Jay Peck's Blog

2010-03-17T08:03:00.000-04:00

As I have said be for, conditions do change fast. The rain and warm weather has caused water flow to increase in all of the river and streams. The fishing will be on ones, the water flows settle down. For the smaller streams, keep a watch, we may be able to fish any time. These smaller streams will warm up faster than the larger rivers. As a result we will find more aggressive fish hear. The Oak Orchard river will be warming up a little faster this spring, the ice is already off the reservoir. The muddy water will help with this, by acting as a giant solar collector. Give the oak about a week and the fishing should be turning on despite the high and muddy water. Water flows for the Oak Orchard will most likely remained higher than normal for some time to come. So keep in mind when wading, use your judgment, sometimes the water flow is faster than it appears. For flies, this is where things start to get fun. Besides the standard egg patterns, it is time to brake out the big bunny flies, streamers, big buggers and spey flies.
The Salmon River – water flows remain at 750 CFS for now, however as always conditions can and will change fast. I do not see water flows going much higher in the near future for now. The big event still remained all the stone flies that are hatching, especially when the sun lights up the river bottom. I do not know if it's because we've had ideal water flows for fishing this hatch, or the hatches are getting stronger every year, most likely a combination of both. But there has been a lot of stone flies coming off and steelheads are taking full of vantage of this. As lately the same techniques of dead drifting nymphs and egg patterns under a indicator has been producing fish along with swinging medium-size soft hackles. As long as these flows continue I suspect the Salmon River will be fishing way better than average.

Note;
I have the following days still open for this month, I will be fishing both the Salmon River and oak Orchard River depending on conditions and logistics. If you're interested or have any questions feel free to call the fly shop at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436

2010-03-12T20:33:00.002-05:00

It is good to be finally back to fishing the local water. The warm spring weather we have been enjoying has put a big dent into melting off our snow cover. The snow melt has caused the water flow in Oak Orchard River to increase significantly, along with the increase in water flow water clarity also has deteriorated. Nothing new here, however just what we need to get the fishing back on track. Depending on how much rain we received over the next few days, will determine how quickly river conditions become fishable. Hopefully we will be fishing the Oak by late this coming week.
The smaller area streams are quickly opening up, once they do this will be where we will find our best fishing. Water temperatures normally warm up quicker and the smaller streams then they do in the larger rivers such as the Oak Orchard River. What is important to remember now is that river conditions can and will change almost daily. Just because you're favorite stream or river was not fishing today does not mean it will not turn on tomorrow, keep a close eye on your favorite river.
The Salmon River is ware the action is right now. Water flows are running at 750 CFS. This is a decent water flow for this time the year. Especially when you take into consideration there is not going to be any heavy snow melt runoff this year. The Salmon River watershed does not have a normal snow pack to melt off. On the plus side, this is the best steelhead fishing I have seen for the month of March. I'm finding good numbers of fish from the fly fishing zones all the way down river. With these water flows and warm sunny days the Salmon River is expensing a strong stone fly hatch. For those of you who know, steelhead love to eat stone flies. As a result we have had some of our best fishing from mid morning to mid afternoon when the sun is on the water. Even though stone flies are very active we are still having to use a large variety of fly patterns to get our bites. Along with the usual Caddis and Stone fly nymphs, egg patterns have been taking more than their share of fish. Water temperatures are still harboring in the low to mid 30s degree range, as result fishing under strike indicators has been the most productive technique. If the Salmon River is any indication of what we can expect for runs in the Western tributaries it is going to be a good spring.

2010-03-05T09:10:00.002-05:00

Been off the water the past week, at least I should say the local water. I've spent the past week fishing for steelhead and South West Washington. What were the river conditions like? Water flows were dropping from a previous rain, it rained and the river flows went up, it stopped raining and the flows dropped. Typical steelhead fishing, you adjust to what is happening. When you go on a trip like this it is always more than just catching fish. I always wanted to see and fish the West Coast Steelhead rivers. This is where our great lakes steelhead originally came from. The rivers on the West Coast run for miles, it may tack weeks for the fish to get to the spawning water. Even it a steelhead covers 20 miles a day. The big challenge is finding the fish. The numbers of fish are down and the rivers are long.
The highlight of the trip was spending three days with Mike Kenny. For those of you how are not familiar with this name, Mike Kenny is one of the designers of the deer Creek spey rods from Temple fork outfitters, and the designer of the MKS one of rod lines from Bob Meisner. Mike Kenny is also one of the top spay casting instructors and steelhead fishermen in the country. I learned a lot with my time is spent with Mike.
He helped me out with my own casting and it was interesting to see how he approached a river and fished it. Mike has a very unique and efficient approach to presenting the fly and covering the water. I am eager to but what I learned from Mike to work here in our rivers.
I will be back in our local river this week, and will be back in top of the fishing. I do know the smaller creeks are starting to open up. A few of these creeks are getting a few fish.

2010-02-20T22:31:00.003-05:00

Hear is a run down on what's going on with the fishing. Starting with the Oak Orchard River. Water flows are low and clear, this means most of the fish have retreated back down river into the deeper slower portion of the Oak. These conditions will stay this way until we get a other push of water. You may find a stray fish in the main pools below the dam, however the pickings are going to be slam.
The Salmon River is where we will find the most consistent fishing for the time being. The water flow is going to be running at 500 CFS in till Monday. After that you will need to check with water line to see what changes may happen for next week. Water flows once again flowing in a consistent level, or dropping. We are back to fishing light tippits, indicators and for flies the usual low water stuff. Stay with stone flies, hairs ears nymphs and Caddis, the steelhead in these conditions are going to be more receptive to bug like flies.

Spring Steelhead Fishing
Spring is coming upon us very quickly. So will the spring steelhead run. It has been a cold, snowy winter. We all are looking for to getting back to fishing on our favorite streams and rivers. Those of you that have been following the steelhead fishing, are aware that we once again had a good fall. The fishing has continued to be far above average right through this winter. I see no reason not to expect the quality of the fishing to carry on into the spring.

