Posted on September 15 2026
Had several chores to do this morning before heading for the fishing camp. Met with the guy who brought in stone to level the site for our new shed, sprayed Roundup on the patch of Knotweed that has, so far, survived our efforts to kill it, continued work on the bass pond restoration project, and drove down the road a couple of miles to pick up two five gallon pails of apples. By 9:00 I was soaking wet, took a shower, packed the car and headed for Lordville. Sometime after my departure the first genuine fall front pushed through. A stiff northwest wind of at least 15 had the wind turbines spinning and cooled things down, dried things out, and put space behind the hills. The drive down was slowed by the repaving project between Castle Creek and Binghamton. I was in no hurry and by the time I arrived in Lordville the cool dry air had the grass ready to be cut.
With the wind blowing like it was Hendrickson time, I mowed the lawn, puttered around the yard, came in and tried to find something worthwhile to watch on You Tube, (which is now like reading the magazines at the grocery store checkout line), did the Monday crosswords, and at 4:30 headed out to fish.
The fishing - There have been two rain events since I left Friday morning and after consulting the USGS real time graphs, (Does anyone like the new improved ones? They offer a wealth of new information which I don't need or understand. I need to know the water temp and the cfs are and nothing more, and I don't know how to eliminate the other stuff). Anyway, after consulting the flows, and factoring in water clarity, (temps are all ok now), I headed east and up route 30. My problem, (one of many), is that I didn't realize how cold the air was with the new front, AND how much shorter each day has gotten. Arrived at a place with fish rising for both olives and the damn brown caddis that ultimately signal the end of the dry fly season. It's not Hendrickson time, (or sulfur time either for that matter), but there were fish up and feeding and I hooked eight or ten, played all fish carefully, and netted three counters (10, 12, and 12). It shut off before 6:45, (it was down to 57 when I started the car). Stopped at a spot on the EB on the way back and saw neither a bug nor a rise.
There were nine deer in the backyard when I got home waiting for me to shake the apple tree.
I agree on the new and improved USGS site! I don’t like it at all. The old format was much easier to display CFS and temperature. Glad to know it’s not just me that doesn’t care for this new format! Towards the top of the page there is a link to let them know how they are doing with their new format and I tell them the old one was much easier to use for a fisherman.
How long do we have until it’s over?
I fished last night at the mens club. There was a small hatch of sulfurs and some olives. There fish we’re not interested at all. I didn’t see many rises at all and had a few refusals blind casting in the fast water. I left at7:30
Looking forward to the Assoc. editors meeting.
If you don’t need the graphs and are just looking for current temps and levels (CFS) we have a page on our site that updates on page refresh.
If you want to see the graphs just click the USGS site name and it will bring you too that USGS site.
https://www.cnytroutfitter.com/pages/current-catskill-river-levels
Try riverapp.net
I couldn’t agree more on the new USGS graphs! Used to be a quick and easy check of levels and temps and now I’m clicking on all sorts of links to find what I need! The science geeks have made it difficult for the layman!