Salmon River - Steelhead fishing report

Current water flow is 1200cfs released with 1390cfs on the gauge at Pineville, NY.  With the increase in flow it goes without saying that you need to exercise caution when wading.  The current water temperature is 34/35 F  degrees and a dunk in these temps can be a bad thing.  Fish with a partner and wear some sort or wading cleat, korkers or a studded wading boot.  If you feel the need to move around in the water use a wading staff, they're not for sissies.

The steelhead fishing is fair to good.  The colder water temps as well as the fluctuating flows have been keeping the steelhead in a constant state of flux.  Colder temperatures slow the fish down making them conserve energy.  This means that they are not going to move very far to pick up a bait and they tend to prefer smaller offerings this time of year. They are still in their typical winter holding areas, Schoolhouse, Trestle, Pineville, Ace, Sportsman, Birdhouse, Compactor, etc...  You will need to have patience and work these areas thoroughly, and work them deep. 

The steelhead get stressed easily under these conditions so getting them released as soon as possible should be the goal if you are not keeping the fish.  Use your drag.  Alot of anglers are so afraid of loosing the fish they go with too light of a drag, this can kill the fish as it unnecessarily prolongs the fight.  If you are using 6-8lb test you can go fairly heavy on the drag.  Also, work the fish out of heavy current as quickly as you can.  This is done by rod handling.  Pull the rod downstream and into the shore, keep the pressure there and lower the rod to parallel or slightly below parallel to the river surface.  Giving the fish a 'rod up' fight does not give you much control over the fish.

Photo-ops are great, even I as a guide try to get good photos of my client's catch.  In these conditions, however, even a quick fight will stress a fish so here are some suggestions.  Use a net or a 'Michigan Mit' to help keep the fish safe and calm once you land it.  Beaching a steelhead is fairly easy to do but having a fish flop around on the shore and then having your buddy pin it down against frozen rocks or bank does not help the fish at all.  Try to handle the steelhead as little as possible, meaning get set up to take the picture before you handle the fish.  Getting set up to take the picture means deciding how you'll hold it, what you want for a back ground, who's taking the picture and how many shots do you want. 

With the higher water level, if they are sustained, the steelhead should begin to become more active spawning.  I have noticed a few spawn beds in a few areas but things will begin to heat up soon.  With more spawning gravel covered by higher flows we will see more activity in these traditional areas and in the diversions.  The basic instinct to procreate is a strong thing in these fish and soon it will be their primary focus. 

Hope you have had a chance to get up here this winter or are making plans to fish here this spring.  It is shaping up to be a good spring for steelhead as there are excellent numbers in the river now.  It will only get better. 

Tight lines.

Salmon River report - February 2013

Since I last posted to the blog the Salmon River has gone from one extreme to the other.  Both in weather and in water flow the river has 'seen it all' in the last month or so.  The flows have been relatively high with flows approaching 2000cfs as recent as two to three days ago and is now dropped to a current flow at Pineville of 460cfs at a 285cfs release.  We may see this bump up some in the next few days as the tempuratures are going to climb into the mid 30s for most of this week, with temps hitting mid 40s tomorrow with some rain forecast. This will be a nice break as recently the temperatures have struggled to climb into the low 20s for the last 3 or 4 days. 

The steelhead fishing has been very good so far this winter.  Dispite some brutal temperatures and a few days fishing in heavy lake snows, this winter has been a good one for catching steelhead.

Three stone fly patterns that are working well.  The top pattern is
the dbl bead thorax.  The lower is a rubber leg stone that gets
attention too.
 

A majority of our fish are taken on the fly rod fishing indies.  Seems most of the time we have been dealing with flows in the 600cfs - 900 cfs range so we've been bulk shotting to get the flies down fast.  I have been setting up a dropper fly, usually running a Copper John, caddis pupae or an egg pattern in 12-14 on the bottom followed by a golden stone in size 10.  The particular stone fly pattern I am using is a double gold bead thorax and probably 45% of our hook-ups are coming on the stone fly dropper with the balance of hook-ups on the bottom nymph.


We have been doing some spin fishing as well and this is always productive.  I've been using nymphs, trout beads and salmon eggs, with the salmon eggs producing the better of the three.  Three to 4 eggs in a sac working the best and anise scent helps a bit too.  The 10mm trout beads are working better the the 8mm and a few guys seem to be doing good on 12mm beads.  With the beads we are drifting the under a float but the eggs and nymph we are working on the bottom and this seems to be the way the steelies want these. 



A good selection of nymphs.

