New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-10-18
FISHING AMONG THE KAATSKILLS.

DELAWARE COUNTY, September, 1856.
Some of the best chapters in Mr.. Beecher's
somewhat Overrated book are devoted to the praise
of fishing, and an extract therefrom shall intro
duce this letter to those of our readers who love
angling and are in need of guide to the fishing
grounds of the Kaatskill noun tains. aside from
1.-The pleasure he says, which arisds in connec
" ton with seeking taking ones prey, we
"pect that the collateral eDjO! me- rs amount, often,
"to q greater sum than all the rest. The early
rising, the freshness Of those morning hours pre-
"ceding the sun, which few anti-pisestory critics
"kpOw ANYTHING about; that wondrOus early
"morning singing Of birds-compared to which all
latter day songs are mere calculations and then.
THAT Incompatible sense of freedom which one
"has in remote fields, in forests, and along the
"streams. His heart, trained in life to play by
"iets like an artificial fountain, seems, as he wan
"ders along the streams, to resume its own iber-
"ty. and, like a meadow brook, to wind and turn,
Z" amid flowers and frpging shrubs, at its own I'M
"molested pleasure"
But few yesrs ago and trout could be taken in
all the streams which emerge from the eastern face
Of the Ksatsbills But the pollution of the water
by tsnDeries and saw.mills, and the reckless de-
structon of the fish by those whs frequented the
streams, have so thnned their numbers that one
must cross over the mountains to the brooks that
lun westward to meet with sport worth his aims
Leaving Baatskil toward the close of the after
noon. let him pass through the Palensvile Glove
while the sun is setting, and rest for the night at
Aptbopy's tavern, fifteen miles from the river.
The fishing in the neighborhOod is quite good, par
tculary in Stony ClOve-a magnificent gorge Ia
the mountains which rise ON either aide almost
perpeDdiculaIly thousand feet. Ten years ago
the sun pever penetrated into the recesses Of this
d.fle, and have teen tuns Of ice hing in mid
August among The rocks at its bottom. But road
bss been made through it, and its wildness has
been almost destroyed. Its charming riyulet, how.
ever, still remains.
Fr.m Apthony's, where day or two may be
pleasantly spent would direct stranger to
the country TO an inn fifteen miles further to the
westw ard, kept by jOyial farmer, known through
al the IegiOn roul d about as West Chase. Trout
are quite abundant in the streams in bis neighbor
hood; and lot from mere bearsay would extol the
neatpess and cookery OF his wife. Some OF the hap
pest hours in my life have been spent at his inn,
ard always feel an eager longing within me for
the country and its manifold pleasures IT. peRt %
in town, call to mind tie singing of the bObOlinks
at sunrise in the meadows of our host, the beauty
of tie Wes,bi before it issues from the mountains
the excitement OF fishing pure and yet So ntense
sn6-he tolls of the day over-the cheerful suppers
(of which our spells were the chief part partakea
in tbankfulness at the close Of The day
From this tavern it is a 6ay g easy walk south
through BusLDen's Glove into SLapdaken, he
country of the stream known as the Big Indian
There is still good fishing in this brook, but the
want Of decent tavern is q great drawback upon
visit here. would warn all your readers against
making halt az the inn at Shandaken Corners. IL
is dirty place, and its beds the abodes of null
titudipous yermin I he fisherman can find accom-
mediation at the houses OF the farmers in the region
but if tie weather be fine, let him BY all means
ccmp cat upon the Big Indian
And Dow We are at the borders Of Delaware
county on the turnpike leading from Kingston,
forty miles west from Hudson and after crossing
Pine hill, we strike the headquarters of the east
branch of the Delaware river. At Griffin's cor
ners, here the angler will find comfortable tav-
erp and everything to his liking, there are three
streams within easy reach-Dry, WhOrtleberry
and Mill brooks These have their source in the
ric &c which divides Ulster and Delaware counties,
are rapid streams, broken By frequent waterfalls,
are quite free from uDderbrush, and abound 10
trout. Further down the Delaware river the
Btaverl III makes its way from among the noun
taips- the largest Of its branches and the best
known by sportsmen. 1hose who prefer 10 come
directly 10 the Beaverkil from New York Can
reach il most easily BY leaving the Erie railway at
| Hancock snd driving up the river. 1t ia o noble