1)  None of my leaders come out of the package without a knot in them.
2)  It's really tough to land a fish on your own
3)  The handle on my fly reel is a twirling weapon of death
4)  Fly line burns bad
5) A sea gull  CAN and WILL  take a thingamabobber  out of mid air
 
Here is the latest and greatest report for today.    I got up to the LFZ pretty early (for me)  and there were a few guys there , but I got a spot without an issue.  Started at about 7:30   from then until noon it was pretty good.  Did not matter what you threw, eggs, stones, sucker spawn,  even got a hit on a salmon river smolt on the swing.   I got 7 hits  in the AM and one in the motor.   3 I got to the bank, but could only get one to hand as they broke off when I was trying to tail then.   Of the 7, 3 were on the swing   at the tail to the fast water .   All the fish I hooked were runners and of the 4 others lost 3 were lost to broken knots and frayed leaders as they ran into the rapids and just destroyed the line.    Less fish were hooked in the faster water  and riffles today than the medium flows of the heads and tails of the pools.   It shut off Like a light switch and not a hit from 12:30 till 3:30 and maybe 3 total fish hooked I could even see.  I got 2 hits from from 3:30 till 4:30.   I was down to my last leader  and It  was busted of around a rock by the last fish.   With only  tippet left I called it a day as I did not want to just tie tippet on and get frustrated if it broke off.  
Just as I was leaving a guy threw a cast anf a seagull swooped in and to the bobber and got tangled in the line and dropped like a rock into the river.  Would not of believed it if I did not see it.   After a short tussle they got the bird to shore and got it untangled
Overall it was one of the best day's (morning) I have had so far.

Clint thanks for the report and congrats.

Nice report.  In regards to #3-That's why they call them knuckle busters!
You haven't fished until a bat takes your fly in mid cast.  Happened to me on the Willowemoc many moons ago.
 
 

Another excellent report as are all you guys . I'm way jealous and stuck in the woods.
The smolt aka. "Wiggler". Huh ....
Thanks again..

HT, I think this AM I could have wrapped my hook with discarded mono and styro off the ground and they would have hit it.   Right before they turned off they were SLAMMING stuff on the swing.   I tied on the Smolt after I tried a few of Gerry's flies, was really hoping to get one one one of those.   

Clint you suck. No buddy, I'm just wicked jealous of getting some steel on the swing.  A spool of Maxima  chameleon or mid grade fluoro in 20lb. (@.017) and one in 16  @.013) makes a good transition leader butt into your tippet. Enough to last for a couple of years. Just a suggestion, Clint. I haven't bought a leader in at least 25 years.  I tie very elaborate  long leader formulas for dry flying fussy browns, but the SR is not the place for that. If you have a loop on the end of your flyline- just loop to loop on 3' of 20 lb., then 2-3 feet of 16 lb. then add your tippet. Rolls over OK.  You'll find this actually will outlast an extruded leader and you'll get a few days out of the butt sections. We'll see how the fish wanna play after T-day. Thanks for the report and congrats on a good day. Good stuff.  I haven't gotten knuckle whipped in a long time, but a shark got me a little this fall.  I think I'm used to flipping my wrist sideways to get my  fingers on the rim to feather the drag.  I was trying to back reel the bastard and he wasn't into going that slow..... now I know what a card feels like stuck  in bicycle spokes.  It's a shame anti-reverse reels are so **** expensive, I'm looking for one, though. Dentists and surgeons buy them to protect their hands- of course they can afford the high ticket. 
 
Charlie

Nice to hear clint!
 
gulls are a handfull to unwrap.
lucky and i found 1 tangled in dicarded line near the head of the black hole years ago.
after nearly having to swim to reach it it tried to peck us to death for our effort.
covering their head calms them down some but still not easy untangling them.
they're wild and don't know you're just trying to help.
I've seen them grab a cleo in mid air several times.
 
2 best like battles i have seen were a canook goose iat cathrines creek one opening day 25 feet in the air and twisting wildly .
a cormorant took a spoon taken underwater at slater creek. those suckers are strong azz swimmers.
my hardy st adian has no exposed rim for palming so i use my fingers on the line for added pressure.
while flyline burns when it changes to backing at high speed it cuts.
i changed to running line behind flyline after a few of those experiences.
 
good luck to all out this holiday.
crush them before the cold snap quites the bite sat.

Charlie right now I have been using 6 inched of amnesia red   3 feet of 15, 3 feet of 10 and 2 of tippet.   Tied with a surgeons knot or albright knot.   The albright seems a bit stronger.   Never have the 15 break  rarely do I have the 10 break,  but but when I do it is usually at the knot unluess the fish gets into a rock.  I am using somewhat questionable Berkley vanish.  When it is gone I am going to buy more for leaders.  I usually redo my spinning reels and what is left I use for leaders and can get quit a few out of what in other years I may have tossed.  I also went with with this weight to keep the middle section closer in lb to the tippet  ie   10 to 5.   I am guessing you have good results going from 16 to 5.   The idea of a stronger leader ..........
I am also having some trouble getting down in the zone in fast  water.  I may have cheated a few times using a  beadhead fly and 1/8 sinker and it was still tough.   I was looking at poly leaders or like you said tying a piece of  T 17 or lower in for the  part of the middlesection.  
 

Clint:
I make up my own leader system for salmon but still buy a tapered pre made for steel.. Generally a 9' 10lb leader then add tippet as needed..
based on what you wrote it seems your only just under 9'..
You may have trouble getting down due to dragging on the fly line..
Try lengthening your leader a foot maybe 2 and throw an upstream mend right when your line hits the water and strip back, high stick as it comes toward you..
 
I fished the south bank (deep side) well within the 1/8 oz rule and had little trouble..
Also if you fish the inside seam right along the rocks an indi rig helped tremendous .. Kept me outta the rocks and maintained a straight line just at the bottom without hanging up..
Swinging is Nice too !!
 
good luck and
HAPPY Thanksgiving to ALL !!

When fishing Salt and the bait is jumping and the fish are HOT and everything is all schooled up with Gulls overhead swooping down into the fray it isnt uncommon for one to hit your surface popper  on the fly-
  They are fun trying to reel them in for the release- especially when still in the air- lol