LOCALadk Magazine

the current any more. Then they drift downstream, hopefully to a better spot. What qualifies as a better spot depends on the size of the fish. A two- to four-inch trout will try to find a crevice between two cobbles, but bigger trout can't crawl in a hole. They seek out the slowest moving, warmest water, usually at the bottom of a deep pool. A half-degree can make a difference. It's common for large numbers of trout who wouldn't tolerate each other during the summer to aggregate in one hole during the winter because they're not competing for food or trying to eat each other. Their main concern is to survive with minimal expenditure of energy. The most dangerous time of year for trout is during ice up and ice out when frazil ice is present in the water. Frazil ice is a type of slush but with lots of randomly oriented, needle-like crystals. It typically forms during the coldest part of the night then often disappears by mid- morning. At 31.5 degrees it's super cooled, and sticky. If it sticks to the riverbank, shelf ice forms. If it doesn't stick to the shore, it builds the ice cap, but it can also create ice flows, holes and dams, and clog pools, which accelerates the current. When frazil ice forms, fish take cover if they can find it, but the shelter they find might not be safe if they get under the shelf ice, which leaves them easy prey for mink and avian predators. One Adirondack mammal, the beaver, can be an inadvertent friend of trout during the winter. Fish seek shelter where riverbanks are undercut, especially where there are piles of brush which provide a stable environment. Trout can work their way through a beaver dam to spend the winter under the ice in the pond formed by the dam, a much calmer environment. LOCALadk Winter 2014 21 A hard place to get to, a harder place to leave. BeaverRiverLodge.com (315) 376-3010 Now taking reservations for snowmobile season! ETS is one of the largest employers in the North Country. We've been matching people with jobs for over 30 years! If you're looking to take the next step in your career, ETS should be your first stop. Call or stop in today. 186 US Oval Plattsburgh, NY

• Cover