Salmon Run September 21, 2012

Brian and I were curious if it was too early for salmon. We had been hearing that salmon were in the salmon river and at the mouth of Oak Orchard River. We both like to scout out the areas we know will produce fish. Friday, September 21 we headed up to Hamlin where our expectations were met. On arriving at the Oak we saw fish moving up. Only a few at first. Fish were jumping in the mouth and showing movement by their wake. And yet on this day only four other diehards were getting anxious about the up coming salmon season. 

We fished two hours before Brian had to leave. That was enough to get a glimpse of fresh salmon moving past us. Brian had a chance to make a few casts to one. And I had one pull on my line but no hook sets. We did manage to hook a few small mouth bass.

After 12:00 it was evident that the run was increasing in number. I had seen five salmon swim past me, so I moved up stream looking for holding fish and I found the dark shadows of a pair, and then a tail, and suddenly the side of a female and a shaking tail. From there I could make out in the deep murky water another fish moving up just in front of me. But the pair was still holding just behind a downed tree. I tried what I could, but I did not have the weight I needed to get my wooly bugger down fast before it past them. The tree became an issue with my casting. In fact the tree would prove to be a definitive hazard before the day ended.

Brian, BIC fishing guide 

I continued to fish while increasing my split shot weight to 7 or 8 small weights on my line. At one point the male of the pair porpoised the water's surface as if to say leave us alone. I switched to an egg fly and caught another bass and a large sucker. It was now 1:00 and I estimated around fourteen fish had moved past me. I was now seeing pairs come up through the shallows every ten minutes. Then I saw a tired but still fresh fish moving downstream. Possibly exhausted from the snagging activity upstream. I heard that people had been fighting verbally at the dam pool.

This fish moved me out of my position as I followed it down stream. When I hooked it in the tail, I realized it was time to leave it alone. With a sharp jerk of my pole It was free. I soon found new areas where fish were holding. I cast many times without success until at last a large female connected with my egg fly. I held the beast in a pool as it twisted it's head back and forth thrashing about and loosing ground. then I started to take up slack which gave the girl permission to run. She gave it a go and tore yards of 8 weight off my reel across the river. The drag felt good. Not too much and still holding tight the line. She swung my line across the surface, and headed for the downed tree. A little fearful of getting my line caught underneath it. I put tension on the pole and out popped the fly. My first real hookup made for a teachable experience. 

September 21st on a cloudy day far from home, made real the hopes of a salmon season with promise.