We still have a few good months left to fish steelhead and traditionally mid February is when things start to heat up.  Spawning activity is beginning and soon will be in full swing.  If you are interested in fishing a few days on the river I'd give you the thumbs-up to go ahead and make your plans.  If you would like to work a guided float trip into your arrangements give me a shout and I'll see what I can do to accomodate you.  Looking forward to an excellent spring, hope to see you here. 

Tight lines.



Salmon River winter fishing, good-bye 2012

It's been a while since my last post.  Steelhead fishing through the fall has been very good, most of the time.  Had a hand-full of days when I was pulling my hair out but those days build character they tell me.  The water levels have been acceptable with a few weeks when it was perfect.  As I type this the gauge at Pineville bridge reads 560cfs.  Last evening into early this morning we picked up about 18" of snow here on the river.  This past weekend, 12/22-23, we picked up our first real measurable, sticks to the ground snow, about 12" on the river and probably a good 16" up in the Tug Hills.  This is a good thing.  After last years snow drought we all know what happened to our river flows this past September/ October.  I hope we get a good Lake Ontario influenced winter with normal mind boggling snow falls this winter. 

The river temps are in the upper 30's and the steelhead have settled into winter mode.  I love fishing steelhead this time of year.  The river is quiet, not too many people on it.  The areas that receive most pressure are the usual ones, Schoolhouse, Wire Hole, Trestle, Pineville, Ace, Sportsman, Compactor... you get the picture.  If your coming up I'd suggest snow shoes or stick to the trails.

This time of year the most important thing to consider is keeping warm and dry.  The first thing that helps stay this way is not to over-dress.  If you have a considerable walk into where you will be fishing dress light and carry your heavier clothing in a pack.  Trudging snow and carrying your gear will keep you warm, once you get to where you will fish add you layer of heavier clothing.  Getting sweated up before you get to your fishing is going to keep you cold and miserable all day, if you can stand it that long.  Another key to staying warm is breaking the wind (no, that's not what I meant).  Keeping the wind off you is crucial to maintaining body heat.  New space age materials that are incorporated into today's sportswear are amazing in how good they do their job.  I have excellent wind/ rain gear from Simms.  Pay a little more for it but will never regret it.  Keeps me comfy and helps me concentrate on my clients and the fishing, not on trying to keep warm.

Another thing that can help keep you warm is an auxiliary heat source.  Chemical hand warmers have a permanent place in my boat as does a couple of small propane space heaters.  You don't need a boat to carry these to the river.  Activate the hand warmers at your car and stick them in you coat pockets and most propane space heaters are collapsible and easily packed.  A thermos of hot coffee, tea or hot chocolate also goes a long way to keeping you comfortable and happy when it's cold.  A lunch or some kind of energy snack is also important to staying warm.  Your body burns a lot of calories trying to stay warm so eating or snacking regularly gives your body fuel to burn.

Keeping my feet warm is VERY important.  For waders I have a pair of insulated boot-foot 4mil neoprene.  Very comfortable, keeps me dry and warm but here again, don't over dress.  Too many heavy socks can actually cause you feet to sweat and then they're cold.  As for pants under the waders, I have a pair of light-weight fleece.  Again many companies now have very good layering clothes for under your waders.  Also, as for the soles of your boots, lug soles with korkers sandals or cleats is your safest bet.  Most of you already know the common problem with felt soles in the winter is that once they are wet and you walk in the snow, you now have two large ice clumps on the bottom of your boots, not a safe situation whether on land or in the water.

We are moving into a new year in a few days. There is a lot of uncertainty as we cross over into 2013. Not just here in the states but around the world things happen daily that can have a profound effect on each of us. Can't run from this but one thing, for now, is constant, the fishing here on the Salmon River. Doesn't hurt ever once and a while to put the world on hold and do a little fishing, it's a good thing. Hope to see you here.

Tight lines.

Salmon River report - early November

A lot of CHROME here!

Since I posted last the river has been setting up nicely for steelhead fishing.  We had a stretch of 900 cfs running in preparation for the monsoons predicted here from Sandy, which for this area, never happened.  Now we are back to 335 cfs with the gauge at Pineville reading 444 cfs as I type this.  We have had good rainfall in the past week though and the water flows are good for fishing (need a little more for good drift-boating) and the water temps are cooling down.  Had to start wearing my fleece pants last week, no insulation in breathables.  We've had several nights in the 20's and even some snow, nothing to worry about.

Ryan Nobrega with a beautiful chrome male
steelhead, solid 16 lbs.

The end of October was a guessing game on the steelhead.  There were plenty of fish from Altmar down but the bite seemed off in the upper stretches.  The fish we did hit came on flies and egg sacs, for us there was virtually no bead bite.  Fishing lower in the river, from 2A down to Long Bridge produced good, steady action.  Again on flies and eggs and the fish seemed to prefer them fished on the bottom not under the float or indicator.  For a few days bottom scratching actually out fished the float/ indie fishermen around us.