The Oak Orchard River, last spring steelhead fishing one of the best springs that I've seen in years. The Oak has a reputation of producing fantastic spring run steelhead fishing. As long as the Oak receives strong water flows I suspect we are going to have good steelhead fishing starting in March. The same goes for Sandy Creek. Once the ice clears out, we will be able to enjoy a mixed bag of spring run Steelhead and winter holdover Brown trout.

The Salmon River has been receiving consistent strong runs of Steelhead since last October. What has really given me great hope for the spring has been how well this river has fishing all winter. I'm looking forward to fishing the Salmon River once the steelheads start their spawning cycle. Just think about it, for a minute. Steelheads have been piling in to the Salmon River sense mid-October, are now going to spawn and then drop out of the river. The Salmon River this spring should ones again produce some excellent Steelhead fishing.

My spring fishing schedule is as follows. I will be fishing the rivers in the Western end of like Ontario, Oak Orchard, Sandy Creek and when possible the Genesee River. I will start fishing these rivers as soon as the ice leaves and go until the 15th to the 20th of April, depending on fishing conditions. At this point I will move to the Salmon River at Pulaski New York. I will fish the Salmon River until mid to late May, depending on how well the Steelhead runs last. After this, I will be back home and fish the local trout streams.

Final note, if you're interested in fishing with me this spring, please consider getting in contact with me soon so you can ensure the dates that you would like to fish. My spring calendar is starting to fill so it would be wise not to wait too long.

For more information, contact: JAY PECK - cell-585-233-0436
www.jaypeckguides.com
e-mail—jay@jaypeckguides.com
COLEMAN’SFLY SHOP
585-352-4775
www.colmansflyshop.com
carl@colemansflyshop.com

2010-02-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

The winter weather has settled back in, and the fishing has cooled off a little. The water flow on the Oak Orchard has dropped back down and is now low and clear. When the water conditions get like this the steelhead will work there way back down river, in to the deeper slower water. The fish will remain here until we get another push of water. For now the pest approach is to fish just below the dam and work your way down river, covering all the pools. The lower end of the Oak may still have a few brown trout around looking some think to eat. For flies, stay with egg patterns in size 8 and 10, in the natural colors. Also, stone fly nymphs, hairs ears and large caddis patterns, and white rabbit streamers.
The cold weather is also having an affect on the Salmon River. Water flows are dropping down from 750 cfs to 500 cfs. Also the egg bite that we were expressing last week has virtually gone away. We are back to fishing nymphs and small wet flies, the sizes of these flies range from 12 to 8. The presentation for these flies is the same old technique, use strike indicators, long leaders and light tippits. Keep in mind that takes can be soft and it is easy to miss a take.
Some thing new to think about, spring creek should start to see its first major hatch in about three weeks. This hatch will be a size 20 black Midge. With all the snow and cold weather, we can be fishing dry flies soon. I have been fishing spring creek in March and casting a size 20 dry flies to feed trout in a snow storm.

2010-02-06T16:44:00.001-05:00

The fishing this past week has been some of the best, winter fishing I have seen in a long time. I have been running back and fort from the Oak Orchard and the Salmon River. The water conditions on the Oak are about as good as it gets for winter fishing. For now the water is at a medium flow and slightly stained color. There are fish in all of the mane pool from the dam on down. For flies we have been using estaz eggs in chartreuse, Fished under a strike indicators. In the lower end of the Oak there is a few brow trout still around and looking for food. We have been getting these fish with both egg flies and white bunny flies. This quality of fishing in the Oak Orchard River, will most likely hold up for a week or two more. This obviously depends on the weather and the water flows.
The Salmon River, hear too the fishing has been way benter then average. When the weather warms up enough that the ice will clear out of the D.S.R and then the run will fish. Most of the action in this part of the river, has been in the after noon. This tells me that there is still a flow of new fish entering the river all moat daily. We have found the most consistent fishing in the D.S.R. to be concentrated in the upper half of the run. Productive flies for the lower half of the Salmon River have been egg flies; Oregon cheese nuclear row bugs, carpet flies, river row egg patterns, all in size 10 to 8
The upper half of the Salmon River is the same story. All the pools and pockets have steelhead coming and going. The fishing is what I call a study pick, work your way through the pool and see if there is a fish that wants to bite. The fishing pressure in this part of the river has been light. The heaviest concentration of fish is in the fly fishing zone. We have been doing extremely well lately in this part of the river. There is a lot of steelhead starting to concentrate in pools of the fly fishing zone. It is very easy to accidentally follow hook fish right now. To avoid this problem we have been using strike indicators to control our drift. As for productive flies, things are starting to change. Early this week we had a strong egg bite. Now that the water flows have been consistent for a while and all the stray eggs are starting to clean out of the system. As result the fish are becoming more receptive to nymphs and small wet flies once again. This means back to stone flies, hairs ears, and similar stuff. When fishing this part of the river I am using letter tippits. I'm often using 6 pound test or 3X tippits. This is light enough to get the soft drift that I need, but still strong enough, with care to handle a large steelhead.

The Cold is Back

2010-02-02T18:13:00.002-05:00

The water flows settled back down and it is back to the cold. When the water temperature is as cold as it is, the fish do not know the difference. We are talking about water temperature a round 32 to33 degrees. What a lout of fishermen do not think about is that when the weather is cold as it is now. The water temperature can rise 2 to 4 degrees. The reason for this is that on river and streams that have, springs feeding in to them, water temperature can warm up a few degrees. Spring water flows out of the ground around 42 to 45 degrees as result warming the water temperature. When the air temperature is above freezing, 31degree snow melt is running in to the creek and rivers, quickly dropping the water temperature back down, one more thing to thank about when we go about fishing.
As for the fishing the Oak Orchard River the water flow is still up and the water color is still muddy. The water color should improve by the end of the week. I would suspect that the fish will be spread out from the dam on down river. Concentrate your efforts in the main pools.
The Genesee River is a mess. High water muddy water continues and now ice. One of those winters for the Genesee River.
The Salmon River has come back down and is now running at 750 CFS plus run off. As we hope the reason high water has pulled in a new batch of fresh steelhead. I was fishing the salmon over the week end. The high water did more than pull new fish in. The high water stirred up the River bottom creating a massive egg drift. As result we were able to dial in on the steelhead with egg patterns. The Old standby size 8 nuclear row bug in Oregon cheese did the job. This egg bite will probably last a other week before it dies out. Then we are back to fishing nymphs and small of flies.

