TOWNSEND, Tenn. – Two visitors emerged from the rhododendron, surveyed the landscape, consulted in whispers and planned their approach.
 
They were on the Middle Prong of Little River in a postcard-pretty slice of Great Smoky Mountains National Park known locally as “Tremont.”
 
This particular pool, turquoise in the slanting, late afternoon sunlight that sliced through the forest and lighted the woods with a salt-and-pepper effect, was guarded by a downed tree. It was just downstream from a towering cascade that serves as a natural barrier separating the creek’s rainbow and brook trout populations. A few brook trout can be found below the cascade, but the waterfall prevents rainbows from moving up into restored brookie habitat.
 
Guide Rob Fightmaster, of Fightmaster Fly Fishing, and his fisherman studied the pool for a full minute, which is a long time to watch water and not cast. The guide pointed, then raised his arm a few inches and pointed again. Trout.
 
James Dotson, an engineer whose globe-trotting work currently has him stationed in Ukraine, stepped into the stream. Two side steps and he was knee-deep in the pulsing current. He turned slightly to improve his footing and get a better casting angle. Facing upstream, wielding an 8-foot fly rod and bent slightly at the waist, he made a sidearm cast, then mended his line so the fly would float freely.
 
A moment passed before the splash. Dotson set the hook and for an electrifying instant man and fish were connected. Then the line fell slack.
 
He cast again, flipped the rod tip to mend the line and waited. Another splash. This time the hook held. After a spirited fight Dotson brought a wild, 9-inch rainbow trout to hand.
 
“This is my third year of fishing in the park,” Dotson said. “I love it here. It’s one of the most beautiful places to be. It’s one of my favorite spots.”
 
It’s easy to understand why.
 
A recovery to celebrate
 
The 522,427-acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a woodland jewel, rising to a pinnacle of 6,643 feet above sea level, with 16 peaks above 6,000 feet, laced with about 2,900 miles of creeks and streams.
 
Today the park pulses with natural wonders and wildlife, thanks in part to four decades of work restoring much of its pristine brook habitat, work that in some ways has capped a long-term recovery.
 
A century ago, the lush Great Smoky Mountains National Park landscape that visitors enjoy today did not exist. The land had been ravaged and with it most of the clear, cold, vein-like streams that threaded this piece of the Appalachian spine and harbored the region’s only native salmonid: Southern Appalachian brook trout.
 
“Prior to the development of the park about two-thirds of what is currently Great Smoky Mountains National Park was completely clear-cut,” said park fishery technician Caleb Abramson. “In doing that there was a lot of direct sunlight and a lot of erosion, so the brook trout lost about 75% of its native range.”
 
When the park was established on June 15, 1937, wildlife restoration was not a linchpin of the management scheme. To improve the fishing, some locals began bringing in rainbow trout by rail from California. Those non-natives found the park’s high-gradient, well-oxygenated waters to their liking. They picked up the moniker “California trout.”
 
“Native species restoration wasn’t on everybody’s mind at that time,” Abramson explained. “The goal at that time was to increase visitor enjoyment. The rainbow trout did well and took up the spaces where brook trout had been lost by logging.”
 
A few native brook trout did survive but were confined to the park’s highest, most rugged ridges and slopes.
 
Rainbow and later limited brown trout stockings continued until the 1970s, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service began evaluating brook trout within GSMNP. The Park Service decided that native species should be preserved and, in 1975, the handful of streams that still held brook trout were closed to fishing. All trout stockings stopped. The park’s native trout waters were identified and the labor-intensive restoration work began. Non-native species were removed above cascades and other natural barriers in historic brook trout waters, and some of the native fish still swimming in the park were transplanted into those areas.
 
Abramson said efforts were made to ensure that when brook trout were moved they remained within the same watershed. Brookie populations have been restored in 27.6 miles of 11 streams, and additional work is planned on two miles of Anthony Creek this year.
 
Still, most of the park’s trout waters hold rainbows, naturally reproducing descendants of early stockers and fish that are now part of the landscape and welcomed by the Park Service.
 
Trout, beautiful but elusive
 
Estimates vary as to how many trout park waters hold, but the general consensus ranges upward of 2,000 fish per mile.
 
One thing everyone does agree on: Great Smoky Mountains National Park trout are not pushovers.
 
