Salmon River, NY Epic Run - Fly Fishing for Biting Salmon

Salmon River, NY Epic Run - Fly Fishing for Biting Salmon
Salmon River Fishing - Epic Run Biting Salmon: When the Chinook (King) and Coho Salmon are fresh from Lake Ontario they can be really aggressive and a ton of fun! Enjoy our adventure on the Salmon River in New York as we fly fish for biting salmon!
Visit www.WhiteDogOutdoors.com to book a trip.

[@jagfishing836]

This has got to be one of the best salmon river videos ive seen! thanks again for stopping by my channel and helping me out. I hit that sub and bell..... you get them to hit! that is so sick! right in the mouth.... great job!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I'm glad you found your way over here. This year was just the beginning of your journey... Keep going and learning and you'll have a blast! Every year is a new adventure! I'm hoping to have this year's video out in the next week or so. I didn't get as many fish myself this year (although I tangled with plenty) but I helped other people get hooked up with legitimate bites including a 10 year old which to me means a lot more than hooking more fish myself. We had lots of good bites this year and overall the fish were really aggressive.. Lots of people caught a lot of fish that bit. At some point this winter I am planning on doing a video specifically on how you can get them to bite.

[@jagfishing836]

@@WhiteDogTrailCompany i am looking forward to it, grrat to see people eager to help out others

[@jagfishing836]

I am going up there for the first time ever. Super excited! Very good video!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Well... it will be like nothing you've ever experienced then :) This year appears to be a good year to be your first. Most of the river is crazy. Thanks for watching and best of luck!

[@theGreatOutdoorswithMikeMales]

I fished the DSR on Saturday and had decent luck. Caught a few steelhead and a huge brown. Also fished the Wire and the Bovines where we had way better luck...even though we had to deal with all the snaggers who were fishing there. Nice video man.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Nice! Thanks Man. Always appreciate the feedback. One thing about salmon fishing is ya gotta go where the fish are. Great that you had luck further up!

[@carlsnow2342]

excellent video man when the run is hot the fun follows nice job on hooking and fighting all them fish !!!!!!!! FISH ON !!!!!!!!!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks! It was definitely a fun day! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@CrayOutoors]

Nice fish man, that was crazy when you you had to dive for the pole!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Haha, Yeah. That was the first time my rod has been pulled our of my hand. Not sure how it happened, he just tugged at a moment where I bobbled it I guess. Thanks for watching! :)

[@nokkiz]

This continues to be an awesome salmon run vid for the salmon river! Thinking about making a run up north to play this year - perhaps will be lucky enough to get into them as well. Any predictions on best time? And still recommend starting at DSR? Incredible vid!!! Dallas, TX

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I definitely recommend fishing the DSR if you really want to catch them. The rest of the river is surrounded by snagging and lifting. You could find areas with less people and get some water to yourself in other places but it would be hard and the fish are less likely to bite as they move up the river. The salmon at the DSR are fresh and aggressive so I always recommend the DSR for a better experience. In terms of timing... Usually late September and early October have the most consistent runs. Watch the reports on the DSR page to see how things are looking. Best of luck and thanks for watching!

[@theGreatOutdoorswithMikeMales]

Keep your hands on the cork!

[@kozykev52]

About my third time watching and I do not get board. I can't wait to try the Salmon River this year! Have some wooley buggers waiting for the run in a few months! Subscribed a while back for ya as well! Tight Lines!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

That's great! Thanks for the feedback! Have you seen our other Salmon River Videos? The 2 from last year are pretty good too! I even drop the rod when fighting a fish again and have to dive after it LOL. Oh well. I have a fly tying video of how I tie my wooly bugger for the Salmon River too. Glad you're enjoying the channel!

[@kozykev52]

White Dog Outdoors yes I have seen the videos. Dropping your rod is better than breaking your rod, snapped three switch rods in 5 years on feisty salmon. I will be eventually tying my own Woolley buggers once everything opens. I’ve been tying Maribou jigs for good ole Burt Dam for now.

