Oct. 8 had barely begun when my alarm rudely woke me from my slumber.
The time was 1 a.m. and I had to meet my ride in Saratoga in an hour. I didn’t grumble too much because I was going fishing for salmon and steelhead with “legendary guide and world’s best angler” (this isn’t too far off the mark because I taught him everything he knows about fishing) Trevor Stay, Paul “The Barber” Mondello and Greg “Wheelman” Wortell. This was going to be a good day!
We loaded our gear, climbed into Greg’s truck and headed off to Pulaski in western New York. With three hours of driving ahead of us, we had plenty of time to put on our game faces. This was accomplished by making outrageous boasts about our prowess as anglers and then making fun of each other’s outrageous boasts. The trip passed as quickly as a three-hour trip can and by the time we turned north on I-81, we were going over the final details of our impending assault on the Salmon River.
After the obligatory stop a Fat Nancy’s to pick up the hottest fly patterns, we were off to the Douglaston Salmon Run. We arrived at the parking area, swiftly climbed into our waders, grabbed our gear and rushed to buy our day passes and then waited. The time was 5:30 a.m., one half hour before they would let us go to the river. Greg, Paul and I played it cool while Trevor twitched and clucked like a hen turkey (He really sounds like a turkey and he can gobble like a Tom, all without a call!) while the minutes ticked away. Finally the magic hour struck and we were off, Trevor leading the way and distancing the pack in his haste to be the first to the “best spot on the river.” When we finally caught up, Trevor posted us along the bottom of the pool. Again, we waited.
When it finally became light enough to see, we started fishing. We were positioned to see fish as they entered the pool and it wasn’t long before the action started. My fishing companions wasted no time hooking fish but couldn’t get them to surrender. My turn finally came and after five minutes of the fish running the length of the pool and back, I subdued the brute with Paul’s help. I released the 7-pound steelhead after a couple of photos and watched the chrome bright fish streak back into the current.
The rest of the day went something like this, “Fish on! Coming up!;” “Coming down;” “Lost him!;” “Get the net!” and so on with various embellishments, encouragements and ribbing as the situation required.
The fish were willing participants, taking pink and chartreuse egg pattern and black nymph pattern flies. They were line shy so we downsized to 6-pound test fluorocarbon leaders. In all, we landed five Steelheads from 5-10 pounds and five Kings 15-30 pounds. At least three times as many fish were hooked and lost.
The boys and I had an epic day on the Salmon River. If you want to have a great fishing experience, try to get out there in the next couple of weeks before the salmon run is over. You can get fishing reports by visiting douglastonsalmonrun.com.
Shirtsleeve Deer Hunting
October 1 marked the statewide opening of the early archery season. Hunters heading afield in pursuit of whitetail deer have been enjoying summer-like weather.
While this has made spending time in the stand comfortable, warm weather creates unique challenges to early season archers. All outdoor enthusiasts, especially hunters, need to take special precautions to protect themselves against ticks.
Black-legged ticks, more commonly known as deer ticks, remain active as long as the temperatures remain above freezing. These ticks are common statewide and they are known carriers of Lyme disease. I’m no doctor, so I won’t try to explain what Lyme disease is and how it affects people who are infected. I do know people who have been infected with it and I know that it is not something you want to suffer with.
There are several products available that contain Permethrin, a chemical repellent that’s effective against ticks. Anyone who spends time in the woods needs to get one of these products and apply it to their clothing prior to their outing. Also you need to be diligent about checking yourself carefully after exiting the woods. You don’t want to bring any unwanted guests into your home.
Plan well and take necessary precautions to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing.
Tim Blodgett, owner of Saratoga Tackle & Archery, can be reached at (518) 584-3952. His store is located on Route 9P, Saratoga Lake next to the state boat launch. For further information, visit Saratogatackle.com or find Saratoga Tackle on Facebook.