WINTER FISHING SPECIAL

Daring the winter months the productive fishing time daring the course of the day is much shorter. Typically during the winter most days there will be approximately 6 hours productive fishing, before light conditions and cold temperatures shot the fishing down.
We are offering a winter fishing special for guide trips. One person will be $200 and two persons will be $300, this is a saving of a $100. This is for the home streams only. Oak Orchard, Sandy Creek, Genesee River and multiple days, for the Salmon River. This special also includes local trout streams Oatka and Spring Creek. We meet at 8 to 8:30 a.m. and on the water by 9 a.m. and fish straight through to 3 p.m. take advantage of the best part of the day. We will be running the special until March 15 2010. Give us a call and fend off cabin fever.
For available days feel free to give me a call at 585-352-0439 or the fly shop at 585- 352-4775.

2010-01-24T18:00:00.002-05:00

We will have to see how much rain we get out of this upcoming weather front. Hopefully there will be enough rain to bring the river's backup and get our winter fishing back online. We need to get the water flow back up. The fish that are in the river now have been playing the game for some time now. They kwon the game well and the fishing has become very technical.
The ice is finally starting to clear out of the Genesee River. You will still need to use caution when fishing along the river banks. There is sections were the shelf ice extends out into the river. If you are standing on this ice when it breaks, you could find yourself standing in neck deep ice water. Water flows and clarity have been fluctuating daily lately. You'll have to just go and take your chances for now.
The Oak Orchard River water flow has been fluctuating a little bit over this past week. However these water fluctuations has not been enough to pull new fish and yet. The lower portion of the Oak where the water flows is slower, is where most of the productive fishing is. Hopefully the rain will be significant enough to bring the water flows up and maintain a flow long enough to pull in new fish. As for the smaller streams and creeks, this is a mix bag of still frozen, low water, hopefully soon high water. You will need to check on the immediate conditions before fishing.
The Salmon River water flow is still at 285 CFS, hear too hopefully we will get some rain so the water can go up. As I said the fishing has become very technical. We have been using light tippits and small flies, well at least small for me. We're using nymphs in size 12 to 8 mostly the flies are sort of stone fly nymph, hairs ear or Caddis a merger. It has been the same deal as it has been the last couple weeks. Hook a fish or two a fly pattern, put that pattern away and try another. More flies we tried more bites we were getting. Hopefully the water flows will come up this week and we can it out and swing some flies for a change.

UPDATE

We get the rain, all most 2 inches of the stuff. All the creek and river are way up. The Oak Orchard River has come up close to 4 feet, The smaller streams and creeks are about to go over there banks. Give these creeks and river about a week to come back in to fishing condition. The same goes for the Genesee River, however this river may stay out for the next two weeks. The Salmon River is going from 285 CFS to 1800 CFS for the next few days. The blast of high water is just what we needed to get the fishing going. Weather permitting we should be back on the water by the weekend.

2010-01-17T22:11:00.003-05:00

The break in the clod whether has given us a chance to get out and do some fishing. This is just the cure for cabin fever. The warm spell has not been long enough to raise the water flow on the Oak Orchard River yet. As a result the fishing has been off. The Oak will need a good push of water to get the fishing going. The smaller area creeks are still frozen at this time. The Genesee River water flow is still low and all ice. I recommend not going near the Genesee River do to the ice. The river conditions are extremely dangerous right now. The weather forecast is for the temperatures to be more towards the freezing mark for the rest of the week. A little more thawing time and the Western rivers and creeks may be back to fishing.
The Salmon River is still flowing at 285 CFS, for now. We will have wait and see if the water flows will change later this week. As I've said in the past the 285 CFS water flow is not a bad flow for water steelhead fishing. Last Thursday I made a run to the Salmon River and fished the upper portion of the river. It was good to be back on the water and the fish were quite cooperative. We found that they had a preference for size 8 and 10 stone fly nymphs. As always when it comes to winter steelhead fishing, you need to be mindful of light bites. Set the hook carefully and maintain good pressure. A long with stone fly nymphs we also had bites on small egg flies in size 10 colors oregon cheese and orange.
Along with the steelhead fishing we have some trout fishing going on. Spring brook is one of the most stable trout streams you can find anywhere. This spring Creek is hardly ever affected by weather conditions. Water temperatures and water flows hardly fluctuate much. Fishing spring brook this time of the year is a game of midges and scuds. The midges are a size 20 down to a 28, and in a variety of colors. The scuds this time of the year are small. I have had my pest success with a size 16 scud in the color pink. Winter is a great time to be fishing spring brook and Oatka creek. The trout are always there and at times very hungry, with the added bonus of at times being the only one on the water.

WINTER FISHING SPECIAL

Daring the winter months the productive fishing time daring the course of the day is much shorter. Typically during the winter most days there will be approximately 6 hours productive fishing, before light conditions and cold temperatures shot the fishing down.
We are offering a winter fishing special for guide trips. One person will be $200 and two persons will be $300, this is a saving of a $100. This is for the home streams only. Oak Orchard, Sandy Creek, Genesee River and multiple days, for the Salmon River. This special also includes local trout streams Oatka and Spring Creek. We meet at 8 to 8:30 a.m. and on the water by 9 a.m. and fish straight through to 3 p.m. take advantage of the best part of the day. We will be running the special until March 15 2010. Give us a call and fend off cabin fever.
For available days feel free to give me a call at 585-352-0439 or the fly shop at 585- 352-4775.

