Well, I am back home after three weeks . Real tired but we had a real
nice time. Visited with my daughters and grand kids. The last week was
spent at the Catskill Bamboo Rod makers Gathering at the Catskill
Flyfishing Center in N.Y..
The highlights of the trip was meeting a number of list members from the
Bamboo rod making list that I am on, talking to some VFB members as we
drove through their areas. No, I did not call Alan Fish at 5 AM while
going through Indianapolis. The biggest highlight was going to the
Catskill Flyfishing Center in Livingston Manor in N.Y. and to the
Dette's house in Rosco. One disappointment was that Mary was in Long
Island with her sick husband. I did not get to meet her but I did get to
spend some time with her grandson Joe. I left some flies with Joe for
Mary. I will be getting some flies from her when she returns to Rosco in
October. Joe had me sit behind Mary's vise in her chair. For the new
comers to flytying and fishing, this is the birthplace of flyfishing in
the US.
While I was at the Bamboo Rod makers Gathering at the Flyfishing Center,
I was asked to tie at the Center after one of the directors saw the
donation Woven Mayflies I tied for the Gathering. I did a presentation
on weaving the Knitpikin Mayflies for a group of people including Joe,
Mary's grandson. That was quite an honor for me. I donated the flies I
tied to the Center and they were bought up on the spot even before I
finished my presentation. It made me feel proud yet humble. I was asked
if I would come back as a featured tyer for the next season. I got to
spend some with Mark Romaro, Mark has shaved his beard and looks 10
years younger.
In the museum there are sections set up that are the flytying tables
with their tying tools and materials of some well known tyers as they
left them on their passing. It just made my hair stand on end. There are
display cases of the bamboo rods they used and loads of photos. I got a
packet of Poul Jorgansons tying material from his tying material stash.
Poul traded flies with me a long time ago at one of the East Coast
shows. I took photos till my card was full in my digital camera.
I finally got to meet the "other Tony Spezio" from N.J. at the Rod
Gathering. He is also a fly tyer and bamboo rodmaker. He turns out to me
a distant cousin.
I had planned on fishing the Battankill and the Willomomack (sp) but
decided that I would pass on doing so. Lack of rain had the streams real
low and real warm. I also was giving a presentation at the Gathering
that took up some of my time. Time for fishing would of been short.
While I was gone, I got a message from Hans, he will be here in October
for the FFF Conclave in Mtn. Home Ar. Hans will be staying at my house
for a few nights so we can chase that big brown living under my dock.
LOL Now that should be some fun.
That is about it for now, I am back on the list at mt netscape address
again.
Tony
- [VFB] Trip report Catskill Flyfishing Center Tony Spezio
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