DSR Salmon River, Pulaski NY, 9/18 -20

[Tigereye]

You were blinded by that electric blue sage rod. It looked more like a light saber than a fishing rod.

 

[rancid waders]

FWIW and not to derail the thread, I know an elderly guide who is on the river all year, in short he uses only Marabou comets in chartreuse, fushia and purple only. Color depends on cloud and water clarity.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

^it don't matter what fly you use! -Stone Cold Steve Austin.

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Overall I had a fantastic time on this trip. Thanks again for letting me tag along @Tigereye. I hope we can get together next year for another round. I like the idea of doing a four day trip to get a day of rest. I like to think I could fish three days like Wednesday and not suffer too much fatigue but maybe not.

These salmon are incredible fighters! Out of the 12 I hooked into 2 were landed, mere 10 pounders. The real heartbreaker was that 15lb. Coho I pinned on Wednesday right at the start of that morning rush where I fought it for 15 minutes and couldn't move it only to have it start taking off upstream and losing it due to a backing knot (I would have lost it anyways just a little bit later). These fish are insane! I don't think ever had an instance where fish have fatigued ME. The steelhead I catch in Erie are smaller but I can contain them quite easily after they move around a bit. When these fish decide to jump the hole it's pretty much game over, although I was impressed with how Gabe was able to chase em' downstream and beach them. He knows how to chase them haha. That bucket hole is pretty nuts, because it's only a matter of time before that salmon decides to leave and the running commences!

 

[Tigereye]

No.... the Rock

 

[krayfish2]

Flossing? Shame on you.

 

[Prospector]

Flossing? Shame on you.

It’s a fine line for sure. I prefer to think of it as putting the fly at eye level so they get a good look at it and they don’t have to move to eat it. If you feel the take then you set the hook that’s ok. If you set the hook before you feel that fish, that’s a no-no. Certainly a shade of gray either way.

 

[laurelrun]

Just back from an amazing weekend on the Salmon river. The river is thick with fish. Did I foul hook a lot of fish? Absolutely. It's not hard to tell and pretty easy to break off the bad hooks quickly. Did I floss fish? Undoubtedly. It's the nature of the game. Did I encounter a lot of aggressive, angry biters? No doubt. More than any year I've ever been there Hard takes in the beginning or middle of a drift. Flies deep in the mouth or inside corner. Streamers and eggs alike, they were swiping. Kings do bite. Especially fresher ones.

What I can say for sure: This was an incredible season and its still going strong. Each day was better than the last. If you can get up there in the next week or 10 days, do it.

 

[Tigereye]

Sounds like a banner week. Dont you love it when a plan comes together. Glad you had a good time. But then again its always fun. 4 days of double digit hook ups..dear Lord.. you may need a vacation to recoup , LOL.

 

[fly_flinger]

Just back from an amazing weekend on the Salmon river. The river is thick with fish. Did I foul hook a lot of fish? Absolutely. It's not hard to tell and pretty easy to break off the bad hooks quickly. Did I floss fish? Undoubtedly. It's the nature of the game. Did I encounter a lot of aggressive, angry biters? No doubt. More than any year I've ever been there Hard takes in the beginning or middle of a drift. Flies deep in the mouth or inside corner. Streamers and eggs alike, they were swiping. Kings do bite. Especially fresher ones.

What I can say for sure: This was an incredible season and its still going strong. Each day was better than the last. If you can get up there in the next week or 10 days, do it.

Great trip! Any steelhead, coho or browns caught?

 

[laurelrun]

Great trip! Any steelhead, coho or browns caught?

We caught no coho and only saw a couple by nearby anglers. Same for steelhead. None on in our twosome. I landed a fat hen of a brown. My buddy caught an Atlantic! They seem to be popping up more often. Fish were beginning to spawn, but no king we caught was spitting eggs or milt. So the trout are likely just starting to slide in.

 

[Tigereye]

It would be interesting to hear the total tally of atlantics this year. 2 weeks ago it was 6 or so. Probably well over 10 by now. A record year for sure. Where else can one go to get world class fishing for kings, coho, atlantic, trophy steelhead and browns?