I have been very fortunate in my life to have traveled around the world working on a professional basis to teach the art and science of fly fishing. My most recent trip was one of great significance, since l have visited this area in the past but, due to our time limitations, was unable to fish. I had intended to visit my dear friend Poul Jorgensen, a famous fly tier and author of Danish origin who resided in the small town of Roscoe NY. Poul and l had worked at many events around the world in the past. Many times I hosted Poul at my home in Wales. He was a fun guy. Some of my treasured memories are flies that hang on my wall that Poul had tied for me. I only wish we could have seen Poul here in Mountain Home attending our FF events. Sadly Poul passed away in 2004 while in his sleep, a fitting way for Poul to leave us. And l missed him when l visited Roscoe as he was out of town.

Now if you are not aware of it Roscoe holds a very important place in the history of American Fly Fishing, and the main reason for that was due to a man by the name of Theodore Gordon, who is respected as the father of American Fly Fishing. Born 1854 and died 1915. Some brief history here may be of interest.
Gordon’s interest in fly fishing began after he imported from the UK fly fishing equipment and flies, and was also influenced by the way fly fishers had fished in the UK for a few 100 years prior.
During this time the wet fly that ruled in the UK and this enabled Gordon to catch those stream beauties, which very likely were at that time Eastern Brook Trout.
Brown trout were not introduced into the rivers he fished until the late 1800’s..

Either way his interest expanded after he came into contact with Frederick Halford, who was a practitioner of dry fly fishing. In fact Halford, who fished the English chalk streams, opined that the dry fly fished up stream was the only acceptable way to fly fish for trout. This became purist way of thought which was not the way 99% of UK fly fishers thought, as they fished the natural lakes and loughs and freestone rivers of the UK. The English chalk streams represent a very small percentage of the trout waters in the UK and Ireland.

At any rate, Halford sent to Gordon trout flys (dries) that he had innovated for the waters he fished. They were largely related to mayfly species and did not represent the species that were known in the rivers systems that Gordon fished.
Thus began a new era in American Fly Fishing History, as Gordon pursued the innovation of dry fly patterns to duplicate the species related to the rivers he fished, such as the Hendrickson March Brown.
This era also brought about the tying of commercial flies here in the US, as prior to this flys were obtained from UK sources, mainly those from the Hardy Co.
Therefore we see the innovation of the Catskills dry fly and the famous tiers of that region, Harry and Elsie Darbie to name two.
Gordon himself is known for the innovation of many of these fly patterns, one of which is the Quill Gordon, still a great fly.

While there l paid a visit to the Catskills fly fishing museum, which is set beside the Beaverkill River, hence the picture of the trophy Brown trout. It’s a very interesting little museum to visit, although the building is small. I was more than happy to see a display in memory of Poul, and also happy to see in the showcase some of the Davy Wotton SLF Poul Jorgensen Salmon and Sea trout dubbing ranges l had produced in my factory in Wales for Poul’s signature series. l guess at least l reaped a little fame there in FF history.

My main reason to visit Roscoe New York after traveling to Connecticut, was to host some fly fishing clinics and to teach wet fly fishing. While in the New York area, l fished the Beaver, Nerversink and West fork of the Delaware River, rivers very much unlike the White river system; and if l were to be honest, the kind of rivers l choose to fish since they were very much like the freestone rivers of my homelands. Eggs, Y2ks and pink worms have no place here. Have no doubt that wet fly techniques caught many of those beautiful fish, particularly Brown trout. These rivers are supplemented by both Bows and Browns as stock fish; but they also hold many larger carryovers and natural reproduction with fish well in excess of 20 inches.

My next visit took me to the Housatonic Fly Fishers Store, where l taught the ways of Euro nymph fishing and wet fly methods. Now if you think the White is difficult to wade at times, you have no idea what it is like to wade the Housatonic, which is also a tailwater. Unlike ours, however, felt soles are worthless. You need studs. It is a fast flowing slick river formed from both gravel and large round boulders that can send you into the water in a hurry if you make a wrong move. I came close to do that a few times but made it out dry.

The rivers in this region have great mayfly, stonefly and caddis hatches. While I was there I enjoyed the sight of the Hendrickson emergence along with caddis. As one might expect, the right wet fly patterns fished the right way again nailed those fish, as did the Euro nymph techniques.

If any of you have an interest to travel northeast instead of west, l can highly recommend the many rivers in the Roscoe region. If you choose to go to Connecticut, then fish the Housatonic and the Farmington, two others l have enjoyed fishing in the past.

Drop me a line if you need further details here.

Tight lines all.

Davy
American International Schools of Fly Fishing