Salmon River 2015

Henry readies or the day at the top of Meadow Run

"Be careful, he's gonna wrap you around that log" I told Henry as his 70 minute struggle with this Salmon wound down. "That's no log, that's the Salmon!" exclaimed Joe who'd waded over to lend his season pass holders' experience to help end Henry's epic battle. Several chess moves later the rocket of a salmon succumbed to rod and net and Henry, broad grin on his face, shook out his cramping forearms in victory. When we finally got back to Bill on the DSR side of the Meadow Run Henry hoisted the Salmon and she spilled a gallon of eggs back into the River.  Amazing.

DSR Map Extract

This trip had begun months ago with Shana reserving cabins at Selkirk and fisher-Pfeiffers mulling schedules to see what might work amongst life's other commitments. Fritz had suggested that we invite my brother-in-law Henry and in the end the fishing party was Bill, Henry and I.

Sunrise at Meadow Run

The promise of a grand adventure, good camaraderie and massive Salmon buoyed our weeks ahead of the trip.  Not even hurricane Joachim could dampen our spirits and fortunately a high pressure system over Canada kept the wettest weather in the mid-Atlantic and below. By the time I picked up Henry in Syracuse the weather was partly cloudy and perfect for fishing. 


We met Bill at a newly renovated Selkirk Shores cabin and were spoiled the first night by its luxurious renovation.  After arriving, we took in a beautiful of sunset over Lake Ontario, visited Whitakers Fly Shop  and had a prime rib feast at Rivers Edge.

I think of this Pfeiffer Family Trip as an Heirloom

After some pass confusion leading up to the trip Bill was able to secure me a day-pass for Saturday from the good folks at the DSR.   Passes are both getting more expensive and harder to come by during the height of the Salmon Run so one of the lessons for next year is to get passes as early as possible.   We also learned that they sell passes starting at 0445 the day prior. Lotsa folks were disappointed to learn this and I was very lucky Bill was able to work some magic to get me a pass for Saturday.

Henry Fish-on Day 1, Hen fought this Salmon for 35-min

Hen Fighting his Day 1 Salmon w Help from Rusty and Mike

Henry tries to keep his Day 1 Salmon out of the current

Bill at pole position on DSR-side of Meadow Run

Henry and I rolled out of bed and were at the DSR by 0500 on Saturday and after working out some easy kinks were following our headlamps down the familiar walk to the Meadow Run at 0600. Excitement and anticipation built as we neared the top of Meadow Run.   We found the top DSR-side spots occupied and quickly moved to the guide-side sandbar ahead of another family party who were intent on fishing Upper Clay Hole from the island.

Bill hooked a Salmon in this sycamore hole at top of the Meadow

As a streaks of color broke the nightscape our lines were in the water, anticipation pushing to the limit the 30-minute before sun-rise rule. Henry was fishing a TFO 8wt with an Orvis Access Reel and I was sticking a 11' 7/8 switch from WildWater with a TFO Prism reel that I've come to enjoy.  We began with standard patterns and a sinking leaders but soon moved to split shot above the terminal leader so we could feel the bottom-cobble bumps as our presentations swung through the current.

Bill and Hen Chat across Meadow Run's Channel

Henry Ties-up at upper Fly Fishing Area

Within the first 10 minutes I helped land a nice King from a long-rodder who had been pulled down from Upper Clay and landed it along the guide-side bank of Meadow.   The morning was beautiful but action was slow and fish were not moving in any numbers, occasionally we'd see one move up through the central channel but they were few and far between.    Throughout the two days Bill and I were both struck by how stealthily those that were moving were moving up the river.   There was very little if any porposing or braking the water among the movers.

Mirror image photo of Hen at Upper Fly Zone

Henry hooked into a good salmon from the guide-side of the run around 0930 and fought him up and down the Meadow for 35 Minutes until he finally broke off below the Meadow Run on the guide-side in the fast water.  Through the fight Henry was aided by two guides Rusty and Mike and their suggestions with this salmon would help Henry the next day when he'd again have a salmon in this same stretch.  Bill joined Henry and I at about 1015 after changing Cabins and soon we were all  swinging flies through mid-afternoon.

Bill at top of Meadow run, salmon would stage in this pool before their next run

We all needed a change of scenery so Bill went back to Selkirk and Henry and I made the familiar drive through Pulaski, into Altmar, past the Hatchery to the Upper fly fishing area where we geared up and gave a go at the Salmon in the cigar pool at the upstream limit of the fly fishing zone.   Folks were hooking them, there as they usually do, but we didn't see any landed as the salmon would quickly maneuver into the fast current at the bottom of the pool and break off.    We fished until dusk, met Bill as we walked out and found ourselves at Stephanos eating garlic knots and hearty fare quickly.

Henry bisect the channel at top of Meadow Run

Water-level shot

Day two was smoother than day one and dawn found us again on the Meadow Run waiting for sun-up.    Bill had the first hook-up of the day at the top of the run in the pool under the sycamore tree.   Salmon were staging in the pool after making it through the run before they moved upstream to Upper Clay Pool and Bill got one to strike within a pole length of his feet.  The Salmon swirled and fought for long enough for me to grab my net and start walking and then it was gone swallowed back by the river.  Buoyed by this shot of salmonoid-adrenalin we fished harder channeling Fritz and trying to anticipate a strike on every swing.  My turn came next with a hook up along the DSR side of the channel swinging an orange bead-head egg pattern tied by Fritz.    I had him on for 2-3 minutes and then he swung his head and was gone.

Fritz tied this beauty and it gave me my only long hook-up

As the day would down toward 1215 and Hwy 81 and Henry's flight beckoned, Henry hooked a large fresh Salmon at the top of Meadow Run that perma-etched smiles on our faces.  Henry's 8wt flexed for all it was worth line, screaming out and being slowly fought back to reel,   Bill watched from the DSR side with the other fishermen and I tried to stay below Henry's Salmon with my large, but seemingly inadequate net. 

Henry hooked into his Day 2 Salmon

Henry did his best to stay on the guide-side bank and turn the Salmon out of the current but this was a big fish and with Henry's relatively light 8wt and commitment not to lose the fish by horsing him, the Salmon made his way down into the deep current of the left channel below the Meadow.  Looking to keep the salmon from moving farther down the deep channel I parked myself in the middle of the fast water hoping to body block the salmon from another down stream run.  It worked in a fashion, but instead of running, the Salmon just parked itself in the current and would not move more than 15 feet in any direction.

Aided by Joe Henry & confident in his hookset Hen increases pressure on the Salmon

Henry would win back a few feet of backing and then his drag would let it back out again.  At some point a DSR alumni (Joe) joined Henry and offered some pointers on how to pressure the fish and get him out of the current.   20 Minutes of rod and line finagling later. Henry had the salmon out of the fast current and in 2' of water.   I snuck up behind ready to net it, I couldn't see it clearly and was worried that it was about to wrap itself around a log in the shadowed shallows.  "Be careful, he's gonna wrap you around that log" I told Henry as the struggle wound down. "That's no log, that's the Salmon!" said Joe before the salmon went on one last 10-min run before being brought to hand by Henry.

Trophy Brought to hand w Bill

She spilled a gallon of roe back into the river

Henry walked the netted salmon triumphantly back up the run to Bill where we took the pictures you see. 

Best walk ever back to car

A shuffle back to the car, goodbyes and a road-side cleaning in Pulaski later we had two large salmon slabs on ice and were headed south on 81 exhausted and ready to come back to this great place again for our next adventure.

All smiles before long drive