Actually one early sept day last season in that particular area I had the whole run to myself and had fish moving thru all day. Was a banner early season fly swinging day and knowone to share it with, my first trip up every year is august 15 unless the water is super low and warm.

ChromeBandit412
this is very interesting to me. what if i rigged some good 8lb seaguer onto my pfleuger noodle rod combo? can a first timer come up and just wing it? maybe find a cheap campground or sleep in a parking lot somewhere? are the crowds really that bad?

The parking lot sleeping thing will likely get you a ticket, or if you are lucky, shagged out and a warning.  But Stoney's campground is cheep, and that early there are some nicer ones still open as well.  Also, even though there is a ton of NYS land nearby, all of it I know of is State Forest land, and camping is by permit only, so you would have to find out who the ranger is for the area, and write for a permit in advance, and , unless you knew the State forest you intended to camp in, you might have a real challenge finding a  site.  You are up there to fish and sleep, so an inexpensive private site, or a site at Selkirk Shores State Park , on the lake just south of SR, is your best bet.
 
L13

Dime,
 
As far as those dead early fish, you could also say from the estuary to 81, as a lot of the DSR paying folks are not the most ethical when it is Salmon season.  Admittedly, it is a gauntlet from the Black Hole to 81, but a lot of those guys are roping their fish, too,  and a lot quit once they have the limit, so much of the mortality could be attributable to multiple C+R stress.  I think it should be 5 salmon per day, you keep everything you catch, and you stop fishing once you have your limit, but what do I know (and I don't even start thinking about going to the river until after Columbus day, although that might change if I retire end of September.)
 
L13

I certainly don't wanna keep any. C & R is just fine.

Lucky, days I was down in dsr in august and early september with no one in sight, I'd drive up to haledane afterwards to see a whipping fest... the most dead fish I saw last season early on was in the town pool... you are right to an extent, but from what I see, town bridge to 81 kills the most fish... even on the weekend after labor day I fished dsr on a Saturday with no more than 10 people in sight on a half mile stretch... town to 81 was mobbed...

Have been up around 81 at the crack of dawn and seen fish drift back down and go belly up. They weren't dying because of C &R as it happens so early hardly no one is around fishing yet.
 It was just their time---think the run up through the long low areas in low water is just too much for some of them early in the season. Fortunately there aren't too many areas like that elsewhere in the river. And/or the weak ones get culled out by nature real soon.
 Of course C & R has an affect -but its not the whole picture.

I will be happy to hook and hang outta the Great Lake this summer- fall. Out on the mighty Hudson now. Fishing is dead but boat is SWEET !!!!

once you put three salmon on a stringer on the DSR, you're done for the day and must stop fishing....It doesn't matter if it's 5pm or 7 am....I've seen them enforce it too.

Can I get the islander up in dsr ? We got 6/0 hooks and 40# line

hot tuna
Can I get the islander up in dsr ? We got 6/0 hooks and 40# line

Heck yes we can get it up in the DSR,as long as we don't get too far up,like not to the Meadow.With the 40# line we can crank them in on our tuna rods.....maybe chartist would like to join us then no one can move into his "spot"  
 
Rich....did you try night crawlers for the Stripers?........you gotta show them something different.