2010-01-11T21:05:00.001-05:00

It is looking like we are going to get a break in the clod whether soon. By the end of the week the air temperature should be above the freezing mark. Just the cure that we need for a bad case of cabin fever. Starting with the Oak Orchard River, river conditions here with all things considered, not bad. There are no ice issues, and water flows are at what we call a medium to medium low flow for now. The water color is clear which is normal after a prolonged freeze. One word of caution. If water flows do come up and go over the overflow. Be on the look out for large chunks of ice floating down river. Be mindful and make sure you have a quick escape. As for flies, stay with egg flies and nymphs in sizes 12 to 8. Down river in the deeper slower water try fishing white bunny flies and woolly buggers.
The smaller area streams and creeks will need a longer warming period, than what we will most likely receive. I would not plan on fishing any of these stretches of water for some time.
The Salmon River water flow still remains at 285 CFS and according to the water release predictions it will stay that way for some time to come. This is nothing new when it comes to cold whether. As you probably already guessed there is plenty of snow along the river. There is about two feet of the stuff along the Lower River and about three to 4 feet of snow along the upper river. Keep this in mind when planning on ware you are going to fish. Getting in and out of the river in some places this time in the year can be an issue. Fishing in this 285 water will require some adjusting to river conditions. The first is to light the tippets down to 3X to 4X that is about six to 8 pound test. For flies stay with the smaller stuff, egg flies and nymphs in size 12 to 8. For best results fish these with a strike indicator and a long leader. For those of you who would like to swing flies stay with bunny leach patterns in size 6 to size 4. Fish these patterns in the classic down and across swing. Swing these flies as slowly as possible, for best results you want the fly to almost hang in the current as it comes across the swing.

WINTER FISHING SPECIAL

Daring the winter months the productive fishing time daring the course of the day is much shorter. Typically during the winter most days there will be approximately 6 hours productive fishing, before light conditions and cold temperatures shot the fishing down.
We are offering a winter fishing special for guide trips. One person will be $200 and two persons will be $300, this is a saving of a $100. This is for the home streams only. Oak Orchard, Sandy Creek, Genesee River and multiple days, for the Salmon River. This special also includes local trout streams Oatka and Spring Creek. We meet at 8 to 8:30 a.m. and on the water by 9 a.m. and fish straight through to 3 p.m. take advantage of the best part of the day. We will be running the special until March 15 2010. Give us a call and fend off cabin fever.
For available days feel free to give me a call at 585-352-0439 or the fly shop at 585- 352-4775.

COLD

2010-01-03T22:20:00.000-05:00

The way the weather is looking for this coming week. It is going to be a good week for fly tying. The temperatures are not going to get much over the 20 degree mark. Time to get some fly boxes filed up, for the upcoming spring. The lake Ontario snow guns have dune there job. The banks along the Oak Orchard River, has received a good does of snow, about 20 inches of the stuff. All of this snow has frozen the lower part of the river. But the river from the road hole on up river to the damn will stay open. It takes a lout of cold weather even to begin to freeze this part of the river. As for all of the smaller creeks, you guess it, lost in the snow.
The Salmon River has been hit with the same blast of snow. We will have to wait and see how big of a hit it is. This cold weather is freezing deep. The water flow on the salmon is coming down. The Salmon River is dropping down to 285 CFS. This is the minimum flow for the winter. The 285 CFS flow is meant to protect the river bottoms from anchor ice. Ones we get a thaw the water flow will go beck up. Until then this water flow may be a little lower than we are used to, but the river will fish. These winter low water flows is when you break out the small egg flies and nymphs.

If you have been thinking about learning to tie flies. Or you would like to improve your fly tying skills. Then give Coleman's fly shop a call 585-352-4775 and inquire about the fly tying classes that will be held through February and March.

2009-12-27T19:35:00.000-05:00

The rain over the last few days has given all the river and creeks a good boost of water. For now the water flow in all the smaller creeks are high and muddy, for now. As for the ices, that has cleared out temporarily. The water temperature in these creek, is that of sown run off, about 32 degrees. Ones the water flow starts to come down the creeks will quickly freeze back up. So it goes with these smaller creeks this time of the year.
True to form the Oak Orchard River continues to fish. The water flows have dropped over the past week. But if you worked the pools over, you can come up with a few fish. I am not sure if we had enough rain to increase the water flow on the Oak. But an increase in water flow would be good for the fishing. The fish could use a little freshening up. Four flies the same stuff is still working. Egg flies in your favorite colors size 12 to 8, bunny flies size 4 and 6 in colors of white and olive, stone fly nymphs in size 12 to 6.
The Salmon River: the biggest change is the water flow. To my surprise the water flow was cut back the 335 CFS. I do not know how long the water level will remain at this level. It will be wise to check with water line before fishing the Salmon River. The fishing has continued to hold up despite the drop in water flow. Remember we are fishing in winter conditions. Concentrate your efforts from mid morning to mid afternoon. Also keep your egg flies and nymphs on the river bottom. Swing your flies as slowly as you can and as close to the bottom as you can. Steelheads that are sitting in ice cloud water do not like to move to far for a fly.

WINTER FISHING SPECIAL

Daring the winter months the productive fishing time daring the course of the day is much shorter. Typically during the winter most days there will be approximately 6 hours productive fishing, before light conditions and cold temperatures shot the fishing down.
We are offering a winter fishing special for guide trips. One person will be $200 and two persons will be $300, this is a saving of a $100. This is for the home streams only. Oak Orchard, Sandy Creek, Genesee River and multiple days, for the Salmon River. This special also includes local trout streams Oatka and Spring Creek. We meet at 8 to 8:30 a.m. and on the water by 9 a.m. and fish straight through to 3 p.m. take advantage of the best part of the day. We will be running the special until March 15 2010. Give us a call and fend off cabin fever.
For available days feel free to give me a call at 585-352-0439 or the fly shop at 585- 352-4775.

