I will be in NY from Monday next week and staying/working mainly in Princeton.

Are there any worthwhile fishing shops to visit and, as I will likely be staying on for the Saturday, is there any worthwhile fishing nearby?


Many thanks for any forthcoming info



regards



Ben

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Ben,

Might be worth asking the question here.
Mid-Atlantic Area - The North American Fly Fishing Forum

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Eddie
"We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation."
Voltaire

I met a guy in a tackle shop a couple of years back who worked in an 'outfitters' in the Bronx of all places!!
He was singing the praises of the striped bass fishing in the area. I think he mention New Jersey? I think this may be a fair distance from New York tho. Maybe worth looking into?

He sent me an email with details of his shop and offered to guide for me if i ever made it out. I cant find the email now!!

Hope this helps and i hope you have a good trip.

Tight lines
Paul

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Feedback from past visitors to New Yaaaak has been that the fly shops are limited. The one that everyone mentions is The Urban Angler in Manhattan, but then several have gone on to say that it was basically a run of the mill Orvis shop, but with New York prices.

Keep in mind, in New York you pay both a state and city sales tax (aka VAT). That tax is not included in the shelf price like UK VAT is, it's added on at the register. As I recall it's about 12% and this is on top of already high prices. IMO, if price is a concern, buy it online and have it sent to your hotel. That way you avoid sales tax (in most cases).

Agree with the suggestion to try to make contact with local anglers to see what's possible for fishing. Sandy Hook Bay, just to the east of Princeton, comes up often as a saltwater hotspot, but as with any saltwater action I think what's available is highly seasonal and depends on some pretty specialized knowledge.

Good luck.

Grouse

Yep. Nothing special about it other than it being the only real fly shop in the city.

I lived in NY, just north of NJ for a few years before I moved over here. I also worked in one of the outdoor shops in north Jersey for a while. Long story short, don't get your hopes up for shops or fishing.

Shops wise, there isn't a big cabelas or bass pro anywhere near Princeton or NYC. You'd have to drive 2-3 hours for the nearest Bass Pro or Cabelas. If you want to drive, then Cabelas in Hamburg PA is a great store and a pretty drive. There is a Bass Pro in Harrisburg PA as well. You'll find that most of the local shops are saltwater heavy if near the coast and bass fishing heavy if inland. Fly fishing (other than saltwater FF) isn't too common for NJ.

The fishing is going to be very spotty this time of year. The saltwater fishing is slow right now as the fish are largely migratory. The stripers and blues are down near Florida/North Carolina right now. And it is too cold to be out on a boat in the ocean. In NJ there are some trout streams, though nothing spectacular. I'm not sure what their open season dates are. If you really want to fish, your best bet would be to go north to the Catskills. It will be a 2.5-3 hour drive, but you'll be in some of the most beautiful scenery for most of the trip. The streams are hallowed (Beaverkill, Willowemoc, Delaware, etc) and some fish okay this time of year depending on the flow and temp. There are some great fly shops in the area that specialize in trout fishing. Catskill Angler is the known one. They have a good website and web forum. I'd advise checking with them how things are fishing before driving up. Give them a call and stalk on the forums. Also, the Catskill fly fishing center and museum is well worth a visit if you like history. There is a TON of really cool stuff in there. It sits on the banks of the Willowemoc at a pretty good area to fish (just upstream from the bridge to the center fishes well).

The Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum @ CCFCM.net

Let us know how you fare.

Thanks
Rick

Not to counter Rick's info, but make sure you understand the fishing seasons and what rivers/what sections you are allowed to fish. I know nothing of the trout season dates in NY, NJ, etc, but in general winter trout fishing regs in many states are full of gotchas. Some rivers are closed, others are open in certain sections only, some are C&R only, some are barbless flies only in possession, etc, etc. You cannot rely on signs being posted at/near the rivers.

Also, keep in mind you're in an area where several states are very close together and you need a separate license (and possibly stamps or endorsements) for each state.

Grouse

Thank you very much, Chaps!

all good info there so much appreciated indeed.


Sounds like it may not be worth taking any rods/reels with me - I will likely be too busy anyway

Would be nice though to try and make it up to the Catskills for a mooch around so may hire a car to have a look see.


many thanks once again


Ben

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You're about 6-8 weeks too early, otherwise you could try for shad on the Delaware.