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FOR THE OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST IN ALL OF US!

APRIL 2011 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 2APRIL 2011 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 2

Outdoor LadyAmanda Lonis

Fly Fishing with Randy Kulig

Family Hiking

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The Catch of the North accepts allevents, stories, and photos pertainingto the outdoors. Photos will not bereturned without a self- addressed,stamped envelope. Not responsibe fordamage to photographs.

Deadline is the second Saturday ofevery month for the next month’s issue.Email with any questions.

The Catch of the North is notresponsible for any Damage, Injuries,or Loss that may occur on any outingthat comes from this publication.

Design and Printing by Steffen Print & Design

Editor ............................. Allen Lonis

Contributing Writers

Randy Kulig • Allen Lonis

Amanda Lonis • Shawn Bolen

Dwain Klatt

From the EditorWe hoped that everyone enjoyed the 1st issue.As an avid outdoorsman you are always waiting for the next season,

whether it is hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing, or hiking. Now thatApril 1st is here, the West Canada and the surrounding streams andcreeks are open. Enjoy the spring fishing, be safe and stay warm. We arewaiting to get any photos or stories sent to the email or mailed in to usat Catch of the North, PO box 115 Hinckley, NY 13352. We are lookingto grow in size, so please send in your Catch of the day.

APRIL 2011 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 2

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ContentsCalendar of Events . . .2Family Hiking . . . . . . .3Moss Lake . . . . . . . . . .3G Lake . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Panther Peak . . . . . . . .5Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Home Grown Bucks . . .7Fly Fishing

with Randy Kulig . . .8Trapping/Hunting . . . .9Minnows . . . . . . . . . .10Tid Bits . . . . . . . . . . .11Outdoor Lady . . . . . .12Trout . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Mountain Man . . . . . .14Catch of the Day . . . .16

Corporate CommunicationsNewsprintPosters FlyersAnnual ReportsLetterheads Envelopes

Full ColorPrinting

BinderyMagazinesCatalogsNewlettersBrochures

Catch

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Herb Philipsons, New HartfordSportsman ShowApril 9 • 10am - 5pmHunting, Fishing, Camping & Demonstrations

Gander Mountain to Host Steven Lakemon April 10th at 10am. He will be answering questions regarding trout fishing,turkey hunting, and the new crossbow regulations.

Trout and Salmon Expo 2011April 16 New Hartford recreation centerFor information contactwww.tumohawkvalley.org/expo2009.htm

Hunter Education Course Gander Mountain (two day class)April 22nd from 5pm to 9pm, April 24th 10am till done.Contact the store to register. Registrants must attendboth classes to complete certification.

West Canada Riverkeeper Meetings: May 18, July 20, Sept 21, Nov 16Third Wed of the month at 6:30pm Town of Trenton Municipal Center

West Canada Creek Associationis looking for Vendors to join in on the celebration ofNational hunting and fishing day-September 24. Formore information contact: rgrose1949@hotmail.com.

Have an outdoor event that you would liketo place in our events calendar? emailcatchofthenorth@gmail.com

Calendar of Events

Holland Patent • Stittville Floyd • Rome • Taberg

Camden • Sylvan Beach • Verona Oneida • Sherrill • VernonUtica • New Hartford

Sauquoit • Washington MillsMarcy • Whitesboro • New York

Mills • Yorkville • Clinton Westmoreland • Oriskany

Mohawk • HerkimerLittle Falls • Frankfort • IlionDolgeville • Middleville

Fairfield • Newport • Poland Barneveld • Remsen

Alder Creek • Forestport Otter Lake • Old Forge

Inlet • Eagle BayPort Leyden • Lyons Falls

Constableville • West LeydenLowville • Boonville • Piseco

Speculator • Wells • Indian Lake

Distribution Drop-Off Points

Fly Fishing EquipmentTying Materials/Flies

Live Minnows • Salted Minnows • 3 Size Worms Meal Worms • Spikes • Wax Worms • Licenses

154 MAIN STREETNY MILLS, NY 13417

CAROL COMENALE, OWNER

PH. 736-6009

4

G LakeG Lake is located on a seasonal

dirt road that is off of route 8, inHamilton county.The trail to thelake is only a .4 mile hike. The trailis nice and flat, which is perfect forcarrying in a canoe, camping gear,or even just for a picnic with thefamily. There’s a campsite at the endof the trail that’s right on the water.There are no trails that go aroundthe lake, you will have tobushwhack to travel around thelake. If you have a canoe, enjoy theeasy hike and paddle around. Thereis a peninsula that is quite large forthe lake. There are two lakes thatare close to G lake, Little Pine lakeis a mile away, and so is EvergreenLake. When you’re driving downthe dirt road, there are trails, calledthe Hamilton Mountain Fire Towertrails.