2009-12-20T19:20:00.001-05:00

Winter has a solid hold on all of the river and creeks, on the Western end of Lake Ontario. For now the smaller creeks are frozen over. The only river that is fishing is the Oak Orchard river, the Genesee River is high but coming down. I would give the Genesee about a week and then checking on the river. The Oak Orchard river water flow is ideal for fishing and the water color has improved over the past week. The water temperature is at 33 degrees. This means that the fish bit will be slower then what we see in the fall. Some days we will fish threw the pool twist. That is make one run threw all the pools and fish to the fish that are presently on the bite. Ones we go threw the all pools, we will walk back up river and run the pools agene. Fish will sit in the pools and go on and off the bit all day. We are now obviously fishing out of our winter fly boxes. Productive flies are; egg flies in size 12 to 8 bunny flies size 4 and 6 in colors of white and olive, stone fly nymphs in size 12 to 6.
The water flow remains a 750 CFS, judging by the pineville water flow gauge. I suspect we will have this water flow for some time. The Salmon River is no different then the rivers in the Western end of the Lake when it comes to being locked in to winter fishing conditions. Daring cold morning's the lower river is expressing slushy conditions, this usually clears up by mid morning. On cold days the slush ice can persist throughout the day. Despite the icy conditions, steelheads continue to trickle in, this main there is fresh steelhead spread out through the lower river. The upper river continues to remain ice free, this is also are the majority of steelhead are concentrating. Fishing pressure in this part of the river has dropped off considerably do to the cold water. However the fish are there in the fishing remains good. For flies, we are using the same stuff that we do for the Oak Orchard River.

WINTER FISHING SPECIAL

Daring the winter months the productive fishing time daring the course of the day is much shorter. Typically during the winter most days there will be approximately 6 hours productive fishing, before light conditions and cold temperatures shot the fishing down.
We are offering a winter fishing special for guide trips. One person will be $200 and two persons will be $300, this is a saving of a $100. This is for the home streams only. Oak Orchard, Sandy Creek, Genesee River and multiple days, for the Salmon River. This special also includes local trout streams Oatka and Spring Creek. We meet at 8 to 8:30 a.m. and on the water by 9 a.m. and fish straight through to 3 p.m. take advantage of the best part of the day. We will be running the special until March 15 2010. Give us a call and fend off cabin fever.
For available days feel free to give me a call at 585-352-0439 or the fly shop at 585- 352-4775.

2009-12-13T10:04:00.002-05:00

Old man winter has finally arrived. This cooled snap will put the fishing in to a winter fishing pattern. The water temperatures will need a few days to stabilize fist. After that, it will be a mid morning to mid afternoon fishing day. I like to call it fishing the bankers hours. For the fishing conditions right now, all of the smaller streams and creeks are back up and muddy from the rain and wet snow the other day. The cool weather will help push the water levels down faster. For now freezing up does not look like it will be a problem for these smaller streams and creeks.
The Oak Orchard River has held up well over the last week of rain and wet snow. The water flow is on the high side, the clarity is a heavy staying, but still good for fishing. The higher water flow should be drawing in new fish every day. Add the clod whether which always causes the fishing pressure to drop. The oak will be providing some good fishing ones the cold weather pushes throw. For flies; stay with egg patterns in size 8 and 10 in your favor colors. Small wet flies in size 8 to 4, and white streamers Swing these flies as slowly alone the bottom as you can.
The Salmon River - The despite what you may think, so far the salmon has not received too much snowfall. The reports that I'm getting is saying that there's anywhere from 4 inches to a foot of snow along the river. The biggest change for the Salmon River, is the water flow. After over a month of water flows at 335 CFS, the water has finally been increased to 750 CFS. Even though we've had some cold winter weather, this increase in water flow should draw in new fish.

2009-12-05T09:06:00.002-05:00

We have had some rain this week. Finally enough to bring the water flows up on all of our rivers and creeks. The water flows in all of the smaller creeks are presently flowing high and muddy. I suspect water flows in these creeks will moderate within a few days. For now the Oak Orchard River has continues to fish despite the recent increase in water flow. Both water level and water clarity has held up over the last few days on the Oak. I suspect that the clarity will decrease slightly over the next few days. However I do not foresee the Oak becoming too dirty to fish. As for what is going on with the fishing on the Oak. There is a fairly decent amount of steelhead spread out through all the pools from the dam on down river. I have not seen many Brown trout over last few days. However this is not unusual for this time of the year. Often the Brown trout fishing will go throw a slow down in early December. Any day these spawn a Browns will go on the feed, and then the Brown trout fishing and get back on pace.
The Salmon Rive, this has been where I have had my best Brown trout fishing of the entire fall. The upper fly fishing zone has been loaded with Brown trout. Normally Western New York is the place to catch monster Brown trout however this fall it has been the Salmon River. I have never seen so many Brown trout in the upper fly fishing zone as I have this fall. As of 12/1/09 the upper fly fishing zone is close until this spring on the 4/1/10 the upper fly fishing zone will open back up.
The lower fly fishing zone is fishing good for steelhead and we are also getting a few brown trout. The Salmon River is settling into a typical December fishing pattern. The lower river is seeing a consistent flow of new fish entering the river and working their way up. The lower river may not have the numbers of fish as the upper river does. However these fish have not experienced much fishing pressure yet, and are more readily to take a fly.
The upper river, there is large numbers of fish. However this is where the majority of the fishing pressure is located. You need to take the fishing pressure into consideration with your fishing. Despite the fishing pressure, the section of river can produce a great day of fishing.

2009-11-26T08:56:00.000-05:00

The fishing conditions have changed abruptly on the Oak Orchard River and all of areas streams and creeks. The water flows have increased over the past week. Both rain and water from the canal systems, have contributed to the water flow. We are also supposed to receive rain over the coming few days. Hopefully this will get the water flows up and keep things flowing. With this increased in water flow Oak Orchard has recently received small run off steelhead. The Brown trout fishing is still spotty at best, but if you're willing to work the water hard you can find a few Brown trout. This pretty much goes for the rest of the streams and creeks all through western New York. Productive flies, egg flies remain the top producing patterns. However there is now spawned out Brown trout going on the feed, in all of our rivers streams and creeks. It is now time to start to fishing streamers such as white bunny flies in size 6.
The Salmon River water flow has remained study. The water flow is still running at 335 CFS. But finally the fish seem to be moving a little more consistently now. The lower river has seen improvement in the Steelhead fishing, along with a few Brown trout. Most of the fish are still coming from the fast water. The fishing in the upper river has not changed much. This is where majority of the fishing pressure continues to be found, however recently fishing pressure has become more spotty. The number fishermen working this section of river can vary greatly from one day to the next. Egg flies still remain to be the most productive patterns. You should also carry a good selection of stone fly nymphs and a few woolly buggers in size 8 and 6.

