First Time Salmon River

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flat lander
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2014/10/21 12:46:51 (permalink)

First Time Salmon River

I'm making a trip for the first time to Pulaski this week to try my hand at NY's steelies. I've been fishing Erie tribs for several years so I'm not new to the game, but I have no idea what's in store for me in NY. I know the water is faster and the terrain is different, but in general, are their any pointers you guys can provide a newbie? In Erie I either float eggs, minnows, or worms. I normally use 4-6 pound flouro with a 10.5 foot rod. Any gear change recommendation for the larger river? I'v called around to a few places and it seems like my only available options are Steelhead lodge on 13 or the Drift Boat Inn. 
 
Thanks in advance. PM me if you have a few locations you'd like to share. 
 
On a side note, I'm thinking about paying for the day pass to fish the DSR. Seems like a nice stretch of water...any comments?
#1

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    bigbear2012
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 14:31:27 (permalink)
    Save the $75 for the dsr pass.....there are steel head throughout the river.  You might want to move up to 8 to 10 lb  floro....especially since there are still some kings and hos in the river....the average fish on the SR is 2-3lbs more than the average erie fish.  You will need larger floats and more of a shot string to get down (depending on where you fish).  In the erie tribs i use small floats and light line, on the SR i'm usually using a 9g float and 8lb tippet.  Other than that its the same game, just bigger water and bigger fish.
    There are other places to stay, but those two are fine.
    A bead or egg sack may be a better choice for bait...my personal favorite is the blue goo egg sacks from the pineville shop, or tangerine colored bead.
    Make sure your hooks are up to the bigger fish too.  I use the gamagatzu keel weighted size 14's in erie, but find they are too light of a wire for the SR fish, size 8 or 10 owner mosquito hooks work ok.

    wishin i was fishin
    #2
    flat lander
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 14:42:08 (permalink)
    bigbear2012
    Save the $75 for the dsr pass.....there are steel head throughout the river.  You might want to move up to 8 to 10 lb  floro....especially since there are still some kings and hos in the river....the average fish on the SR is 2-3lbs more than the average erie fish.  You will need larger floats and more of a shot string to get down (depending on where you fish).  In the erie tribs i use small floats and light line, on the SR i'm usually using a 9g float and 8lb tippet.  Other than that its the same game, just bigger water and bigger fish.
    There are other places to stay, but those two are fine.
    A bead or egg sack may be a better choice for bait...my personal favorite is the blue goo egg sacks from the pineville shop, or tangerine colored bead.
    Make sure your hooks are up to the bigger fish too.  I use the gamagatzu keel weighted size 14's in erie, but find they are too light of a wire for the SR fish, size 8 or 10 owner mosquito hooks work ok.




     
    I appreciate the input. We are still up in the air about which location. It looks like rain Thursday in NY, so Erie might be the way to go for this trip. Nothing worse than driving 5+ hours and having the stream blown out.
    #3
    bigbear2012
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 14:54:51 (permalink)
    the sr will not be blown out with anything less than 1200cfs
     

    wishin i was fishin
    #4
    flat lander
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 14:59:58 (permalink)
    so the 3/4" they are calling for on Thursday wouldn't make Friday blow out?
    #5
    r3g3
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 16:31:11 (permalink)
    The SR flows are managed by a hydro dam as well as controlled flow releases from a large reservoir which is very low now. Generally unless there is a real big storm or heavy spring runoff it has little affect on the rivers flow beyond limited local runoff.
    #6
    twobob
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 16:53:44 (permalink)
    B
    post edited by twobob - 2014/12/16 17:13:32
    #7
    r3g3
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 17:22:32 (permalink)
    After seeing the upper res about 8 ft low a week or two back am surprised we still have the 350 flow--lower was full.
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    Clint S
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 17:52:17 (permalink)
    Yea we got an inch of rain last week and other than run off of about 100cfs or so for a while we did not see any big changes. I would actually like to see 750  to 1000 for a few days to clear the leaves ad move the fish up.

    The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.  ~Babylonian Proverb

    #9
    flat lander
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/21 18:54:55 (permalink)
    Clint S
    Yea we got an inch of rain last week and other than run off of about 100cfs or so for a while we did not see any big changes. I would actually like to see 750  to 1000 for a few days to clear the leaves ad move the fish up.


    Thanks. Sounds like salmon river it is. Hopefully we get into some fish.
    #10
    dimebrite2
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 10:41:46 (permalink)
    Great advice from bear...

    As for water, the ground is more saturated than I've seen since the spring. 3/4 inch of rain on Thursday will not blow out the salmon river... But if steady showers keep up the river should bump up sooner than later... But nowheres near a blow out
    #11
    pensfan1
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 16:21:47 (permalink)
    We fished it last year at 1440.
     
    So you guys don't see a "flush out" anytime soon?
    #12
    chartist
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 18:35:23 (permalink)
    I would fish the church hole in the LFZ.  Get there early.
    #13
    flat lander
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 18:41:29 (permalink)
    chartist
    I would fish the church hole in the LFZ.  Get there early.


