Report: Where are the salmon river steelhead? I am getting e-mails, phone calls, guys asking on the water. Where are the fish? It has been tough sledding the last week. The creeks are fishing OK and the Oswego has good numbers of browns, but the SR is slow. Sure we have a few super days and then you struggle. Like today we only hit one fish all day and it didn't stick.March can be brutal, especially with changing weather and water flows.
So, One more time. For over 15 years the Hatchery at Altmar has been taking the eggs from fish that return to the river in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. Early run fish. Over this 15 plus year period, we have produced a mutant strain of steelhead that all run early.Wake up guys! The SR doesn't get a big Spring run anymore. Even on banner years, 90% of the fish are in the river by March 1. You can take that to the bank.
You get good pushes throughout the winter but with any high water, they speed to the upper river and lay in the closed water of Beaver Dam Brook and the upper fly zone.
We have great fishing from Nov till March. Then you have to wait for them to come back down in April and May. Yes May! I say it every year. May is the best Steelhead fishing PERIOD! Yes, they are spawned out and thin, but they bite everything. They chase, they jump. It is what steelhead fishing is all about Combine a hungry trout and 45 to 50 degree water, and you have the makings of some Red Hot Fishing!
I hate to give you all the good news, but that is how it is. don't like it. Come to the State of the Lake Meeting this Wednesday March 17 at the Mexico BOCES.
I want to thank all the attendees at our seminar this past weekend in Stockbridge Mass. It was a huge success and we had a good turnout. Remember we will be doing on the water seminars throughout the summer. Call for more details.
Stay Warm. Lot's of snow on the way!!
Troy
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