NY - Catskills - 000

Beamoc - At a crossroads, making decisions while fishing

Traversing from where the Midwest-transitions-into the East, my thoughts were preoccupied with more than just catching trout. Will this work? Can I rebuild and grow Steffen Brothers? To this point, my experience in the fishing industry had been limited to web design and occasional custom fly rod build commissions. These commissions had mostly been through text message deals or consulting client gifts… My better half often joked that I was becoming the drug dealer of fly fishing… So, When conversations began flowing with Shane Gray about formalizing a business around my passion, things got more serious.

When a curated trip for a client and his family fell through, I decided to go on the trip in there place… Thus, my last second 10 hr drive from Ohio to the Catskills commenced.

A fishing trip can be a catalyst for many great ideas, and many unrealized dreams. But... Once I stepped into the valley, these anxieties and thoughts were fleeting... It is amazing how time in nature, especially time on the water, can provide the "active" space to be silent.

The valley was a real thrill. Coasting through the hamlets unlocked so many sensory curiosities; there was a collective realization that man and wilderness would soon be clashing together in the greenery of the mountains. The coordinates and intersections of creeks—streams turned rivers—set the perfect backdrop for chasing trout. But the history of the region and of the heralds of the fishing guides, entrepreneurs, also echoed around us, and they served as ample entertainment for this wayward traveler.

I keep reminding myself of the rigidity and pickiness of well fished trout. They made for quite the crucible to humble my fly fishing prowess. It’s an experience, IMO, deserved to be had by any aspiring angler. Lore of the local two-headed trout, beamoc. Served as a timely symbol of my current decisions that needed to be made. Maybe it is not such a cautionary tale, more of a story of adaptation ;) idk. Check it out, and let me know (email andy@steffenrods.com).

As for hospitality and food: Hands down a local experience for the ages. Fresh produce. Fresh catch. Fresh beef. Provisions perfectly executed by Chef Drew. As far as tracking hatches and off-beaten paths to trout, Phil Terrano, the resident expert and gracious host, offered a quiet confidence, or rather a tenacity to solve the equation of catching fish. Midday adventures turned to late night trout-naut-ing as we steadfastly fished to catch the two-headed trout of the Catskills. Of course, the fishing was nearly outclassed by whiskey tastings, tales of conquests (both fishy and other), bespoke meals, stream-side meals, stairwell tied flies, morning neon goodness—and the most “undersold” yet phenomenal late night coney one’s taste buds have ever tasted.

Bonus. For this rod geek, fishing Phil Terrano bamboo rods (Hudson Valley Rod Works), Classic Steffen iM6 Graphite rods (Graywolf), and a sweet little 5pc yellow glass 4wt from Kabuto (Kabuto 79345 yellow edition). Made the trip all the better. Casting fine rods, can sometimes be just as enjoyable as catching... Atleast that's what I tell myself!

Yes. I would head back to reach cast, dead drift, and with hope, get another Catskills brown to hand! But if I don’t it has made me a better fly-fisher and angler nonetheless for sharing this opportunity with you all.

Sometimes the chase, and the moments for space are the prize of a great trip. Capturing the essence of this space, will be an important ingredient of where we want to take the Steffen Brothers Fly Rod CO.