Specials and Stories

new news from Isak... Another day on the Salmon River

This last week I was out of school on April break. While most kids watched T.V., played video games, and stayed inside, I fished! On Saturday I went fishing with Gary Bartell on the Mohawk river. After we caught a couple of fish each, we went too a small stream in the Tug Hill area (in case Artie and Jordan are wondering where the stream is, I have memory loss and the only thing that will help me remember is a peace of paper with Benjamen Franklin's face printed on it). Dough conditions were a little cold we managed to catch a few small brown trout on nymph's and streamer's and despite the cold weather I even caught a few fish on dry flies. The next day I went up to the Salmon River with a buddy of mine. We went to Ellis Cove and it was loaded with drop back's. I probably hooked 15 or more fish that day! Out of all of those fish I landed five, three of which were in the mouth and the other two were foul hooked. I landed the first two fish which were foul hooked and then, while casting into a small pool of fish I hooked a seven pound drop-back and after a breaf fight I landed him with the help of a guide. We went to Malinda's fly shop for a break and then went back to fishing. I thought it was ten minutes after we returned to our spot that I hooked another steelhead, this one about five pounds. The way I landed this fish couldn't have been more perfect: I brought the fish to my side and scooped him up much like you would a trout.The third and last fish that I landed that day was also the bigest of the three. I spotted him and made a few casts to him before he took the fly. I faught this fish for about ten minutes and beached him. The guy I was with took some pictures. The fly of the day was a size 12 Chartrus chrystal meth.

The next day I went back to that same stream with Gary and we caught some small Browns on nymph's and streamers, I even caught a small Brooky. Later Kim showed up and we went to another part of the creek where he and Gary caught most of the fish. The next day found! me back on the Salmon River. The fishing was slower but I did manage to catch two steelhead in about an hour of fishing. The first one was a smaller drop-back that I landed before my buddy had even put on his waders (yes, he is older than I). The second fish I hooked was about fourty minutes later and It was about thirteen pounds. While walking around the shallows I spooked him and he went into a deep pool. I gave him about a minute and then started casting to him, and on my second cast he took the bait. I faught him for about twenty minutes and finally I beatched him, a nice 13+ pounder. We later went to the Tressle and the lower fly zone but we didn't land anything.

Saturday was my last trip up to the Salmon River untill Spey nation on June 19 at the Pineville bridge. When we got there the guy told the guy I was with that the fishing was terrible. Well, he was wrong! When I got on top of the bridge at the lower fly zone I could see half a dozen fish. After about an hour I finally landed one on a size ten stonefly, after a fifteen minutes fight it was a nice bright hen. After a few pictures it was released. The next fish I hooked was a colored up drop-back that I landed after a few minutes. About half an hour later on the other side of the bridge I spotted a drop-back in about a fiit of backwater. I casted to that fish and he took the fly, I landed him in under a minute. The next and last fish was hooked below the Church pool. After about ten minutes of chasing her down river I landed a nice twelve pounder that was full of egg's. That was the last steelhead of the trip. Those few days I thought my buddy hooked six fish. The next day was cast and blast! I woke up at three a.m. to go turkey hunting. I was back home around seven thirty because we spooked them. Later thet day my mom took me to the Sauquoit Creek where I caught a few trout on soft hackles the biggest of which was about a 14" wild brown trout.

Tight lines, Isak. K