I also have a lot of days available for the month of December. Despite the cooler weather December can be a great month for fishing for both Brown trout and steelhead. By December I'll be fishing both the Western New York tributaries and the Salmon River. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone zones.

2009-11-20T08:51:00.001-05:00

Low water still plagues all the smaller area streams and creeks. We need a lot of rain. The rain we have received over the lost two days is not mash help. Hopefully we will get more rain over the next week. For now Oak Orchard River has the best water flow and the most fish. Oak Orchard River has been receiving supplemental water flow from the canal system. This extra water flow is a reason why the Oak has the best water flow of all the rivers in the area. Productive flies for the Oak is still egg flies in the normal colors.
The Genesee River is coming in to excellent fishing condition. Water clarity has improved and the steelheads are in. Most of the fishing action is in the pocket water up by the falls and the power house. When fishing here where you wet weather gear, the spray from the falls is like a steady driving rain. The power house is off-line and entire flow is coming over the falls.
The Salmon River is where I have found my best fishing. Despite the fact that water flows have remained a study 335 CFS for almost a month now. At least there is a decent flow of water. Because of the there also has been a large of the normal amount of fishing pressure. Western New York is not the only place suffering from low water flows. We have been finding the steelhead spread out throughout the entire river. For the steelhead fishing, it is the same old story. The more water you cover the more fish you will encounter. The best steelhead fishing is in the lower river. Even though there is more steelhead in the upper river. The steelheads in the lower have seen lest fishing pressure and are more willing to bite.
This time of the year, everyone is looking for big Brown trout. Normally I can find all the big Browns we want to catch in western New Yorks creeks and rivers. This year the best fishing for big brown trout has been on the Salmon River. Every fall has its challenges and this fall is no exception.

The dates that are still open for November are 27, 28, and 29. I also have a lot of days available for the month of December. Despite the cooler weather December can be a great month for fishing for both Brown trout and steelhead. By December I'll be fishing both the Western New York tributaries and the Salmon River. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone zones.

2009-11-15T19:57:00.002-05:00

We have been fishing all over the place this past week. Some locations are definitely fishing better than others, such as Oak Orchard River is fishing more consistent than the rest of the local smaller streams and creeks. Brown trout fishing in western New York is still a slow pick, even though new fish show up daily. What we need right now is a lout of rain. All the streams and creeks are running low and getting lower. How we have been dealing with these conditions, is to cover a lot of water. Low water conditions main hunting. Walk the rivers until you spot a fish and then see if the fish will eat your fly. We have been having our best success fishing size 10 egg patterns in colors of Oregon cheese and orange.
The Genesee River has come back down to a good fishable flow. Water clarity has been off for last few days however this is also improving. As the water clarity improves so should the steelhead fishing. Because a power station has been off-line for so long a lout of river bottom has been rearranged do to the large amount of water coming over the falls. The area that we refer to as the trench has filled in considerably. In this run we once used very aggressive sink tips, for now start with a type two tip and go from there.
The water flow the Salmon River has remained at 335 CFS for approximately 3 weeks now. This is a longtime for the water flow to remain at this level of this time of year. Once again we can use a good round of rain. Because of the prolong study flow of water, the steelhead fishing has been slow but steady for this time of the year. If you are willing to cover water and fish smart, you'll have no problems finding to fish. We are having our best success fishing the lower end of the Salmon River. The lower half of the river may not have as much fish. But these fish have not seen much fishing pressure and are more willing to take a fly. The upper have of the river has the maturity of the fish however this is also where fishing pressure is most intense. We have been catching both steelhead and Brown trout, some days we will get in to as many Browns as steelhead. This is highly unusual for the Salmon river. November fishing on the salmon is normally all about steelhead fishing. For flies we have been using egg flies in size 8 and 10 in colors of Oregon cheese and orange. When we are swinging flies, the standard woolly buggers are working about as good as any thing.

The dates that are still open for November are 27, 28, and 29. I also have a lot of days available for the month of December. Despite the cooler weather December can be a great month for fishing for both Brown trout and steelhead. By December I'll be fishing both the Western New York tributaries and the Salmon River. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone zones.

2009-11-06T08:21:00.000-05:00

I am back home fishing for brown trout ones again. The water flows have been a little better than it was last year but not much. As result the brown trout have been slow to run. The best fishing has been on the Oak Orchard River, there's is a few Brown trout spread out from the dam on down river. Most of the fish have been concentrated in the fast water. We are having our best success fishing size 10 egg patterns to these fish. Fishing pressure has not been as intense as it has been other the past years, with the exception of the weekends.
All of the smaller area streams and creeks are experiencing low water flows and a slow start to the Brown trout run. Hopefully the fishing will improve over the weeks to come.
The Genesee River’s water flow is back up, the water is high and muddy again. The Genesee River has been this way for the past three or four days. By the way the weather and conditions are looking. I suspect it will be at least a week before we can consider fishing this river once again.
How have we been dealing with the slow fishing? Cover a lot of water. Right now most of the Brown trout are male Browns. These Brown trout are moving on a daily basis, looking for prime spawning habitat and female Browns. These fish can be anywhere, this is a hunting game. We have been walking the rivers until we spot a fish and then fish to that fish and see if we can get it to eat the fly. After that we move on until we spot a other fish and then repeat.

November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates that are still open for November are 15, 25, 27, 28, and 29. I also have a lot of days available for the month of December. Despite the cooler weather December can be a great month for fishing for both Brown trout and steelhead. By December I'll be fishing both the Western New York tributaries and the Salmon River. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone zones.

