The Battenkill: An Intimate Portrait of a Great Trout River-Its History, People, and Fishing Possibilities

Full of lore, fascinating history, and shrewd fishing advice on this great Vermont river.

From its quiet beginnings in the southern Vermont hills to its junction with the Hudson River near Schuylerville, New York, the world-famous Battenkill River is as rich with history as with trout (which are still both plentiful here and notoriously difficult). Veteran author John Merwin explores both the river's traditions and its fishing opportunities in a remarkably charming blend of natural and popular history. This pastoral valley has been home to a wonderful variety of characters. Ethan Allen was Vermont's greatest eighteenth-century hero but also a drunken fool who, from his home along the river, conspired to give the newly independent republic of Vermont back to the British. Asa Fitch, America's first professional entomologist, wandered the lower river valley in the 1800s with dozens of fluttering specimens prominently pinned to his formal top hat. Norman Rockwell, one of America's most beloved artists, lived and painted along the river for thirteen years; Rockwell happened to be out listening to a lecture by his famous fisherman-neighbor Lee Wulff on the night his painting studio was tragically destroyed by fire. Then there are the fish. The Battenkill is counted as the most difficult of rivers by serious trout fishermen, and its clear, cool waters still offer substantial numbers of wild brook and brown trout. Merwin explores tackle, tactics, special fly patterns and the river's fly hatches in depth. (6 1/4 X 9 1/4, 212 pages, b&w photos, map)