As the dog days of summer descend upon the mountain scene, it’s time for ethical anglers to consider the impact of their adventures. While the practice of catch-and-release angling has received widespread acceptance among the angling public in recent years, there are a number of important ethical factors that must be considered on a species by species basis.

As water temperatures continue to increase, the percentage of dissolved oxygen content will decrease in kind. In such conditions, cold water species such as trout and salmon will typically retreat to seek out the colder, shaded waters that manage to maintain sufficiently high oxygen levels. Typically, such refuge waters are found where the smaller, tumbling mountain brooks flow into larger rivers and streams.

Occasionally, the upstream migration of stressed trout can be hindered by culverts, beaver dams and waterfalls that inhibit further upstream passage. However, trout will continue to seek out shade and oxygen rich waters wherever they are available. Trout are also stressed by the shadows of birds flying overhead.

Rainbow trout tend to remain in the upper reaches of the water column, while salmon, lake trout, brook trout and browns retreat to the safety of the cold, deep oxygen rich waters during daylight hours.

Osprey and bald eagles account for a high percentage of the fish mortality on Mirror Lake in Lake Placid. Chapel Pond in St. Huberts also hosts a healthy population of rainbow trout and an ever-growing population of osprey.

When trout are exposed to predators such as osprey, bald eagles, blue heron, otters and the angling public, the stress alone can kill them. In fact, the stress and shock of battling anglers is responsible for the death of a substantial percentage of trout, particularly on the streams during the heat of the summer season.

As a result of the potential damage that can be done to the trout populations on the local streams, it’s a good time to seek out other options. Cold water species are very susceptible to such stress. In recent years, I’ve been fly fishing primarily for warm water species during the heat of the summer.

Although I’ll always enjoy the unique pleasures of fly casting for native brookies on the small streams and beaver flows, there are unrivaled opportunities for flyrodders to tangle with challenging species such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike and tiger muskie all across the region.

While such adversaries will never replace the unique thrill of casting a dry fly to wild brook trout on a stillwater pond, there is an undeniable attraction to the concept of tangling with a fish that’s capable of eating a baby muskrat, a redwing blackbird and a whole school of perch in a single morning.

As the summer doldrums begin to usher in the hot, sticky days of August, the Adirondack weather patterns will likely deliver cooler evenings and more than a few passing downpours. In recent years, the local weather patterns have grown increasingly severe while delivering two hurricanes, regular episodes of violent summer rains, high winds and at least a derecho or two.

It’s easy for such violent summer storms to sneak up on unsuspecting boaters and woods travelers. The Adirondack topography often conceals the evidence of such foul weather until the very moment the driving rains, hail and fierce winds blow into your camp.

It can be difficult to detect incoming weather while traveling in the mountainous areas where line of sight is limited by both topography and thick foliage. The upper elevations of the High Peaks Wilderness have been known to create their own weather patterns, with snow and ice available all year round. Fortunately, severe weather alerts have become increasingly widespread and accurate, and travelers can now receive up to the minute weather reports on their cell phones.

Over the years, I’ve learned to deal with high winds, cold weather and heavy rains in all seasons. Possibly the most important lesson I’ve learned over the course of my time in the woods is the ability to know when to call a trip off. The most successful angler is the one that keeps one eye on the water, and the other on the sky.

While I’ve encountered my fair share of foul weather challenges, the most difficult was the result of a severe storm that downed trees, broke limbs and crusted over a deep snowpack with a thick layer of ice. Unfortunately, it was incapable of supporting either skiers or snowshoers.

Although the aftermath of Hurricane Irene also presented a number of serious access issues due to bridge and road washouts, I actually had a relatively easy day trip into Duck Hole the day after Hurricane Irene blew through the region. Sadly, the storm washed out the old dam and drained the old pond.