2011 SALMON RIVER - SALMON AND STEELHEAD Thread

[Smells Like Fish NH]

I posted this in the NH Thread, so excuse some of the explanatory things that you guys all know but those of us back here are unfamilair with...just copy and pasting.

-Scott

Hey guys,
Salmon Stalker and I went up 2 weeks ago....we caught some fish and went home with some fillets but just missed out on the major Coho run of the season which happened the next 3 days after we left. I was hoping when I got back this week that we would catch some fish and have a better showing. Driving into NY, Banman1960 and our good friend Jay,  we hit some rain and thunderstorms and all week long up there they had the proper conditions for the Kings to start running....We decided to fish on the Douglaston Salmon Run property to beat the crowds and to hit some spots that I knew should be productive. We were at the parking lot for the Black Hole at 5am and there was 1 other car in the lot. We walked in the dark through the river about 500 yards to the hole we wanted to hit and waited until it was legal fishing time and light enough for us to see...from about 6:30-8am nothing was happening, then Jay hooked into one and it was his first time ever hooking into one of these beasts and he landed it. From then on it was almost non stop!! We easily hooked over 60 fish and limited out before lunch. We then had to drag 60+pounds of fish all the way back to the lot....apparently word had gotten out that the fish were running cause by then there must of been 200 people in the same area as us just outside of the DSR property line. The pix attached show some of the crowded conditions. We went and had lunch and Jay and Tom had had enough for the day, I went back in the afternoon solo to the same spot which was surprisingly still open and I hooked into about 30 more and landed 5 more Kings and 1 Coho, all caught and released ;-).

We decided that Friday morning we would hit the DSR again, really just to beat the crowded conditions, and we hit them again. It was MUCH slower than Thursday but still great action. We took 4 more home for the day and called it a day around noon to head on back to NH. The biggest of the trip weighed in at 23lbs each and we had 2 of those. The rest were from 15lb-20lb.
Equipment used were 9ft and 10.5ft Steelhead and Salmon Noodle Rods, 15lb main line, 12lb fluro leaders. Used Flies and this sponge material that looks like Brillo Pads for your kitchen. Orange, yellow, and green worked the best, although they were so aggressive when they first came in on Thursday we could of thrown a cigarette butt at them and they would of hit it.

Thursday was the best day of fishing any of us had ever experienced in our lives!! GREAT TRIP!!!!!!

OK Pictures....not gonna post any explanations, just let them speak for themselves.....

[fishgalore]

I posted this in the NH Thread, so excuse some of the explanatory things that you guys all know but those of us back here are unfamilair with...just copy and pasting.

-Scott

Hey guys,
Salmon Stalker and I went up 2 weeks ago....we caught some fish and went home with some fillets but just missed out on the major Coho run of the season which happened the next 3 days after we left. I was hoping when I got back this week that we would catch some fish and have a better showing. Driving into NY, Banman1960 and our good friend Jay,  we hit some rain and thunderstorms and all week long up there they had the proper conditions for the Kings to start running....We decided to fish on the Douglaston Salmon Run property to beat the crowds and to hit some spots that I knew should be productive. We were at the parking lot for the Black Hole at 5am and there was 1 other car in the lot. We walked in the dark through the river about 500 yards to the hole we wanted to hit and waited until it was legal fishing time and light enough for us to see...from about 6:30-8am nothing was happening, then Jay hooked into one and it was his first time ever hooking into one of these beasts and he landed it. From then on it was almost non stop!! We easily hooked over 60 fish and limited out before lunch. We then had to drag 60+pounds of fish all the way back to the lot....apparently word had gotten out that the fish were running cause by then there must of been 200 people in the same area as us just outside of the DSR property line. The pix attached show some of the crowded conditions. We went and had lunch and Jay and Tom had had enough for the day, I went back in the afternoon solo to the same spot which was surprisingly still open and I hooked into about 30 more and landed 5 more Kings and 1 Coho, all caught and released ;-).

We decided that Friday morning we would hit the DSR again, really just to beat the crowded conditions, and we hit them again. It was MUCH slower than Thursday but still great action. We took 4 more home for the day and called it a day around noon to head on back to NH. The biggest of the trip weighed in at 23lbs each and we had 2 of those. The rest were from 15lb-20lb.
Equipment used were 9ft and 10.5ft Steelhead and Salmon Noodle Rods, 15lb main line, 12lb fluro leaders. Used Flies and this sponge material that looks like Brillo Pads for your kitchen. Orange, yellow, and green worked the best, although they were so aggressive when they first came in on Thursday we could of thrown a cigarette butt at them and they would of hit it.

Thursday was the best day of fishing any of us had ever experienced in our lives!! GREAT TRIP!!!!!!

OK Pictures....not gonna post any explanations, just let them speak for themselves.....

