Down by the River...

Upstate here we have some great week-night get-together's down by the Hudson River in the brother cities of Albany and Troy. Just down the river from each other, these two cities are making the best of some improved river-front by bringing in after-work concerts. The city of Albany has the "Alive at Five " gig Thursday nights from 5 to 8 PM at the Corning Preserve outdoors and the city of Troy has tagged Wednesday nights as "Rockin' on the River" at Ryan's Wake starting June 11th. The Albany night has been around for a while and has provided some excellent entertainment and fun for even the family crowd.

It used to be that the very name of the Hudson conjured up images of pollution and ecological damage. Years of cleanup and finer-thinking folks have brought the river back from the brink into a cleaner flow and a bonanza for the anglers. A breeding ground for shad, striped bass and the legendary sturgeon has been re-established here. Sturgeon used to be so big and plentiful they were caught and packaged as "Albany Beef".

Like how I got around to fishing again? Well for those of you who like striped bass, the run is on and they are knocking them dead on the river right now. Now go have a great Memorial Day weekend and remember to toss the keys if you toss a few too many.

TK