Saturday, December 31, 2016

Salmon River Steelhead


The steelhead fishing up in Pulaski can be challenging, especially for the novice. Those who have success often find it's feast of famine, but that is some of what keeps folks coming back, year after year.

Recently, long time steelhead and salmon anglers have been more often heard to pine for the good old days. While anglers are used to hearing stories about how the angling was better yesterday, last week, or forty years ago, sometimes there is more truth in these yarns than may first be apparent.

At the foot of bridge at Altmar, one can find Malinda's Fly and Tackle Shop. Malinda Barna is the owner and she has been a keen observer of the fishery for many years. Malinda recently posted her thoughts on why the fishery has fared poorly (there's some science involved) and what can be done to improve the angling.

Note that she's not going to recommend ways that the chinook and king runs can be made better, she's taking the big picture view about what anglers want (to catch fish) and how to make it better (make more fish available for catching). I've two posted links below to the same article. The Vedavoo piece has some commentary that has not been my experience, but that does illustrate a condition I've heard from others.

Take a read. Share your thoughts. Act.

Thanks to the Amberjack Journal and Vedavoo for posting her article.

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Additional Info (Thanks Tony B. and Bob S. for bringing this to my attention)

Invasion of the Great Lakes: Quagga mussels least known, most dangerous invader

NY State DEC Annual Reports for last few years (read the highlight reports ...especially 2012 she refers to)


2 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing, quite an interesting read. Reminded of the Battenkill river's dramatically declining wild trout fishery in the 90's (???). Some have speculated that the clean water act was responsible for some of the decline in insect and baitfish populations (less organic pollution=fewer nutrients). Ironic isn't it?

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    1. It is ironic. It's the same thing with dams. We hate them for what they do to anadromous fish runs but love them for their cool water.

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