Re: spey flies: Steelheader.net- Steelhead, Salmon and trout fishing

Fred, the Salmon River (New York) is what I consider a larger river, and suitable for my spey rod. It has good runs of chinooks and some cohos thrown in. It also gets some lake-run browns in late October, and add in some good steelhead fishing later. And during the summer, it DOES get a few Atlantic Salmon, but I leave them alone, as the water gets warmer, and the fish are stressed and will die even if carefully released.

I like to fish it in early September, prior to about the 15th, and even later in the month, as the fish are still silver, and there in fishable numbers, but later than that,
with the big runs, they are dark and soft, and the mobs of fishermen come in, some even with salt-water rods believe it or not, and etiquette and slob fishing and lifting/snagging takes over, even though it is patrolled
by wardens. (I just stay away then....)

The Otis Bug patterns work well, at times, and also the Green Butt Skunk and Agent Orange, but my all-out favorite is a large egg pattern, but made of dark green estaz. Also, stone fly patterns work out well, at the right time. Strangely, later in the year and in the spring, little black stonefly patterns and smaller nymphs (flashback beadhead gold-ribbed hare's ear) in size 14 and 16 work VERY well! I know it sounds like heresy, but the little nymphs do the job! And they DO catch larger (10-15 lb. steelheadsin Mach and April!)

BobK

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