Jay Peck's Blog

This has been the first full week of fishing back home in Western New York. It is Brown Trout time ones again. We definitely had an early start to our brown trout run. Despite water conditions, low flows in clear water. The brown trout have been showing up in good numbers. This being said there has been some slow days of fishing. This is mostly due to water temperature. Whenever we have a cold snap, water temperatures take a dive and the Brown trout movement comes to a temporary stop. The good news is that we can project these slowdowns in the fishing by watching the weather forecast. If it’s going to be cold you know the fishing is going to be slow, so we plan accordingly. Flies for the Brown trout, it is an egg fly game. Do to the low water flows we have had the best results with size 10 and 12 egg patterns and colors of orange, Oregon cheese and chartreuse.

For the fishing on the Salmon River, the water flows fluctuated only slightly this past week due to a little rainfall. However the water release continues to remain constant at 350 CFS. When the steelhead fishing takes a slight down turn in the fishing activity is due to a cold snap and plumbing water temperature. The slow fishing is only temporary. Once water temperatures improve so will the pace of the steelhead fishing. In general I need to rate the steelhead fishing as very good but technically demanding. This is, if you understand the fish, know the river you will find the steelhead fishing to be good. If not, you’ll find the fishing to be challenge. Productive flies; for the Salmon River, when it comes to egg flies we have been getting the best bites with size 10 egg patterns. However steelhead have been so hot that we are having a hard time holding on to them. As a result we have been forced to size up to a size 8 fly when it comes to fishing egg pattern. For swing flies for the steelhead, we have been able to use a variety of wet flies and intruders. You will find the best swing fishing in the lower river. This is where there is less influence from all the spawning salmon.