish an angler is allowed to keep seems to high. I didn’t fish the rivers there 20 years ago but I think, like other outdoor activities, when there are more people, or more people venturing outdoors for fun there are more people on the river and more people keeping fish. Eco tourism is big thing now, certain scuba diving destinations, national parks out west etc are seeing huge increases of visitors. Perhaps fly fishing is also seeing this increase. An increase in anglers with the same 5 fish limit can’t be very sustainable for very long. Maybe having a limit of one fish is a start. This is only my opinion based on limited experience on the BK.