    Think you you shoot me a PM with details? I'll google it too. Thanks
    #14
    uglyfish
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 20:03:59 (permalink)
    Don't give him all the details we don't need another guy flinging 1/0 estaz hooks in the LFZ
    #15
    hot tuna
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 20:18:40 (permalink)
    chartist
    I would fish the church hole in the LFZ.  Get there early.

    I thought you were a jail water guy, you know the one who would pay high dollar to fish uncrowded private water.
    So what lowered your standards to our levels now ?

    chartist
    Fishing is not always democratic....Like they say, if you have to ask how much, it's probably not for you.....I love the DSR and I've booked four days at 50 per day....If 100 per day would cut the crowd in half, I'd pay it....I got hit in the head by a snagger on the ball field hole two years ago...Darn near passed out in the river...The guy new he'd hit me hard and apologized....I've never seen that type on the DSR.


    chartist
    And you know the purpose of money?  It's for rationing a scarce commodity....Space is getting rare on the SR...So, those who can afford more, get more....So Clint, if your income doesn't allow you the same amount of access as mine, well that's too bad, and it's capitalism....And if you don't support capitalism, you must be a communist...


    chartist
    Personally, I don't mind private enterprise....I will pay for more elbow room.  It's way too cheap to fish on the SR now....The locals are crushing it....I drive 500 miles to fish and it's often not easy to find elbow room...Let the locals have the town pools....Make everyone else pay and pay and pay.
    post edited by hot tuna - 2014/10/22 20:31:25

    "whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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    Clint S
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/22 20:49:29 (permalink)
    hot tuna
    chartist
    I would fish the church hole in the LFZ.  Get there early.

    I thought you were a jail water guy, you know the one who would pay high dollar to fish uncrowded private water.
    So what lowered your standards to our levels now ?

    chartist
    Fishing is not always democratic....Like they say, if you have to ask how much, it's probably not for you.....I love the DSR and I've booked four days at 50 per day....If 100 per day would cut the crowd in half, I'd pay it....I got hit in the head by a snagger on the ball field hole two years ago...Darn near passed out in the river...The guy new he'd hit me hard and apologized....I've never seen that type on the DSR.


    chartist
    And you know the purpose of money?  It's for rationing a scarce commodity....Space is getting rare on the SR...So, those who can afford more, get more....So Clint, if your income doesn't allow you the same amount of access as mine, well that's too bad, and it's capitalism....And if you don't support capitalism, you must be a communist...


    chartist
    Personally, I don't mind private enterprise....I will pay for more elbow room.  It's way too cheap to fish on the SR now....The locals are crushing it....I drive 500 miles to fish and it's often not easy to find elbow room...Let the locals have the town pools....Make everyone else pay and pay and pay.


    Tunes I  almost said something last he posted he fished there. I have no comment except what you posted.  I can be cordial though. 

    The gods do not deduct from man's allotted span the hours spent in fishing.  ~Babylonian Proverb

    #17
    fichy
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/23 08:45:08 (permalink)
    Yeah, you'll get a real cordial welcome when you start throwing blue egg sacks and minnows in a relatively strict fly fishing zone. You can get away with snagging with a fly rod  like Chartist, but bait is out of the question.  People will get a little jacked up and will drop a dime to DEC on you. Then again he didn't catch much or even anything on a week long trip, so you might consider the source. Of course, it may have been his snobby attempt at a joke, sending a guy who uses bait under a float to the fly zone. The only question remains is how big of an azzhat he really is.  There's lots of good float water in mid-river. Take some walks from Pineville and 2a  and ask some guys at the lodge.  Good luck.
    post edited by fichy - 2014/10/23 08:51:27
    #18
    chartist
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/24 20:40:44 (permalink)
    I was the only guy fishing an indicator in the church hole ....You're not lifting when fishing under an indicator...I saw plenty of lifters holding fly rods at the church hole.
    #19
    hot tuna
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/24 21:01:20 (permalink)
    chartist
    I was the only guy fishing an indicator in the church hole ....You're not lifting when fishing under an indicator...I saw plenty of lifters holding fly rods at the church hole.

    Don't know if you noticed as this cheap seats spots are outta your realm but in recent history, there has been a bobber hatch at times there. Most of the ones I seen were lining fish with extensive lengths to the bobbers. So yea they do snag fish quite well but when fished correctly they are useful ... Unless its got a 1/0 estaz fly ..
    You be better off paying the big bucks an snag like a king ..

    "whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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    Lucky13
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/24 23:43:27 (permalink)
    Little Lord Fauntleroy goes to jail!
     
    L13
     
    #21
    Lucky13
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    Re: First Time Salmon River 2014/10/30 20:25:53 (permalink)
    So Flat Lander, how was your trip?
     
    L13
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