The reason I fish the Amawalk is not entirely for the fishing opportunities it allows, it's the memories. I grew up there. I spent my teenage summer evenings there, when I should have been drinking cold beer with other high school aged kids. I knew every inch of this stream by the time I reached the ripe age of fifteen. I knew where the fish would go when it was hot out, and I pretty much knew that the Cahills would start hatching on - well, June, in the evening- air warm, water cold. And letting off a foggy steam for dramatic effect.
I knew back then what I know now, that wading slowly and carefully up the heel of the first bend pool you can find a sixteen inch wild brown, if you toss a grasshopper under the long grass at the bend's elbow, at about seven fifteen in the evening.
I knew back then what I know now, that wading slowly and carefully up the heel of the first bend pool you can find a sixteen inch wild brown, if you toss a grasshopper under the long grass at the bend's elbow, at about seven fifteen in the evening.
Or a nine inch wild brown. Either way, if you're carrying a very small fly rod with a 3 weight line (no more), you can get a real nice fight out of any Amawalk trout, if you're lucky enough to fool one in the first place.
I have a special rod that I use for this stream only. It's a home made job, six feet in length, weights about two ounces, and it casts a whopping 12 feet, max. All you'll ever need for the Amawalk. Especially if your leader is fifteen feet long. When I spool up and change locations I have to wrap the leader all over the reel just to keep it away from hanging up in branches. I like to sneak around in the woods up there.
There are trees everywhere, and weeds grow shoulder high. Especially in August. Care must be taken with each cast, and with each motion you make, or trees, twigs and various unknown gravitational forces will grab hold of your line, your leader and/or your fly and not let go under any circumstances. The quarters are tight.
I've fished the Amawalk in the rain, the snow (one time it snowed two feet on opening day), the hot July afternoons, mornings, evenings, dusk and absolute dark. I've even fished the Amawalk in the middle of winter when parts of it are frozen over. Even though trout season on the Amawalk ends on September 30th.
The biggest fish of the day took a 50/50 nymph, fished just along the far bank above the Wood Street Bridge. And don't think I'm giving away any secrets here, the Amawalk protects itself from amateurs with it's overhanging branches and finicky, reclusive trout. Go ahead, fish the Amawalk, I dare ya. Watch out for the deer ticks.
The Amawalk is a tailwater. The entire flow is made up of the cold, clear water from the bottom of a reservoir, released gently through the wooded hollows that are a small part of the Croton Watershed, and this, without accident, makes up a healthy, thriving habitat of aquatic insects, deer, squirrels, and foxes, mice, owls, hawks, and trout- then supplies drinking water to New York City.
The Amawalk is true fly fishing stream. If you do visit, please practice catch and release.
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