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Captain LaSorte, who has been a licensed New York guide since 1989, shows off a Delaware brown. For a full bio on Adrian, see below. |
It's all about catching trout...
Captain Adrian LaSorte is widely recognized as one of the top flyfishing guides in the Catskill region, and one of the most successful. The secret to his success is simple: "I see my job as more than providing my clients with a nice day on the river," Adrian says. "That’s important, and I want them to have a great outing. But, they hired a guide to catch trout. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that happens. In the end, that’s how they’re going to judge their day."
Adrian’s willingness to go the extra mile in the pursuit of trout is especially important on the challenging tailwaters of the Delaware’s East and West branches, as well as the river’s Main Stem.. The Delaware and its tailwaters have earned a reputation as one of the nation’s best trout fisheries largely because of the size and fighting spirit of the wild trout the river holds, as well as the challenge in catching them.
"These are rivers where you can feel great at the end of a long day because you hooked and landed a single fish," Adrian says. "It’s not the quantity of fish caught that counts on the Delaware. It’s the quality of the fish you catch, and the match-up of your skills as a flyfisher against the natural wiles of a big trout. You catch one, and you feel good -- about the fish and yourself."
There are, of course, those days when Catskill fishing can be almost magical; times when awesome mayfly and caddis hatches can provoke usually wary trout into periods of voracious top-water feeding. And, on these days, catches can be spectacular.
For Adrian, the rivers of the Catskills are home waters. The son of an expert flyfisherman -- Antonio LaSorte, M.D., a thoracic surgeon and a founder and former six-time chairman of the Catskill Flyfishing Museum -- Adrian spent his boyhood summers scrambling over the free-stone bottoms of the Catskill rivers, flyrod in hand, in pursuit of trout. As a youngster, Adrian studied flytying at the bench of Walt Dette, one of a handful of master tiers who helped refine and carry on the Catskill tying tradition begun by the father of American flyfishing, Theodore Gordon.
In addition to the Catskill rivers, Adrian also has developed a special knowledge of New York’s Salmon River, and many of the tributaries lining the western edge of Lake Ontario, where trophy king and coho salmon and awesome lake-fed browns make their Fall and Spring spawning runs. From either streamside or driftboat, Adrian has helped his clients catch salmon in excess of 30 pounds, along with six- to ten-pound browns.
"The Salmon River is one of the best
rivers for cohos and kings that I’ve ever fished and it’s among the best in the
country," Adrian says "It’s hard to believe the size of the fish this river
produces, and the opportunity it offers the flyfisher for landing a fish that he or she
will never forget."
Adrian’s flyfishing experience extends around the world. He has fished for Atlantic salmon and trout in Russia, Iceland, Canada and Alaska, and throughout the lower 48 He’s hammered stripers and blues off the Atlantic coast, and tarpon, bones and permit in the waters of the Caribbean. His saltwater fishing experiences convinced him to undertake the rigorous course work that enabled him to become licensed as a captain, and he provides specially-arranged outings for clients who want to fish the saltwater flats of the Florida Keys or the coastline of the North Atlantic.
As an independent guide, Adrian has a long list of regular clients who use him exclusively throughout the year. Many are expert or advanced flyfishers, who know that Adrian’s skills can provide them with some of their most challenging and exciting flyfishing experiences. Others are beginners who have been referred to him because of his unique ability to teach and to provide information that will help to build a foundation in flyfishing that will last a lifetime.
"One of the best things about fishing with Adrian," one of his clients wrote recently, "is that he is able to bring you to the next level of the sport, no matter what your experience. If you’re a beginner, by the end of a day with Adrian you’re ready to go it alone. If you’re average, you’ll be on your way to being good. Even if you’re an expert, Adrian will take you up a notch. He’s the consummate guide."
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