2009-11-01T20:46:00.001-05:00

The Salmon River, at Pulaski NY, the water flow remains at 335 CFS throw out this past week. This water flow has the steelhead coming in at a slow but steady trickle. We have been covering a lout of water to find fish. Ones we find a few steelhead, we would work this spot hard. Catch tow are three fish and go to the next spot. We have been fishing the lower river most days. That is if the leaves are not too heavy. We had two day when the leaves were so heavy that we could not get the fly in the water. When the leaves get this thick in the water, the fish will hold tight to the river bottom and not bite. Fortunately all we needed to do is go up river to get out of the leaves. The upper fly-fishing zone has been producing a few Brown trout alone with the steelhead. The fish in this section of river have seen a lout of fishing pressure. To get the fish to bite, we are fishing with lighter tippet and smaller flies. Productive flies; for this best week has not changed much. We are still fishing egg patterns using strike indicators to help control our drift. Nuclear Row Bug is still the top producing fly, in colors of Oregon cheese, chartreuse and orange. When fishing the lower river, that is when the leaves allow it, we have been getting away with size 8 egg flies. Upper River, we drop down to size 10 for the egg flies. Stone flies in size 6 to 10 are now starting to pick up a few fish.
This week was the end of this falls main push for fishing the Salmon River. I will still be making a few day trips up to the salmon, yet this fall. But for the most part I will now be fishing the tributaries in western New York, concentrating on Brown trout. As always I have mixed feelings about moving back home. I love fishing the Salmon River, but it'll be good to be back home for awhile. Not to mention chasing those giant Brown trout.

November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates for November are 15, 25, 27, 28, and 29. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436

A Turn Around

2009-10-27T20:19:00.003-04:00

The Salmon River, at Pulaski NY; The water flow is at 335 CFS this is the lowest water flow we have had on the Salmon River in approximately 3 weeks. As a result this past weekend was considerably more busy, than I would expect for this time of the month. By Monday the fishing pressure dropped off dropped off considerably. After a busy salmon season, it is nice to see the Salmon River quiet once again.
The weather this week has become more seasonable, as a result the fishing has improved. I describe the steelhead fishing as more of a November pace. A slow start in the morning, do to cooling water temperatures overnight. Once the sun gets on the water and warms up the water temperature the fishing heats up along with the water temperatures. If you stay in one location, and wait for the steelhead to come to you, you are in for a long day. Typical for steelhead fishing, the more water you cover the more fish you will find. I have been doing what I refer to as fishing the milk run. That is fishing as many pools runs and pockets as I can throughout the day.
Because we have been concentrating our fishing efforts, in the pocket water, and small pools and not to mention that the river is saturated with salmon eggs. We have been head our best success fishing egg patterns. As many of you know, my favorite egg patterns for this time year, is the Nuclear Row Bug. The best colors for this week have been, orange, Oregon cheese and chartreuse. Because the leaves were so thick in the river we were not able to swing flies. Hopefully this coming week, we can change this.
I have not started to fish the local creeks and rivers in western New York yet. However the word is that all the rivers and creeks have runs of Chinook salmon. The Oak Orchard River has received a few Brown trout. This is right about on schedule. The Oak generally receives a few runs of big male Brown trout, this time of the year. However keep in mind the fishing pressure on the Oak is intense. I will be back fishing on the Western New York tributaries in approximately a week.
November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates for November are 15, 25, 27, 28, and 29. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone reception zones.

Cold Weather -- Cold Water

2009-10-22T17:43:00.001-04:00

The Salmon River, at Pulaski NY; The fishing has tough the past week. Cold weather and frosty nights has caused water temperatures to drop three to 4 degrees every day. As a result the dropping water temperatures, has put the fish in to a thermals shock. This has been happened almost every day. The fish never have a chance to acclimate to the water temperature change. What this does to the fishing, is to turn off the fish that are the river and stall out any new fish from entering the river system. Normally when you're dealing with water temperature drops that happen overnight, your best fishing will be daring the afternoon. Ones the fish have a chance to acclimate to the new water temperatures. Judging by how the weather forecast looks for the next few days we should have more seasonable temperatures, this will stabilize the water temperatures and the fishing will get back on track.
Water flows are now dropping back down. By the weekend we will have a water release of 335 CFS. This will be the lowest water flow that we have had in approximately 2 weeks. We are now seeing the last of the large groups of Chinook salmon. Most of the salmon that I am seeing are all spawned out. For the most part the salmon run is over. We are now concentrating all of our effort on steelhead. However even though the last few days have been very challenging, there have been a few small groups of steelhead here and there throughout the river. The challenge I have been having is finding the small groups and then trying to figure out what fly they want. Sometimes we can get them to eat a fly on the swing and other times it is all about the egg fly. Of course that is when they are in a taking mood. That is the water temperatures has not shut these fish down. As gloomy as this may sound, right now. When it comes to fishing the tributaries, it is amazing how fast conditions can and will change. Struggled to find a fish today, tomorrow they can be everywhere.

November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates for November are 5, 6, 15, 25, 27, 28, 29. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone reception zones.

