The Fall Festival

By Wayne Rodger Jr.

    By the beginning of September, fish will be trickling into the rivers and Lake Ontario’s Tributaries. Columbus Day weekend in October is usually the peak of the salmon run. There are two major species of salmon in Lake Ontario. The largest and most sought after is the Chinook. They can range anywhere from 15lbs to over 40lbs. The second species is the Coho. They tend to be a little smaller, ranging from 10lbs to over 20lbs. There are also Pink and Atlantic salmon. They are rare in Lake Ontario. In the fall the predominant species that you will be angling for are the Chinooks and Coho. There is a bonus during the salmon season in the Steelhead and Brown trout fishing. The browns on the other hand spawn in the fall too, but they will take advantage of the salmon’s eggs as well as the steelhead. There is a bonanza of fish to be caught in the Lake Ontario tributaries during the Autumn

    The famous of all Lake Ontario tributaries is the Salmon River in Pulaski, New York. This river gets the most traffic out of any of the other waters that are haunted by salmon. Moving toward the Western Basin of Lake Ontario there are four rivers that come to mind for this autumn festival, the Genesee River , the Oswego River , Oak Orchard and Niagara River. Toward the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario there is North and South Sandy Creeks, Little Sandy Creek and the Black River. There are also many smaller creeks along Lake Ontario that see their share of fish, but timing of the runs can be difficult. A good rule of thumb in salmon country is “If you see fishermen at a spot the fish are most likely there.”

     When fishing for the salmon, you must be prepared to change your mind set for these fish. They are on a mission, reproduction. On extremely rare occasions a salmon’s instinct might kick in and you may get one to actually strike, but all in all they do not feed during this time. Don’t worry though, all is not lost. Salmon are aggressive and territorial. They do not like their space being invaded and they can surprisingly attack your offering with a vengeance. The salmon will also eat other salmon’s eggs not for food but for protecting their own. The biggest mistake fisherman make is spooking these large fish. You must think like a predator. The crowds of anglers probably won’t help you but using as much stealth as possible will obviously get you on top of a fish easier.

This is not limited to your approach to the river and fish but also your presentation and tackle. Lighter leaders is a must is the 6lb through 12lb class, especially fluorocarbon. You will lose more fish, but you will hook up more. Also do not use so much weight that your you hear a big splash every time you cast. In other words, use just enough weight to tick the bottom of the river. You will have to experiment with by adding and removing weight. Lastly, cast well above the fish or holding area you are targeting. One technique I like to use is with a 10 to 15 foot leader and distribute my fly shot evenly from large size to small and down along my leader leaving about 18 to 24 inches  from my fly. Many regulations tend to change so make sure to check the rules on the use of lead and how far your weight on the leader is to be from the fly.

Drift your offering naturally with the current. Learn the rhythm of the river bottom because when the rhythm changes for a split second it could mean you have a trophy fish on your line and be prepared to set the hook. When you do hook up, be sure to say aloud “Fish On !”. Other fishermen will quickly get out of your way. Don’t be surprised if you have to chase your fish 100 yards or so. They don’t take kindlt to being hooked.

    If you are targeting salmon a 7 weight through 10 weight, 9 foot or longer fly rod will hold these big fish. For the browns and steelhead you can have a lot of fun with a 6 weight or 7 weight, 9 foot or longer fly rod. Long rods, switch rods and Spey rods are more and more common especially where casting room permits. My 10 foot, 7 weight has not broken yet and I can fish most areas comfortably. A variety of flies will take any of these fish. Keep in mind that the salmon are very protective during this time. Your best bet would be to use Woolly Buggers, Comets and Egg Sucking Leeches. Browns and Steelhead will hit these also but better flies will be egg imitations in orange, pink and red. Other good fly choices for Browns and Steelhead are stoneflies, caddis larva and other nymph imitations that are natural to the river. The  longer the fish hold in the river the better the naturals patterns will work. There are trophy trout to be caught close to home so Give Lake Ontario’s tributaries a try this fall. You will not regret it.

Tightlines’ and Fish On !  Shawn