SR July Fishin

[RoeHoe]

I got some free time the first of July,and lookin to do some SR fishin,I was working on trip to Nova Scotia,but I don't think its gonna work out.Any
recomendatons of a guide to help put me on some fish,and places to stay
would be greatly appreciated..thanks in advance..........The Roe

[mkrout]

Are you talking about fishing in july on the Salmon River?

[RoeHoe]

Are you talking about fishing in july on the Salmon River?
mkrout :
yes the Salmon River,though I have not fished it yet,I bought a SR River Journal,a few years ago,and I have fished fished Michigan.
I have a few friends that make a few trips every fall to the Salmon.

[woolybugger65]

maybe gottum from this site is available. http://www.salmonriverguide.com/
or get the net, he is a member here too. just PM them.
try the fox hollow lodge for accomodations. http://www.klx.net/foxhollow/index.shtml

[JeffL]

Just an FYI- Most of the fishing in the summer is done on the lake. However, there is a possibility of a skamania steelhead or atlantic salmon but they are hard to come by. There is also a pretty good amount of smallmouth bass in the river. The numbers of fish just aren't there in the summer as they are in the fall and even in the dead of winter. The best bet for the Skams or Atlantics would be in the upper fly zone. I don't know if it is worth hiring a guide to take you up there. It would be worth it to hire one to show you the river and spots/techniques for trips later on. Just make sure you express what you want to get out of it. Ask the guides mentioned previously, they will be honest with you.

[Linescreamer]

mkrout :
yes the Salmon River,though I have not fished it yet,I bought a SR River Journal,a few years ago,and I have fished fished Michigan.
I have a few friends that make a few trips every fall to the Salmon.

If you are looking to catch big fish you're wasting your time. If you are looking for a tour of the area and have a couple hundred to blow then have at it. Why don't you hire a guide to fish the lake and have them throw in a quick river boat trip for a few bucks extra. I would take pictures and notes becuase you will not remember what you learned and the river looks much different from the bank and in the fall.

[Ditchrat]

If you are looking to catch big fish you're wasting your time..


??????????

Remember the clam bake? We got a skam durning the bake. The day after we got 4 in the 2-4lb range. The week before we went up for the day and hook 4 more big ones that beat us up in the upper fly and another 3 in the wire hole.
Is there plenty of skams around, nope, is there enough to catch a couple in a weekend, yep. I make the trip 4-6 times a summer, I wouldnt drive 3.5 hours each way for a day trip if it wasnt worth it. You want to catch them go find a local kid who fishes for them everyday in the summer, talk to the kid in allseason. No body pays him any mind because hes like 16, he know where to find them fish.
Catch a good rain storm and cover some water an you will find them, not to mention I have never gone to the UFZ and not alteast hook one, they are there if you work for them. And if you dont believe me take a mask and fins and look in the school house pool come end of july and Aug and take a look for yourself.

Good luck, and worst case you can always fish smallies in the lower river.


PS. First light and right before dark is when they are active...

[Linescreamer]

Most people read these boards and think of the SR and invision a 20lb fish. And most people wouldn't find a Skam if it jumped out of the water tail smacked them in the face :D .

[RoeHoe]

Everybody............Thanks for the input ! I will consider all options

[Ditchrat]

Everybody............Thanks for the input ! I will consider all options

Hear are some other options for you
1) Check out the waterfalls
2) fish the uppersalmon
3) go on a hatchery tour
thats about all I can think of. If it aint fish then I guess Im not thinking about it much, sorry

[Salmo]

Ditchrat gave some great info there. I've tried it in the summer too and have always had low expectations but the adrenaline was high and the thought of just one hook up is that much more rewarding. You'll see 1000 times fewer people on the river and get to fish an incredible river in solitutude. I've seen some skamanins caught but never been able to do it myself. My mid summer the steelhead fever has hit me pretty hard and there's no better cure then trying for yourself. I can't think of a better trophy and accomplishment then to actually fight the ellusive summer steel when everyone else is waiting till Fall.

Good luck.

[fish-off]

Really insightful thread - I would have never thought of going up mid-summer, but now I will!!

