Salmon River and Surrounding Area: As we waited with great anticipation for the 03 Spring Steelhead Season to begin, it started and ended for us with Trophy Fish, line screaming runs and dogged battles for three weeks straight!
I began the guiding season on 4/23 with water levels running approximately 1000-1200cfs in the Salmon River which made wading difficult for most, so I turned our attention to a couple of rivers north of the Salmon. Having scouted them a few days earlier, I felt this was the place to be until the "World Class Salmon River" dropped below 1000. Making the decision to head north was easy, as I did not want to see how well my clients could swim. Not only was it a safe decision, but was also good for fishing too, as we were able to hook up many nice silver steelies in the 6-8pound class. Tail walking, line screaming silver bullets were for the most part too much for us with 8 pound fluorocarbon tippets, as many ended up being long line released as they were always able to find the boulders to muscle around and snap, "Fish Off." "Fish On!" was the next thing heard as I scrambled to my running on water act, as I was determined not to let this Bullet avoid my net for my client. Luck plays big part in landing these fish on light tippets, not to mention all my professional ability, and lucky we were as we brought a nice 6 pounder to net in this unfriendly tippet section of river.
Now, on to the Salmon River with the flows dropping below 1000cfs and resulting in one of the finest steelhead seasons we enjoyed in a long time, but sadly coming to premature end on 5/12 caused by torrential rains which led to extreme high water conditions and the eventual evacuation of the Salmon River by local and State Police. With all other areas flooded, we sadly called it a season, packed up and came home early. Putting in our time until 5/12, working waters from Altmar to the Rte. 81 Bridges resulting in daily multiple hook ups and daily multiple landings of fresh fish mixed in with fish preparing to spawn and silver drop backs. What a blast for me guiding my clients into these hungry, mostly subtle hitting, steelies which turned in many long battles of patience and heart pounding 20 to 40 yard screaming runs.
Having all my favorite flies of choice at our tippet ends most were very productive, so we stuck with the flies that would be the producers for this season. Early high and colder water, the steelhead hammers in sizes 12 and 10s red/blk were hot, not forget the wooly buggers did more than their fair share of work too! When the waters dropped and the temps warmed, tan and olive hare's ears, size 12 and 14s, were too hot to even think of changing to any thing else.
And all this fly fishing success was done "Lead Free", no split shots, just traditional fly fishing!
By day's end, everyone left the waters excited about their accomplishments and all definately left the water a better flyfisher!
Now we are all waiting for a repeat of another great season, the fall salmon runs, starting in early to mid September and steelhead runs following in mid-October and into November, to begin. Not to forget about the Trophy Brown Trout Fishery that begins in mid-October on the Western Shore!
So pick your season and your quarry and prepare yourself for a fly fishing experience of a lifetime!
"World Class Waters"
Carry a camera and a cloth measuring tape then use the formula, which is fairly accurate, if you'd like to have the weight, (length X girth X girth / 800 = lb.) and this should give all the info needed for bragging rights without over stressing the fish. Once you land that trophy fish of a lifetime, it's your choice to kill and have mounted and no one should condemn you for your decision to do so. You can also send a good photo and measurements to a professional taxidermist where they can make a reproduction of the fish that you released.