 |
| Nice time of the year for bass fishing. |
Here we are, mid-July and it certainly feels like it. The weather has been sunny and hot, sometimes to an extreme. The Salmon River is flowing at 260cfs at the Pineville gauge and is hovering in the mid to upper 70's. July 7th weekend was a release for the kayakers and such, anyone looking for a small push of suicidal salmon were disappointed, nothing happening. The local streams are way down also as there has been nothing more that a few showers from the heat and humidity. As with most of the country we need rain. One positive note however, the national news tonight forecast that by late fall we should be in a weak
el nino which translates into precipitation, just in time for the steelhead runs. Here's hoping. Still doing more bass fishing than trout fishing right now.
 |
| New Short Bridge wall, no it's not a drift boat ramp. |
There are a few issues locally regarding public access. One is related to the repairs being made at the north wall just down stream of the short bridge. If you remember back on October 1, 2010 the river hit an amazing peak flow of 20,000cfs that sent the salmon into the parking lots along the river and washed out a huge section of retaining wall at the short bridge in Pulaski. The repairs are nearing completion and they have been made including stairs down to near river level. Right now there is a ramp into the river, no, not a new drift boat ramp but a ramp to facilitate the machinery building the wall. Looks very well thought out. As a side point, there are a HUGE pile of these same boulder stacked in the back of the drift boat parking lot in Altmar, no word of any projects there but does make you speculate.
 |
| Future access to the Schoolhouse Pool is up in the air. |
Another issue related to public access is the closing of the elementary school in Altmar and the school districts desire to sell this property. For as long as I have been fishing the river the APW school district has allowed public access along the portion of the Salmon River that the property borders, the south shore of the famous Schoolhouse Pool. The Board of Education at APW officially put this 'surplus' property and a few others up for sale. Obviously the concern is whether any new owners will grant access to the south shore of the Schoolhouse pool. The DEC has never obtained public fishing rights from the school district. Regarding this property and future access, APW superintendent Gerry Hudson said "I don't know what the intent is, (regarding a meet between the school board and the DEC that was scheduled for early July) but I would assume some kind of easement for public fishing rights will be suggested". He further added, however, that "I cannot make any agreements that could subvert a future sale". This basically means that the district veiws fishing access to this particular section of the river as secondary to it's own desire to sell the property. As it stands, till the property sells fishing can still be done from the south shore. It's obvious that the school district is not prone to making any agreements with the state regarding PFR. The DEC's efforts to meet with the district and discuss this option it
'too little, too late'. Should have been done years ago, what do they say about '20/20 hind sight'?
If you make it up the the river this fall, in particular the Altmar to Pineville stretch you will see 6 fishing line disposal containers set up by LOTAC. Kudo's to them. If you are contentious enough to use them then kudo's to you.
In what will seem like a few short weeks the salmon will start entering the river. By my time keeping, we will be at the peak of the salmon run in 3 more full moons.
Stay cool and have fun, fishing.
Tight lines
If you make it up the the river this fall, in particular the Altmar to Pineville stretch you will see 6 fishing line disposal containers set up by LOTAC. Kudo's to them. If you are contentious enough to use them then kudo's to you.