Salmon River fall salmon fishing preview

I fished the Salmon River for the first time this season yesterday morning, was so great to be back on the river.  In view of my recent post regarding the record year of salmon fishing on Lake Ontario, it is expected that this year should be another good year for the salmon run.  Reports began to come in of salmon in the river just before Labor Day this year, kind of reminiscent of last year, which produced a excellent run from early September in to the latter parts of October.

The river yesterday morning was running at 459 cfs with a release of 335 cfs (normal for this time of the year).  I fished with one of my son-in-laws for about an hour from first light to about 7:30.  We had salmon moving through the run we were on and managed to cast to a few, no hook-ups.  There were no big numbers moving but for mid-September the movement was good.

I am always excited to begin fishing the Salmon River in September.  Hope for a great year is always renewed and the adventures that will unfold through the fall will be new in their own way.  This year is special milestone for me.  It was 30 years ago this month that I became a licensed guide and began my career as a fishing guide.  It has truly been an experience of a lifetime.

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Catch Rates of Chinook Salmon Double the Five-Year Average During 2018

"Preliminary results from the Lake Ontario Fishing Boat Survey Indicate that fishing for Chinook salmon has been outstanding along the entire New York shoreline", announced Basil Seggos, Commissioner for NYS DEC.

Ed Shannon shows a 30-plus lb. Niagara Bar King.  

Photo credits: Share the Outdoors

The catch rate of Chinook salmon during April to June 2018 was 227 percent above the previous 5 year average, setting a new record.  Fishing for brown trout and Coho salmon has also been excellent in 2018, with catch rates 38 and 21 percent higher respectively over the previous 5 year averages.  Even Atlantic salmon, which represents a small part of the Lake Ontario fishery, posted a 73 percent increase in catch over the previous 5 years. 

President of the NYSCC (New York State Conservation Council), Chuck Parker, Said "This is the second year in a row that the take of Chinook has been above average at Oswego, as reported by council members."  He attributed the science-based management practices of the DEC's Bureau of Fisheries as an "integral force" in sustaining the world class fishery Lake Ontario offers.

Salmon / Steelhead 2017-18 season in review.

I haven't posted any info on the salmon river since last September, just no time.  Besides having a full schedule fishing and family issues to handle, my mother was dealing with serious health problems that resulted in her passing in early April 2018.  So amidst all that I put the blog on the back burner so to speak.

There were many good things that happened this past season.  The salmon fishing and steelhead fishing were excellent right up in to May.  We had very good water flows through most of the fall and winter and never lost a day on the Salmon River this spring due to high run-off.  This is truly amazing being that most of the watershed had higher than average snowfall this winter.

Another nice happening this spring was my wife and I passed our 39th wedding anniversary in late March.  These past 2 years we have spent our anniversary with our daughters and their husbands, doing some fishing on the Niagara River.

Our captain, John Oravec, with a nice brown trout I landed

We had a great day fishing with a mixed bag of browns, steelhead, walleye, and northern pike, the latter two were not in season.  We did keep a few fish but most were released back in to the river.

It's nice sometime to be 'guided' rather than always be the guide.  We are thinking about another trip this fall with John on the St. Lawrence River for Musky.  Would be for the end of November so we will see how that goes.

My first brown of the day with my son-in-laws.

 I am fishing the Delaware for the next few weeks and then my wife and I are thinking about a trip out west to fish Montana and Idaho,  I have a few projects here at home to do this summer so a trip west will be good incentive to 'git-er-done'.

My last fish of the day, a 30" steelhead caught on an emerald shiner.

Locally here around the Salmon River the trout streams are in good shape and the last few days on home streams as well as the Delaware has seen Isos beginning to show up.  Had a good run on the Hendricksons and March Browns locally so things are progressing normally.  Picking up a few on BWO now also in size #18 and should see Sulphurs soon.

I will be posting again soon with the recent state of the lakes report for 2017.  Was another encouraging report that bodes well for the future of the Salmon River fishery.  I am booking trips for this fall, both salmon and steelhead,  let's book some dates and bend the rods.

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Free Fishing Days for New York State

Free Fishing Days During the following dates, anyone can fish the freshwaters of New York State and no license is required!