Awesome report.........kudos

[fishthefalls123]

deffinatly a great report. i hope to be up there for next years run. me and fishgalore should be up there in november hopefully we get into some of the fine action of steelhead and some browns!   

[kowboy]

Ok from a newbie i was always taught to ask questions even if they seem dumb here r some so maybe u all can answere. First off what is this place that people talk about that they half to pay. 2nd what is this place douglas or something. and where is the lower staircase it hought i was at the staircase with ryan the other day

[duffy]

Adam,we only let wiredstone fish on the river once a year!!!

[SNAGGER]

Fishing Report:



         Well a big area of rain developed to our east last night, but besides an hours worth this morning, none of it hit our area... Cheated again....The creeks have dropped alot since yesterday...combine that with all the warm weather we had going into this storm and the kings are moving up the river about a day slower than I would have thought due to warm river water temps...... Altmar/Ellis area has been just average, most of Thursday's big push hasn't got up here yet... Heard the middle and lower end are still fishin really good......... As we speak a convergance line has developed over the area and a steady rain has developed in the last 2 hours...hopefully we'll get a good dose to get the River back up a bit..........Much colder today too........48 degrees out right now with steam coming off the much warmer River water... Heard the port's jacked again, so expect a good push tonight for tomorrow in the lower river, plus that older push making it up here tomorrow as well...Everything is looking good....good luck out there guys...

[fishgalore]

Ok from a newbie i was always taught to ask questions even if they seem dumb here r some so maybe u all can answere. First off what is this place that people talk about that they half to pay. 2nd what is this place douglas or something. and where is the lower staircase it hought i was at the staircase with ryan the other day

I'm far from an authority, SNAGGER knows more, but basically Barclay owns about a 2 1/2 mile stretch of the property adjacent to both sides of the river (and in court it was determined the river bed itself) from the Port/estuary upstream to just below the Lil Black and he leases the property from there to the Black Hole which is just below the Lower Staircase. The Staircase is also called the Long Bridge pool but is broken up (by locals with names like the lower or elm hole, etc......) to refer to specific areas of the Staircase or Long Bridge pool. The DSR is a reference to the Douglaston Salmon Run and that is the property that is owned by Barclay and he charges a fee to fish it. The fee is $45 per day. It's taken me about 2 years to grab a hold of this myself so don't feel bad. I'm a newbie like you but find much of the history fascinating, interesting and troubling at times. Since lots effect the locals more than I. I hope this helps and I'm sure someone will correct me where I'm wrong.

Here's a link to their website: http://www.douglastonsalmonrun.com/

[griz104]

Ok from a newbie i was always taught to ask questions even if they seem dumb here r some so maybe u all can answere. First off what is this place that people talk about that they half to pay. 2nd what is this place douglas or something. and where is the lower staircase it hought i was at the staircase with ryan the other day

Am not totally sure the area you are making reference to but think the first area would be the Town Pool..That Skankee Fly and Tackle Shop has.. The woman that owns the place thinks she also owns the river and charges to fish the pool behind her place..What she owns is disputed but basically consists of behind her Shop to about the edge of water..butshe thinks she owns the whole hole and will chase anyone out that"trepasses" on her..Second place would be Douglaston..owned by a Senator and he charges to fish his place also..That would be from the Black Hole on down river almost to Estuary...The Staircase is below the Long Bridge down towards the Black hole..Hope that helps..

[draketrutta]

third place is Salmon Acres - purchased by Indians (not the motel types).

South Side of Clarks Falls area above the Papermill pool.

p.s. - I wouldn't fish the Town Pool if Dawn paid me... a truly despicable stretch of the Salmon River based on my personal preferences.

[SNAGGER]

  Isn't there like 4 threads going about douglaston....leave this one to salmon river fishing!!!!  I'll say this real quick and that's it about this subject... If we had the 4 miles that they now own..the town pool..staircase ...trestle..and all the other waters people are always putting down would be less crowded and there for not so ugly during the height of the run...my 2 cents any way..

[KingPerch]

Good seeing you today Shane!.....Dave too. You just might see Jr. and I again tomorrow afternoon! Go Yankees!!--KP

[lakerdave]

Headed up to the lower end, in the am, anybody fish the dsr today ?

 

[gillkiller13126]

hada good day got a king and a coho and the guys with me got 5.  lost 5 one do to a guy stepping on my line and snapping it on purpose.... but oh well headin back up in the am. oh and i cleaned 3 females and all the eggs were loose??? isnt it early for that idk

[SNAGGER]

Sure       More like those 4 pristine miles would look like the rest of the rivers public access spots.   

  it gets old gamma.

[kowboy]

Thanks for clearing up some of my questions guys, didnt realize there was aplace on sr that u had to pay to use.