Hiker’s notesPlan your trip and get all necessary gear. Givesomeone your time frameand destination with route.

Plan ahead!

Family HikingThis section was thought of to inform families

about affordable and quality activities to enjoywith the family. We know as new parents thatfamily activities that teach as well as bring youcloser together are important. In every issue, thefamily hiking section will inform you of locationsthat vary in different levels of intensity. Thesehikes can range from easy, moderate, hard, andthe occasional extreme.

Moss Lake is locatedoff Route 28 in EagleBay, on Big Moose Road.

The hike is very short to thelake. It’s an easywalk, the trail isflat and wide.The trail goesright down tothe lake, to acanoe launch.There’s a trailthat goesaround the laketo differentcampsites. Thesites fill up fastin the spring ands u m m e rmonths. Whenyou’re walkingaround the lake, camping ,orcanoeing, make sure to look forthe island. The island isinhabited by a pair of Osprey.The island is off-limits, but youcan see them, so keep an eye out.For a better view, bring a canoe

and paddle around the lake, thecarry in with the canoe is short.The campsites are kid friendlyfor fishing, you can cast fromshore. The trails are also enjoyedby bike riders due to the path

being flat,wide and well packed.There are two small pondslocated close to Moss lake, Bubband Sis. The loops is 5 miles,the3 around the lake are easy andthe other 2 miles that go to theother 2 lakes are a little rough.

Moss Lake

Hiking & TravelsFamily

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By Shawn BolenIf you’re looking for a nice hike

with some slightly steeper terrainthen come check out Panther Peak.Located on Old Piseco rd. off ofstate route 8 in the town of Piseco.The trail head ison the north sideof the road whileample parking ison the southernside. PantherPeak is a familyfriendly hike thatcan introduce truem o u n t a i nclimbing toyounger children.In my opinion,Panther Peak isthe perfect startermountain forgetting in shape.

The trail startsoff heading north-westerly through an ash forest withan easy incline. The trail is wellmaintained, with Blue trail markersdefining it along the way. You will

reach a large boulder in the trailthat will basically be the halfwaypoint. Once you reach this point,the incline increases greatly andheads primarily north through asmall valley. The trail then comes

out of the valley behindthe summit headingslightly northeasterly.Once you reach the top,

there is plenty of open bedrock to sitdown and relax on while enjoyingnice views of Piseco lake and Spylake. There are several small foottrails that meander around the topthat give different angles of theviews. Several sharp cliffs aroundthe southern face make for an areawhere one should use good caution.You do see a lot of families hikingpanther peak during the campingseason. Campgrounds are availableat Piseco lake.

Panther Peak

Hiking & TravelsFamily

Please let us know if there are any

places you would like to hear about. Send in stories or

photos of your familyhiking and travels.

Recipes

When enjoying the taste of yourgame, pop open a bottle of wine.

There are certain wines that go with certain types ofgame. Many people feel that it is hard to pair wine withwild game. The idea is to get the two to balance eachother, you dont want one to overpower the other. Here is ageneral rule to go by if you have no clue. Try somethingfrom the regions where wild game cuisines were foundedlike Bordeaux, the Rhône Valley, Portugal and Spain. Withlean meats like venison or elk use Old World reds fromRhone or Bordeaux. When cooking a hardy rich saucewith wild game, open a bottle of New World Red likeAustralian shiraz or Central Coast California syrah. Duckand wildfowls, they match perfectly with a lighter sweeterwine like pinot noir-red burgundy. If using a l'Orangesauce, try a dry white wine like Gewurtztraminer. It’s likegoing fishing, sometimes you to get one and sometimesyou don’t.

