Take most any summer early morning or evening on the Chenango, Otselic or Unadilla rivers, or the larger streams such as the Butternut, Wharton, lower Canasawacta and Genegantslet creeks, and the odds of catching fish are much better than some might think. The better action is primarily the result of the sun not yet boring almost straight down into the normally summer-shrunken waters, a period when fish scurry to find shade and security, and are less interested in feeding.

The species of fish available and caught will vary according to the water being fished, but the best part is that at least some fish will be caught, which is something that becomes much harder to do during the middle hours of the day. Whether it’s a trout, bass, walleye, pike, rock bass or maybe a big fallfish or shiner, the fun is in the catching, regardless of what angling method is used.