As for egg sacs, blue, blue, blue.  That's all they seem to want.  Flies that are working for us right now are Globugs in Oregon Cheese w/ pink dot, Chart. w/ pink dot and solid cherise.  I have also been having good success on a tan, double gold bead stone fly tied in size 10.

Typical 7-8 lb steelhead for this time of year.

Things are setting up nicely for steelhead and we've just started fishing November, the best is still ahead of us.  I have some good dates left in November and some good dates through December.  There is enough water to float so if you want to schedule a trip give me a shout.

Tight lines.

Salmon River update October 22, 2012 - steelhead report

I have fished the river over the past week from both Altmar to Pineville and Pineville to 2A.  There are steelhead in good numbers through out both these areas.  Not big numbers, but good numbers.  Most of the fish we have hit are chrome, fresh fish.  It has been nice also to find very little pressure on the river (the areas I fish with clients) which make it nice.  This will change.  Within the next week or two as the numbers if steelhead increase and word gets around, the river will become crowded, especially the upper areas around Altmar and Pineville.

Finding steelhead right now is easy, fish the fastwater and pockets with good current.  The last few outings have produced action using orange egg sacs and egg pattern flies like Sucker Spawn, Glo- bugs or Nuke eggs.    

One problem on going right now is the leaf hatch that has made it near to impossible, at times, to get through a drift.  There are still a lot of leaves on the trees around the river yet to fall.  We need a couple days of high wind and hard rains.

The river is flowing at 335cfs release and at the Pineville gauge the reading is 489cfs as I post this.  If we get no substantial rain this will continue to drop.

The salmon have disappeared very fast over the last week.  Any left are either late runners or on death's door.

I'll be on the river steady over the next few months so will keep you posted.

Tight lines.

Salmon River - October 18, 2012

Just a short note.  The release has been increased to 335cfs, same release as last year this time.  Right now the gauge at Pineville is 495cfs. This should go up even more by tomorrow as there is steady rain in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.  Been floating a few time with the 285cfs and rain run-off, but a little rough.  Now it's going to seem like a float on the Snake River with all this water.

As for fishing.  There are still some salmon in the river.  The spawning activity and numbers of fish are starting to drop off noticably.  On the other hand the numbers of steelhead are increasing noticably.  That's what we like.  For steelhead I'd suggest egg patterns, egg patterns, egg patterns... oh yes, and egg patterns.

Will post more during the weekend.

Tight lines.

Salmon River report - as good as it gets

Slava Voloshin with one of many kings he and
his party hooked into this past Saturday.

The title says it all.  Here on the Salmon River in New York the salmon fishing is in a realm of it's own.  In 24 years working as a guide here I have seen a lot of salmon in the river but nothing like this.  I have been guiding from the bank so far due to the low water but Tuesday I had one client so decided to float from Pineville to 2A.  It was  amazing to see how many salmon there actually are thru that stretch of river.  Also amazing was how much of the river was void of anglers.  I am sure we fished to salmon that had not been fished to that day.  The heaviest concentration was in the Upper Sportsman area, literally hundreds of fish covering the river bottom.  I'd bet money that every square foot of the area was being used for spawning.  All those fish in an area about 800 yards long by 40 yards wide and only about 40 anglers, amazing. 

The water level is still low despite some rain nearly every day.  However the rain is scattered and does not really amount to much even as far as run off from Orwell and Trout Brook go.  At Pineville as I type the gauge is at 241cfs.  There was a release last night from 8pm to 12 midnight, I'd guess primarily to pull more salmon to the hatchery.  Looks as if they'll release again on the same schedule tonight.

Here's a nice female King landed by Bob Renauld
on Tuesday morning.

The salmon are very territorial, no doubt due to the huge numbers of fish, so I have found them to be very aggressive on the flies.  We are fishing weighted flies, copper bead and tungsten cones, with the most attention being given to a Krystal Hackle body in Fushia color with a hot pink strip of rabbit forming a tail and back (looks like a leech) with a copper 3/16 oz. bead head.  This same pattern in Chartruese work well too.

We can expect the run to continue for a little while longer into October.  As of this past weekend there have been decent numbers of steelhead showing up in the salmon run.  During Tuesday's float from Pineville to 2A we fished an indicator for steelhead but no takers, although we did see some steelhead in a few areas.



Another dandy King landed on Tuesdays float. 
Good job Bob.

 If you have any opportunity to get up here to fish do it.  You will be amazed at the numbers of salmon in the river.  Don't miss this opportunity to see first hand something truely amazing. 

Tight lines.