Art Flick's Schoharie Creek

[Eperous]

When I'm not standing in these wild Catskill trout streams with a cane rod in hand, than I'd rather be hiking the trails of its majestic mountains with my bride at my side, as she is a non-angler. This past September we decided to explore Vroman's Nose, in Middleburgh, overlooking the Schoharie River valley, downstream a ways from New York City’s water supply reservoir. On the way back home we stopped in Lexington, along the Schoharie Creek where I left my wife to read in the shade as I just so happen to have a cane rod and fishing gear in her vehicle.

The Schoharie Creek is probably one of the forgotten Catskill streams, and the DEC fishery biologists in Region 4 will probably tell you it's no great shakes these days. But it's a stream made famous by the late Art Flick, and from Lexington to the city reservoir it flows through some drop-dead gorgeous rolling countryside. I fished it once earlier this year for the first time in decades, but the best I could do was miss a couple fish in high stained water, under threatening skies. The day we hiked Vroman's Nose conditions were near prefect with a few BWO's coming off, but no signs of any fish activity – above or below the surface. Not one known to be traditional, I attached an Ausable Wulff pounding the pocket water and eventually put a 15" brown on the bank, fondly remembering Art Flick.

Retired now, I hope to explore/fish the Schoharie a bit more in the days to come. Below are a few pictures from that September day.

Ed

Schoharie River Valley from Vroman's Nose:



Lexington pocket water, September on Schoharie Creek:



15" brown minus an Ausable Wulff, back in the Schoharie:



Remembering Art Flick:

[nativebrownie]

Very nice, thanks for taking us along with you. I have not had the pleasure of fishing those pockets.

[Jim Slattery]

Hi Ed,
Thanks for sharing. Schoharie brings back memories. Back in !968 and 1969 my mom and dad tried to by the Breakabean Inn, which has since burned down, in Breakabean. The Schoharie runs just the other side of the highway from were the Inn was. For whatever reason they were unable to get it but we spent 2 summers running the place. The Schoharie at that point of the river is a bass river, but there still was trout as well. I spent many great summer days walking up and down the creek that came down from the mountains and entered the River just behind the Inn. I loved that place.
Jim