Now that's my idea of surf and turf, steelhead, turkey & football!

Wife is sleeping and I have to talk to my sister, but I think I can fill that seat.

Although we keep fishing and keep enjoying it I think we have to admit the season stinks.
Last year had a definite odor but nothing like his year.
Those of us participating on this Forum are of a kind that will keep on keeping on despite the conditions, many others will not.
The past two seasons are particularly annoying as they were preceded by  two seasons of positively GREAT fishing.
Now we enter a season of Winter Steel fishing which has already proven to have a poor start.
That small  pods of fish that would have had little to no past notice have become "news" lately is indicative of the issue.
Am sure we all hope for a better future however it would seem that a life cycle of fish may be necessary to provide that result.
Predictions of an 'el nino' winter could not come at a better time for the Lake and its recent record breaking icing issues that are a very likely cause of the problems we face.
I personally have strong positive support for the NY Hatchery folks and their constant attention to the issue at hand.
Mother nature can be a serial killer- now and then she feels it necessary to rise up and show who is really in charge......
Things will improve- over time
One must give credit to the unusual crowds that still show up on the River this season casting away all day to what they certainly know to be slowwwww resuts.
Rant over - sorry hadda do it.

Rg, for me it's not so much the fish or lack of. I have been fish less many times. We were week after week out on the lake but yet still went out every single week.
For me that is disheartening , is the lack of respect given to the fishery by far to many.
It gets saddening , tiresome and I'm not into timing my casts any longer .
The saving grace that will and hopefully keep my line wet a time or 2 each year are times I spend with friends on the river. If it wasn't for fishing with 3fan or Fichy & Ugly, I wouldn't have even bothered with the river no matter how great the fishing is

Don't care for conga lines either-would rather go off someplace and get skunked than resort to that.
Did it out of frustration for  while in Church last trip and went nuts- got out.
Waiting all night for 'the spot' aint in my portfolio.
Personal numbers don't mean much to me -its the place and atmosphere that counts.
Mostly after catching and landing something will just sit back and watch the show for while - like to give spots to newbies when ever possible after a catch.
Soooo it aint bout the numbers but the quality of the experience that I think brings most of us to the SR.
That said there aint much fun in fishing an empty swimming pool.
Ya gotta be in the game. We are- after all- predators.
How many seasons will one spend in a tree stand and never see a Deer before going someplace else-??
Yea -its nice out there- but ya have to be in the game-------
Ct salt is only 15 minutes away from me and the RI beaches only bout 45-- been a while but thinking bout getting back to it----glad I kept my gear.
 

Well that's what brings me to the SR less and less , quality of experience . I don't want to watch people snag fish , don't want to see trash everywhere , don't want to find a cool spot only to have someone stand across from me trying to fish the same water .

Spent a considerable portion of my time last week looking up and down river at no one, in one spot I could see an easy 200 yards upstream and 1/4 mile down.  Where I hit my fish, I was visible from a main road, and 2B and I were only sharing the 1/2 mile stretch with an elderly Russian lifter.  You can find water with solitude even when the "hot spots" are full.  But I agree, last year I just thought the run was late, and then they started keeling over, this year, they for the most part have not shown up to keel over. 

Points taken . Mine is that you knew the lifter was there or somewhere

hot tuna
Points taken . Mine is that you knew the lifter was there or somewhere

But if I don't go the lifters win.
 
I just like to keep my head down and outfish them so I can watch there swagger fall apart.
I love when some Dbag that thinks he's hot siht slinks away with his tail between his legs.