One of the things I've enjoyed through out the years has been and is the fly displays. Catskill history isn't just about early American expansion, the settling of the mountains, the finding of fabulous trout streams or the vacation destination it's become. For flyfishers, many of American flyfishing traditions started here. However, flyfishing in America started in Colonial Pennsylvania, more particularly, in Philadelphia. Colonial aristocrats settling in Philadelphia, and later British officers, brought fly fishing tackle and methods from England where it had been practiced since the 15th Century. As the city grew, merchants and craftsmen began to supply the needs of the populace, which included fishing tackle. A number of merchants offered imported fishing tackle, when available, as early as 1731. Even Benjamin Franklin in 1741 sold fishing items in his printers shop.
Recreational expansion into the Catskill mountains occurred in the 1840's and by the 1850's angling notables, such as Thaddeus Norris, fished the Beaverkill River, the Willowemoc Creek and the surrounding waters. Norris published, in 1864, the American Angler's Book which established “The American School Of Flyfishing” and became the first American angler's “bible”. He planted the seeds for the development of American dry fly fishing and the Catskill style flies. Theodore Gordon learned to fly fish and to tie flies from Norris' book taking “Uncle Thad”'s advice of “ fishing your flies dry and up-stream” as practiced in the 1850's. With that advice and correspondence with Frederick Halford of England, Gordon developed the beginnings of dry fly fishing and the Catskill style of tying flies.
The Catskill Fly Fishing Center opened May 28, 1995 and my son and I were fishing the area streams during that week which included a visit to the new museum. One of the first exhibits that attracted me was the early Catskill flies. They were mounted on a pyramid type base and the fly on the top was tied by Theodore Gordon. Descending from the top were examples of the those who tied in the style: Herman Christian, Roy Steenrod, Reuben Cross, George LaBranche and many other (that I've forgotten!). Over the years not only just flies, but complete exhibits featuring Preston Jennings, Art Flick,Winnie and Walt Dette, Elsie and Harry Darbee and Ray Bergman can be viewed. Guest tiers are every weekend, developing and teaching new refinement and styles of Catskill patterns as well as other innovations.
In a sense, every fly fisherman is a collector. Each of us has a collection of flies: dry flies, wet flies, emergers, nymphs, streamers and a list of specialty patterns. Freshwater, moving water patterns, stillwater patterns, salt water and every kind of species patterns. We have endless choices for fishing. But guess what, we have a collection! True, we use the flies, but we also have learned about the flies: How to fish them. Where to fish them. Who tied them and how they originated. We learned their history! Some of us might even have broadened that collection by including historical examples, not to be fished, but to be studied and admired. The flies of Norris, Gordon, Christian, Steenrod, Rube Cross, Art Flick and all of the numerous others can only add to the beauty of the collection. And pursuit of any historical fly will add not only another dimension to your collection, but also enhance your fly tying. Try It!
Recreational expansion into the Catskill mountains occurred in the 1840's and by the 1850's angling notables, such as Thaddeus Norris, fished the Beaverkill River, the Willowemoc Creek and the surrounding waters. Norris published, in 1864, the American Angler's Book which established “The American School Of Flyfishing” and became the first American angler's “bible”. He planted the seeds for the development of American dry fly fishing and the Catskill style flies. Theodore Gordon learned to fly fish and to tie flies from Norris' book taking “Uncle Thad”'s advice of “ fishing your flies dry and up-stream” as practiced in the 1850's. With that advice and correspondence with Frederick Halford of England, Gordon developed the beginnings of dry fly fishing and the Catskill style of tying flies.
The Catskill Fly Fishing Center opened May 28, 1995 and my son and I were fishing the area streams during that week which included a visit to the new museum. One of the first exhibits that attracted me was the early Catskill flies. They were mounted on a pyramid type base and the fly on the top was tied by Theodore Gordon. Descending from the top were examples of the those who tied in the style: Herman Christian, Roy Steenrod, Reuben Cross, George LaBranche and many other (that I've forgotten!). Over the years not only just flies, but complete exhibits featuring Preston Jennings, Art Flick,Winnie and Walt Dette, Elsie and Harry Darbee and Ray Bergman can be viewed. Guest tiers are every weekend, developing and teaching new refinement and styles of Catskill patterns as well as other innovations.
In a sense, every fly fisherman is a collector. Each of us has a collection of flies: dry flies, wet flies, emergers, nymphs, streamers and a list of specialty patterns. Freshwater, moving water patterns, stillwater patterns, salt water and every kind of species patterns. We have endless choices for fishing. But guess what, we have a collection! True, we use the flies, but we also have learned about the flies: How to fish them. Where to fish them. Who tied them and how they originated. We learned their history! Some of us might even have broadened that collection by including historical examples, not to be fished, but to be studied and admired. The flies of Norris, Gordon, Christian, Steenrod, Rube Cross, Art Flick and all of the numerous others can only add to the beauty of the collection. And pursuit of any historical fly will add not only another dimension to your collection, but also enhance your fly tying. Try It!
