The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum’s Summerfest is always a great way to spend a day or two in late summer. The property has a field filled people casting, fly fishing vendors and those who just want to enjoy a day outside in the Catskills. There are a number of programs and events. CFFCM also has a museum and art gallery/event center.
I’ve been a few times and written about it before. Here are a few of my past CFFCM Summerfest posts:
The museum has plenty of items on exhibit, including flies, rods, books, signs and other related items.
There’s also an adjacent space that pays tribute to Lee & Joan Wulff. Joan is still involved with the museum, and on occasion gives casting lessons.
Every time I visit there is something new to see. This year a Gyotaku exhibit caught my eye.
It has almost become an annual pilgrimage, usually topped off with some end of day fishing with my friend Walt Franklin and his wife Leighanne. Walt writes the blog RiverTop Rambles, which I would recommend adding to your reading list.
Unfortunately, this was not going to be a fishing trip. Rains came thru the night before, leaving most of the rivers, including the Willowemoc, the color and consistency of chocolate milk.
In essence, the fishing license I purchased for the trip was little more than a contribution to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
So with a couple of hours on our hands before we headed in opposite directions, we discussed what the best non-fishing options might be. We were also pretty hungry and thirsty.
The Roscoe Beer Company turned out to be a great Plan B.
Not too far from CFFCM, Roscoe Beer Co. is pet-friendly, and has a good bar menu for hungry anglers. They have several craft beers on tap. The growler of stout went down nicely while we had lunch on the back lawn and caught up.
In addition to blogging, Walt is a gifted writer. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy of his latest book, Streamwalker’s Journey. The essays in Streamwalker’s Journey are a celebration of the fly fishing life, with a focus on the triple divide of watersheds in north-central PA and upstate New York. His books are listed on the Rivertop Rambles web site, and I’ve always enjoyed his writing.
So how do I judge a good trip these days? See the pic below. Tippet had a full day of sightseeing and making new friends. It was a quiet ride home.
Hope your summer includes some opportunities to get out and share fly fishing with others. Enjoy!