Game, Fowl & Fish Paired with the Right Wines

Game birds such as quail, pheasant, turkey, duck, squab and guinea hen haveearthy flavors that are more robust than chicken. Wild game often goes betterwith racy red wines that have a gamy quality to them, the classic beingBurundian pinot noir. The flavors of pinot noir -- plum, cherry, mushrooms,earth and even barnyard (that’s a positive adjective) – accentuate the same gamyflavors in the food. Other wine options for game birds include Spanish rioja,Oregon pinot noir and lighter-style Rhône Valley wines such as Côte-Rôtie.

One of the most challenging flavors to balance is sweetness. Dishes with atouch of sweetness such as glazed pork do well with off-dry wines such asRiesling and chenin blanc. However, rich desserts such as chocolate and crèmebrulé demand a wine that is sweeter than the dessert, or the wine will taste thin,even bitter. Sweet wines such as sauternes, Canadian ice-wine, late harvest winesand port will work not only for their sweetness but also for their unctuoustexture.

WHITE WINE AND FOOD MATCHESChardonnay: Seafood with butter sauce, chicken, pasta with creamsauce, veal, turkey, ham, Emmenthal, Gruyeres, Port-Salut

Riesling:Mild cheese, clams, mussels, Asian dishes, sashimi, ham, pork,lobster Newberg, Tandoori chicken, Coquilles St. Jacques

Sauvignon Blanc:Oysters, grilled or poached salmon, seafood salad,Irish stew, ham, chevre, goat cheese and strongly flavored cheeses,asparagus quiche

Gewurztraminer: Spicy dishes, Thai food, curry, smoked salmon, porkand sauerkraut, Muenster, spiced/peppered cheeses, onion tart

RED WINE AND FOOD MATCHESCabernet Sauvignon:Duck, spicy beef, pate, rabbit, roasts, spicypoultry, cheddar, blue cheese, sausage, kidneys

Pinot Noir: Braised chicken, cold duck, rabbit, charcuterie, partridge,roasted turkey, roasted beef, lamb, veal, truffles, Gruyeres

Merlot: Braised chicken, cold duck, roasted turkey, roasted beef, lamb,veal, stew, liver, venison, meat casseroles

Shiraz: Braised chicken, chili, goose, meat stew, peppercorn steak,barbequed meat, spicy meats, garlic casserole, ratatouille

Stuffed TroutHere’s a dish to serve Easter Sunday. A good tip toremember is that trout are not refrigerator friendly. So ifusing a lake trout make sure it’s fresh or was frozenwithin a few hours of catching.

1-lake trout (3-4 lbs)-whole1-tbsp olive oil½ tsp salt and pepper½ tsp garlic and onion powder1- med. onion chopped4oz-uncooked scallops cut in quarters4oz-fresh mushrooms sliced.3-tbsp- lemon juice3-tbsp-bread crumbs or your favorite

stuffing mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure that the fish iscleaned thoroughly. rub the inside and out with olive oil.Season in and out. Place in lightly oiled baking dish. Putsome of the lemon juice on inside of the fish. In a pansaute the onions and the mushrooms until almost tender.Combine with the rest of the lemon juice, stuffing mix,and scallops and stuff the inside of the trout. Bakecovered about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Whenthe fish is done, the skin will peal away easily. This isgreat to serve with fresh veggies, baked potato, or rice.

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Clothing • Accessories • Shoes

Food Plots

How many of us want to see those fullgrown deer with large antlers to match.Spring has sprung, and now is the time tostart thinking about your food plots.

If you are not a farmer, and don't have planting andtilling equipment, maybe you could trade or make adeal with a local farmer. It never hurts to ask, at leastthen you will know. If you have the acreage, use it, thebenefit will only be rewarding in the end. Once youhave the ground work figured out, it’s time to startthinking of what youshould plant. A deerneeds different typesof nutrition at varioustimes of the year. Inthe spring, they willneed large amounts ofhigh protein.Throughout thesummer, they willneed a moderateamount of proteinand a lot of energy.From the fall andinto winter they willneed lesser amountsof protein and largeamounts of energy.Make sure to plantcombinations thatprovide the deer with what they need.The idea is toplant things that are beneficial to the deer and keepthem around all year long. Keep in mind, that you willwant to plant summer crops and cool weather crops indifferent food plots. What you want would be a mix ofperennials and annuals that will give the deer an amplefood supply year round. This will provide the yearround nutrition to the deer. For example, clover is agood choice for the early season and legumes willprovide a high level of protein. These are perennials andonce they are well established will come back year afteryear. An idea of what you would want, for example,would be to plant cool season food plots like oats,wheat, alfalfa, clover, or legumes. That will give the