Any ideas on summertime patterns for Skams? I'm assuming dark/large stones, but I really have no clue...:snow:

[LesPaul]

I 2nd what the Drat said ,my son did some under water looking last summer,in aug,And told me what was going on in some of those pools,I may go late July and give it a try myself.Good Luck

[RoeHoe]

Thanks Fellers,keep the info flowing ! ! !
I may end up stayin a week,so far I'm packing my scuba gear,and my toon,
my fly gear,and waders,maybe a charter trip. I'll just float the river,and dive in to check things out,before I fish.
Does any body know if there is any taxi service,that way I can float the whole river,and get them to haul me back to my truck ?
thanks again all !!
Any body up for a charter trip the first part of July ?
BTW : Senyo's Electrical Tape Stone is a Skamiee,slayer,at lest south-west of the Salmon River
Roehoe

[1hookk]

Go out on the lake for walleye Went with gottum had a blast will catch big fish:)

[Fraid_Knot]

Below is a copy of an email that was sent from Brookfield Power to Dawn Rucando of Yankee Fly and Tackle Shop.

Ms. Rucando:
Your e-mail was forwarded to me by Waterline. I am with Brookfield Power, owner and operator of the hydroelectric facilities on the Salmon River. I also represent the company on the Salmon River Flow Management Advisory Team. The e-mail your member sent regarding a dam rehabilitation project on the upper dam (Salmon River Reservoir) is correct. We will be drawing down the upper reservoir during the month of July in order to reach elevation 927 feet, to facilitate construction starting the week of August 7 (elevation 927 feet is anywhere from 1 to 5 feet below normal reservoir elevations for that time of year). Your member writes we will be doing a "significant" water release in July. Although downstream flows will be higher than normal for July, I would not consider them significant. At this time, I would estimate flows would be in the range of 750 cfs to 1000 cfs for the month of July. Following the reservoir reaching elevation 927 feet, we will maintain that elevation until November 7. Flows in the river after reaching elevation 927 feet, will be the required base flow or inflow, whichever is higher. It sounds like your members main concern is the boat launches on the Salmon River Reservoir. Although, I am not sure of specific elevations affecting each boat launch, I am confident that the 927 elevation will render all of the existing trailer boat launches unusable. I hope this helps. We plan to issue a press release in mid-June as to the specifics of our Summer/Fall 2006 operations.

Sincerely,
Steve Murphy

Hope we have a wet summer and fall.

[Ditchrat]

Well they you go. You will know know when the water will come up 1000 is perfect to fish. So now you can actually plan a trip instead of worring about rain. Good luck

[KingofKings]

This thread answers alot of my questions as well. I posted a thread a few weeks back, and everyone said its' not worth it. Except for metal of course...Great thread, Ditch knows his stuff WELL!

[Ditchrat]

Ditch knows his stuff WELL!

Thanks, if you are looking for some back ground on skams, flyguy wrote a good article, I think its on his site.

[gottum]

I heard rumors popping up around town about this rehab project. This sheds some light on project-
thanks -
fraid knot
:confused:
Just got to wonder why they don't start dumpin some water now?? both reses are FULL to the gills and more rain coming?? :confused: Wonder how this will effect the summer weekend water flow schedule. OR how it will impact our fall salmon run- or maybe it will be a summer salmon run??:fear: Hmmmmmmmmmm.....
I for one hope it will be dry so they may not have to run to much water until the time is right for the fish to come in!:help:
JMHO:argue:

Below is a copy of an email that was sent from Brookfield Power to Dawn Rucando of Yankee Fly and Tackle Shop.

