Of their native vary of the Pacific Northwest, a steelhead is a rainbow trout that, as an alternative of dwelling out its days within the river, migrates downstream to the ocean. There, it grows giant and laborious whereas evading sea lions, orcas, and nets, fattening up on crustaceans and baitfish. In some unspecified time in the future, fisheries managers realized that steelhead strains of rainbow trout stocked within the tributaries of the Nice Lakes would exhibit the identical habits, leaving the rivers to feed within the huge lakes for just a few years earlier than returning. This discovery introduced the Northwest’s favourite gamefish inside road-trip distance of striper-obsessed Northeast fishermen, serving to them higher survive the chilly, striper-less winter months.
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A hooked steelhead rivals a striped bass for power, an albie for pace, and a bluefish for aerial acrobatics. The electrical shock transmitted by means of the road by a operating steelhead instantly and utterly banishes cabin fever, chilly, and any questions on why you’re wading in a 34-degree river within the depths of winter.
New York boasts almost two dozen rivers and creeks with steelhead runs on each Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Whereas anglers all have their favorites, the river with the biggest variety of steelhead—and the biggest variety of steelhead anglers—is Oswego County’s Salmon River.
There are 13 miles of fishable water within the Salmon River, together with the personal stretch at Douglaston Salmon Run. Steelhead start to enter the river in September, on the heels of spawning salmon, and so they come and go from the river till they spawn within the spring. Surviving steelhead will hightail it again to the lake earlier than mid-Could for one more season of feeding and rising.
The autumn and spring legs of the steelhead season have extra comfy circumstances, extra lively fish, and extra anglers. The winter, nonetheless, rewards hearty anglers with a number of room to roam and loads of pictures at steelhead.
Discovering Winter Steelhead
When water temperature drops and the salmon egg feast slows to a trickle, steelhead hunker down in deep, gradual swimming pools, the place they’ll preserve power and journey out the winter. As one of many most-fished rivers within the Northeast, the Salmon River’s hottest swimming pools are nicely marked with indicators (and on maps). Favourite winter spots embody the Decrease Fly Zone, Altmar, the Trestle Pool, and the Sportsman’s Pool, all of that are in what anglers think about the higher river.
On the whole, many of the steelhead you’ll discover within the winter have been within the river for weeks to months. The intense chrome coloration they carried within the lake darkens to raised swimsuit life within the river: a uninteresting olive within the males and a tarnished silver within the females. Anytime there’s a lift within the water stage, extra steelhead enter the system from the lake, however as soon as the snow hits the bottom, count on the water to be low and clear for many of the winter.
This may create difficult fishing circumstances, with steelhead being selective and spooky, however the silver lining is that extra of the river is accessible to shore-bound anglers, who’re generally boxed out of prime waters by increased water flows.
Throughout the spring and fall, a greater method is likely to be to maintain shifting on the hunt for lively fish, however within the winter, steelhead stakeouts usually yield higher outcomes.
Catching Winter Steelhead
There will likely be home windows all through the day when the steelhead, even ones which have seen your providing drift by a number of occasions, will feed. Whereas it might really feel monotonous, persevering with to work a pool that you just’re assured is holding fish will finally yield outcomes. Proceed to alter colours and shows, and ensure your providing is drifting by means of the zone for these temporary home windows. That zone is the underside.
Steelhead spend the winter with their bellies to the gravel, so your providing must be inside 6 inches of the river backside. For fly fishing and backside bouncing, this implies discovering a exact quantity of break up shot so as to add that retains your presentation close to the underside with out snagging. The wanted weight adjustments primarily based on water, location, and even what kind of bait or fly you’re utilizing. The perfect quantity of break up shot ought to have the rig touching backside a pair occasions in the course of the drift, however not dragging.
Pack a wide range of removeable split-shot sizes to dial in the correct amount of weight—and loads of them. The Salmon River is a snaggy one, and in the event you aren’t shedding just a few rigs, you then aren’t fishing it proper.
Float fishing is one other method to winter steelheading that requires extra sort out and rigging, however may be simpler and ends in fewer misplaced rigs. In float fishing, a specialised bobber above a collection of break up pictures spaced between the bobber and the bait creates a drift that completely matches the pace of the present. When focusing on steelhead in one of the vital closely fished rivers within the Northeast, having your providing seem as pure as potential is crucial, and that’s what float fishing offers.
