Esopus Creel

01/23/2026

I’ll admit it… I loved telling people that I was Agnes Van Put’s birthday buddy. August 15th. And of course, I’d joke about being the elder. If you don’t know Agnes, she lived to be 109, so the silliness of the statement was just that. She’d giggle when we talked. Shared smiles freely. Agnes lived an unstoppable life.

More than gear, I have an insatiable appetite for collecting fly fishing books, and while there are many I wouldn’t mind having there is only one that I seek that would potentially put an end to my madness. It’s rumored that when her son, Ed, first published The Beaverkill, Agnes was often working the store at The Catskill Fly Fishing Center where, of course, the book was sold. Her pride and enthusiasm prompted her to sign several copies as they made their way out into the world. Some, who knew the importance of the book wanted a copy not signed by Agnes, for fear that it would lower its collectibility. Fools the lot of them! Well, that’s my holy grail. That’s the only book I seek… an Agnes Van Put autographed copy of The Beaverkill. Let me know if you’re willing to part with yours. Though you shouldn’t.

It’s funny… Agnes was so light and so full of joy that sorrow just doesn’t seem to fit. I can only smile on her longevity and feel blessed to have known her. Thanks for all you shared with our world, birthday buddy! Tight lines.

01/15/2025

“If we are drawn to nature for the rewards of the summit or the big trout, should we not strive for the satisfactions of less tangible aspects of our time outside?”

Read the whole article, Stillness and the Sanctuary of Nature, at - link in bio.

12/02/2024

Join me in conversation with Jesse Vadala about the state of the Esopus. Thursday, December 5th, 7pm on Zoom. We’ll discuss implications of one of the worst droughts the region has experienced. The aqueduct shut down. Low flows and high turbidity. Link in bio.

06/27/2024

04/01/2024

The rules may change, but opening day is opening day. Tight lines to this community of anglers. Our commitments to conservation and the protection of the Mighty E are a true testament to our love of rivers. Fish often. Look around. Be gentle.

11/07/2023

The Blue Collar Special. Lately, I find myself wading in a world within a world. I am adjacent to giants of our craft. The very best of fly tyers and whittlers of cane. The flesh and honor of individuals who have given their precious time to protect rivers. I have held the hands that held the hands. I have, quite literally, worn their clothing, cast their rods, and gazed upon the inner cogs of a history so well defined, that to err is to sin upon its very name. I rub shoulders with my idols and all the tropes that come with them. But still, I remain, or strive to remain, the humble angler.

After tying my silly modern nymphs amongst a crowd of dry fly purists on Saturday, I wanted to wet a line a step closer towards the romanticized angle. Which is to say, “the old way.” And so, I finally scratched a few firsts off my list with the humble gear I have at my disposal. Left behind were the ultralight everythings. The drag and the bead heads. The bags upon bags of nothingness.

My list of gear, from the top: Bean’s Double L Bamboo rod, “The Beanie” with the USA’s most popular line, Cortland’s 444 in peach… a 5-weight line that floats like cork… and if you need anything else, it’s likely a lesson. The reel that line is wrapped around is a very special one to me. An early Medalist with silver button and sculptured pillars, likely from the late 20’s or early 30’s - gifted to me by one of my mentors, John Hoeko. The drag is shot and it sounds like a dying turkey when you strip it out, but damn does it look good. The Eagle Claw net from the fishing counter of some now nameless hardware store on the banks of my Mighty E… sans nylon… and I’m dreaming the tale of two brothers forever changing the flow of my river. Their reputation sustains, all be it a bit tattered by modern minds… the Folkert’s made history and memories here. And as I pull stocked browns from fast waters of the now frigid Schoharie, I wonder the future of mine. The wrong river. Flick’s beloved beauty that sung sirens to Manhattanites until the Inn finally burned. It was an end.

I am softer when soothed. The river lapping my stride and step. And they… they are right there… always.

11/02/2023

Last weekend the little man and I joined members of on a redd survey of the Esopus. is using an app to aggregate survey data nationwide. It’s simple, but pretty darn cool. The group spread out far and wide including tributaries and the main stem of the river. Some struck out. Some struck gold. We found three completed redds and a new appreciation for streamgazing without rod in hand. For him, the idea that a trout flipped sideways to smack its tail on the riverbed and clean rocks was just amazing. I’ve witnessed hens cleaning and it’s almost disorienting how awkward it is the see the white of a trout’s belly flash in the current. What a beautiful day and memory. Thanks to the chapter for organizing this event. Restraint and patience are the virtue.

10/31/2023

Esopus Creel wishes you a very Happy Halloween.

10/13/2023

Glory Days at the Bartlett Angling Collection located within - This Sunday.

10/02/2023