deer nutrition through the winter months fromNovember to April. Also, plant warm weather crops forexample cow-peas, soybeans, and milo. They providenutrition for early spring to late fall. Make sure to plantcombinations to provide the deer with what they need.For example plant annuals like corn, soybeans and peasand spring perennials like clover and alfalfa. Wheat andoats, small grains have a medium range of protein withgood amount of energy. Remember these are fall plants.Corn has low protein but high energy. Soybeans andpeas have good protein. The chances are, you will havebetter luck mixing a variety throughout the year for

optimal opportunities,which will give you abetter chance ofgetting a variety ofprotein, minerals andcarbohydrates. Tohelp develop yourherd and help thebucks improve the sizeand mass of thereantlers, give themwarm weather crops,which contain highprotein. Remembergood food plots willmeet the deer’snutritional needs yearround.

Home Grown Bucks

j

8

But, if memory servesme correctly, mostopening days were spentstanding close to a bonfiredrinking hot coffee. Verylittle fishing was done andfew fish were caught.

Here in central NewYork, the streams are stillrunning high and cold onopening day, especially ifyou want to fly fish.Trout, and the insects theyfeed on, are most activewhen water temperatures

are between 50 degrees(F)and 70(F). A streamthermometer is animportant tool in the earlyseason.

For many years now, myfishing buddies and I waituntil the third week ofApril before we do anyfishing. Then we headdown to the Catskills.Some years the water istoo high and cold theretoo. If it is, we'll do somescouting , perhaps visit

the fly fishing museum,browse a few fly shops,stop at a diner for pie andsome coffee, then headhome. No fishing, butgood to be out and aboutafter a long winter. Otheryears, when the water is inthe mid 40's (F) range,we'll get some fishing . Itmay just be throwing"big uglies" like woolybuggers, or driftingnymphs down deep, butwe always manage tohook a fish or two. Thebest years are those inwhich we have an earlyspring. The runoff is overand the water is around50 degrees(F). Blue quills(#16+#18) will beginhatching by late morning,and around 2 pm theHendricksons (#14) willstart popping off thesurface. For me, the firstdry fly action of theseason is the mostexciting.

By the end of April thelittle Black Caddis(#18)

will be hatching on theCatskill Streams. On theWest Branch of theDelaware you willsometimes see clouds ofthem in the air. The troutwill key on them and feedfor hours. The end of themonth also brings hatchesof Blue-winged Olives(#16+#18).

Between the varioushatches, I like to fish aFloating Nymph (seeinset). It's not a patternwe often think aboutusing, but I've had a lot ofgood fishing with this flyover the years. Grease itup with floatant and fishit the same way youwould a dry fly. Be alertbecause the take can bequite subtle.

So, rather than sufferingin the name of tradition,you might want to spendearly April tying up a fewFloating Nymphs; andwaiting until later in themonth before heading tothe stream.

Floating Nymphs

Hook: R43, 94831,TMC-5212 (2XL Dry Fu)

Size: #12 to #16

Thread: 8/0 Dark Brown

Tail: Sparse clump of Mallard Dyed WoodDuck-gap length

Rib: 1 strand of Pearl Krystal Flash-Reversewound over abdomen

Abdomen: Natural Tan Antron/Hare Dubbing

Wing Case: Black closed-cell-foam-pulled over topof thorax

Thorax: Dark Hare's mask dubbing-picked out

"Ya’ goin’ fishin’ on openin’ day?" That's a question we all have heard many

times. For decades, I never missed anopening day of fishing. It was a tradition!

This Months Featured Fly:

Floating Nymphs

A N G L E RSweetwater

CUSTOM FLIES & FLY RODS315.826.7570 By Appointment Only (Evenings)

Adirondack Guide

Randy Kulig

9

Trapping/Hunting

by Shawn Bolen

We have all heard of stories about theoccasional black bear picking through thegarbage or rummaging around campspicking up scraps.

