The yarn will spin in a little while but the setting to be told.
The Ausable River and surrounding eastern Adirondacks have been my stomping grounds since before I was knee high to a grasshopper. Lucky, I appreciate every facet and knowledge of the Great Lakes and western ADK's , but these are my roots from before 51 years ago. Really, not a whole lot has changed . Some may think it's touristy but hasn't it always been ? The New Deal Began in 1929, Franklin D started construction on Whiteface highway , the Castle and scores of trail systems with Lean Too's for recreationists .. So to say it's now a Tourist trap, Nah,,, There are still small shops trying to make a living of visitors to a spectacular part of the world.. IMO, the high peaks, Adirondack mountains are a natural wonder..
Just like the Salmon River, Columbus Day has to be one of the busiest times to that area.. It's hikers that are the big draw.. Canadian & American holiday coincide along with peak foliage have the area bustling with people..
Given that fact, it is a GREAT time to fish the rivers, streams and brooks as all the BIG MEN (lol) are out on the Ontario tribs chasing big salmon.. Personally , there is no better time to be on the Awesome Able..
In the years back we could catch a MESS of trout, size restriction was 9" and don't quote me but limit was 15 fish.. All I know was I had to clean a MESS of trout .. From the Days of Fran Betters being king of the Dacks, Lee & Joan Wulff the Catskills it was a fishers draw in the 60-70's.. I learned from some of the best on where to avoid the dink (under 9" stockies) and fish the lunker holds.. Many, Many fell out of favor from traveling near and far to fish these fabled waters to only find a bunch of undersized stockies . Yea catch 100 plus fish was fun but boring..
Hence monument falls was created and a so called Trophy section about 1.5 miles long.. It was a farce for what it was intended .. Many more fish (same undersized) were stocked in that section but a keeper had to be 12+" long and again, don't quote but I believe it was a 3 fish limit.. In 2 years of inception, If you caught 3 12" all season , that was a good year.. Great effort, wrong area for holdover fish..
In my growing years I had friends and family connected with the NYS Conservation board.. My suggestions were to keep fish in hatcheries for an additional year .. It would promote a tourism for trout fisheries were by the 90's was fading fast in favor of the Great Lakes.. In his short term as NYDEC Commissioner Mike Zagata put a plan in place to enact a 2 year old trout stocking program across NYS that forever changed the stream trout fishery.. I do in no way take credit for his actions but feel my voice was heard.. Sorry lucky, but back then , the Angles had a voice..
From that point on , trout fishermen come to many NYS waters that were once fabled and leave feeling satisfied catching 14-18" trout instead of 9" minus..
So that's my story, Now for the Sasquatch :
Yesterday morning I'm to meet my friend along the river that requires a modest walk through the pines and sagebrush to fish..
I pull up at 6:50am and he's sitting on his tailgate all suited up.. Some crackling is heard in the woods by me but I think nothing of it.. In 10 mins I'm ready to start the walk to the river.. We go about 20 yards into the woods and now I hear loud noise, to me like deer sparing antlers but more like Rams butting heads.. My friend freezes in his tracks and says WTF, something is in the woods.. At this point, I'm thinking bear as now it's going away from us.. No worries to me as its "just a bear" .. He stays close to me until we get stream side and we start talking about the sound.. Was it a bear, still my theory.. Maybe a Moose , as I've seen tracks in the area before..
Well later on in our conversations he says he was waiting on the tailgate for me for awhile because he heard the sound. A sound like banging a tree .. Now I'm thinking Moose slamming antlers. Then he throws the Sasquatch theory at me about how they take a big stick or log and call bang a tree for a mate..
Gotta say, It had me wondering..
Thanks for the read folks,
I'll post some more pictures up of fishing and scenery In a little while .. Need some more yarn to spin..