10/16 mid river

got to my usual spot below the root at about 130 and was able to slide in between the guy fishing the head of the run and a drift boat in the middle. started with a flesh fly and hooked a lot of leaves river was full of them. Switched to a green eztaz with a clear bead at the head, by the way not seeing any salmon just lots of steel. Had a taker on the forth drift with a nice run at me and 4 jumps then off, that was my first take this season! Kept fishing and watching the 12 or so guys working the stretch including the guide, all lifting every one. I probably saw 25 bright steelhead come in tail first, back hooked, belly hooked but never saw one in the mouth, even watched the guide net one hooked clearly in the back and saw it put on a stringer. It was a meat market for sure. Got one other quick pull but did not stay on and that was on a black egg sucking leach. crossing the river and heading out about 430 and saw 6 stringers tied to the big log at the tail of the root, all full and most steel, on one stringer 3 steel and a hoe, in my 3 hours I saw 3 salmon 2 that swam by and one dragged to shore.......backwards. Still not a fish for me this season but man is there a lot of steel around.

Thanks for the report John.
I'm almost tempted to make a mid week suicide run.

Nice to hear you got a bite brother, your far more ahead of the game then me .. Cool about the chrome ( well not the clowns ) and that's where it's at for me.
We will get some. I still have visions of that pee wee wart trip with You and jack .. Thanks for the everlasting memory :)

I think you might find those steelies you seen on my fish finder site ;)

Too bad I don't have river rights john ;) although we do own halfway in to the river and it is stated that we have the right to throw people out who are littering or doing illegal activities. The fishing easement is also granted for fishing purposes only...nothing else... But who has the time and energy to play policeman? Especially with obnoxious adults???

John I have the day off today. Might have to take a walk back there... Did they have over limits of trout on stringers?

I ran into a retired DEC officer  for my area the other day. He told me the annual trip out to the SR was pretty much a joke, as they weren't really schooled to actually do anything constructive, other than be a visible presence. Hence why the local DEC  gets the boat. It's now a free for all, knowing the odds are  probably better to have your car broken into than get a ticket. As much as he hated the snagging zone, he thought they might as well have it, as it at least was truthful. He loved the fishing, but doesn't go back anymore, just too much to take . For every ethical fisherman there's many more snaggers there to par-tee. It's getting close to  declaring outright war on the fish.

Fichy truth be told I wouldn't mind a snagging zone under tight conditions.
Hook size limitation.
Mandatory break in line so hundreds of yards of 50# is hanging downriver.
And open only 9/1 til 10/15.
Pineville bridge to rt52
All chrome above pineville must be released at that time
 
Fines at least tripled after that if you are snagging and give the dec officer the right to decide since he would be considered an expert witness in court.
I'm sure there is more tweaking but this is off the top of my head.

Harsher penalties for guides who use or tacitly approve of clients implementing illegal tactics.  If guides are not willing to serve as stewards of the fishery then I fear the worst. 
It's unfortunate but bad behavior is rewarded by success.  Until people learn its not how many but how well it will never change.

What time you gonna be around john? Later in to the afternoon?

Actually just got back, cut it short because half hour after I started fishing the rain began. My rain jacket hung in the garage only a 20% chance of rain so fished till soaked thru and left skunked again. Today could not get near my favorite spot as there were 3 boats and numerous others. So fished a little above  the bend, in two hours I saw 3 fish go by and not a fish on by anyone. Quite a difference from yesterday, really not turning out to be my best season.

As much as I hate bank erosion the high bank is going back toward what it used to be. Another round of undercut bank holes here and there. Loving it