The truth to the matteris that this occasionalhappening has becomemore frequent, due tothe rapid growth in bearpopulation. All aroundthe towns, bear sightingsare also becoming moreof a problem. Bears havebeen sighted as far southas New Hartford. TheDEC has recentlychanged their regulationson feeding black bears.It is best to check the fullregulations on the DEC website because you may bebreaking the law in a manner in which you did notintend on doing. The following definitions were takenfrom the DEC’s website to give you a briefunderstanding;

• “feeding” means using, placing, giving, exposing,depositing, distributing or scattering any material toattract one or more black bears to feed on such material.

• “incidental or indirect feeding” means using,placing, giving, exposing, depositing, distributing orscattering any material for a different purpose but whichattracts one or more black bears. This includes storageof garbage or refuse and storage of birdseed in a mannerthat accessible to black bears.

• Prohibited activities- it is a violation for any personto feed black bears.

• incidentally or indirectly feeding black bears afterthe department has issued a written notice to the personor persons directly responsible for the incidental orindirect feeding of a black bear.

As many of us already know the state campgroundshave really buckled down on campers. It has becomequite frequent at campgrounds with bear problems fora ranger or associate to do a walk through of thecampground to make sure coolers and food are putaway properly, also to make sure campsites are clean ofscraps. Campers who use the many vast wilderness

campsites have to take matters into their own handssince the ranger can’t get to every spot every night. Besure that your food is contained in a bear proof mannerand I wouldn’t be throwing any table scraps into thebrush for the “Raccoons” to eat. Also, pay attention toyour surroundings while you are hiking around and

know what bears are eating atthat time of the season. Bearsout in the wilderness justscavenging for their naturalfoods are just as dangerous asthe bears going for mansfood. Bear sign can be hardto pick out, some signs thatyou may look for is scratcheson trees that contain a nut orberry and most of the timethere will be well definedtrails leading to these feedtrees. Bears often rip apartrotten logs and stumps to getto the insects that are inside.So if you come across a rotten

log that looks like it got hit by a grenade recently, takea moment and make sure the bear isn’t around, as theywill spend as much time ripping that log apart as needed.

So, with this incline in the bear population, it is wiseto keep yourself informed on the areas of denserpopulations. Take the appropriate measures when youare afield to deter the bear from wanting to comeanywheres near you. If you have ever talked to an oldadirondack hunter he surely will tell you that there’ssome big bears in those big woods.

Occasional Black Bear

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Tanners Outdoor Sports, Route 8 Speculater N.Y • 518-548-7705Shiners, night crawlers & good variety of tackleHours: Monday, Wednesday- Saturday 8:30am-5pm Sunday 8:30am-4pm closed Tuesday

Up North Bait6015 Rodgers Rd., Woodgate N.Y, • 315-580-2927, 315-725-3607Md,lg shiners, suckers. Hours: call for appointment or stop by and call the number onthe sign outside the door.

Salmon River Sport Shop4826 Salina St Pulaski N.Y • 315-298-4343shiners, fatheads, worms and tackleHours: 5am-9pm seven days a week

FRANK’S Gun & Tackle Shop, Inc.3549 State Highway 30 • Broadalbin, NY 12078 • 518-883-5053Live Bait, Worms Sm & Lg. Fat HeadsOPEN 10-6 M-F • 10-4 SUN

D&D Sport Shop154 main St New York Mills N.Y, • 315 736-6009shiners, fatheads, variety of worms, and lots of tackleHours: Vary in the morning (call ahead) close at 5:30 pm

Blue Line Sport Shop82 main St Saranac Lake N.Y • 518-891-4680sm, md, lg golden/emerald shiners(vary) fatheads, suckers, and tackle. Hours: Mon.- Sat. 9:00am-5:30pm, Sun. 10am-4pm

Where To Get Minnows

Minnows

Hooking in the head is not bad but the minnowhas a smaller chance of surviving. We all know thatthe more movement the minnow makes the betterthe fishing will be.

