Charlie- Dont know bout the clipping way up- as I kinda stayed upper mid through the King season most  of what I saw dead was with the fin. Quite likely that the naturals dropped off where they were hatched along the way and hatchery fish continued . Actually kinda hope that was the case.
 Yea - it was a snag fest with the low conditions and lots of everything  got removed.
  Your fly info is pretty much as it was told to me too. Think I'll stick to some Stones this week.
   Low reports were actually very uplifting for fresh fish on top of that recent release and after the slush cleared.
 Have never thought it was a distinct lack of fish because of the big Lake reports this year- just a different kind of season with the Fall conditions.

Until this year I have only fished from Pineville up and although I dd see alot of fish there, it was nothing near the epic runs that I heard down low.    As far as steel I have not been out since before Christmas and then 90% were on  egg flies.  I am thinking of heading up this weekend, but with the warm weather  maybe bigger crowds.  From my view #'s close to the same,  but  a trickier bite.   There was a post on SC on how many times a steel gets hooked in the river that may play a part in the bite, especially with the low water.

Trev,
Unlike years past I really could not give an opinion as a result of not being on the water much.. Times have changed for me and I'm pretty happy..
Only 1 weekend for salmon and a few steelhead episodes..
The times I were on the water, it was fishing pretty well..
 
I see internet reports from guys that hook up regularly, almost daily so cant base any thing from those..
I read from guys here who fish and catch fish..
Seems to still be a good fishery with a lot of fishers.. Sometimes the fish gotta win once in a while.
 

Tuna-
    Agree wholeheartedly- Am the last to judge a fishing trip by the numbers of fish caught. Love the River - the folks and the walk-fish are a bonus -letem go anyhow.
 Kinda recall the 'days of old' though where a Steel trip was considered pretty good with one or two fish a 3 day trip. Glad that changed.
  Actually I was there before that, around 35 years or 40 years  ago when it was similar to the past few years. The BIG diff being fish were NOT pressured and seemed to bite far more readily. 
    Spring trips back then were NUTS and few others around. Dont talk  numbers much but those days were AWESOME.
   Was pretty nice to see them come back and hope this season is just a glinch. Hos too.
  Those 'regular' guys are different than most of us- They fish often and are aware of movement and spots. Kudos to them. For the rest of us we go to the 'spots most likely' and hope for the best =lol.

So darned bored I'm double posting---
   Hey- fella fished mid river on the 5th and took a  hawg. See photo on the Lake Ontario Web Cam -fishing report section.

The lakers and salmon are hitting on schroon lake (ice)... I could never get bored only broke fishing these great NY waters

At the west end, the run died out around the same time as on SR, but word from my brother in law, a reformed basser who now chases chrome in the fall, was that the smaller tribs loaded up heavily with bright chromers, and some browns and hos the week before Xmas.  I just have not had time to fish, and the Genesee is still over 2000, so it is spin with weight down there.  May get out Saturday locally, and looking to go up north next weekend when I've got 3 days, but the weather dictates everything this time of year, especially with an old beater truck.  And if we get the deep freeze between now and then, I'll head down to Canadice or Hemlock and watch tip ups and jig for smelt, or go to Honeoye and hope to get the panfish for Ash Wednesday!
 
L13

RG I saw that pic, that thin was a pig.

With the colder snap we've had I was beginning to think the gauges were all stuck.
 
Every day it showed a projected drop but it never showed up.

If you're refering to the Genesee, there is a lot of fluctuation in the Ford Street gage now because it is a velocity/discharge device, and I think it is more impacted by ice.  There is still a lot of water coming in from upstream, Portageville is still near a thousand and Mt Morris is ~1500.  Add in Oatka, Black, and Honeoye, and 2000 at Ford street is not unreasonable.  I'm sure the pinners and drift fishers are getting a few, and I may end up going down with the drift rod, if only for the walk and exercize coming back out.
 
L13