Last weekend I took a drive up to Cold Spring to walk around town looking at old things, as well as to check out a new store that opened recently called "Old Souls." They are an outdoor lifestyle store that has a nice selection of useful items and some limited, well chosen options on clothing. Of course, I took the opportunity to scout a few small streams on the way up from the city.
The first stream is pretty near Cold Spring and also near a road. It has a nice long section or two that look really idea. However, there is a lot of gravel and sand in the stream from erosion and runoff. I didn't see any fish either. Getting to Cold Spring, I walked around for a while and then found Old Souls.
They have a fly fishing section with a small selection of rods and a couple of kits. The displays are nice and do a good job of framing things in a way that makes you want them.
There is also selection of high end nippers and forceps as well as a range of reels. All the basics that you'd want are here. It must be hard to have a fly shop these days, so I think its smart of these guys to combine it with an outdoor lifestyle store to make it work. Anything that keeps the fly shops alive in some form makes me happy.
The store is well laid out and looks pretty good, too. This used to be a kayaking and more traditional outdoor supply store, and I remember coming here as a child. While its sad to see things like that change as you grow up, I really liked the new store.
Notice the display of Field Notes brand notebooks... they make a waterproof one that is absolutely incredible, and along with a space pen, it writes in any weather and can withstand a good soaking. I always carry one when I travel. There is also a great selection of bags, backpacks and wool blankets.
A few sets of waders and boots were cleverly situated and completed the fly fishing collection. I said hello the the staff and gave them some stickers and info on the NYC Tenkara Anglers before moving on. I wondered why they didn't have any Tenkara rods for sale in there, but the owner wasn't around so I didn't bother to discuss that with the (very friendly) employees working that day. This place is clearly a perfect match for Tenkara, in many ways.
Heading out of town and farther north, I stopped at a more promising but smaller stream that offered only about 1/3 of a mile of public land access fishing. All the right elements were in place and I went for a short walk from the car to check it out. The sun was setting, there was a chilling breeze, and the light was just perfect.
The stream looked more promising than the last, and I soon stumbled upon a small trout, most likely a Brookie, in the pool below. It saw me and darted up under the log as fast as it could. I am looking forward to returning with a very specific rod in hand to fish this stream after opening day.
Because the season on these streams is still closed in New York, I took my time enjoying the light as the sun mingled just above the ridge-line behind me.
This tiny stream apparently offers a few challenging opportunities for wild brookies, and landing one here would be a real treat, as well as a test of small stream fishing skills.
Some of the structures here reminded me of miniature versions of places I had seen out west in the Rocky Mountains. Others were more distinctly "new york."
Finally, after a short drive I visited a lake that a friend had recommended I check out as being stocked with large 14" rainbows. It had some picnic tables and grills, as well as a trail around the lake. There was a big lot and I have driven by and seen it full before.
I didn't see any fish trolling near the edge of the shelf, nor any rising. But it was cold and there was no hatch to entice them to the surface. Clearly this isn't a spot to go for solitude during the warm season...
But on this day it was exactly what I wanted. I sat and watched the sun dip before heading home.
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