2009-10-15T19:02:00.002-04:00

The Salmon River at Pulaski, NY; The recent high water conditions are coming to an end. Water flows are going to be reduced to 750 CFS until early next week. Along with high water flows the weather has been unusual for October. We've been having weather that you would expect to experience during mid to late November. Cold, cloudy and rainy. You know, good fun stuff to fish in. Right now the Salmon River is fishing like it is two separate rivers. The lower half of the river has been challenging the last few days. High water and water temperature fluctuations has made steelhead fishing, which is the primary game for this section of the river, challenging. Despite the high water of the past few days there's still plenty of steelhead entering Salmon River. It is just that conditions have been challenging, especially for someone fishing a one-handed rod. With the water flows receding this should change quickly. Steelhead fishing has been a spey rod game on Salmon River. We are managing a few steelheads and Brown trout fishing the slots and channels with egg patterns. Also we are getting a few steelhead swinging flies in the big pools with sink tips and two-handed rods.
The upper river is another story. This section of the river is practically overflowing with salmon. You can find salmon spread out spawning on all the available gravel beds. Some locations such as the top of the sportsman's pool and the upper trestle pool are literally black with fish. For now most of these salmon are still in fairly decent shape. However I suspect we will see most of the salmon to quickly thin out in about another week or so. I have been fishing some of these locations looking for steelheads, however have not done very well. I suspect the reason for this is two-fold. The first there are so many salmon it is hard to actively fish the slots and cuts where the steelhead would hold in to feed without hooking salmon. The second is, right now there's so many lose eggs in the system, that the fly gets lost in the mix. This will also change very quickly.
Productive flies; have been egg patterns in orange and Oregon cheese in size 8 and woolly buggers colors, black and silver size 4. We have also caught steelhead using large Leach style patterns also. As for the salmon, orange egg patterns and black and silver woolly buggers in size 6 have been getting the job done.
For those of you how might be curious, all of the Western New York rivers do have runs of Chinook salmon right now. It is still early for any significant run of Brown trout. Keep in mind Brown trout are a November fish. My suspicion is these fish are not going be all that early, when it comes to a spawning run, Brown trout are a lazy fish. But then again the way this fall's is going you never know.

NOTE;
I still have dates open for October and November. This is when we have the best of the year. Early to mid October is peak salmon fishing. Mid to the end of October, is steelhead fishing on the Salmon River. These steelheads are HOT, chrome bright and flow of fight. The dates for October are 18, 27, 28, 30, 31. November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates for November are 5, 6, 15, 25, 27, 28, 29. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell.

We Got Water

2009-10-10T20:19:00.002-04:00

The Salmon River, at Pulaski NY, the water flows have been increased to 1150 CFS. In tell early this week. The water flow may go up yet, if it continues to rain anymore. The high water has not affected our fishing much. All we do is adjust to the conditions just like the fish. What high water does give us is, less fishing pressure, and a steady flow of new fish. Most fishermen are not comfortable fishing the Salmon River when water flows get above 335 CFS, however high water flows often make the fish more comfortable and as a result more readily to bite. As for new fish, this is obvious, strong water flows always attract fish from the lake, such as now steelhead. For the spey casters swinging flies, we have been using type 5 and type 6, 15 foot sink tips to get the flies to the correct depth. The spay rods sure make it easy covering water when the rivers are running these levels.
Judging by my observations over the past month, my feeling is that the Salmon River has received most of its salmon by now. That does not mean the salmon fishing is over by any means. There are huge volumes of salmon from mid river all the way up through the fly fishing zones. The salmon are hard at work tending to their biological obligations, spawning. This means any stretch of gravel is going to be covered with spawning salmon. This does not main there is no more fresh salmon entering the river now. There will still be a study trickle of fresh fish for a few more weeks, well in to November. The sharp reduction in Chinook salmon to enter the river will make it easier for steelhead fishing. Number steelheads have continued to grow on a daily basis. At this point I will be concentrating more on steelhead in the lower river and salmon in the upper river for the rest of our stay on the Salmon River.
Productive flies; with all the spawning that has been going on. Egg flies are now becoming a mainstay in our fly box. For patterns, we have been using are nuclear row bugs, in size 8 and10 and colors orange and Oregon cheese. Due to the high water we have been fishing these flies under a strike indicator to help control the drift. With the off-color water generated by the increase in water flows, black and silver wooly buggers in size 6 and 4. This week the size 4 wooly buggers have been our most productive size.
NOT;
I still have dates open for October and November. This is when we have the best of the year. Early to mid October is peak salmon fishing. Mid to the end of October, is steelhead fishing on the Salmon River. These steelheads are HOT, chrome bright and flow of fight. The dates for October are 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31. November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates for November are 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone reception zones.

2009-10-07T08:23:00.003-04:00

All the rain that we have had over the last two weeks, has head it’s effect. The water flow has been increased to 750 CFS. With the increased in water flow, I would expect to see a strong run of fish. However fish do what fish do. All we observed was a slightly stronger than normal morning run of fish. I suspect the salmon are not staging long in the reservoir but coming straight through this year. As a result we are having a steady pace of new salmon entering the river this year, this has provided consistent fishing over these past weeks. I am now starting to see more spawning activity. It is getting time for the salmon that ran earlier in the season to spawn. Some of these fish have been sitting in the river for almost a month. My guess is that the spawning should be in full swing in about a week’s time.
Along with the salmon we been, seeing a lout steelhead and a few Brown trout over the last week. A few of these fish we manage to put into the net. It is looking like we are off to an early but very strong start to the steelhead season.
The fishing pressure right now is at its peak. I suspect we will see a strong drop in people heading to the river by the end of this coming weekend. Usually Columbus Day weekend is one of the weekends that everybody likes to make the trip to the Salmon River. This does not main that the fishing is our, it is more like the fishing is just really getting going.
Productive flies for this week have been; The hottest fly this week is the raider Bugger, this is a black and silver Woolly bugger. The fly works best in low light situations such as all the gray rainy weather we've been having this week. Brown and copper Woolly buggers are still getting bite, Along with the standard stuff; black stone flies in size 6, comments in size 4 and 6, for the salmon. We are picking up most of our steelhead and Brown trout with egg flies. In size 8 and 10, colors Oregon cheese and orange. As the spawn activity picks up, egg flies are now become more productive every day.

NOT;
I still have dates open for October and November. This is when we have the best of the year. Early to mid October is peak salmon fishing. Mid to the end of October, is steelhead fishing on the Salmon River. These steelhead are HOT, chrome bright and flow of fight. The dates for October are 17, 18, 19, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31. November is Brown Trout time. These are monster Brown trout, most weighing in around 7 to 10 pounds. Every fall we catch a few Brown trout that are weighing in around 16 to 18 pounds. The dates for November are 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30. If you are interested, give the shop a call at 585-352-4775 or my cell phone at 585-233-0436. When attempting to contact me by cell phone please be persistent. I'm often in poor cell phone reception zones.