Access to rivers is not a new topic for most anglers, but few have gone as deep into the weeds on the topic as Beau Beasley has in recent years. He’s chronicled an ongoing saga on the Delaware River in New York, where it’s not currently clear who owns certain sections of that famous fishery.
One section in particular is causing anglers grief—the Long Flats Pool, which is included in a section of land purchased by the New York State Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) specifically for angler access, according to Beasley. Landowners along the pool have posted no trespassing signs, warning anglers that they need written permission to fish a section of river that’s supposedly public.
One landowner believes he has claim to the land, and not NYSDEC, due to a land grant dating to 1708 from England’s Queen Anne. The NYSDEC doesn’t recognize that land grant, however, and has stated that the no trespassing signs are illegal. According to Beasley, however, the state hasn’t enforced the removal of those signs, and is still waffling on some of the finer details that would allow angler access.
It’s a complex, involved problem that’s emblematic of water access fights across the country. If you fish the Delaware, or are concerned about river access in general, you should read Beasley’s piece to get a better sense of how convoluted these problems can get.
I am very curious. The Douglaston Manor lawsuit concerns the Salmon River in Oswego County, NY. These rich f***s won a suit to keep fishermen off “their” river. Are these the same people with a long continuing history in the Republican Party, the Barclay family, who own Douglas Fly Fishing?