Daniel Drake is manager and part owner of Little River Outfitters in Townsend, Tenn., one of the park’s gateway mountain towns. Drake probably knows as much about fishing in GSMNP as anyone. He wants people to catch fish and is generous with advice.
 
He’s also refreshingly honest.
 
“It’s not easy fishing,” he said. “Of course, they’re all wild trout. Fishing up in the park can be difficult until you get it figured out.”
 
Drake, matchstick thin and soft spoken, doesn’t guide but is a skilled angler.
 
“Presentation is really more important than fly patterns or really anything else,” he said. “Try to stay out of the water as much as possible. You want to make short, accurate casts.”
 
He also suggested first-time anglers and those inexperienced with the challenges of park waters work with a local guide.
 
“We can show people where to go,” he said. “That’s easy. There’s really no bad place to fish in the Smokies. But the guides can show you how to catch fish. They are going to help make the difference between catching fish and not catching fish.”
 
Of the 2,900 miles of waters flowing through the park, approximately 750 harbor brook, rainbow or brown trout. A few smallmouth and rock bass can be found in some of the lower-elevation streams.
 
Estimates vary on how many of the park’s 10 million annual visitors fish.
 
“It’s likely between 200,000 and 800,000,” said Matt Kulp, the supervisory fishery biologist for GSMNP and a 22-year veteran of helping manage park waters. “But my guess it’s closer to the higher number.”
 
Kulp agrees with Drake that stealth is the key to fishing success.
 
“These things are wild. They are attuned to what’s going on around them. If you put your fly in front of them they usually eat it, but they’re not going to eat it if you’ve already scared them.”
 
Fishing in GSMNP is restricted to artificial flies or lures, single hook. No live or scented baits are allowed.
 
The GSMNP daily creel limit is five fish — any combination of brook, rainbow or brown trout or smallmouth bass. Anglers, however, have a negligible impact on fish numbers. Most GSMNP trout are victims of floods or droughts. Annual natural fish mortality hovers between 55% and 70%. A 3-year-old Smoky Mountain trout is a senior citizen.
 
“We encourage catch-and-release, but we don’t discourage keeping fish,” Kulp said. “Fishermen aren’t going to put a dent in what’s out there.”
 
Fishing can also offer visitors some solitude — a rare commodity in America’s most popular national park.
 
“If a person is willing to put a little sweat equity into it, even on the busiest days of the year you can find a place where nobody is fishing,” Abramson said.
 
If you go
 
What: Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
 
Where: Tennessee/North Carolina. Open year-round, weather permitting.
 
Annual visitors: 10.7 million. America’s most visited national park. (Grand Canyon is second with about 5.5 million).
 
Entry fee: None.
 
Lodging: The only commercial lodging inside GSMNP is LeConte Lodge, atop 6,593-foot LeConte Mountain and accessible only by foot. Open from late March through mid-November. Reservations required at lecontelodge.com or 865-429-5704. Ten developed campgrounds with more than 1,000 sites. Fees vary by amenities. Reservations strongly recommended. Backcountry camping available. Commercial lodging options abound outside the park.
 
What to do: Wildlife watching, photography, sightseeing, hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing.
 
Park information: nps.gov/grsm, 865-436-1200, or GSMNP, 107 Park Headquarters Road, Gatlinburg, Tenn., 37738.
 
Area information: mypigeonforge.com,visitmysmokies.com, visitcherokeenc.com.
 
About bears
 
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to about 1,500 black bears.
 
Bears are large, wild, powerful animals that can display stunning speed over a short distance and should be left alone.
 
Park officials have specific advice about what to do and what not to do if you encounter a bear at nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/black-bears.htm.
 

In Montana, it’s the season when political passions and rivers both run at full throttle. Perhaps more than any other place on earth, Montana rivers and elections tend to merge into roiling whitewater.
 
Political newcomer Greg Gianforte, running to unseat Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, blundered into the rapids and over his head recently. When his opponents learned that the Bozeman Republican had earlier filed a lawsuit to shut down a public fishing-access site near his riverside estate, they smelled blood in the water.
 
Across the arid West, politicians fight over water. But those disputes usually center around who gets to drink it or divert it to irrigate crops. In Montana, the fight is all about who gets to access water in order to play in it.
 
As Norman Maclean famously put it: In Montana families, there is no clear line between religion and fishing. The right to go fishing in our famous trout streams – or even to go splashing down one in an inner tube on a hot summer day with a cooler full of beer – is considered sacred. It’s one of those things that makes Montana, Montana.
 
