Did anyone hear how the egg take numbers at the hatchery were?
 

I was in communication with an extension specialist from Sea Grant who is also in communication with the DEC folks in Region 7 and at the hatchery, about that issue early in the season when there was apparently some concern, but by early October, I was hearing nothing more, so I have to assume they were no longer worried, and CLint reported that the holding runs were full around Columbus Day. As 2B pointed out, despite what the poor run critics have been saying, the fish were using the sanctuary of night to move, and a lot of fish were not detected in places like the Ball Park because they had already gone through.  It makes sense to me that if 65% of the fish are naturally reproduced, and large numbers of day running fish, the "roostertailers" are being removed by the gauntlet, the ones that reach the spawning grounds and successfully produce progeny determine the characteristics of what comes back later, and these may be the night running fish.  Over time this process could have selected for a majority of night running fish, that hold during the day, and do not flash through the little necks and slots where the Snaggers lurk. It was my impression also that many people are quite capable of seeing these fish when there are hundreds of them around, but pods of 5 or 6 that hold in the center of the flow must just look like so many boulders to them. I know I saw people walk right by fish on the days when I was up there.  If everyone else thinks this was a bad year, I'll take few more bad ones, as I had greater success this year than I have in quite a few years (qualified by the fact that I didn't even start until  the salmon should have been over), and with less time on the SR although I have spent a fair amount of time on a couple of other tribs as well.
 
L13 

The early October fish upriver were bright and shiny indicating a fast run up.
The hatchery was VERY full then with some very bright Kings mixed in with some  oldies well before egg taking time.
Even saw some real nice Browns in the mix.
Was very surprised at the numbers up there compared to what was being found in the river that early.
When I was there it was before the Steel an Hos showed in numbers but am sure the Hos made it in as well.

I heard they had no issues with king eggs at all, but did not hear about ho eggs.

Silly fishes-  year or so back in very low waters and  a real record breaker King run they didn't get enough in the hatchery for eggs and had to go elsewhere and net some.
Water levels clearly have a lot to do with fish getting to the hatchery. Even 350 seems quite enough.

There were alot of fish in hatchery even by late September. Water not dropping below 350 definitely helped. I still believe numbers were way down though. My only quam with it was the absence of early runners... But by far the lowest numbers I've ever seen for sure. My son managed to hook up with a few on his own this season. Highlight of my year was crossing paths with a sparse run on sept. 11th on a late afternoon with no one but my son sharing the water with me. The next movement of good numbers was first weekend of october. Lucky, your timing and place was perfect for some salmon action for sure.

And anyone who gauges anything by the amount of fish they "see" is definitely doing it all wrong. And yes, they will end up walking right by them...

r3g3
Silly fishes-  year or so back in very low waters and  a real record breaker King run they didn't get enough in the hatchery for eggs and had to go elsewhere and net some.
Water levels clearly have a lot to do with fish getting to the hatchery. Even 350 seems quite enough.

You may recall that there was very low water, the fish ran when the snaggers were in town and they very efficiently removed the large hens from the river when they came through the ballpark and up into 2 that year, so that the fish that reached the hatchery were mostly males, hence the trips to the Black.  And the fish were running strong during the daylight hours.  As to how big a run it was in any given year, I'll wait for the DEC analysis, I think people's perceptions are colored by what they see when they are on the water (and how could it be otherwise), and this year if you timed it based on past years, you were too early.  I think a lot of fish may well have made it from the lake up into the stretch above 2a in a night and then run the remaining distance to the top over the next night, and since there are not as many guys hitting he river between 2a and Sportsman's, they were less eliminated.  I know it seemed to me that a lot more boats were launching at Pineville this year, and there must have been a reason for that.
 
I'm with WB on 350, there is plenty of water for them to shoot right up on, if they get into a deeper slot they can become nearly invisible when they want to hold.  I know based on what Combs has published about West Coast migration distances, the steelhead could blow from the estuary to the dam in one night if they wanted, these fish evolved to run hundreds of miles, so the distance they are faced with in the SR, especially at optimum flows, are nothing.
 
L13

Sounding like plenty of Steel  turning into Winter fish-If I get up this winter it will be with the 5 wt.
With the weather conditions and upcoming warm up the river may finally get that much anticipated cleaning out .
Good luck to all who venture out in the cold..

Getting back to some 'old days' reporting IMHO.
Guides and shops or anyone making a living on the river says VERY little of sparce runs and disease and have decent to fine reports.
Joe fisherman however reports VERY crowded conditions with VERY few, if any, hookups.
Sad commentary-----
Gotta go and find out for yourself like days of old and NOT try and depend on reports.
Gotta understand that in tough times those making a living at it are understandably optimistic.
In great or decent times it seems that things level out  lol.