LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — Glenn Pontier, the newly installed executive director of the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum (CFFCM), invited The River Reporter to the facility to look over the various exhibits and displays.

There are more dry and wet flies than one could ever remember, as well as historical photographs and accounts of the sport and practice of fly fishing, which was created in the Catskills. The story of the birth and development of fly fishing is deeply intertwined with local families who did much to advance the sport.

The center has a museum and gallery and features various fly-fishing workshops on the 53-acre property on the banks of the Willowemoc Creek. There are also nature trails and a pond.

The CFFCM Summerfest and Anglers Market will be held on August 6 and 7, and will feature a wide array of activities for kids, adults, fly-fishing enthusiasts and the general public, including a casting competition and a pig roast. As its name suggests, it is also an opportunity to browse and buy a wide variety of fishing-related equipment. The center will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. It will also be celebrating the 100th birthday of Agnes Van Put, who has been a fixture in the angling community for decades and whose son, Ed Van Put, is a well known writer about fishing and the waters of the Catskills. Agnes still volunteers at the museum.

Another event scheduled for September this year will be the 21st annual Catskill Rodmakers’ Gathering, which will feature fly fishers from all around the country who make their own handmade bamboo rods. The museum itself boasts a bamboo-rod-making workshop in the basement of the Joan Wulff Gallery.

Visit www.cffcm.com for a full list of the events, programs and exhibits.