Sunrise and Solitude
Reports of steelhead on the Salmon River in New York appeared to be as dead as the king salmon in the picture below. Low returns combined with a thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency from their predominant food source in the lake were to blame. The 2015 season ended up producing scant results, especially for those who believed in the "swing or go home" mantra. Our only session that Fall produced two miracle chromers on a purple heron wet fly swung nice and slow on a 2A tailout. For the entirety of the 2016-2017 season, we stayed away, unwilling to drive five hours for a futile attempt at glory. Early reports in the Fall of 2017 revealed runs of chrome that once again called us north. We dusted off our two handed rods and got back into the swing of things...
Remnants
"Shitty Casts Catch Fish Too"
It didn't take long for my brother to hook up in the first run of our weekend trip. With it being his first lake run trout on the swing, I made sure to take a few good pictures for him.
What Matt's fishing: 7130-4 Orvis Clearwater Spey
A Beautiful Buck
Tom Eby rigging up at first light...
Cold Hands
There is a "D" Loop in there...
Awaiting my turn...
Having hung up the spey rod for an entire season, this was my first slab of chrome in almost two years.
It felt really good...
Loop Cross S1 7120-4
Still my go-to and a perfect rod for the Salmon River
Luke concentrating on his swing
Whiteout conditions...
A super subtle winter grab produced this small domestic bow...
Ending a Sunday afternoon session with four steelhead in thirty minutes. All took a black, purple, blue, and pink Lady Gaga fly.
