LFZ

For those who haven't seen the official announcement, I got this today. Please appreciate the fisheries management needs and the good reasoning behind the decision, even if you trip was "spoiled". Also understand that you'll find fish in other parts of the river, and a more restrictive mindset could have closed the whole shebang considering the conditions in the river.
 
Subject: DEC DELAYS THE FISHING SEASON OPENING OF A SMALL PORTION OF THE
SALMON RIVER DUE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS

For Release: IMMEDIATE                   Contact: Maureen Wren
Friday, September 14, 2007            (518) 402-8000

DEC DELAYS THE FISHING SEASON OPENING OF A SMALL PORTION OF THE SALMON
RIVER DUE TO DROUGHT CONDITIONS
Measure Employed to Reduce Mortality of Fish Prior to Entering DEC
Hatchery

             In response to dry conditions and low water levels, the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today will be issuing regulations delaying the fly fishing catch-and-release season
opening for one month along ¼ of a mile on the Salmon River in Altmar,
Oswego County. The start date for the 2007 lower Salmon River fly
fishing catch-and-release area will be changed from Sept.15 to Oct.15
for this small portion of the river.

             The ¼ -mile-long lower fly fishing area runs from the County
Route 52 bridge in Altmar upstream to just below the mouth of Beaverdam Brook and is the staging area for trout and salmon waiting to enter DEC’s Salmon River Hatchery. As a result, there is a high density
of fish in the area. DEC is concerned that catch-and-release mortality
would be significant under the current river conditions and that the
conditions are not conducive to ethical fly fishing at this time. The
current low flow, combined with relatively warm weather and high density
will be stressful to fish health and has already resulted in noticeable
mortality in the lower 15 miles of the Salmon River that will remain
open to angling.

             The recent drought has left the Salmon River Reservoir at 14
feet below dam crest as of September 10 and base flows to the river have
been adjusted from the normal 335 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 100
cfs. There is no significant precipitation in the long-term forecast.

             DEC will be initiating emergency regulations to delay the
season
opening in order to provide necessary protection to the fish in the
lower fly area to ensure that enough fish will enter the hatchery to
meet salmon egg requirements for hatchery production. The Chinook salmon
egg take is scheduled to begin on October 9, and delaying the opening of
the lower fly fishing area until October 15 should ensure that
sufficient numbers of fish enter the hatchery for full salmon production
in 2008. By the middle of October, water temperatures are anticipated to
drop, and expected Fall rains will likely result in increased base flows
for the Salmon River, which would enhance sport fishing opportunities in
the portion of the river affected by the delayed opening.

             Anglers are reminded that the upper Salmon River special
regulations fly-fishing area, which is located above the hatchery,
remains open to anglers. DEC’s fishing regulations guide,
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html , provides information about
this and other special regulations. The section of the guide pertaining
to the upper and lower Salmon River fly fishing catch-and-release season
can be found at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31420.html .

             DEC’s Salmon River Fish Hatchery supplies almost all the trout
and salmon for New York’s world-renown Great Lakes fisheries. Each
year, the hatchery stocks 3.5 million trout and salmon, and nine million
walleye fry. Serving an eleven-county area, hatchery personnel travel
many miles delivering fish to their designated stocking sites. For more
information about DEC’s Salmon River Hatchery, go to
http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/21663.html
 
L13

One phone call could help with that, and there's a payphone at the Altmar Hotel right across the street.
 
L13.