Lake Placid Fish Tales - The Doe That Got Away

Due to certain climatological factors, this is a fun time of year to fish for rainbow and lake trout on Lake Placid, a large, deep freshwater lake in the Adirondacks Mountains of upstate New York. The ice is just out and the large rainbows and lakers are swimming close to the surface because the water temperature is cool. As summer approaches and the water warms, the trout, who prefer cool water, hang out at deeper depths and are more difficult to catch. It is great fun to catch a rainbow or lake trout on a fly rod. Rainbow trout are also very tasty and good for you. Today's featured photo shows the excuse my friend gave me last week when he didn't catch the requested rainbow trout. I was anticipating a yummy fresh fish dinner, but he claims he was skunked by the deer shown here swimming across Lake Placid. He claimed she disturbed his fishing experience. I would have called it just another fish tale had he not provided photographic evidence documenting his fishy excuse for coming back empty creeled.
Fish-tale-teller extraordinaire, Ben, says the doe pictured took 20 minutes to swim across the widest part of the lake. She had a yearling trailing behind her as they swam from the Village of Lake Placid mainland to Moose Island, in the middle of the lake. The resident biologist says it is not uncommon for deer to swim, especially when they are traveling to extra-special summer range or habitat such as the island, where there is less competition for food. Like moose, he says they do not have webbed feet. I thought it was odd she was swimming to Moose Island as opposed to Buck Island, where she might find, well, a buck to keep her company. I think her interest in Moose Island has something to do with her webbed feet.
Photograph of doe in Lake Placid, the lake, courtesy of Todd Dunham, who never did land the one with the big ears.