Where is the summer going???

I can hardly believe that it is nearing the end of the first week of August.  Time is in fast-forward it seems and I suddenly realized that we will probably have salmon starting up the river with in a few weeks.  I began to think of that when I looked at the full moon last week and figured out that the 2nd full moon from now and the river will be full of salmon.  I have a few things to do on the drift boat and my salmon fly boxes are near empty, but other than that, should be ready come mid-September.

This summer has been busy around the house, probably one reason time has been passing me by.  I have had various fishing opportunities, both local and afar.  I had the chance to fish with a fellow guide and good friend, Jeff Church, about 2 weeks ago on the East Branch of the Delaware River.  We floated a beautiful section in the upper end and had a great day together.  The fishing was a bit slow, but we gave it our best.  We fished streamers for about 4 hours till the bugs started to bring fish up.  There were a few Iso' and BWO but the majority of flies were Sulfurs in sizes 14-20, figuring out what the trout wanted was the challenge.

Largemouth on a black w/blue flake senko.

Last week end another friend came in from out of town so we took the drift boat up to the Salmon River reservoir and did some bass fishing, it was awesome.  We didn't catch any over a pound and a half but both the largemouth and smallies were cooperative.   We had best results fishing a 4" senko, black with blue flakes, rigged on a flick-shake jig head and cast into openings in the weed beds and working it from shore to deep water on rocky points.  I did pull a few in on a 3/8 ounce spinner bait, white and chartreuse spinning silver willow leaf blades.  In a couple hours fishing we managed about 2 dozen green and brown bass.

Smallie on the same rig.

Smallie on a spinner bait.

Local stream fishing has been fair.  Not a lot of bug action this year but if you hang out till dusk/dark there is a fairly decent spinner fall right now that gets the trout on the fly.  Nothing fancy about the spinner, cream colored poly-wing in a size 14 is working well, again it's a dusk/dark deal.  Prior to the spinner fall I have been using a soft-hackle wet fly with a PT nymph size 14 on the dropper with pretty good success.  The PT gets most of the action but the ones that take the soft hackle are crushing them.  That too is a lot of fun.

Standard issue trout with a PT nymph in the lip.

The nights are cooler now with temps in the mid-50.  Today was mid-70 and low humidity, the sun shone with high altitude clouds, it just feels like salmon fishing weather.  Last year was a not so good salmon year but that was last year, for sure this year will be different.  I am looking forward to it as are others.

One last photo before I sign off.  This was on a tailgate I saw in the Pineville parking lot this past April.  I downloaded some pictures from the boat camera and had completely forgotten about it, but it's pretty cool.

This fellow has been fishing out west, I'd bet Money on it.

 See you on the river.

Tight lines

2015 Steelhead fishing summary and trout fishing the local waters.

To start with, the steelhead fishing on the Salmon River came to a quiet end a couple weeks into May this year.  These were for the most part drop-backs out of the hatchery.  These fish had very little pressure as most folks had move onto other outdoor activities.  Over all the steelhead fishing from January to mid-May left a lot to be desired.  With the vitamin B deficiency plaguing the fishery and the brutal weather and temperatures, a lot of anglers became discouraged with the fishing and abandoned the river in search of other fishing opportunities like cable TV.  There were good days on the river, but this winter/spring saw more slow days.  Fishermen handle less than perfect fishing conditions in 3 ways.  The pessimist has a negative view and sees the situation as hopeless.  The optimist hopes things change for the better.  The realist takes what they're dealt, adjust accordingly and keeps on going, as a guide, that's what you've gotta do.  Of course I do look ahead and hope thing change for the better.

We have a few months now to let the salt wash out of the wounds left by last falls salmon run (or lack there of) and the frustration and panic of seeing our steelhead fishery literally dying before our eyes and feeling helpless to do anything about it.  One event that may help the healing process is the annual Spey Nation spey clave on the Salmon River to be held at the Pineville boat ramp/ parking lot.  This year it is June 27, 2015 and has continued to grow in sponsors and attendees every year.

Isonichya comparadun in #10 and 12 right now.

Trout fishing is another remedy to salve the wounds.  Locally the creeks are in excellent shape due to plentiful rainfall and the bugs are popping too.  Right now area streams like the Mad River have good Caddis fly hatches daily.  BWO and Sulphers are beginning to show up now, for about the last 2 weeks.  Some of the larger streams are blessed right now with great Iso hatches.  Iso patterns I prefer are Comparaduns tied in sizes #10 and #12.  If you don't have any Isos in your box a parachute Adams in the same sizes will work in a pinch.

I did manage to get down to the Willowemoc Creek in Roscoe, NY 2 weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon and evening.  The Caddis fly hatches were phenomenal.  One particular  hatch that developed during the evening was a small, bright yellow stone fly, about #16, that had me wishing for my Yellow Sallys.  They were, however, about 3 hours away in my western fly boxes.  I met a good friend of mine down there and we had a great time.  Traveling to a different fishery is always a good way to 'break' the routines that seem to control our fishing habits.  I seem to frequent the same trout runs on the same creeks, not a bad thing, but sometimes I need to break free and see new water.