Over The YearsIn my years of fishing I have caught many

small fish and many big ones, too. Over time, Igot curious about what the fish were eating. So, when Iwould keep one or two of my catches I would see whatthey had been eating. To my surprise, all of the fish havebeen different, even if they were caught the same dayfrom the same lake, river, or stream. The difference wasthat some of them have been filled with minnows, bugs,worms, crayfish, small pebbles, mud and/or minutetwigs. There was even times when I caught fish that hadnothing in there bellies, when others fishing with mecaught fish that had something in there bellies. Forexample there was a 24” Lake trout that had eaten whatlooked to be a pickerel. There were multiple otherminnows found in its belly with one of them being about9” and one that appeared to be a brook trout that wasa little smaller.

Some people say the bigger the minnow the bigger the fish.I seem to go along with the same thinking but I’m still notsure. So, I prefer to use suckers, but I will use what is availableat the time. For my first line, I will use the biggest sucker, tocatch the big lunker. Then I will set up a second line with amedium size minnow. If another pole is allowed where I'mfishing at the time, I will use a small minnow. I think using thesame size minnow and set up limits your opportunity tocatching different size fish. So, go out and find what worksbest for you, but don’t forget to send us your Catch of the day.

H FRIDAY FISH FRYS H

Over the years I’ve tried many ways ofhooking minnows up. I’ve found that hookingin the back fin area is the best for keeping theminnow alive.

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Tid BitsHistory of the Deer ReportThe history of deer harvesting in NY, has grown from a

measly 4,816 deer reported in the early 1900’s. From 1901to 1909 there was a steady increase in the reported harvest.In 1912, the reported harvest dropped to a low of 4,516.The number started to grow. In 1919 it hit 11,914 thatwere reported. In 1920 it dropped to 7,839. Then thenumbers went up and down to about 1933. From 1936 thenumbers grew staying in the double digits hitting anastonishing 60,327 reported in 1952. In 1968 the reportedharvest was 92,165 with 54,010 of them being adult malesand 23,219 being adult females and the rest were a mix offawn males/females at 14,936. Harvest hit 103,303 in1974 and 103,225 in 1975, but it continued to fluctuatealways dropping back down into the double digits. In the80’s the harvest numbers went into the triple digits andstayed there. The harvest hit 204,715 in 1987, with 97,595being adult males, 59,577 being adult females, and fawnswere 47,543. The 2002 reported harvest hit a high of308,215. From the 2002 to 2009 the total has not goneover that. The 2010 reported harvest is unknown at thistime. The number of adult and fawn males was consistentlyhigher than the number of adult and fawn females. Pleasemake sure to report your harvest for accurate data on thenumber of deer being taken every year.

Tips for TomsWhen hunting the open areas and meadows at

dawn, it will get you close to the gobbler. If yourhunt is unsuccessful in the open area andmeadows, try roosting a tom. It’s hard to do butit’s been done. Finding where the roost is willgive you a good spot to challenge him the nextmorning. Remember to look for the noisemakers under foot.

Challenging the Old TimerThe older the tom the more he needs to be

challenged. If he gobbles to a hen call and stops,he could just be waiting for the hen. Use a purrto challenge the old timer, if he feels up to thefight, you will wee him.

Guessing GobblersKeep the big gobblers guessing. Try doing

things differently on your hunt. Huntsomewheres different in the early morning andgo back to the hot spot in late morning. Keep inmind your early morning spot should be in routeto a hot spot or a cut off spot. Approach all yourhot spots as if there is a gobbler there struttinghis stuff for the lady of the woods.

Hen Calls ....yelp - says I’m over here and things seems to be ok

cluck - everything’s ok

kee-kee - lost where are you

putt - signal alarm

purr - feeding call

cutting - the hen is excited

assembly call - older hens make low to high yelps tocall the young back together, after the flocks have beenbroken up or in the morning.

12

What the outdoor lady inspires...

LadyOutdoorAmanda Lonis

Ladies...how many times haveyou listened to a man tell “his”story about his amazing catch ofthe day. Their enthusiasm aboutthe details is so extreme, that everytime they tell the story theadventure grows becoming wilderwith details becoming moreexaggerated. Men like to embellishwhen talking about their catches.This fish grew 2 inches and gained4 pounds. The deer got larger andthe antlers grew more tines. Hunting was alwaysin the craziest weather with the worst conditions.When other men hear the stories, no one everremembers it the same. Women tend to tell thestory wanting to actually be believed, while themen tell a tale. Remember ladies its alwaysentertaining to know the truth, and the truth isthat we always have the “best catch of the day”.