That sensibility is reflected in Montana’s liberal river-access laws. Basically, anyone can float a navigable river by putting a boat in the river at a bridge or river-access site. The property owners on either bank can only wave as you float past, or even as you pull ashore for a picnic. As long as you stay between the high-water marks, don’t litter or start a fire, you’re good to go.
 
Not surprisingly, some property owners are not fond of this tradition. And to be fair, some recreationists abuse it.
 
When monied folks pay top dollar for a big riverfront fishing property, they sometimes find it annoying to have to share it with the masses. But every time politicians have tried to jigger with Montana’s stream access law, angry mobs of fly fishermen, duck hunters and kids with water noodles shout them down.
 
Here’s where candidate Gianforte comes in. The Republican is a highly successful businessman who, like others before him, set up shop in Bozeman. He campaigns on his business acumen and his sportsmen’s values, as well as social and fiscal conservatism.
 
But Gianforte’s past has risen to the surface like a drowned steer. This week, the anonymous blogger “Montana Cowgirl” published press clippings from a 2009 lawsuit that Gianforte’s wife and company filed against the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
 
The suit demanded the state close a traditional fishing-access site near their property. The wildlife department had long held an easement on the property, which allows small watercraft to reach the Gallatin River. The Gianfortes, however, had fenced off the fishing access site even before they filed a lawsuit to nullify the easement.
 
Eventually, the suit was settled, and not in the Gianfortes’ favor. The fishing access site remains, the fence has been restored, and the agency agreed to be more aggressive in controlling weeds.
 
But the damage was done, and Gianforte is in a deep credibility hole. Publicly, he promises to be the sportsmen’s friend and defend Montana’s public access laws. Privately, he once sued to lock out the public from one of Montana’s prized rivers, in order to protect his personal interests. It will be interesting watching the verbal gymnastics as Gianforte tries to square those two positions.
 
It’s not the first time river access has caught Montana politicians off guard. In his first year in the U.S. Senate, Republican Steve Daines made some less-than-flattering comments about the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has provided funding for the lion’s share of river access sites in the Big Sky State. Those comments unleashed a flood of criticism, prompting Daines to suddenly become one of the Conservation Fund’s staunchest Republican advocates.
 
Meanwhile, the Montana commissioner for political practices recently publicized the fact that a handful of large property owners had poured large sums of money into political action campaigns that promoted a candidate for the Montana Supreme Court. It turned out that those dark money donors had cases in front of the court challenging Montana’s stream access laws.
 
Elsewhere in the West, folks are fond of the adage that “whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.” In Montana, a more apt saying might be: Water is for fishing and access is for fighting over.
 
Ben Long is a contributor to Writers on the Range, an opinion service of High Country News (hcn.org), where this article originally appeared. He works for the nonprofit Resource Media in Montana.
 

 
The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council met recently in Galloway Township and approved new regulations for the 2016 summer flounder season. Adam Monacelli
 
Rich Magas with a nice bluefish landed in the Brigantine surf. (Photo: RipTide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine NJ)

 
Waves and weather put a damper on much of the fishing opportunity this week, but it looks like that’s about to change this week with summer-like temperatures and sunshine supposed to move in for the kick off to Memorial Day weekend.
 
Fluke season opened with a whimper as water temps have been uncharacteristically cold in the backwaters, but the easterly blows this week should have the temps up into the high 50’s by the weekend, which should ignite the back bay flounder bite. However, big time bassing took place off the shores of Brigantine this week.
 
“The striped bass and black drum bite is off the hook,” Andy Grossman, Riptide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine, said. And he wasn’t kidding. Cow bass and big boomer drum were assaulting the Brigantine beaches this week and a slew of weigh ins hit the shop scales.
 
Mathew Orosz had a 32-pound bass at the mid-island, Phil Moses and Josh Young weighed in bass of 32.4 pounds and a black drum. Bruce the Mailman and Gary Hill loaded up on big bass and blues. Brad String got into a nice 22-pound linesider just south of the hotel on a salted clam. Jerry Miller nailed down a 26.6-pound bass and Reds scored a 31-pound, 14-ounce bass while a 20.4-pounder was sanded by Bobby Karolewski. “We must’ve weighed in about 30 black drum,” said Grossman. “The full moon chew was definitely on and they were still biting this week.”
 