Ms. Rucando:
Your e-mail was forwarded to me by Waterline. I am with Brookfield Power, owner and operator of the hydroelectric facilities on the Salmon River. I also represent the company on the Salmon River Flow Management Advisory Team. The e-mail your member sent regarding a dam rehabilitation project on the upper dam (Salmon River Reservoir) is correct. We will be drawing down the upper reservoir during the month of July in order to reach elevation 927 feet, to facilitate construction starting the week of August 7 (elevation 927 feet is anywhere from 1 to 5 feet below normal reservoir elevations for that time of year). Your member writes we will be doing a "significant" water release in July. Although downstream flows will be higher than normal for July, I would not consider them significant. At this time, I would estimate flows would be in the range of 750 cfs to 1000 cfs for the month of July. Following the reservoir reaching elevation 927 feet, we will maintain that elevation until November 7. Flows in the river after reaching elevation 927 feet, will be the required base flow or inflow, whichever is higher. It sounds like your members main concern is the boat launches on the Salmon River Reservoir. Although, I am not sure of specific elevations affecting each boat launch, I am confident that the 927 elevation will render all of the existing trailer boat launches unusable. I hope this helps. We plan to issue a press release in mid-June as to the specifics of our Summer/Fall 2006 operations.

Sincerely,
Steve Murphy

Hope we have a wet summer and fall.

[Adrenalinerush]

Really insightful thread - I would have never thought of going up mid-summer, but now I will!!

Any ideas on summertime patterns for Skams? I'm assuming dark/large stones, but I really have no clue...:snow:

Spinners and rapalas, you can pick up the occasional skam as well as a large number of smallies!

[fish-off]

Spinners and rapalas, you can pick up the occasional skam as well as a large number of smallies!

I'm thinkin' about the UFZ. From what you're saying, sounds like streamers.

Anutha' question - size-wise (and therefore tackle-wise), are skams and winter steel equivalent?

[Linescreamer]

Anutha' question - size-wise (and therefore tackle-wise), are skams and winter steel equivalent?

Yes size wise.

[Ditchrat]

Yes size wise.

Low water summer salmon style flies in steelhead colors, mostly hairwings

[Salmo]

In the summer there are thousands of smaller trout around. Most are probably young steelhead that never smolted to go back to the lake and of course the resident rainbows and browns. You could easily have a ball with a 4wt and some dries while picking away at mostly 8 inch fish but there are a handful of 12+ inch fish around and of course a sprinkling of adrenaline charged steelies.

If you want to keep the smaller trout away, don't use small nymphs and glow bugs that you would in the winter. Go big or go home. Spey patterns with lots of marabou and crystal flash are good bets. The one fish I saw taken one afternoon was on a large royal coachmen salmon fly. It was fished on a floating line with no weight in a 1 foot riffle. The fish had surfaced just moments before and this old man casted his fly to where the fish porpused. Not three second later did we see the wake of the fish behind his fly and the explosion on the surface when the fish hit. The fly was just a large #2 wet fly basically, with deer hair, soft hackle, red thread and some flash... and it worked. Good luck this summer.

[RoeHoe]

Mid-West Skamiees,sound pretty much like their northern cousins,big bait,
lucky to hook into 1 a day............unless ? ? ? ?
Mid-West Skamiees are very acrobatic,good sized,but due to the warmer water,temps,there is a good chance of mortality after being landed,its just not like fall,winteror spring fishin.streamers and BIG Stones work well though.

[metalslayer]

Agree w/ the go big thing--can't see killin the future;)

[fish-off]

I'm strictly C&R.

Thanks for the tips - great info (as usual) guys!

FO

[The Griz]

In the summer there are thousands of smaller trout around. Most are probably young steelhead that never smolted to go back to the lake and of course the resident rainbows and browns. You could easily have a ball with a 4wt and some dries while picking away at mostly 8 inch fish but there are a handful of 12+ inch fish around and of course a sprinkling of adrenaline charged steelies.

If you want to keep the smaller trout away, don't use small nymphs and glow bugs that you would in the winter. Go big or go home. Spey patterns with lots of marabou and crystal flash are good bets. The one fish I saw taken one afternoon was on a large royal coachmen salmon fly. It was fished on a floating line with no weight in a 1 foot riffle. The fish had surfaced just moments before and this old man casted his fly to where the fish porpused. Not three second later did we see the wake of the fish behind his fly and the explosion on the surface when the fish hit. The fly was just a large #2 wet fly basically, with deer hair, soft hackle, red thread and some flash... and it worked. Good luck this summer.



Exactly
:D ;) :rolleyes: :D

~Griz~