Salmon River New York, mid summer report

We're officially a little over a week into summer and it feels like mid-July.  We've had predominantly warm/hot weather here and the Salmon River and local streams are very warm.  Aside from the smallmouth bass fishing on the Salmon River any Atlantic and Skamania fishing is virtually non-existant.  We did have a little push of water last week but not nearly enough to impact the river.  Any trout in the Salmon River and area streams are holding in the cold water, spring-fed sections of the river. At present the river is at 252cfs at the Pineville gauge.

For those who fish the river for bass look for them in the faster water areas of the river, basically the head of the deeper runs...the head of the Compactor, Bird House, Sportsman's... you get the picture.  The fishing is fun whether with the fly rod or ultra-light spinning gear.  If your are using spinning gear 6lb test is max and throwing small Mepps or Panther Martin spinners work well.  Also, small floating Rapalas will get the job done.  Best times are early morning and late evening,  even the bass don't care for the heat and sun shine.  Fly fishing with steamers works good... wooly buggers. leeches, matukas and muddlers.  Late evening or early morning, low light conditions, are a good time to use poppers and mouse patterns.

An average sized bass for the Redfield Resevour

I did have a chance last Saturday to put the drift boat in the Redfield resevour.  The water level is very good and the fishing (for bass) was fair.  I only fished around the launch area in Redfield and being that it was the opening day of bass season the shorelines had been worked hard.  I did manage to find a decent school of bass holding about 40 yards off shore in about 12 feet of water.  They were holding just off bottom on the outside egde of a deep water weed bed.  A Texas rigged 6" Trick Worm in watermelon w/red flakes worked real good.  I pegged the weight about 4-5" ahead of the worm to float it just off the bottom and did well.  The retrieve had to be SLOW, that's all they wanted.  A few bass started to suspend higher in the water column as the sunset and I picked up a few on the drop.  I love bass fishing!

I have been fishing local streams for trout, however, with the warm water temps I am reluctant to put too much pressure on them.  I did land a beautiful brookie about a week ago just at dusk.  He was all of 12-13" and fat.  His sides were brilliant scarlet/ orange color and he had a great hook jaw.  His colors were so brilliant that the white line of his fins almost glowed in the falling light.  When I saw that it was a very nice brook trout I landed it with a net so as not to stress it, took the fly out of it's mouth and as it rested in the net got my phone camera  ready to snap a picture.  As I lifted the trout out of the net, yep, he slipped back into the stream before I could even think about focusing the camera.  No problem, I know were he lives.  Like they say "He that fights and runs away shall live to fight another day".

I hope your summer is going well.  Enjoy it with friends and family and most certainly, do some fishing!

Tight lines.

Central New York and Delaware River report

Time flies.  I have intended to post a report before this but time moves too quickly. 

Jeff Church, top guide.  Photo credit to Sam Batschelet

I have been able to get out on local central New York streams quite a bit and last week on Thursday I had the opportunity to float the East Branch of the Delaware River with good friend and guide Jeff Church.  Jeff runs trips for West Branch Angler and recently won the award for top guide in the 2012 One Bug competition, an annual event in support of FUDR.  Jeff works hard and the award for top guide is well deserved.  The East Branch had plenty of water and no crowds, however, fishing was mediocre at best, no real bugs happening so not alot of action.  I did manager to land 5 or 6 nice browns.  These are wild fish and fight like it.  They were carbon copies of each other, about 14" and fat.  Took them on a mix of patterns, Iso duns, BWO emergers, and sulfer duns at dusk in the foam.  All in all it was a great day and was good to fish with a good friend.

Nice chunky brown

Locally the trout fishing is super.  Lots of trout and some big ones in the mix.  Most trout are being taken on BWO drys, March Brown drys (comparaduns) and recently Sulfer drys (thorax).

The water has dropped steadily and the trout are moving into deeper water during the day time.  Evening, however, finds them moving shallow feeding heavily in the riffles. I find working a good dry pattern on the current seams where the riffs empty into these deeper pools produce the bigger fish.  Often it's not even a matter of matching the hatch so much as it is matching the size and siloette of the hatch.  Right now either a BWO comparadun #16- 18 or a March Brown comparadun in #12 do the trick.

Nice 16" brown on a Sulfer #16 thorax. 
Notice the unique spots.

Big 20" brown caught at dusk matching size and siloette

I have noticed the Sulfers showing up heavier each time out and have seen a few Light Cahills recently.  The caddis hatches are the primary hatches for the trout, every evening at dusk.  Soon should see some trico's showing up and I know this is premature, but I can't wait for the Hex hatch to begin here in August.  Towards the end of August we are getting not only the Hex but also the White Fly, Potomanthus distinctus.  When fishing in late August I can't decide if I want to tie on the Hex spinner or the White Fly spinner, both seem to get the same response from the big browns.

I'll keep posting as the summer moves along.  Only 3 months till we start fishing salmon in the rivers again.

Tight lines.