Life’s reflection and more Catskill watercolors:

Why (DtC):

A question living creatures often ponder, this one at the bottom of a stream with reflections of a clear net--- from above--- all about.  Why, why am I here with a fly stuck in my jaw?  Why can’t I move freely about and why is that unfamiliar round thing behind me?  Why are the lines of refracted light in such odd patterns?  Why are you and I so up close and personal?  But perhaps most pressing, why are you anglers so in love with me most of all?

A Catskill Hollow (NFS):

What is it about a hidden Catskill hollow some find so alluring?  Is it because nature fondly calls these places home?  Could it be many are the birthplaces of mighty waterways?  Perhaps the small wild trout have something to do with this affection?  Maybe on this misty, foggy, drizzly day, the very elements of life are alive in this damp, cool ravine?

Catskill brook trout:  Salvelinus fontinalis, a native New York trout, although taxonomically it’s actually a char and not a true trout.  Historically brook trout were the only Catskill trout, but nowadays brookies might not be the largest nor most cunning fish in these mountains.  However, there’s little doubt brook trout are still the prettiest of the bunch, especially in autumn spawning attire.  Typically brook trout require the coldest and purest of waters, even if it’s a little acidic.  As such development, pollution, and competition from other trout species tend to reduce the brook trout’s current range to headwater streams and small tributaries.  Typically a six-inch Catskill brook trout might be a decent size while a foot-long fish a real trophy, though in ponds and lakes brook trout can grow in stature.

How can any serious fly-fishing fanatic not love the bodily colors of a wild Catskill brook trout?  These vibrant fish are both the hunted and the hunters.

The hunter (DtC):

This trout is poised in attack mode, patiently postured for a fleeting morsel to approach within striking range.

Bewilderment:

Confused by the sting of a Brown Bivisible stuck in its jaw and a slight tug from a tippet--- working to redeploy this fish from the creek bottom’s safety, it fins in bewilderment.

A Gunks brookie (Sold):

Not all wild regional brook trout are only found in the Catskills, some might make their homes under the shadows of the Shawangunks, in white conglomerate bedrock streambeds.

Hardy and the brook trout:

Perhaps one of the most prized fly reels ever manufactured, a Hardy reel and a brook trout make unlikely unwater acquaintances.

Traver’s trout:

This watercolorist only paints original venues, refusing to mimic the work of another artist.  However, a persistent husband pleaded that she paint this scene for him, so she acquiesced.  The work was originally portrayed by Samuel A. Kilbourne (1836-1881) and later graced the covers of old Orvis catalogs and Robert Traver’s book, Trout Madness.