• June 23–24, 2018
• September 22, 2018
• November 11, 2018
• February 16–17, 2019

Since no license is required, it’s the perfect time to take a friend or relative fishing.
For a list of DEC-sponsored Fishing Clinics, visit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/27123.html

Oneida County local trout streams report, late September 2017

It's tough to make decisions right now for the angler who lives in the northern Oneida County area right now, salmon fishing or trout fishing.  It may seem like a no-brainer, salmon fishing hands down, but it's not that easy when the trout fishing is producing the biggest brown trout of the year.  On any given evening right now in the last half hour of daylight and into twilight you can find big browns eating on the surface.

Nice 18"-20" browns like this one are frequenting my net right now.

For the past 5-6 weeks I have been fishing local streams that are producing heavy Ephron and Iso hatches, like clock work.  No need to show up streamside more than 45 minutes before dark.  The last 1/2 hour of daylight brings these hatches on and the big browns are right on them.  Areas of the stream where the riffles meet the calm water at the head of the pool is where they set up to feed.  Some takes, most takes, are aggressive and noisy, but the biggest trout I have taken have gulped the fly, nothing splashy or brutal, just nose out of the surface film and gulp.

Only fly you need, Parachute Adams #16.

The most interesting thing about all this is that every outing for the past 5-6 weeks I have used one fly pattern exclusively, same pattern, same size every time.  It has been so consistently producing these big trout that I don't even think of trying something different, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.  The magical fly, parachute Adams #16.  As a side note, I am using my 9' 4wt Loomis Trilogy, (my go to fly rod for these local streams) with a WF4F Rio trout line with 9-10' leader and 6X tippet.

One more thing.  Notice the fly is barbless, since I fish C&R I either mash the barbs on my flies or tie on barbless hooks.  Make releasing these fish fast and no damage to the fish, even those hooked back in the roof of the mouth or at the base of the tongue.  Also, use forceps, they're smaller than you thumb and index finger.

Guiding for salmon is starting to demand most of my time (and energy) so I don't fore see too many more outings for these big browns.  Hope you take advantage of the spectacular trout fishing that happens on your local stream every fall.

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Salmon River report , early fall 2017

Early season, early morning salmon.

September is coming to a close and the salmon fishing is ramping up.  We have had very good fishing on the river pretty much since Labor Day.  Everyday is seeing a steady push of fish up the river and the upper reaches between Altmar and Pineville have had fish bedding now for the last week and a half.  The release is at 335 cfs. with the gauge at Pineville reading 409 cfs. as I write this.  I have been fishing for the last week or so with clients and it has been very good, especially in the dawn to 10 a.m. time frame.  We have had unusually hot weather and fish start holding up in deeper water about 10ish.  Today is the first break in the temperatures in a week, things are more seasonable and we are expecting a little rain in the next day or two.  This should help the fish move throughout the day.

Tried and true pattern for the Salmon River.

We have been chasing them with the fly rod. Bead or cone head buggers are working well as are zonker-type streamers.  I tie these mostly in size 4-6.  I add weight to the zonkers to eliminate as much weight being added to the leader.

Salmon fishing will be peaking for the next few weeks.   Make sure you take the time to fish the run, it only happens once a year. 

I have about five date open for salmon through the first 3 weeks of October, one of which is Columbus Day, so bring you kid up and give me a call, let's book the day and fish together.  Neither of you will forget it.

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Trout fishing report - Central New York

Sometimes when you walk up to the stream you know it's going to be very good.  This evening was one of these. 

I got to the stream about 7 this evening and knew that I had about an hour of daylight left.  I approached the creek in a blizzard of Ephoron mixed with some Hex spinners flying upstream to the head of the riffles. I knew right then it was going to be a very good evening.

Over the past few weeks I have fished an #18 Adams parachute so I started off with the same fly, first drift and was on to a nice 13" brown.  The fish hit hard in these hatches and each fish 'killed' the fly.  After about 20 minutes and 7-8 trout later I switched to an Adams parachute in #12, anticipating the Hex spinners that would soon be floating down stream past my position.  From then to dark I landed another 7-8 browns with 2 big fish, one about 18" and the largest pushing 20" easily.

I was going to go to the Salmon River this evening, as there is some pretty darn good salmon fishing right now, but I opted for the trout stream.  Was a good choice.  I will be working on the Salmon River for the next few months so trout fishing right now is to be taken advantage of while I have time left for it.

Hope you are enjoying these later summer days, actually feels more like the middle of October than the first of September.

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