Going up on Monday just wondering what the conditions are like

Heading up Tuesday.  Looking forward to meeting all my friends from the board at the Altmar Hotel.

Extremely crowded.  They don't call it the circus for nothing.

Yes, there was a backup half mile long the other morning. I am opting for Oneida lake perch and eyes this weekend.

I must admit, 3 years ago, I didn't fish salmon at all in Sept., and hadn't gone to the river once. I decided on a Sunday morning , today actually, to take a drive to see the circus. I told Nancy we'd just walk and look, as she had never seen salmon run. We ended up at the upper around 2 in the afternoon and there was few people left. I went back, got my stuff and proceeded to fish redds that had 3-4 males behind each hen. They crushed big black buggers pulled into their midst, once I got past the hen.
3 hrs. worth of good battles and sharing the water with another guy and his non-fishing wife. Beautiful day.  Ya never know.

Just got back not many fish and a lot of people. I tripped and took a salmon river swim. That's when I called it quits and left 

Nice to know I was not the only 'wet one' this year.
Shockingly refreshing.

Takes your breath away haha

Better early October swim then a January or February swim. That you might not live to tell.

Amen, I fished Feb last year.  I'm pretty sure it was a high of -10 that day.  We fished Altmar and there was barely anybody so you know it was cold.  I kept thinking I better not go in...  We did make the mistake of climbing down the embankment to fish under the pineville bridge.  Not only was the ice shelf out about 4 ft off the bridge pylon and not fishable, but we barely got back up the freaking embankment.