Fishermen Turn Out for Opening Day
By Liz Page
BLOOMVILLE – The fishermen were few and far between first thing Saturday morning, but
those who stuck it out were treated to a beautiful, sunshiny day, after midmorning.
Tara Fairbairn, of Stamford, has been going out on opening day since she was a kid and her
partner, Kenny Palmatier, is also an avid fisherman. Missing from their annual rite of passage on
Saturday was their son, Andrew, who was feeling a bit under the weather and didn’t want to get
wet.
The rain on Saturday morning went from steady to intermittent, producing some soaking rain in
between. It was wet and Friday’s showers had turned many waterways into a chocolate brown
that made it difficult for the fish to see the bait. The water was high and swift, which is nothing
unusual for opening day
Tara was using a lure at the bridge in Bloomville, a favorite spot to cast a fishing line for many
anglers. She said they usually don’t go there on opening day, opting for some quieter spots, but
because it was muddy, she said they were starting at Bloomville and would work their way to the
less muddy water where they could hopefully switch their bait to worms.
One of the keys to catching a fish is that the water is clear enough for them to see the bait.
Fairbairn and I stood there for a time, marveling at how calming it was to stand at the edge of
the streambank, cast a line and watch it feed downstream. “It is calming. That’s why I like
fishing,” said Fairbairn.
She said she was only one in the family to catch a fish on opening day last year, which was
cold, with a couple of inches of snow. The conditions were not ideal. “I was the only one who
caught a fish,” she smiled.
It is a family affair for them and Fairbairn is an avid angler. She said she invested in a rod last
year that allows you to feel the fish strike the line. “It took a little getting used to, but I do like it.”
It started to rain fairly heavy again and I decided to leave. Fairbairn made her way to the car to
wait out the rain again. Her only regret, she said, was not bringing a book to read while she was
sitting in the car. Once the rain let up, she would go back to the streambank.
Cliff Mueller was out early opening day, but said he didn’t last long. “The streams looked like
chocolate milk and I didn’t see any other fishermen. I lasted about 20 minutes,” he said.
Many believe the opening day falls on April Fool’s day, because the weather most of the time is
not ideal. It is a teaser for anglers to get out into nature and enjoy the outdoors.
So the annual rite of spring has taken place, marking one more sign of spring and soon the
state Department of Environmental Conservation will be stocking local streams and ponds. To
see where and when the stocking takes place, visit the DEC website at dec.ny.gov or to get the
latest regulations.