Have a great summer and don't give up on the Salmon River.  See you there in a few months.

Tight lines.

2015 spring fishing report, Salmon River, NY

Spring 2015 steelhead fishing here on the Salmon River has been quietly moving along.  The fishing has been 'typical' for the spawning season.  Steelhead are actively spawning, with those that are ignoring our offerings.  Most of our fish have been either pre-spawn fish or, as of late, drop backs.  Most our our fishing is being done with flies and I'll give more details in a minute.  The river is unlocking, we had to deal with some serious shelf ice this year and some days fishing below Pineville was impossible.  The release is 350cfs and the gauge at Pineville is reading 542cfs as I type this.  This has been he status-quo for the last several weeks which has helped keep the fishing stable but at the same time has slowed the de-iceing process this year.  Temperatures through the days now are pushing upper 30's most days, however, night time temps are consistently in the upper teens/ low 20's.  This has prevented any run-off from melting snow from having any real impact on the river to this point.  Looking forward, we will probably see this begin to change towards the end of next week as the forecast is  showing above freezing air temperature both day and night by mid week.  Also, days with sun shine will help the snow melting process along.  If recorded history hold true we will see heavy run-off with the river reaching the 7000/9000cfs range between  the weeks of the 13th and 24th of April.

For the next couple week, however, the fishing should be consistent with more dropbacks showing up in the net.  As for fly fishing we are indi-fishing for the most part.  As is typical in the spring the flies that work the best are alvin patterns and egg patterns, such as nuclear roe, crystal meth and sucker spawn.  Post run-off you will find these same egg patterns working well as will large stone fly patterns such as Montana stone fly, yuck bug and the traditional stone fly nymph patterns working well.  These stone fly patterns should be in the size #8 or #10 and heavily weighted.  A traditional wooly bugger works too.

Drifting an alvin pattern under an indi is producing well now.

Swinging this alvin is working also.

Nuclear roe is an excellent choice for pocket water right now,

as is sucker spawn

Bitch Creek nymph

Montana Stone Fly

Yuck Bug, steelhead love the rubber legs.
 

 If you are gear fishing, either spinning or pinning, a small jig fished under a float will produce well right now.  Local tribs are opening up but some are still locked up with ice or are low water. 

As a general word of caution, be careful around any shelf ice that is left, it is rotten and unstable.  In the next few weeks water levels with be on the rise so use good sense in wading or crossing the river.  Fish with a buddy and wear a PFD, there is nothing wrong with using good sense.

You can check the release on my web site and if you would like to book a trip I have a few days left this spring and the schedule for the fall of 2015 for salmon and steelhead have good dates available.

Tight lines.

Salmon River NY, Steelhead die off

 

Nutritional Deficiency Strongly Implicated in Increased Steelhead Mortality in Lake Ontario Tributaries

Adult steelhead eturning from Lake Ontario to the Salmon River in Oswego County are exhibiting signs of stress and elevated mortality rates due to an apparent thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced today.

DEC scientists enlisted the help of fish health experts in other agencies and academia to determine the cause of this disorder. DEC staff submitted moribund Salmon River steelhead to the Cornell University Aquatic Animal Health Program for testing. Results indicate that fish pathogens are not responsible for the abnormal behavior and mortality. DEC also sent steelhead samples to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Appalachian Research Laboratory for further lab testing. Results strongly indicate a severe thiamine (vitamin B) deficiency, which means it is likely contributing to the steelhead mortality.

“Lake Ontario steelhead are an important component of Lake Ontario’s sport fishery and DEC is deeply concerned about reports of steelhead stress and mortality in the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries,” Commissioner Martens said. “Steelhead provide high-quality sport fisheries in the open lake and are especially sought after by anglers who fish in tributaries from fall through spring. DEC staff will continue to work closely with federal agencies, Cornell University and other stakeholders to identify the cause of the current situation and strategies to ensure a robust steelhead population.”

In mid-November, DEC fisheries staff began to receive reports of steelhead swimming erratically in the Salmon River and higher mortality of the species. More recent reports indicate similar behavior in steelhead in other Lake Ontario tributaries.
Steelhead are an important component of Lake Ontario’s sport fishery, which a Cornell University study valued at over $112 million in angler expenditures in New York annually.

Great Lakes fish predators (including salmon and steelhead) that feed primarily on alewife are prone to thiamine deficiency. Alewife, an invasive bait fish in the Great Lakes, are known to contain thiaminase, an enzyme that degrades thiamine. A thiamine deficiency can impact egg quality and the survival of eggs and newly hatched fish, and, in severe cases, can cause the death of adult fish.
DEC is taking steps to meet its spring 2015 steelhead egg-take targets at Salmon River Hatchery, and will work with Great Lakes agency partners to provide assistance in meeting egg take quotas, if needed. Staff from DEC’s Rome Fish Disease Control Unit and Salmon River Hatchery are preemptively injecting adult steelhead returning to the hatchery with thiamine. Thiamine-injected fish will be held in outdoor raceways at the hatchery and fed a diet fortified with vitamin B to improve the likelihood of successful steelhead egg collections in 2015.
However, little can be done to alleviate the mortality of adult steelhead that are unable to ascend the river and reach the hatchery’s holding facilities. Although moderate thiamine deficiencies are not uncommon in top predator fish such as salmon, lake trout and steelhead in Lake Ontario and other waters, this year’s acute deficiency is atypical in its severity. DEC staff will continue to collaborate with experts to further understand the circumstances leading to this year’s mortality.