[@nacholens3228]

Get some egg sacks trust me

[@FishFray]

I'm not saying salmon won't bite flies in rivers. But these are floss jobs. Not that there's anything wrong with that

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Gotta disagree with you for the most part here. I cannot guarantee that a fish or 2 was not accidentally flossed as there were a few fish I did not feel or see bite and I know much of salmon fishing is snagging, lifting and flossing... but I go to great lengths to avoid this as much as possible. I live for the bite so I have really worked hard at this. If you watch the video closely you will see the line jump in many cases as the fish hit. It is just like nymph fishing where you see the line jump and feel the bite. Those fish I can say with confidence did bite. I also will often pull the line upstream at the beginning of the drift so that the fly and the weight are in line in the water and not able to floss a fish. If you watch the video closely you will actually see that when the line jumps in a couple of cases that it actually jumps downstream which tells me the fish saw the fly go by, turned around and hit it. That is definitely not a flossed fish. When you are drifting through salmon it is a delicate game... trying to decipher if the line paused because it caught a fin and not lifting up when you feel a tail slap the line instead of a bite. And yup... you will definitely foul some fish.. you can't avoid it. But I can say with a high level of confidence that I am getting a significant number of bites from these big boys.

[@ryanarmstrong6056]

Generally if they're biting, you're not going to hook them from the outside in on the off current side. Some of your fish appear to have bit, but your hook placement says the majority were flossed. Coho do love to chase down a stripped streamer. But you weren't stripping streamers in soft water, you were C&Ding at the head of a pool in the fast water. I wouldn't trust anyone who says salmon won't bite in a river, but fish need to floss too!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

This is a very good comment. I actually looked at that exact thing very closely as I reviewed the video myself and I know exactly what you are saying about the hook on the outside on the off current side because I thought the same thing myself. Then I went back and looked at the actual hits I received for some of them and the line jumped downstream and when I set the hook the fish was facing downstream. That tells me that they actually turned around to hit it and the hook was on the side I set the hook. The only things I can think of in terms of the hook being on the outside is that they either did get flossed or the hook I used was very long (5x long) and my guess is they are not feeding but are just being aggressive and that they are biting down on the fly to kill it which can explain the hook on the outside on some of the fish... this is pure guessing though. But some of those fish with the hook on the outside were definite hits. I am not ruling out possible flossings although I go to great lengths to avoid it. It is likely to happen as is fouling when there are that many big fish in a river.

[@ryanarmstrong6056]

The reason the line moves downstream is that the current pushes the weight downstream until your fly comes tight to the fish’s jaw while the fish accelerates upstream. I used to force feed hundreds of salmon on clear streams back West when I couldn’t get them to bite growing up. I can visualize exactly what is happening. Ethics aside, what you’re doing isn’t illegal, and sets you apart from all of the lifters there.

[@nokkiz]

Great vid!!! Outstanding action and I don't think needs any hookup justification really. We can absolutely tell you're an avid fly fisher with awesome "awareness" of your fly line (using it as an indicator) and if the audience has any expertise in vertical "nymphing", you can see it's a semi-vertical fly line presentation (hard to floss anything really) and delicate line "jump" when a trout, steelhead, salmon, etc. takes the fly - it's nicely presented in your vid and gives you another level of appreciation for the hook set/rocket ship blast off vs just a side drift which would drift too fast in that current! Great vid and we're not overly concerned about floss/non-floss as it's mostly CNR any ways... :) A bit shocked anglers(generically in other replies) think salmonids don't eat when "pooled" up. Beautiful footage!

[@Triberius]

Good Ol' Joss Hole, I caught my first Salmon there...

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Nice! I caught my first "Legit" salmon there :) It can be very good. I find I like exploring a bit more these days and finding salmon in areas that are not the main holes. On days where there is more pressure (and less fish) I find they bite easier when they are in areas with less or no pressure.

[@termite122]

the only mistake i see you do was not keeping that rod tip as high as possible when that fish went upstream and wrapped u on a rock even though he came free..its paramount to do that in those low flows especially..nice video good action u had..the fish snatching the rod outta your hand was great and losing your phone and then finding it later..lolol..just a great video to watch..

