The Esopus Creek is located in the north eastern Catskills and is one of many tailwater streams that link together the extensive reservoir system which supplies New York City with some of the purest drinking water on the planet.The main source of water comes from the Schoharie Reservoir and the stream travels several miles to flow directly into the Ashocan Reservoir. The flow of water from the Schoharie Reservoir ...

is directed through an underground portal system that delivers very cold water to the Esopus making it one of the premiere trout streams in the world. Unlike most eastern trout streams the rainbow population in the Esopus Creek actually outnumbers the brown population. A large jumping rainbow is my favorite trout on a fly and I have had many days on the Esopus that rival famous western streams. This stream is very friendly to wade and most of the many miles of fishing it represents are accessible to the general public. There is no need to fish shoulder to shoulder in this spacious environment. During the spawn many large breeding fish make their way into the stream from the reservoir and most will make their way back with one of your favorite flies as a souvenir. Because of the migratory behavior of the fish in this stream hiring a local guide would get you into position to lose your flies quicker or maybe even land a few of these wonderful creatures for that perfect picture as your own souvenir.