The River Reporter

Ramblings of a Catskill Flyfisher

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It seems that the debate about the relevance of different fly patterns, how they are tied and how well they function, continues as an age-old controversy. Every spring, with the opening of another … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 10/9/19

A perfect match

It is natural, I believe, to search for better and more balanced equipment as we evolve as fly fishers. This is especially true for those hooked on cane fly rods. Most of us are continuously seeking … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 9/25/19

Jaws: a bout with Hannibal the Cannibal

Fly fishing is mostly a quiet and contemplative sport, but sometimes an event occurs that far exceeds a normal day of casting flies to rising trout. This is a story about one of those events: an … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 9/11/19

Little black ant, left, Trico and Olive mayfly spinners.

The late summer doldrums

Looking back, one has to wonder where the 2109 trout season went? April and May were cool and wet, rendering stream flows too high and cold for fishing, with fly hatches repressed or lost. The … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 8/28/19

Are the Sulphur Mayflies back?

Though they’re extremely late, they are back, at least for this season. The hatches normally begin the second week of June. Sulphur mayfly hatches have been absent or limited in numbers from … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 8/14/19

A clump of dry didymo beside the Mararoa River in the Southland Region of New Zealand. Luckily, New York’s river water isn’t a great candidate for promoting major blooms of this algae.

The didymo dilemma

Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata), or rock snot as it is commonly known, has been found in several New York waters: both branches and the Main Stem of the Delaware River, Esopus Creek, Battenkill … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/31/19

TRR columnist Tony Bonavist perfecting his casting in his yard “with a pretty good loop!”

How’s my casting?

Fly casting is that part of fly fishing many of us take for granted, yet nothing is more important than for anglers to be able deliver their flies accurately under a variety of conditions. A long … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/17/19

The last hour

On Catskill Rivers, once the spring-fly hatches are over, much of the daytime fishing has ended. The evening fishing has begun: Pale Evening Duns, Sulphur Duns and Green and Brown Drake mayflies, … more

By TONY BONAVIST | 7/8/19

TRR photo by Tony Bonavist Molly resting by the East Branch. &nbsp;

I went to the river

Normally, I go to the river to fish and cast my flies, but not today. Today I went to the river to seek guidance and relive the terribly sad, traumatic events of several weeks past. On a late June … more

TONY BONAVIST | 6/19/19

The versatility of the Rusty Spinner

I believe most fly fishers have a favorite or “go to fly”—that would be my claim for the Rusty Spinner. Why is this particular fly so versatile? It’s a pattern that I use in a … more

TONY BONAVIST | 6/5/19

TRR photo by Tony Bonavist Quill Gordon, tied by Tony&nbsp; &nbsp;

A history of fly fishing

Depending on what one tends to believe, the literature indicates that Marcus Valerius Martialis (41 to 104 A.D.) or Claudius Aelianus (170 to 230 A.D.), both who lived in or around Rome, were the … more

TONY BONAVIST | 5/22/19

An evening with Cinnamon Caddis and other adventures

I almost didn’t go fishing today. First, there was a luncheon in Rhinebeck; then I had to walk the dog, load the car and get gas. My negative side complains, “It’s a long drive, the … more

TONY BONAVIST | 5/8/19

A two-time trout

I’m not inclined to tell fish stories, but there are times… Last year, during Hendrickson time in the Catskills, Roger and I decided to try a favorite pool. We were on the river about 15 … more

TONY BONAVIST | 4/24/19

Early season trout fishing

April 1, opening of trout season in New York State, arrived in my neighborhood with bright sunshine, a stiff wind and a reading of 21 degrees on the thermometer. A little later that morning, I spoke … more

TONY BONAVIST | 4/10/19

Little brooks

This morning was the first morning I heard a robin’s song. Many months have passed since the robins last sang; it was a cloudy morning with a warm rain, the perfect time to go fishing. The … more

TONY BONAVIST | 4/3/19

Photo provided by Wikipedia Commons Ariel view of the Amawalk Outlet, to the left of the cloud. &nbsp;

Amawalk revisited

As fly fishers, we all have favorite rivers. Sometimes, one or more of those rivers plays a significant role in our lives, a role that isn’t evident in the first years. For me, that river was … more

TONY BONAVIST | 3/13/19

Sheila’s Pool

Some stories are harder to tell than others. They can be harder to write, too. This is one of those stories. It came to me while I was having a glass of wine with an old friend. He had just … more

TONY BONAVIST | 1/9/19

Merganser predation affecting trout populations?

Listening to angler friends toward the end of each season, one hears some interesting dialogue about the changes in trout populations. Most of the commentary centers around theory, not fact. Yet some … more

TONY BONAVIST | 11/6/18

Fall on the Henry’s Fork

Fall in the Rocky Mountain West arrives early, especially at elevations above 5,000 feet. So it was no surprise to find aspens along the banks of the Henry’s Fork in southern Idaho ablaze with … more

TONY BONAVIST | 10/3/18

My 9/11

A long time ago, when I was a 19-year-old lad, I pounded the Hound all the way from White Plains across this great land to Missoula, MT, where I enrolled at the university there. My adventure began … more

TONY BONAVIST | 9/5/18

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Currently viewing stories posted within the past year.
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