Captain John of Babu Charters in Brigantine put William Sperling on a beautiful 47 inch 35.6 pound striper using a Mojo rig. If you want to get onto the water you can call Capt. John at 410-320-9351 and book your trip. There are some huge schools of bass

 
“Guys that did find fluke for opening day had them at Kennedy Park, Rainbow Channel and in Risley’s Channel,” said John Grzymko, Fin-Atics, Ocean City. “Its only about 54 degrees back there now, we definitely need the water to warm up a bit.” However, the colder waters have been favorable for bass and bluefish as a 16-pound bass was taken on bunker at Corson’s Inlet and scores of slammer bluefish up to 12 pounds have also been cruising through the inlet waters.
 
A 5.9-pound fluke caught by Nichole Kish took top honors at the Sea Isle City Bait and Tackle tournament this past weekend according to Mike Rodgers of the shop. Kish landed the flattie on a 3-ounce Spro bucktail.
 
A gator 14.5-pound bluefish hooked by Mike Willis won the bluefish category. “We saw a lot more fluke being caught in Ludlam’s Bay, Flat Creek and by the Horse Head area, basically anywhere you could find shallow water where the flounder are trying to warm themselves up,” said Rodgers.
 
Sea bass season opened up with a bang as the party boat Starfish loaded up and limited out on sea bass while fishing the 60 to 65 foot depths off of Sea Isle.
 
Noel Alago with his kids Alexander, Sierra, and Lacey helping to land this 10 pound bluefish. (Photo: RipTide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine NJ)

 
“Fluke opening day was slow due to the weather and colder than normal water temps,” reported Tammy Carbohn, Avalon Hodge Podge, Avalon. “The back bay has been running cold in the mid 50’s rather than the low to mid 60’s that it normally is this time of year.” Fluke should be in the back bays right now in some good numbers, its just a matter of getting the temperatures to spark up a bit in order to get them to feed.
 
The 8th Street jetty has continued to be a hot spot as a 25-pound drum was taken there, as well as an assortment of striped bass and bluefish up to 8 pounds.
 
“In the Delaware Bay, the drum bite was spotty this week on our side with some boats catching and boats right in the same area without a bite,” said Matt Slobodjian, Jim’s Bait and Tackle, Cape May. “It should pick up in the next week or so, the fish are usually spawning when they act this way and it doesn't last very long.”
 
Ryan Hearon of Dennis weighed in a 71-pound drum caught on the Jersey side of the bay. D-Bay is also holding some large linesiders as Jeanette Rich of Goshen proved with a 47 pounder taken on bunker.
 
Fluke season also opened with a whimper down in Cape May according to Slobodjian. “Fluke season opened but we didn't hear too much only a few fish caught in the Harbor and backwaters.
 
Fishing sounded better a little farther North in North Wildwood, Stone Harbor, and Avalon.” Sea Bass fishing opened up strong as the 80- to 120-foot depths held some larger humpbacks to put in the cooler. Note that Jim’s will be holding their annual Shark tournament on June 3-4. Call the shop for all the details.
 
I expect to report a ton of fluke, bluefish, bass and sea bass catches for next week as anglers get out and enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. Be one of the reports. Have a fantastic holiday weekend!
 
Reach Nick Honachefsky at beachnut33@hotmail.com
-
 
The New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council met recently in Galloway Township and approved new regulations for the 2016 summer flounder season. Adam Monacelli
 
Rich Magas with a nice bluefish landed in the Brigantine surf. (Photo: RipTide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine NJ)
 
Waves and weather put a damper on much of the fishing opportunity this week, but it looks like that’s about to change this week with summer-like temperatures and sunshine supposed to move in for the kick off to Memorial Day weekend.
 
Fluke season opened with a whimper as water temps have been uncharacteristically cold in the backwaters, but the easterly blows this week should have the temps up into the high 50’s by the weekend, which should ignite the back bay flounder bite. However, big time bassing took place off the shores of Brigantine this week.
 
“The striped bass and black drum bite is off the hook,” Andy Grossman, Riptide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine, said. And he wasn’t kidding. Cow bass and big boomer drum were assaulting the Brigantine beaches this week and a slew of weigh ins hit the shop scales.
 