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks.... it's always an adventure up there... Just got back from this year's trip and it was a lot of fun.

[@sikxer]

Great video. I would love to learn to fly fish someday. Might have to try this with my spin setup for now.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks! I appreciate it. Lots of people salmon fish (and steelhead) with spinning gear. It is the same idea... bottom bouncing flies. I pretty much use wooly buggers or egg imitations. Good luck!

[@jeffcascino4497]

It's not hard with the fly rod and it's so much fun. It's hard but leave the spin rod home.

[@formotherrrusia]

Awesome video man, and phenomenal fishing. Do you mind mentioning your gear, rod length wt etc, leader etc. It would be very appreciated. I am visiting Salmon River for the first time this year and I won't to learn as much as I can before I actually hit the water. Once again great fishing and thanks for the footage :). Tight lines!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Hi Elvin... Thanks for watching. I actually use a really basic fly rod (cheap rod I got at Dick's about 10 years ago). I will be upgrading at some point but it kind of has some sentimental value to me now :) A good rod for salmon is a 9' 9wt fly rod. I really want to get more of a switch rod which is longer (usually around 11') and can really extend your reach but I don't have that yet. If you are visiting for the first time and want to actually catch fish without snagging them I would highly recommend getting a pass to the Douglaston Salmon Run. Fishing the main river is likely to leave you quite frustrated with the lifting and snagging and fish so pressured there is very little chance of them biting. Fresh fish coming into the lower river is your best chance of fair caught salmon. It can be awesome but it ain't easy and it is very much about timing it right. Best of luck!

[@guitarhiker4449]

Hey man nice fish!! Did you notice after that silver female coho your very next fish was a male coho 18 mins in. I think you may not have realized that? Just a heads up that was a nice male coho. Probably was hangin with that female and you caught them both! Comin down!! Fish on!!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

i went back to that time marker and looked. I wasn't sure still...

[@guitarhiker4449]

@@WhiteDogTrailCompany I'm pretty sure it was a coho. I could be wrong.? Sometimes when they first start to darken up and their pretty good sized they can sorta look like a king. Either way good fish. Love your videos! Your always killin' it out there! Maybe see you on the water sometime.! Look forward to more Salmon river content. Thanks for always replying back! Fish on!!

[@RushVoorhisOutdoors]

The power of these fishes incredible man! I just got back from Pulaski and fishing the lower DSR with salmon camp! Really cool experience I'm coming out with part 3 tomorrow, check it out ! Just found yourself a new subscriber man

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I was near the same area probably around the same time. I heard about the Salmon Camp folks when I was there. Many people think that salmon won't bite but if you find them fresh and not pressured they certainly do and you can have absolutely fantastic days!

[@RushVoorhisOutdoors]

White Dog Trail Company Yea man, agreed 100% Those salmon EAT THE FLY

[@nacholens3228]

Oh I love joss hole met someone that caught like 30 Steelers during November you should also try egg sacks they are the best

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I actually don't fish the Joss anymore just because it is usually super crowded and I'd rather find less pressured water. I've had the best day of fishing in my life at that hole many years ago though. 16 landed kings! It was a crazy year that year!

[@beyondlimitsproductions1468]

Damn..... that 1st one looked really big !

[@Moneyhomesjobswithivan]

Wow enjoyed every second of it. Subbed.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@mohammadqarqouz8174]

Good job man and very good video

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks... it is always a blast up there. Just returned from this year's trip and will have a new video out soon!

[@reelphatties6426]

Good little fight there keep up the good work 🤙

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks.. this years video from the salmon river will be coming soon.

[@DNMEBOY]

I'm gonna have to try this next!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

It is always an adventure. It is not easy fishing especially if you are really trying to catch them legit! But it can be soooo awesome!

