May 2026

The New York Drift

Official newsletter of NYC Trout Unlimited
Chapter 447

May is a special time. The initial frenzy of opening day is in the rear view, and many anglers have settled into a steady rhythm marked by regular, dependable hatches. In my time on the river this season, I've realized the health of a fishery is not measured only by the size and number of fish we pull from it. Rather, it's also measured by ample fish habitat and the interest and knowledge of the next generation of anglers and conservationists coming up behind us. In fact, at this point in the game, those might be more important gauges of health than one’s daily count.

Whether it's a kid interacting with a local watershed for the first time or getting your hands dirty planting trees, the spirit of paying it forward is what keeps our angling community alive. The May edition of The New York Drift celebrates that stewardship.

As you stand in the current enjoying the spring hatches, take a moment to think about the future of our streams. The chapter has a solid calendar of fishing trips, volunteer opportunities, and social events ahead. We hope to see you out there, and that you can find the time and energy to mentor new anglers and protect the waters we love.

Tight lines, 
D. Barb Hooks

I drive up a dirt road marked with "Park Vehicles Only" signs that ends at a series of picnic tables. It’s a two-minute stroll to the banks of the Cross River, where I meet Tyler and Jessica of the NYC Watershed’s Forest Program, and Mackenna, a coordinator for Trout in the Classroom.

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a Trout Unlimited program where thousands of K-12 students raise trout from eggs to fingerlings in specialized chilling tanks and release them into local rivers. TIC started in a handful of New York City schools and grew into a nationwide program. NYC still has the largest number of participating schools. At the Cross River in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, students learn about the city’s drinking water supply coming from the Catskill, Delaware, and Croton watersheds.

All photos by Ron Goldin

Behind Tyler, Jessica, and Mackenna, I see twenty high school students from Queens in sneakers and hoodies with their teachers, who carry Igloo coolers full of live trout. The kids sit on a log next to the water and listen to Mackenna, who kicks things off with science and nature: the benefits of clean water, the role trees play in filtering water, and the types of bugs that are telltale signs of a pristine river like the Cross. The students fill up plastic cups with fingerling trout only a few inches long. They give the fingerlings quirky, tongue-in-cheek names (e.g., Big Ben) and jointly sing them a freedom song. There's something funny and also incredibly touching about this ceremony.

We break up into groups to gather aquatic bugs from the water to study. In past TIC releases, my groups have been too small to wade. But these high schoolers are excited to get into the water on a particularly hot day. We show them how to do this in teams: one stands upstream kicking up rocks while the other is downstream with a seine, catching mayfly nymphs, caddis pupas, stoneflies, and crayfish.

We collect and display the insects next to entomology charts, showing not only how to identify each, but which are least likely to survive in less than ideal water conditions. Without those bugs, there would be no trout in the river. I open my fly boxes and lay out the various imitations that anglers use for each species.  I explain how, in fast-moving water under a current with a touch of turbidity, my gangly stonefly imitation can convince a hungry brown trout who's just coming out of winter hibernation to bite. I finish by telling the full-cycle life story of the mayfly, from a microscopic nymph drifting in the current to being part of a dramatic sulphur hatch, during which you see hundreds of flies and a seemingly equal number of trout rising to the surface as the water cools with the sunset.

—Ron Goldin, NYC TU Board Member, NYS Guide #9742

Learn more about the benefits of volunteering for Trout in the Classroom

Saplings and Muddy Boots at the Amawalk Tree Planting

Although the day broke cold and wet, two dozen volunteers turned up on Wood Street for the chapter’s annual tree planting. They sipped coffee from paper cups and cinched up their rain gear while Jesse Vadala, Engagement Coordinator for Trout Unlimited, laid out the plan for putting 200 saplings in the ground. After Jesse gave a short demonstration—pointing out ideal planting spots, how to remove a sapling from its plastic planter, and how far down to dig—we spread out along the river banks and got to work.

All photos by Josh Ethan Johnson

A few people with power tools trimmed back the invasive bushes. The rest took up pick axes and shovels. A couple of children had come along with their parents, and a retriever bounded about, happy as could be in the wild water. The work was dirty, but the mood was jovial. Despite the trials of labor and the build-up of mud on my boots, it felt good to be out there, doing something to help.

Keep in mind that while lots of solid work was being done, the anglers present frequently glanced at the water. The flows weren’t too high even with the steady rainfall. The riffles and runs looked promising, and I found myself watching the foam line and daydreaming about dragless drifts.

When the last sapling was in the ground, Jesse gave a crash course in invertebrates. He kicked up rocks and sediment from the riverbottom, collecting the results in a mesh net. We crowded around to see mayfly and stonefly nymphs, scuds, and other bugs, giving new context to the flies in my Orvis box. Then, the crew dispersed. Some stayed to fish the Amawalk. Others drove northwest to cast a line in the Delaware. Others still drove back to the city, perhaps a little cold and tired but fulfilled by giving back to the earth and the trout we so adore.

—Jason Rintz, NYC TU Chapter Member

The Mend

Final Call! Volunteer Next Week for Trout in the Classroom

When you volunteer, you’ll automatically be entered to win one of these unique prizes:

• Filson bag featuring a custom-painted Steven Weinberg trout graphic  

• Nation FC packable rod of the winner's choice  

• Full-day guided float on the Delaware River with Brian Sheppard of City Fly. Available for up to two anglers any time after July 1.  

• Foris Outdoors navy packable trucker hat  

• Foris Outdoors olive packable waxed canvas long bill hat  

• $100 gift card to North Branch Inn  

Volunteer spots are still open for May 26, May 28, and June 1! Sign up to volunteer now

Upcoming Events

Fellow Anglers

Gone Fishin’

Current Events

Check out a roundup of recent news stories about public lands, river restoration, and urban angling abroad:

• Dam removal on the Juniata River in Bedford, Pennsylvania, leads to river recovery

• Federal government lifts mining ban near the Boundary Waters Wilderness, opening door for copper mining outfit

• Wolfe’s Pond on Staten Island to benefit from recent NY DOH’s announcement about fish from the Hudson River

• An urban angling tradition in the Veneto region of Italy

Contribute to The New York Drift

We know the chapter is full of talented and passionate individuals. Have a penchant for words and want to contribute to The New York Drift? Want to see us invest in different types of content? If so, we want to hear from you! Email us at nyctrout@gmail.com to let us know what’s on your mind.

Make sure to follow NYC TU on Instagram to stay current on chapter activities.

Have an idea for an event or project, and the willingness to help make it happen? Drop us a line

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