The Fishing Page
Trout!
A beautiful Tug Hill Rainbow
True or False:
There are no fish left in the Adirondacks due to acid rain.
FALSE! And to the contrary of that popularly held
belief, many Adirondack and Tug Hill waters are teeming with breeding poulations of  Brook, Brown, Lake and Rainbow Trout. Many lakes and ponds have outstanding
Bass fishing and in some of the bigger lakes you'll find Walleyes, Northern Pike, Muskies,
Splake and even landlocked Salmon. Many a remote mountain pond will reward you with a
pan full of delicious beauties like the one pictured above and top off your bushwacking
adventure.
That's not to say that acid rain is not a tremendous problem - mostly
from outside our state - that we must continue to fight. Acid rain has had a
devistating effect, particularly on areas in higher elevations where many lakes are still
so acidic that they cannot support healthy fish populations (here's more on fish populations and acid rain.) What
I'm saying is that, from my experience, fishing appears to be improving and there are
plenty of places that you can wet a line and catch fish. Sometimes, lots of fish.
Sometimes BIG fish!
The colorful Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis, pictured below) is the
official New York State fish and along with the Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) they are
the only trout truely native trout to New York State waters. That's right, both Brown and
Rainbow Trout are non-native species that were introduced to New York Sate in the late
1800's.
The picture to the right (above) is a nice Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) I
caught on the last day of the season in 2004 and at the top of the page is a Rainbow
(Salmo gairdnerii) I took out of the same hole on the same day!
So, next time the fishing bug bites you, go to the mountains, hop in
your canoe or bushwhack to a spot you always wanted to fish and give it a try. Bring a
backpacking stove, a skillet and some butter and you might be in for a great surprise.
That's my cousin's son Kyle above and below is the biggest Brook Trout I
ever caught. When you ask me where we caught them??? "I just say, "we caught
them in the Adirondacks!" The brightly colored Brook Trout above is a male and the
one below is a female. By July, males begin to brighten up and even get a
"hook-jaw" a look most often associated with Salmon.
Here's a rustic Trout recipe. What
are you waitng for... GO FISH!
-Roy Reehil |
