ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS

The West Branch of the Ausable River is a renowned river in American fly-fishing. o Its rugged Adirondack mountain setting us breath-taking. But, when it comes to the actual fishing, the blasphemous truth I’ve discovered is that the best trout fishing in the Adirondacks is not on the Ausable. Its on other rivers—that I know intimately. In addition to stocked trout, these rivers nurture populations of wild trout too.

CATSKILL MOUNTAINS

The Catskill Mountains are the birthplace of dry fly fishing in America. People from all over the world travel to the Catskills to fish the Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Neversink, Esopus and Delaware rivers. The West Branch of the Delaware is, in fact, one of, if not the, best wild trout fishery on the East Coast. But the West Branch Delaware isn’t the only exceptional wild trout river in the Catskills—if you know where to look.

GREATER NEW YORK

New York is also the Taconic, Shawangunk, Berkshire, Hoosac and Allegheny mountains. It is the legendary Battenkill and Salmon rivers. It is the unheralded but trophy trout waters of West Canada and Cattaraugus creeks. It is the Great Lakes and the Finger Lakes and all their tributaries. It is the scores of lakes, rivers and streams that connect the sprawling New York City reservoir system. I call all these waters Greater New York.