After the years have passed, I realized that the storiesof who caught what and when became questionable.Out of all the places we’ve gone and all the fish thathave been caught, it seems like the stories change. Theguys always remember that they’ve caught the biggestand I caught something smaller or nothing at all. Iremember that there were times that I caught thebiggest fish. Or that even when I did catch the biggestfish, another time someone else caught somethingbigger. The glory of my catches usually remains brief,before they regain their manhood about being shownup by a woman and the story changes. These gloriousdays of my catch is what keeps me going. I rememberthat I was the one that caught the biggest lake trout atour favorite lake. It was a warm sunny day in early

spring, we had dropped our lines andwent back to shore to sit and wait forour poles to bounce. As we were sittingthere talking, bites started. There werefish caught and some lost as the timepast. On the last drop out that’s when ithappened, my pole bent right over. Theagony of reeling all that line in with thefish fighting - my arm felt like it wasburning. I was so excited, I love it, thatfeeling you get when thinking aboutpulling this fish all the way in. This fishwas perfect, big and fat with brightcolors, just gorgeous. Everyone wasyelling and cheering with excitementgetting to see a huge fish. My trout wasthe best catch that day. Even years later,

everyone remembers me catching that beautiful fish.The robbery is that my husband is convinced that hecaught one bigger a different time. Now, that’s notwhat I remember. So, I’ve decided that, from now on, Iwill be bringing a pad with me to take notes on whathappened that day. I’ll write down all the details so thememories remain true. Then the truth will be told thatI always have the best catch of the day.

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13

Big Browns Small Streams

Trout

When opening day comes, all thefishermen and women want to get outand put there pole into action.

On April 1st, there are people who like to hit thelakes, and there are those people who like to hit thesmall streams. So, if you’ve always gone to a lake,maybe you should try small streams. You might besurprised by the size of a brown trout you could catchout of a small stream.

When the water is running high, the browns willhang out or hold over in these small streams. Normallythey wouldn't be in these streams, but in the springthat's where they can be found. The food supplygreatly increases this time of year. When browns are inthese small streams they tend to hang out in the slowerwaters. Make sure to use a ultralight rod and thelightest line that you feel comfortable using. When youare fishing cast in all the pockets around the big

boulders, and along all the banks, especially if they arecut in. Hope for a few days of warmer weather beforethe first, this will get the trout more active. Whenfishing in small streams try a variety of bait/lures. Forexample, try worms, small spoons 1/16-1/8 ounce, orminnows. You could tip a lure, with a chuck of wormor salted minnow.

Make sure to check the regulations on the smallstream. I have also heard about using weighted flies ona spinning rod. Another thing, I’ve heard was to usesoft plastic bait designed for crappie/bass, pair themwith small jigs. Switch colors and sizes, also vary yourretrieves. So get out there opening day and trysomething new, hey you never know. Hope everyonehas good luck. Email us, if you try any of these tips,let us know what you thought. Even if you didn't, wecant wait to hear stories or see pictures about yourcatch of the day. Email or send in any of your tips thatyou would like to share. Enjoy the adventures ofopening day.

TROUT AND SALMON EXPO 2011 • APRIL 16, 2011NEW HARTFORD RECREATION CENTER

Sponsored by the Mohawk Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited

FOR INFORMATION ON THE EXPO PLEASE CONTACThttp://tumohawkvalley.org/expo2009.htm

14

Mountain Man

by Shawn Bolen

First and foremost my name is Shawn. Inrecent years, I have been exploring thegreatest mountains in the northeast, the highpeaks of the Adirondacks. I have becomequite fond of the idea of conquering all 46 ofthem and becoming a 46er. I am not goingto report so much on the where and how to’s,for most likely youwon’t have thismagazine in handwhile you arehiking.

There are alreadyseveral guide books anddetailed maps that havecovered these mountainsfrom bottom to top. It ismy intent to share withyou my experiences onbecoming a 46er. Ofcourse, I will have thephotos of summits,wildlife, and anythingelse that is unique thatcatches my eye. I don’thave any order in which Iwill be doing them,however Lea a friend ofmine did make asuggestion that MountMarcy (the highest peak) be saved for last. Thefollowing summary is a brief introduction to give youan idea of what’s to come.

