CTFishTalk.com: Salmon River 10/14 - 10/18 - Connecticut Out of State Reports ( CT Out of State Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

Cd662 · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 91

Just got back from a few days at the Salmon River, I usually got with a small group. I had some gear issues to contend with but I did a lot better than my last outing. A big group of fish moved through the river at one point and the fishing just got stupid. I only went for salmon, didn't bring a setup for brown trout or Steelhead and I didn't see any steelhead passing by. I only caught Kings, I had a chance at a decent Coho on the first day and I couldn't hook it. The weather was absolutely beautiful though, and there were not a lot of people; honestly, it was kind of weird.

Every time I go I learn something new. I hadn't planned on using a lot of small split shot so I brought mostly large, but I ended up using a lot of small split shot due to the water levels and the area I was fishing (mostly at Ellis Cove). At one point, I was hooking fish every third cast. What does get frustrating is spending all the time and energy needed to hook a fish, getting the hook square in the roof of the mouth, and not being able to "stick it". I had one fish in relatively shallow water that I kept hooking in the mouth, and I'd start lifting its head but I just couldn't get the hook to stay in there. Even so, I had plenty of other legal fish.

I'm curious to know what some of you guys run for gear, there seems to be a vast range of what people are using. My arms were going to fall off since I used my surf casting setup; it seemed appropriate in terms of rod length and reel power but it took a lot of effort to swing that thing around, especially when "pseudo" fly fishing and making repeated small casts over and over and over again at a fish or a small group of fish that was close by. Two days I didn't eat lunch and just fished 10 hours straight and my arm was absolutely killing me afterwards. I was running 15 pound mono, I feel like I would have liked a little bit more power since the fish seemed to all be around 20 pounds average and it was just hard to turn them sometimes. Then again, I never really had line break unless I wanted it to break. Of course, sometimes I'd hook a fish in the tail or back and couldn't get the line to break even if I wanted to. I dragged one in by the tail and had time to clip off my hook with pliers.

Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

I fished on the upper river Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was nice, Sunday a disaster with the heaviest rain of the season from Saturday night through about noon. We bailed gallons from our drift boat.

I'm not sure why you're not getting hooksets. Use new, sharp hooks! I was fishing size 4 Gamakatsu on 6lb. leaders and having no problems with a hookset. If you hooked the same fish in the mouth several times, it was a half dead skunk already. When you hook the fresh ones, they're not going to sit around for a second or third try. They break off and head up or down stream. Though rare, I didn't lose a single fish to a spit hook, only break offs.

Tons of guys were out there with heavy salt water gear, and I got my boot tangled in what must have been at least 120lb. braid. I have tuna rods with 80lb., and this stuff made that look light weight. You won't see any of that stuff out there from about now 'til next September. Try going lighter with either an 8wt. fly setup or a noodle rod and spinning gear. You're not likely to catch steelhead on the gear you're using. Once the salmon move out, we often go down to 4lb. in the winter, but no heavier than 6lb. It's a lot more fun, though you will lose more fish. Your arms will also feel a helluva lot better.

I overheard some guide telling his clients that it was pointless to fly fish for the salmon. That's ridiculous. He was probably one of the more than 2/3 that only head up there for the fall run. I know a few of these "guides." I probably fish the river as often as they do (and that's not saying I'm up there all the time). As to the weight, you only want enough to keep you barely ticking along the bottom in whatever current you are fishing. If you want to catch the steelies, and they are all the way up and down the river now, you have to fish the shallower runs with more current. Knowing where they are holding is where experience comes in. If you really want to learn to fish the river, take a trip or two with one of the resident, year round guides. I fish with Scott Glazier at http://www.tinkertavernlodge.com/, and there are several other excellent ones as well.

Anyway, try some different stuff as it will only make you more versatile. Most of all, have fun!

Tight Lines!

This one went to the table as it was nice and fresh, and as you can see, took several line wraps including around the gills as I brought it back into a shallow cutout (no net).
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Cd662 · Joined: 03 Mar 2012 Posts: 91

Thanks for the reply; most of the fish were not going to win the prom crowns, and the multiple hook up fish were tired, beat up ones that were just lying in the same area. You'd hook them and they'd half heartedly swim away, and then return to the same spot. The old school guys I go on the trip with said it was OK to keep those fish to smoke, and that was my plan for most of the meat. It never really tasted too good to me. I was using legit, brand new hooks. I was pretty happy that I managed to get a drift right and caught a pretty fresh fish, the hook was perfectly lodged right in the center of the upper lip, right at the edge. It was like a miraculous textbook photo. I didn't do any fishing for Steelhead and I only saw one guy my whole time there who was targeting them. I didn't see any, either; last year I saw a few swimming by.

I don't really do much fishing for "big fish", I mostly do freshwater and I dabble in a bit of salt water so seeing and hooking the salmon, even the ones that are kinda on the way out, is pretty much a treat for me. I appreciate the advice though, I'd love to be able to dial into those fresh fish, and maybe go for Steelhead exclusively. Do guys get any nice browns around this general time frame? I think some guys at one of the cleaning station had two.

Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

The steelhead and brown are really moving in this week after the rain. My friend who lives/guides up there says the window for the brown run is pretty short, and we're getting into it now. The steelhead will continue to fill in. Wish I were up there now! If you have the cold weather gear, Nov/Dec is a great time to go and target steelhead. Reports this morning still have some fresh kings and cohos moving in, but not in the numbers from a month ago. My brother kept a few fish. He has a smoker and likes them. I think even the "fresher" fish are kinda mushy crap Very Happy

Still fun catching though. If you don't spend the whole winter ice-fishing (I can't stand it) give the winter steelhead fishing a go at some point.

Tight Lines
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Facebook @ TheRedneckangler
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Redneckangler · Joined: 05 May 2012 Posts: 851 Location: Meriden, CT

Plunging temps and water levels, but it's all good because we still caught fish and had a good time.

Some delicious venison tenderloins on the grill!

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Weekly reports from around CT, the LIS and beyond.

Randy Jones · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 9:31 am Post subject: Congrats!!

Congrats!!
Scott is a nice guy and an even better guide! yuk-yuk
Randy