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Time to start focusing on early ice-out

I don’t think I’ll be going out on a limb in predicting an early ice-out this year. In fact, I’ve still been waiting for the lakes to finally ice up, and so have many other hard water anglers.

With the fabled Colby Classic Ice Fishing Derby on the schedule this weekend, it is important for anglers to be aware of ice conditions. Last week, there was only a single shanty evident across the vast expanse of Lake Colby.

While the ice was still in good shape, there was very little evidence of recent anglers. All of the holes were frozen over with a solid layer of ice, and there were very few tracks of sleds, wheelers or even boots.

At the nearby access site at Ampersand Bay on the Lower Saranac Lake, the state Department of Environmental Conservation posted a sign warning travelers of unsafe ice.

While the popular catch-and-release Northern Challenge, hosted by the Tupper Lake Rod & Gun Club earlier in the season on Lake Simon, was a rousing success, the majority of the region’s ice fishing events have been canceled primarily due to unsafe ice conditions.

The cancelations have included events scheduled in Indian Lake, Long Lake, Lake Eaton, the Central Adirondack Ice Fishing Derby, the Northern Lake George Ice Fishing Tournament and the Mike Norris Ice Fishing Derby hosted on Raquette Lake.

At the current rate of ice deterioration, I expect to see plenty of open water by April 1, barring a snap of freezing cold. If that’s the case, it would certainly narrow down the search for fishable waters.

The trout season, which officially opens across the state on April 1, has usually provided Adirondack anglers with a relatively short list of lakes and ponds free of ice by that date. In addition, the local rivers and stream levels are typically running high and cold with the spring runoff.

For many, ice-out is considered a regional holiday that’s comparable to the opening day of hunting season. Bets are wagered on the exact date the ice will depart the ponds. It is an annual event that signals the true beginning of spring, the advent of mud season and the return of frost heaves.

Over the span of my 50-plus year angling career, I’ve never fished an open pond in the Adirondacks on the opening day of trout season. Last year, I was able to wet a line on the ponds on April 2, and I prayed it was it an anomaly.

While I will certainly take advantage of any opportunity to wet a line in pursuit of brook trout, regardless of the time of year, I’m also a traditionalist. I’m willing to wait until the time is right for the seasons to shift. I want to hear the laughter of a loon, the sweet smell of maple steam in the sugarbush.

I don’t even mind the buzz of a black fly or the tat-a-tat-tat of a pileated woodpecker pounding on an old, hollow tree. I’m willing to wait for the spring to arrive, even if it means we’ll have to deal with a longer winter. I’ve come to a conclusion that in nature’s way, good things still take time.

Bad news from The Mountaineer

As the winterless winter continues to show far less snow than usual, the good folks at The Mountaineer gear shop in Keene Valley have come to the conclusion that there is unlikely to be enough snow by March 5 to host its annual Backcountry Ski Fest. The event has become a highlight on the winter calendar for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.

Although they have decided to pull the plug on the annual SkiFest event, they have invited all backcountry ski enthusiasts to participate in the inaugural Dawn Patrol Charity Uphill Tour on March 18 at the base of Whiteface Mountain Ski Center. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Keene Kids X-C Ski Club. The dawn patrol tour starts at 6 a.m. You will need your own ski touring equipment to participate, as well as an Uphill Pass from Whiteface Mountain.

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