Fishing is not always democratic....Like they say, if you have to ask how much, it's probably not for you.....I love the DSR and I've booked four days at 50 per day....If 100 per day would cut the crowd in half, I'd pay it....I got hit in the head by a snagger on the ball field hole two years ago...Darn near passed out in the river...The guy new he'd hit me hard and apologized....I've never seen that type on the DSR.

Traumatic brain injury explains so much!

250 is max during peak based on their averages throughout the year. Season pass holder max in One day in recent years was 68. Season pass holders frequent weekdays more than weekends. They set up some type of cushion in which they have 30 openings for seasons pass holders as a reserve. So if that cushion on a peak season day is not fulfilled the max will actually be 220 and they will still be considered sold out of day passes... They did assure season pass holders will never be turned away. Based on this new system it sounds like there will never be an actual Max of 250...

And 500 was a sell out, but how about the sneak ins years ago... I'm sure there's been days near 1000 at times

Havent been there since the price went over $30.
That said guess the bottom line is that its still the BEST fishing on the river.
To many that's the bottom line for an annual expedition-price be darned when taking the entire picture into consideration- Vacation time-gas- lodging- food and tackle-etc.
One thing is for sure though- during the peak ya better reserve your pass early-------those old days of the long line out on the road fulla guys trying to buy a day pass may be over.

The rangers do a fair job of policing the DSR...I watched one throw a fisherman out at 10 am after he admitted that it was his stringer with three salmon on it.  It clearly states once you put three on a stringer, you must go.  I had one bark at me as he claimed I was impeding the migration of the fish through a narrow spot in the river.  It was my first time on that river and didn't realize it.  Live and learn.

What good is all that fancy Simms gear if you can't stand in the middle of the water you should be fishing.  And of course these fish behave differently in every water they run.  Stugots!
 
L13

twobob
Traumatic brain injury explains so much!

TBI is often accompanied by PTSD. Persistent trolling/snagging disorder.
Thanks, Dr. Twobee for that diagnosis.
  First hour I was ever in the DSR an azzcave jumped in front of me to body snag a fish in the tail of the glide .  He thought I was wasting time trying to get it to take on the swing.  LOTS of snaggers there, too.

fichy

twobobTraumatic brain injury explains so much!

TBI is often accompanied by PTSD. Persistent trolling/snagging disorder.Thanks, Dr. Twobee for that diagnosis.  First hour I was ever in the DSR an azzcave jumped in front of me to body snag a fish in the tail of the glide .  He thought I was wasting time trying to get it to take on the swing.  LOTS of snaggers there, too.

That's a fact. It's not the fishing Mecca by any means. I just love ther water there for salmon as it suites a " fisherman " well.
Remember 1 thing though folks, its not the first shot at unmolested fish. There are hundreds of " whalers " in the estuary throwing harpoons at them first.
I fished the estuary for many years using egg sacks and have NEVER " caught " ( yes i have lined or had them run through my line ) salmon in that slack , slow moving water.
Trout are a different story though..

What's funny is that when I "fish" my "secret" spot I have success with the Salmon and most are hooked "IN" the mouth.It must be that they are not molested.......HE....HE....

Jack my take on it is that when they are up in the ufz they are pretty much done running and they begin aggressively defending their turf.
That is until some yutz starts bombing them with #2 shoot and 2/0 hooks.
If you can avoid that it can be steady picking  for a real fisherman.
 
It is the in between fish that are so hard to entice.
Their goal being to get to the spawning ground all the  while being buttraped by PTSD syndrome sufferers (as fichy calls it).