It was a Monday morning in early August, My friendAdam and I had been hiking on a trail lesstraveled. Our destination was Haystackmountain. We had been on the trail for nearly an hourwhen we came to a large puddle. Something didn’tlook right about it, there were spots that were stirred

up looking like something large had just walked rightthrough it. Sure enough, when we got around to theother side there, plain as day was a large moosetrack. The excitement took over instantly and I hadmy camera out within seconds. It has been a goal ofmine to get a picture of a moose in the Adirondacksfor quite some time . Now I thought I would have thatchance. We began looking as far ahead as we couldsee while making sure we didn't make any noise. Wefollowed the track that was walking right on the trailhoping it didn’t break off. We had gone nearly a fullmile when we came to a dense softwood forest. Ourvisibility was about 20 feet, just to give you an idea of

how dense it was. Then,we both stopped dead inour tracks by the sound ofa stick breaking upahead. I quickly scouted aclear path to get to a largeboulder that we couldclimb to get a better viewof whatever wasahead. We could nowhear something walkingtoward us, and then wegot a “hello, how are youtoday” and my excitementpopped like a balloonhitting a nail. Our fellowhiker confirmed that hesaw the track break off thetrail about a 100 yards upahead of us. Although wedidn’t get to see themoose, the experiencesurely added a goodmemory to our trip.

I have great anticipation to start climbing themountains as soon as the snow depletes, or, whoknows, I may just break out the snowshoes and startnow. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventuresand I would love to hear any comments or suggestionsthat you have. You can email me atcatchofthenorth@gmail.com.

Let the journeys begin!

by Shawn Bolen

First and foremost my name is Shawn. Inrecent years, I have been exploring thegreatest mountains in the northeast, the highpeaks of the Adirondacks. I have becomequite fond of the idea of conquering all 46 ofthem and becoming a 46er. I am not goingto report so much on the where and how to’s,for most likely youwon’t have thismagazine in handwhile you arehiking.

There are alreadyseveral guide books anddetailed maps that havecovered these mountainsfrom bottom to top. It ismy intent to share withyou my experiences onbecoming a 46er. Ofcourse, I will have thephotos of summits,wildlife, and anythingelse that is unique thatcatches my eye. I don’thave any order in which Iwill be doing them,however Lea a friend ofmine did make asuggestion that MountMarcy (the highest peak) be saved for last. Thefollowing summary is a brief introduction to give youan idea of what’s to come.

It was a Monday morning in early August, My friendAdam and I had been hiking on a trail lesstraveled. Our destination was Haystackmountain. We had been on the trail for nearly an hourwhen we came to a large puddle. Something didn’tlook right about it, there were spots that were stirred

up looking like something large had just walked rightthrough it. Sure enough, when we got around to theother side there, plain as day was a large moosetrack. The excitement took over instantly and I hadmy camera out within seconds. It has been a goal ofmine to get a picture of a moose in the Adirondacksfor quite some time . Now I thought I would have thatchance. We began looking as far ahead as we couldsee while making sure we didn't make any noise. Wefollowed the track that was walking right on the trailhoping it didn’t break off. We had gone nearly a fullmile when we came to a dense softwood forest. Ourvisibility was about 20 feet, just to give you an idea of

how dense it was. Then,we both stopped dead inour tracks by the sound ofa stick breaking upahead. I quickly scouted aclear path to get to a largeboulder that we couldclimb to get a better viewof whatever wasahead. We could nowhear something walkingtoward us, and then wegot a “hello, how are youtoday” and my excitementpopped like a balloonhitting a nail. Our fellowhiker confirmed that hesaw the track break off thetrail about a 100 yards upahead of us. Although wedidn’t get to see themoose, the experiencesurely added a goodmemory to our trip.

I have great anticipation to start climbing themountains as soon as the snow depletes, or, whoknows, I may just break out the snowshoes and startnow. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventuresand I would love to hear any comments or suggestionsthat you have. You can email me atcatchofthenorth@gmail.com.

Let the journeys begin!

Chronicles of the Mountain ManThe Journey of Becoming a 46er • A Brief Introduction on Whats to Come

15

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16

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Send in your favorite hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking or any

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15” Catch by Will Synder of Boonville

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