Mathew Orosz had a 32-pound bass at the mid-island, Phil Moses and Josh Young weighed in bass of 32.4 pounds and a black drum. Bruce the Mailman and Gary Hill loaded up on big bass and blues. Brad String got into a nice 22-pound linesider just south of the hotel on a salted clam. Jerry Miller nailed down a 26.6-pound bass and Reds scored a 31-pound, 14-ounce bass while a 20.4-pounder was sanded by Bobby Karolewski. “We must’ve weighed in about 30 black drum,” said Grossman. “The full moon chew was definitely on and they were still biting this week.”
 
Captain John of Babu Charters in Brigantine put William Sperling on a beautiful 47 inch 35.6 pound striper using a Mojo rig. If you want to get onto the water you can call Capt. John at 410-320-9351 and book your trip. There are some huge schools of bass that are still South of us and I would think we will be fishing for these bass until the middle of June. (Photo: RipTide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine NJ)
 
“Guys that did find fluke for opening day had them at Kennedy Park, Rainbow Channel and in Risley’s Channel,” said John Grzymko, Fin-Atics, Ocean City. “Its only about 54 degrees back there now, we definitely need the water to warm up a bit.” However, the colder waters have been favorable for bass and bluefish as a 16-pound bass was taken on bunker at Corson’s Inlet and scores of slammer bluefish up to 12 pounds have also been cruising through the inlet waters.
 
A 5.9-pound fluke caught by Nichole Kish took top honors at the Sea Isle City Bait and Tackle tournament this past weekend according to Mike Rodgers of the shop. Kish landed the flattie on a 3-ounce Spro bucktail.
 
A gator 14.5-pound bluefish hooked by Mike Willis won the bluefish category. “We saw a lot more fluke being caught in Ludlam’s Bay, Flat Creek and by the Horse Head area, basically anywhere you could find shallow water where the flounder are trying to warm themselves up,” said Rodgers.
 
Sea bass season opened up with a bang as the party boat Starfish loaded up and limited out on sea bass while fishing the 60 to 65 foot depths off of Sea Isle.
 
Noel Alago with his kids Alexander, Sierra, and Lacey helping to land this 10 pound bluefish. (Photo: RipTide Bait and Tackle, Brigantine NJ)
 
“Fluke opening day was slow due to the weather and colder than normal water temps,” reported Tammy Carbohn, Avalon Hodge Podge, Avalon. “The back bay has been running cold in the mid 50’s rather than the low to mid 60’s that it normally is this time of year.” Fluke should be in the back bays right now in some good numbers, its just a matter of getting the temperatures to spark up a bit in order to get them to feed.
 
The 8th Street jetty has continued to be a hot spot as a 25-pound drum was taken there, as well as an assortment of striped bass and bluefish up to 8 pounds.
 
“In the Delaware Bay, the drum bite was spotty this week on our side with some boats catching and boats right in the same area without a bite,” said Matt Slobodjian, Jim’s Bait and Tackle, Cape May. “It should pick up in the next week or so, the fish are usually spawning when they act this way and it doesn't last very long.”
 
Ryan Hearon of Dennis weighed in a 71-pound drum caught on the Jersey side of the bay. D-Bay is also holding some large linesiders as Jeanette Rich of Goshen proved with a 47 pounder taken on bunker.
 
Fluke season also opened with a whimper down in Cape May according to Slobodjian. “Fluke season opened but we didn't hear too much only a few fish caught in the Harbor and backwaters.
 
Fishing sounded better a little farther North in North Wildwood, Stone Harbor, and Avalon.” Sea Bass fishing opened up strong as the 80- to 120-foot depths held some larger humpbacks to put in the cooler. Note that Jim’s will be holding their annual Shark tournament on June 3-4. Call the shop for all the details.
 
I expect to report a ton of fluke, bluefish, bass and sea bass catches for next week as anglers get out and enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. Be one of the reports. Have a fantastic holiday weekend!
 
Reach Nick Honachefsky at beachnut33@hotmail.com

 

Old Man Winter has been a stubborn cuss this year and he has been reluctant to let the warmer spring weather settle into the region. Last week, unseasonable cool weather had anglers at Barkley and Kentucky lakes wearing insulated jump suits and coveralls to keep warm in the northwest winds.
 
Fishing was difficult as the water temperatures dropped six degrees below normal, but relief is on the way with normal spring weather conditions expected over the next week. Afternoon temperatures are expected to hit the 90 degree mark by midweek, and water temperatures should rise to their normal levels of 76-78 degrees.
 