Float fishing is feasible on spinning sort out with a protracted, limber rod, but it surely’s greatest achieved with a centerpin reel—one which spins freely, feeding line to a drifting rig.
Baits and Flies for Winter Steelhead
Salmon and trout eggs are steelheads’ favourite meals as soon as they enter the Salmon River. Though free-drifting eggs could also be briefly provide by the center of winter, these fish are nonetheless hard-wired to scarf down any small, brightly coloured orbs they see tumbling downriver. This makes egg sacs, small clutches of salmon eggs held collectively in mesh netting, a staple for steelheading whatever the season.
The colour of the mesh may be essential, with steelhead keying in on sure shades throughout temporary chunk home windows within the winter. Distinctive to the Salmon River, blue is a really efficient mesh colour, as is purple; white, pink, and orange additionally work nicely. Chartreuse is a highly regarded colour on New York’s western tributaries, however appears much less widespread on the Salmon River.
Small, hard-plastic trout beads are one other wonderful presentation. Whereas they lack the pure scent of egg sacs, their life like look is usually sufficient to idiot a steelhead. These beads can be found in an infinite array of colours, and severe steelheaders additional customise them with nail polish. The pure egg colours of orange and peach are an excellent place to begin, with many guides agreeing that muted, milky colours are a greater match to the lifeless salmon eggs steelhead are more likely to encounter within the river this time of yr.
Small hair jigs fished beneath a float may be very efficient, particularly when tipped with waxworms for added scent.
Fly fishermen have limitless choices for egg-imitating flies, and so they additionally fare nicely with stonefly imitations, sucker spawn, caddis pupa, San Juan worms, and even plain previous Woolly Buggers. With the egg imitations, muted colours are greatest this time of yr.
Gentle chief also can assist when fooling winter steelhead. Though these fish develop in extra of 10 kilos and combat like banshees, anglers repeatedly drop to 4-pound take a look at fluorocarbon with the intention to get bites throughout chilly, clear, heavy-fishing-pressure circumstances.
Dressing for Winter Steelheading
It will get chilly on the Salmon River, so dressing appropriately for the climate will assist make sure you’re on the river quite than warming up within the automobile when the steelhead activate.
Fingers and toes are probably the most weak to the chilly. Toes needs to be ensconced in thermal socks that aren’t so thick as to impede circulation when inside waders and boots. Fold-over mitts with open fingers are the best choice for holding arms heat with out sacrificing dexterity for casting, tying knots, or feeling bites.
Whereas neoprene waders are thought of a hotter possibility by some anglers, layers beneath a pair of breathable waders is a extra comfy possibility. Layer up with lengthy johns, a thick flannel, and a jacket that may lower the windchill. Don’t neglect a winter hat as a result of (as everybody’s mother warned them when rising up) warmth escapes by means of your head.
No matter season, anglers on the Salmon River want studded soles to securely navigate the slick river rocks. Nevertheless, make sure to take away them earlier than going inside wherever. Each Salmon River institution, from bait retailers to McDonalds, have indicators warning anglers in opposition to sporting their cleats indoors.
Planning a Salmon River Highway Journey
In contrast to most of our Northeast fishing locations, winter is within the coronary heart of the Salmon River’s fishing season, so that you’ll discover sort out retailers, lodges, and information providers totally operational. The primary store you’ll encounter when coming into Pulaski is the truck cease/sort out store Fats Nancy’s, the place you’ll discover all of the sort out wanted for backside bouncing. A bit down the street is All Seasons Sports activities, the place they carry all the things essential to efficiently float-fish for steelhead. Whitaker’s is simply past that and is a must-stop for the fly fisher; similar with Malinda’s additional down in Altmar. Between Whitaker’s and Malinda’s is Pineville Sports activities, the house of the regionally well-known “Blue Goo” egg sac, which is coated in a fish-attracting scent that doesn’t wash out as rapidly as different eggs.
There are an identical number of guides accessible to accommodate all fishing ranges and types, from shore-bound guides to these with drift boats. Within the winter, a drift boat journey feels particularly luxurious, with propane heaters on board and no wading mandatory.
Fishermen can discover a variety of lodging choices to accommodate completely different budgets and preferences from cheap, hostel-style bunk leases to the high-end, riverside fishing lodges.
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Fishing for Salmon River Steelhead
