Angler Alert:
Now You Can Match the Hatch Digitally
Phoenicia, NY—Fly fishermen looking ahead to fishing the legendary Esopus Creek now have a single place to go to find out all they need to know to match the hatch.
Officially launched today, the interactive website, http://www.catskillanglingcollection.org, provides Catskill anglers with a comprehensive digital “hatch chart” of the insects the trout are eating, the artificial flies that best imitate those insects, and when and where to fish the trout. It also offers a history of angling on the Esopus Creek, the natural history of local trout species, recipes for tieing the flies that match the hatch, and more. The content is available on all devices, so users can access it on a desktop or laptop, or carry it with them via tablet or smartphone.
The website, produced by the Jerry Bartlett Angling Collection housed in the Phoenicia Library in Phoenicia, New York, is a state-of-the-art marriage of art and science created by the Chichester, New York design firm of Stephanie Blackman Design and Mark Loete, a professional photographer and Esopus fly fishing guide. It was sponsored by a grant to the Phoenicia Library from Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Ashokan Watershed Stream Management Program.
The project began after a fire at the Phoenicia Library in March 2011 damaged eight “Match the Hatch” panels housed in the library’s Jerry Bartlett Angling Collection. The panels had been created by fishing guide Jerry Bartlett in the early 1990s as part of his instruction and guiding program and included photos of 47 species of aquatic insects in various life stages, matched with the artificial flies that imitate each insect. Project workers transcribed the information from the charred panels, then cross-correlated it with macro-invertebrate surveys of the Esopus Creek carried out by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation from 1995 to 2010 and with on-stream observations by experienced Esopus anglers during the 2013 angling season. The taxonomy was updated to reflect the most recent changes in the naming and classification of the listed insects brought about by advances in genetic DNA testing.
The resulting 2014 Match the Hatch digital edition is a listing of 33 insect species favored by hungry Esopus Creek trout, reflecting current conditions and arranged by month of their appearance. A photograph of the nymph and adult phase of each species is paired with studio photographs of the artificial flies that best imitate each insect. This information can be accessed by time of year, generic name of the insect, scientific Latin name of the insect, generic name of the artificial fly, and/or by a visual match of the photos with the live insects encountered on the stream. The artificial flies are further categorized as drys, nymphs, attractors, terrestrials and streamers. Included is the fly tyer’s original recipe for the fly, listing hook sizes and the materials used in making the fly, and identifying both the tyer and the originator of the fly. Fourteen master fly tyers, recognized as among the best at the arcane craft of Catskill-style fly tying, contributed their artistry to the project. Sixty-four original flies tied for the project are mounted in museum-quality shadow box mounts and placed on display in the Phoenicia Library (9 Ava Maria, Phoenicia, NY 12464).
The Jerry Bartlett Collection at the Phoenicia Library was created in 1995 in honor of local guide and angling instructor Jerry Bartlett (1939-1995), who worked tirelessly to conserve the cold water fisheries of the Catskills Mountains. We celebrate the history and traditions of Catskill Angling with an extensive collection of books about fishing and fly tying as well as with collections of rods and reels, tackle, historical memorabilia, artworks, archives, and other resources. Dedicated to Jerry’s memory, the collection is housed in the Phoenicia Library and is open to the public during library hours.
Open House: Web Site Launch and Celebration, April 12, 1-3 PM, Phoenicia Library, 9 Ava Maria Drive, Phoenicia, NY 12464 - "To many afflicted Eastern fishermen, the 'Green Drake Hatch' is as irresistible and habit-forming as black jack, whiskey, or easy women (troutnut.com)." Green Drake mayflies used to be so numerous they blackened car windshields, but we hardly see them now on the Esopus. What happened? The answer to this and other tricky entomological questions will be revealed at an Open House in conjunction with a demonstration of the web site, fly tying by Catskill master tyers, and book sale. For more information, see www.phoenicialibrary.org.
PHOTOS OF SCREEN SHOTS FROM THE WEBSITE ARE AVAILABLE--
Elizabeth Potter
Director, Phoenicia LibrarySign up on our website for our occasional library emails!
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