| West
Branch of the Ausable River
Because
of its natural beauty and high fish populations,
the West Branch of the Ausable River ranks among
the premier trout streams in the country. In a
1996 Cornell University study, anglers gave the
West Branch the highest angler satisfaction rating
of all New York waters in the survey. Browns are
the most prevalent species here, but opportunities
also exist for nice rainbows and even brook trout
in the upper stretches. Because of its large size
and impressive hatches, the West Branch is excellent
for fly fishing, especially for skilled waders
who want to tackle pocket water. Spawned in the
shadow of Mount Marcy, the highest peak in the
Adirondack Mountains, this splendid river runs
independently for about 30 miles before linking
up with the East Branch at Au Sable Forks. Along
the way it undergoes many changes in character...everything
from flowing quietly and gently through fertile
mountain meadows to raging whitewater squeezed
between austere mountain cliffs. Every trout habitat
imaginable can be found in its path, earning the
West Branch its reputation as one of the prime
trout streams in the Northeast.
The
Fishing:
Brook trout of up to 14 inches occupy the wilderness
portion of the river a few miles south of the
village of Lake Placid. In addition, a few lunker
speckled trout, refugees from the numerous tiny
feeders, are caught each year in other sections
of the river. The West Branch is loaded with browns
and rainbows from the Olympic ski jumps towering
over the south side of Lake Placid village all
the way to Au Sable Forks. A combination of plentiful
cover (boulder fields, blowdowns, undercut banks),
cool water temperatures (maintained by cold mountain
springs, shady banks, and sun-blocking cliffs),
and a good food supply (abundant populations of
aquatic and terrestrial insects, crayfish, and
minnows) conspire to make the river ideal trout
habitat. Fish between 12 and 16 inches are common
and browns and rainbows tipping the scale at slightly
more than 8 pounds are caught each year. SPECIAL
REGULATIONS: From the mouth of Holcomb Pond outlet
on Riverside Drive downstream to the marked boundary
2.2 miles downstream of Monument Falls on route
86, anglers must use artificial lures only. There
is a "no kill" stretch that is open year-round.
Access:
Anglers will find an abundance of access along
Route 86 and portions of Riverside Drive and Route
73. Route 86 is a typical mountain road and the
pull-offs come up quickly. There are numerous
access points and the fishing is always better
the further you walk from the parking lot!
Adirondack Mountain Region:
Spread over 6,000,000 acres, nearly 20% of the
state, the Adirondack Park is the largest preserve
totally contained within the borders of a single
state in the lower forty-eight states. One of
the earth's oldest mountain ranges, experts claim
its peaks towered more than 25,000 feet when the
Earth was young. While its summits have been worn
smooth by the ages, forty-three of them tired
old granite, and 100,000 acres of ancient forest
crown its expansive new growth. Best of all, this
fabulous marriage of public and private forests
offers anglers roughly 2,800 lakes and ponds,
1,500 miles of rivers and 30,000 miles of brooks
and streams on which to cast your dreams. One
of the most popular areas is the Lake Placid/Wilmington
area.
Old
Whiteface:
The Adirondacks Illustrated,
Seneca Ray Stoddard, 1874
Cut
off from it's kindred on the south by Wilmington
Notch, and on the north by one almost a deep,
pyramidal in form. although somewhat the longest
north and south, it's naked granite head among
the clouds "Old Whiteface" stands one of the finest
mountain peaks in the Adirondacks.
Seventy
years ago an avalanche of loose stones and the
gathered moss and vegetable deposit of ages went
down the western slope of this mountain and the
exposed surface, whiter than the rest, is said
to have given it the name; but there is a more
reasonable theory, as the line can hardly be noticed
unless covered with snow, that the old giant's
naked brow, for so long a period covered with
snow, suggested the name of "Old Whiteface." On
the topmost point, firmly attached to the rock,
we found the card of the chief of the Adirondack
Survey, a metallic disk with this inscription:
"Whiteface Mountain, Station No. 2. Verplanck
Colvin, S.N.Y Adirondack Survey, 1872. All around
the surface of the rock was scarred and chiseled
with the names of former visitors while on one,
cut deep and clear, were the words, "Thanks be
to God for the mountain!" and every heart joined
with that grand old mountain peak in saying, "thanks
be to God for the mountains." A great dark, lichen-covered,
chaotic mass of broken rock forms the summit;
to the north and south the ascent is gradual,
but on either side it is almost perpendicular
for many feet, then curves outward and is covered
by the dark evergreens. We gazed down from the
dizzy height.
"We
heard the troubled flow Of the dark olive depths
of pines, resounding A thousand feet below." |