“The good news is a warming trend is now in progress, and the mercury is projected to climb,” reports Kentucky Lake fishing guide Steve McCadams. “A rapid rebound is underway.”
 
The bluegill and shellcracker (redear sunfish) bite was coming on strong, but the cold weather turned them off. “The popular panfish have had a mood swing,” McCadams noted. “Redear really backed off their bite, and spawning phases that were in high gear pretty much hit the brakes.”
 
The bluegill bite also slowed, but they didn’t shut down like the shellcrackers. The bluegill have been finicky to bite, but some good stringers have been taken by anglers who backed off the banks and fished in deeper water.
 
“Both of these species are sensitive to quick surface temperature changes, and it is not unusual to see dramatic changes in their mood when cold fronts pay unexpected visits and linger for a few days,” McCadams said.
 
Many local anglers are hoping the warmer weather will bring the bluegill and shellcrackers back to their shallow-water spawning areas and that they can get a good bite before the spawning season is over.
 
The catfish spawn is still on, and the cats have not been as adversely affected by the cooler weather. “Catfish have been hitting well lately as their spawning phases continue,” McCadams reported. “Good numbers are being taken despite the cold front’s impact.”
 
Shallow pockets off the main lake are attracting large numbers of catfish that are searching for rocky or gravel-type bottoms to deposit their eggs. They will readily bite on nightcrawlers, live minnows or cut bait. Some of these cats can exceed 50 pounds, so be prepared for battle if you hook one.
 
The bass action has been slow with the cooler weather, but the Clarksville couple of Frank and Connie Fisher didn’t have any problems finding some good fish in the recent Austin Peay State University Governors Bass Tournament on Kentucky Lake out of Paris Landing State Resort Park Marina. The couple weighed in a five-bass limit that tipped the scales to 25.28 pounds to win the $5,000 first place prize.
 
It took a total weight of 17.73 pounds to make the top 10 in the tournament, and all but four of the top 50 teams brought five-bass limits to the scales. There weren’t a lot of really big bass brought to the scales, and a 7.40-pound largemouth caught by the Clarksville team of Reed Baldwin and Justin Hopper took big bass honors.
 
McCadams said that the crappie spawn is over and the fish are now scattered in the midrange depths of 13-15 feet. Jigs and minnows fished vertically around stakebeds are producing a few keeper crappie, as is slow trolling crankbaits for suspended fish in the main lake area.
 
The weekend looks promising for fishing, and anglers may finally get some decent weather for the late spring bite.
 
Owen Schroeder can be reached at 931-358-9214 or by email at owenschroederjr@bellsouth.net.
 

There's no shortage of great fly-fishing rivers in the Adirondack Park, and most lists start with the fabled West Branch of the Ausable River.
 
Located near Lake Placid and Wilmington, the river draws thousands of anglers every year from all over the country. But the Ausable is just one of many rivers that are home to great fishing.
 
Below is a list to get you started, as you plan your next fishing adventure. It contains easy to access river and more remote ones for experienced outdoorsmen. 
 
West Branch of the Ausable River
 
Located in Essex County, the West Branch of the Ausable River is likely the most popular fly-fishing spot in the Adirondack Park. The river appears to anglers because of its scenic nature and it's very accessible. Many of the sections are located close to the road and can be accessed in just a few minutes. The river is stocked heavily with large rainbow and brown trout.
 
Saranac River
 
The Saranac River runs from the village of Saranac Lake to Lake Champlain through the counties of Franklin and Clinton. The river holds a wide variety of fish, ranging from pike to brown trout. Much of the river is a warm water fishery, but some of the more remote or faster-moving sections hold cold-water species like trout and salmon. The section near Bloomingdale has some areas close to the road. Much of the river near Saranac Lake can also be fished by canoe or kayak.
 
Hudson River
 
The Hudson River is known for being the site of great rafting trips, especially in the spring, but the waterway is also used by fishermen looking to catch some nice trout. The area near Newcomb has opened to the public in recent years and offers wilderness fishing for adventurous anglers. However, visitors should be aware that the section below Indian River is subject to dam releases in the morning hours during the summer. That causes the water to rise, but there are plenty of other fishing holes to try out in the Newcomb area above Indian River.
 