For more information, contact DEC’s Bureau of Fisheries (Cape Vincent Fisheries Station) at (315) 654-2147.

A great day fishing, with a good friend

I know, it's been awhile since my last post.  Guiding has been busy, fishing has been so-so.  We've been averaging 2-3 fish landed per outing. Compared to fall steelhead fshing over the last few years, these days test even the dedicated steelheader.  However, we're steelhead fishing on the premier steelhead fishery east of the Mississippi so things are good.

Today was a day off from guiding so, I went steelhead fishing with my very good friend and fellow guide Gary Edwards.  We had a great day, not because of the fishing, but because we rarely get the opportunity to fish together anymore.  I caught my first Salmon River steelhead fishing with Gary and today in the same area I caught that fish, I landed an other steelhead, a beauty!  It didn't 'make the day', but it definitely made it memorable.   

I had fun today!

For an actual report on the fishing today it was slow.  The river bumped up to 750cfs release (1050 on the gauge at Pineville ) from 500cfs for about the last week.  This can cause fish to shut down and the water temperature at the Ace-in-the-Hole was 34*, pretty cold for a steelhead.  We fished down to the Sportsman before we got any action.  By then the sun was hitting the water and about 1:30 pm the fish started to turn on. I myself had 4 takes in 20 minutes, only one hooked but it was the 'right one'.  This big boy pushed all of 18lbs, and, we landed it!  Hope you enjoy the picture as much as I did posing for it.

Tight lines

'Are we there yet'... Salmon River report early October 2014

Salmon fishing on the Salmon River for the past month has not been reflective of the last three years during the same period.  The salmon run has been a slow, steady trickle of fish, not the blast of hundreds for days on end.  They are moving in, most are wild fish, but the expectation of most early season anglers has been disappointing.  However, the key word in that sentence is 'early season'.  We are now into October and the salmon will be pushing into the river soon, as is normal for the Salmon River here is New York. 

The hatchery ladders are filled with big salmon and the spawning areas are slowly filling with early runners.  We have been slugging away at them from both boat and shore and we are having consistant success, granted not like the last few years were the early season waters were filled with epic numbers of salmon, but still consistantly bringing fish to the net daily. 

Can make your life easier.

Most salmon are being taken by my clients on flies swung throught the head and tail-outs of the runs.  This type of fishing is targeting migrating salmon the switch rod has been working well.  In the current water flows, 397cfs at the Pineville gauge with a release at 350cfs, we are setting up with weighted flies and useing a Rio VersiLeader with a 5.6 IPS to get the job done.  This is a nice set up as it eliminates the use of split shot and most anglers can pick up the slower casting rythm for hauling weighted flies and heavy leader quickly, as opposed to fighting the awkward and most of the time, frustrating cast associated with heaving split shot 30-40 ft.

We just past an anniversary here on the Salmon River.  You may remember 4 years ago on October 1, 2010 the Salmon Rivers reached water levels over 20,000cfs.  It is still mind boggling to look at the pictures of this.  Every spring during run-off we typically hit the 8000-9000cfs flow, but 20000cfs, that's crazy water. A few pics to remember the day.


Short bridge in downtown Pulaski.



Taken from the Altmar drift boat parking lot looking north.

Fishing at the Pineville drift boat ramp.




 

As for the salmon run, it's October 3, 2014.  The peak of the run is still ahead of us.  The next full moon October 8th and traditionally the run will be in full force and getting better till the end of Columbus day week.  This weekend looks to be promising as a cold front is moving in this evening and will be with us into early next week.  Most importantly about this is the rain it is bringing with it.  They will come, as they always do.  See you on the river

Tight lines

Salmon River report - early September 2014

As of this writing there are a few salmon in the river, nothing major as of yet.  There has been rumors of a later than usual run, but I expect the main runs to begin when they usually do, in the 3rd and 4th weeks of September.  This leaves enough time to tie some more flies and get the salmon gear prepped.

The river is running good enough to encourage a few salmon to come, with a release of 350cfs and the gauge at Pineville reading 433cfs.  Water temps are in low 60's and will continue to drop in the river as the days and nights continue to cool down.  This coming weekend they are forecasting a significant cool down with daytime highs barely breaking the 50's and in areas around home here enjoying over night temps in the upper 30's.  These conditions will continue to set the river up for good runs soon.

I finally updated my web site, there are revisions from the old one so check it out: Upland Guide Service

This past Monday was the full moon, the Harvest Moon.  This means that in less than 30 days the salmon runs will be peaking, hard to believe.  As I posted before, expect very good returns and big fish.  See you on the river.

Tight lines