Fishing for Fun

2-Day Itinerary

When it's time to do some serious male bonding with your buddies, there's no better place to do it than on the water in one of Greene County's legendary fishing spots. With roots extending back to the exploration of the beautiful Hudson River Valley in the late 1600s, Greene County's varied fishing opportunities are still ranked at the top of any angler's list.

Trout anglers will find some 50 mountain streams with more than 221 miles of storybook fishing immortalized by Art Flick in his bible for trout fisherman, The Streamside Guide. The East Kill, Catskill, Schoharie and Ten Mile creeks offer 26 miles of fishing access, where brook, brown and rainbow trout abound. Hunter Mountain Expeditions is a full-line Orvis dealer offering guided fly-fishing trips and Judd S. Weisberg is a licensed fly-fishing guide who is equally well-known for his wade and float trips.

If spin or bait casting it more your thing, the world-famous Hudson River is also home to more than 76 species of fish and is renowned for its large striped bass. Almost every weekend between May and October, Greene County hosts a bass fishing tournament at either the regional, state or national level. Fins and Grins out of Catskill and Reel Happy Charters in Cairo both offer fishing charters on the Hudson River. Greene County's pristine mountain lakes – such as North and South Lakes and Dolan's Lake – yield northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass and lake trout.

At the end of the day, down a couple of cold ones at one of the pubs in the "Irish Alps" of East Durham, order a classic cheeseburger and fries at an American diner or treat yourself to a thick filet and good glass of cabernet at one of Greene County's many fine dining spots.

On day two, get up and do it all over again. Or, if hunting is up your alley, check out the Hullo-o-Farms Game Preserve in Durham, which offers pheasant, turkey and dear hunting in season, along with professional guides and overnight accommodations.

Before you take your "mancation," take a look at the Greene County Calendar of Events to see if you can plan your trip to coordinate with one of many fairs and festivals that just about any man would love:

• Hunter Mountain hosts Tap NY in April, the Microbrew, Wine & Food Festival in September and Oktoberfest in October.
• East Durham is the site of the Corvette Spring Fling & Car Show, the Irish Festival in May and the Catskill Mountain Thunder Motorcycle Festival in September.

No matter the season, there's always something to see and do in Greene County. Come fish for fun!