St. Regis Canoe Area
 
All fishing lists related to the Adirondacks contain the St. Regis Canoe Area near Lake Clear. The canoe area contains dozens of ponds that hold a variety of different species. Try fly fishing from a canoe along some of the shorelines of some of the more remote ponds for best luck. Bring a lightweight canoe, so you can carry between ponds. If you don't have one, try out the ponds in the nearby Saranac Lake Wild Forest that allow some motorboat usage.
 
Sacandaga River
 
This is an ideal spot to go for anglers looking to visit the southern part of the Adirondack Park. The section of river between Wells and Speculator is heavily stocked with brown trout, and is worth exploring during the trout fishing season.
 
East Branch of the Ausable River
 
The East Branch of the Ausable River is often overlooked by visitors who instead go straight to the West Branch of the Ausable. However, anglers can find some pockets of the river that hold trout during colder summers. During warmer summers, it can be a challenge to find the fish. But in recent years, anglers have had some good success in the river.
 
Schroon River
 
Located in the eastern part of the Adirondack Park, the Schroon river is a popular spot among fly fisherman hoping to catch one of the many stocked trout. This river is a nearly 70-mile tributary of the Hudson River. It holds rainbow, brook and brook trout.  
 
Boquet River
 
The Boquet River near Willsboro is a popular spot for salmon in the spring and fall months when the fish run upriver during freshets. Anglers can also find trout in  sections of river. Overall, the Boquet river is one of the more interesting rivers in the Adirondacks. It starts in the High Peaks and goes through a variety of terrain before emptying into Lake Champlain.
 

By C. DOUGLAS NIELSEN
SPECIAL TO THE LAS VEGAS-REVIEW JOURNAL
 
If I had to venture a guess, I would say that most anglers equate the sport of fly-fishing with the pursuit of various trout species ranging from rainbows to brookies and from cutthroats to the elusive German brown. Given the fly-fishing industry’s focus on the pursuit of trout, it would be hard not to.
 
While purists tend to be trout-centric in their fishing pursuits, there is another side to fly-fishing that opens wide the door of fishing opportunity to those who simply enjoy catching fish, no matter what their species. While I appreciate the solid hit a 20-inch rainbow can deliver when mauling a tiny midge pattern, there also is something special about the fight a scrappy smallmouth bass gives an angler holding on to the business end of a six-weight fly-rod.
 
To date, my fly-rod has done battle with multiple species. For obvious reasons, trout are definitely on the list, including rainbows, tigers, browns and cutthroats. But so, too, are many others. Among them are wipers, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie and even carp. I’m still looking forward to catching my first striper on a fly.
 
Noticeably absent from that lengthy list is the lowly catfish, one freshwater species I figured one could never take on a fly. Not on purpose anyway. Then my friend Keith Rogers, a longtime reporter for the Review-Journal, sent me a video that corrected my misconception.
 
On a recent trip to Missouri, Keith and his brothers spent a couple of days fishing and renewing their relationship. One of his brothers has a couple of fish-filled ponds on his 40-acre homestead in the community of Fordland, not far from Springfield. And that is where they went to work, so to speak.
 
The ponds, known as Little Pond and Fish Barrel, are home to largemouth bass, bluegill and catfish. Some of the bass are known to push 5 pounds, but they were not too cooperative on this trip. Rogers started off with scuds and Woolly Buggers, but had no takers. Something that is quite unusual, for a Bugger anyway.
 
Rogers is no fishing slouch. In fact, he wrote a book titled “Freshwater Fishing – The Secrets of Successful Angling.” Using wisdom gained while researching his book, Rogers began searching for anything the fish might be eating and figuring out a way to match it. Suddenly the answer came to him. “Food pellets don’t sink,” he thought.
 
The food pellets Rogers’ brother periodically feeds the fish stay on the surface and gather in the shallows where the fish search them out. And since the pellets float, the fish would be conditioned to look toward the surface. So Rogers dug around in his fly box and came up with a surface fly that had similar coloring to the pellets but also had rubber legs that would attract a fish’s attention. He has no idea what the fly pattern is called.
 
On the first cast, a slab-sized bluegill hammered the no-name fly. On the second cast, a 3- to 4-pound cat came up from the bottom and smashed it. Then, as Rogers worked to remove the hook, the catfish suddenly rolled to one side and snapped his 5-weight Orvis rod in half. Undaunted, Rogers drove to the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, replaced his fly-rod and went back to the pond.
 
“If you know where they’re at, simulate what they are eating and present it to them, then you can catch catfish on a fly-rod,” Rogers said.