News:Salmon River in Pulaski NY for the spring Steelhead

5/3/2010

Each year as many of you know, I leave for the Salmon River in Pulaski NY for the spring Steelhead. This year the spring came very early, about 3 three weeks early. I arrived on April 12th to find the water level at 285 cfs- and no snow in the woods. Under normal conditions, the water level would be about 1500 cfs and 4 to 5 feet of snow in the woods, but nature does not always give you what you want so you must alter your tactics. With the low water levels the standard line of choice was an intermediate sinking head (sink rate of 1.5 to 2.0 inches per second) and some sort of streamer, Black Ghost, Wooly Bugger- black, white, brown.

Overall the fishing overall was good. On the sunny days the good fishing was early morning or late afternoon. On the overcast days it did not seem to matter. With the low water levels the only type of water that held fish was the fast sluice of water going into the pools or the deeper holding water in the glides or rapids. Most of the people seemed to have two or three fish on a day. Our biggest fish was about 15lbs taken on a Black Ghost.

On the 4th of May, I am heading north to the Matapedia River for the Atlantic salmon season and will return in early October. Spring has arrived early on the Gaspe; ice out on the Matapedia was on the 11th of April. Early word on the Black Salmon fishing is that it is over. Most years the ice doesn’t go out until the 1st of May. This year the black salmon have all left for the sea. I have heard of one or two blacks being taken this week, but this year it is over for the most part. Most years the black salmon fishing is best the two weeks of May.

It is my belief; the 2010 Salmon fishing will be very good in the early part of June. In May the full moon comes on the 27th. Most of the fish that usually arrive in early May will probably wait until the full moon, thus causing a larger run than usual in early June. For those of you who have not made any reservations don’t miss out on what could be the best part of the 2010 season. Our Lodge, the Chapelle Lodge has some opening in the early part of June.