Salmon River, NY

       Yes....The salmon river has mixed opinions.  It has been known to be responsible for snagging, hatchery fish, and crowds that drive you crazy.  This can be true, but I would like to give a little insight to the people who talk about it without actually trying it.

       Brent and I had a chance to go steelheading a while back with a friend of ours.  He said it was a very affordable trip, and we could do it during one of our breaks from work/school.  We jumped on this opportunity and went.  This was a different world for a couple of brook trout junkies from Western North Carolina.  It was big water, and big fish.  Our first trip was like real Steelheading.  We were there for 4 days, and landed 3 steelhead, and one brown between us.  We were for sure humbled, but still were eager to get back.  Throughout our next several trips we caught many more steelhead, figuring them out a little.  Each trip we each landed at least 7, and could easily feel a little better about our trips.
      To talk about the stereotypes that surround the salmon river I will get started with the crowds.  During the salmon season yes, the crowds are bad.  Brent and I did this once, and we do recommend to do this at least one time.  It is a great opportunity to land the biggest freshwater fish you will ever land on a fly rod.  You can suck it up and deal with the crowds for one time.
       There are snaggers around.  You do see them.  They try to hide it, but their jerks at the end of their drift show they are actual idiots.  It is a disgrace to see people snaggging, but it just happens.  Thats what the game wardens are for.  They do their job and catch the illegal fisherman.  Thats just something you have to deal with, dont watch the snagging, and just focus on catching your own fish the right way.
      The whole hatchery fish debate is something I don't really want to get into.  Supposedly some steelhead are stocked as fingerlings and are not truly born in the rivers.  Even if there are fingerlings put into the river, how do you suppose they get to the size they are?  They turn wild.  They do make trips back to the lake, and then come back to the river to spawn.  Also how do you know you are not catching naturally reproduced fish instead of fingerling stocked fish?  You dont know.
       Yes I do dream of going to British Columbia or the Pacific Northwest to go steelheading.  That is something that I'm sure will change my life and add to my flyfishing experiences  For now  I will fish the salmon river.  It is a great chance to go steelheading, use the spey rod, and catch large fish.  It's a change of pace.  It's also affordable, and for a college kid....that means a  lot.

-Justin