I just found out today that we will be going to the Salmon River NY this weekend. I have never fished for salmon so I don’t actually know much about this and have some questions:
Any help would be aprreciated.
Thanks.
Most of your answers can be found here:
http://www.flyguysoutfitting.com/index.html
As for fly shops:
http://www.fatnancystackle.com/
If I were in your shoes, I’d go here (and I wish I were!):
http://www.douglastonsalmonrun.com/
Get there early! It will fill up and be closed if you sleep in.
The 8wt is perfect for steelies, but if you get a salmon on, it’ll be, uhhhhh - interesting.:shock:
Forget about the 5wt - trust me on this one.
Good Luck!
what you hear about the run of fish up there are all true. go up with beer in hand watch the fights, guys falling in and guys hooking fish in tail, fins and all parts of the body. you can have a good time if you go with the flow. that 8 wt is a bit light, but you can do it if some one nets the fish. do not tail the fish as they will have a lot of hooks on them. you might be early so the zoo will not be there. go up have a good time don’t get serious. if you like it and want to go back for more get a 10 wt. they are big. flyman
Hi Uncle Ed!
Sent you a PM - road trip time!
Ed
Hi Mike
This week end should be a very good time to be on the Salmon River. There is a mix of Kings, Coho with a few brown trout pretty much threw out the river. As Heritage Angler advised check out www. whitakers. com you might even want to give them a call if you have any other questions. Also just off the Pulaski exit there is All Sports fly shop on your right another good place for gear and advice. If this is your first time you are in for a real experence. The atmosphere is like the first day of Pa buck season. Keep in mind this is NOT trout fishing, there will be a learning curve you will have to go threw. In some places it will seem like a circus with a bunch of jerks but there are lots of good guys there also so don’t let a few bad ones spoil your week end. If you are lucky enough to fish next to some of the good ones they will help you so don’t worry. Don’t expect to see too many Atlantic Salmon. In about 15 years of fishing there I’ve only seen about 3 landed. Oh I almost forgot, be sure to stop in at the fish hatchery I’m sure you will enjoy it. My last advice just hang in there and keep casting you’ll hang into one. Good Luck
Flap Jack
One thing to do is get a pass for the DSR ahead of time on line. They only sell 100 passes on line so you may already be too late. I think they sell out at about 300 total passes. I arrived there one time two years ago at 6:30 am and they were sold out. But that’s the place to be. Good luck.
Leave the 5wt at home. You’ll do fine with the 8wt. Just don’t go light on the tippet. They aren’t tippet shy so go 15-20lb if your using egg sucking leaches or other bigger patterns. If you using egg patterns…use the heaviest tippet you can for the hook you have. Nothing less than 8lb.
I like Fluorocarbon but Maxima Green is good too and a lot cheaper.
If your casting to browns or steelhead…lighten up the tippet as much as possible. They are big so you won’t be over gunned too much with your 8wt.
Salmon don’t eat so they ignore a lot of stuff. The whole point is to **** them off with something or pass eggs by them. They smash eggs out of instinct, reduces other breeding competition. They hit the big streamers like eggs sucking leeches to keep them out of their territory. SO what I’m saying is you’ll be casting a lot, but you will eventually get one that wants to play. 
Having only used heavy spin cast gear up in Pulaski I have got to reiterate what you have heard from the other folkes here. Stay relaxed , stay warm and stay calm. You are about to have a ball. My first salmon up there was an 18 lb silver and I was thrilled. My Dad was genuinly concerned that I wanted to keep a little guy like that.!!! That was the littlest of the trip.
When I got home to my wife she caught a look at me when I wasnt wearing a shirt and wanted to know had I gotten into a fight. I had bruises from the butt of the rod from below my belly button to my sternum from working salmon like bass . It was the fishing time of my life. When I get back with fly gear I know that my fun will double.
Go with the biggest , meanest reel that will fit your rod and fill it to the hilt with backing.
You can also just use mono .That way if you start to get spooled you can cut loose and not throw away 50 bucks worth of fly line.
I envy you.
Let the fun begin.
Thanks guys. We went for two days and had a ball. This was a scouting trip so we dod not do all that much fishing but we went to see just about every single spot out there. Giot dome video of salmon jumpingfish ladder and truing to crosss the barrier at hatchery here :
http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u269/Raftermike/Slamon%20River%202009/
I was not prepared for the size and strenght of these fish… I mean I did read about them and yet when you have a 30 + lb fish rub your waders…
It feels like a whale coming up the river.
we will be planning a week long stay for next year… in a meantime we are planning a small trip in Novemeber for steelhead…
I have a trip planned myself for Late November for Steelheadin! I use a medium action 9 weight… basically because that is all I have right now. I would love to get a 7/8 Switch rod for this occasion though. 