[@DNMEBOY]

I'm going to have to spend as much time as I can learning about all of it so I can go there this year.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

@@DNMEBOY I can give you tons of info! If you want a real chance at getting them to bite then I would highly recommend buying a pass to the DSR (the private access portion closest to the lake... fish are fresh and aggressive). Most common patterns are wooly buggers and egg patterns (I only use wooly buggers and have done very well). An 8 or 9wt fly rod is good but you can use spinning gear too. It is all about timing... you want to be there when fresh salmon are moving through. They can be very aggressive when they're fresh... If there are lots of fish you will at least experience what it is like to hook into these fish (even if they are accidentally foul hooked). It can be an absolute blast! Let me know if you have questions.

[@kylemartinson9081]

Thier not biting, thier stomache is disconnected to thier intestine. They could be protecting the nest, but your clearly lifting your rod and not swinging through.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks for watching and commenting. The fish I target when salmon fishing are fresh fish very close to the lake. they are absolutely less likely to bite when they've been in the river longer (for many reasons) but when they come in fresh and aggressive you get a lot of bites. I do not believe the are "eating" though. I believe it is a territorial and natural response. These fish are aggressive predators when they live in the lakes... now take several hundred of them and put them in a much smaller home and they get aggressive with other fish and with anything else around. That is why I think they bite for the most part... aggression and territorial responses. In terms of lifting the rod... that is exactly what i want to do... when I feel something happen on the end of my line. If you swing it along the bottom then you are way more likely to foul hook fish. i am attempting a straight drift with the weight upstream of the fly and keeping a tight line as much as possible (very similar to Euro Nymphing). You will greatly minimize foul hookups and flossing as much as posssible doing it this way. Am I claiming that I never foul hook or floss a fish? Hell No! I foul and accidentally floss fish too... just not as much and not intentionally. But fishing this way I definitely feel the fish take and I set the hook... Those are the ones I'm looking for because that is very rewarding to me.

[@johandiamond6034]

thank god u at least said something

[@vansooj1]

awesome video, and im sure you are getting hits plenty of the times, but a few of those were flossed from the outside in.. You cant avoid it, and im sure they whack it all the time for you in DSR, But i am used to fishing pineville, and all the fish there they have gone through the gauntlet including trestle pool by the time they get to me,, so they arnt whacking it as much in pineville, but sometimes they get pissed off and hit it even in pineville! But honestly i have a blast flossing fish and get them in the mouth with a some fouled , and i release most fish anyway i only smoke a few. Either way it is a blast, i wish i could get them to hit my flies like that all the time, it would be sweet, but to me its all the same a fish is a fish and the fight is the same.. One day i will spend a few days in the dsr and try and find some biters!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

You are 100% right! Not sure if you saw the video I launched tonight or not.. it basically goes through all of that including that some of the fish I thought bit from the video did not and were flossed. That's pretty cool to hear you can get biters up that far after the gauntlet... I've had some good action in the upper fly zone a few times but most of the time they're pretty done by the time they get up there :) I would definitely recommend you try a day or 2 at the DSR.. I think you'll find some pretty aggressive fish if you hit it right. Hope you enjoy the season!

[@vansooj1]

@@WhiteDogTrailCompany i watched your new video as well. Very informative. Keep up the good work cant wait to see some more action in your next video. im heading up to browns campground on the 2nd. Fish On brother!

[@ptak257]

Nice fishing man! I'm heading up to NY for the first time this fall. It looked like you had your drag buttoned up pretty tight and could hold the fish back without letting it run too far. Your line and tippet look pretty beefy, were you running straight 0x? Or 0x tapered down to 1 or 2 x? Ideally I dont want these fish running rampant haha, and would like to be able to fight them like you did. I have gone for steehead before in pa but salmon is a whole different ball game with smaller tippet sizes.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks for watching and commenting! My drag is set to the size of my line. To be honest I go with heavier line than many people do but I adapt to the situation. It really depends on the aggressiveness of the fish and the type of water I'm fishing. On this trip I was fishing the head of a run coming in where the water is churned up pretty good. The fish are not going to see your line in that case... My mainline is usually 20 pound line and my tippet size was actually 17 pound flourocarbon line. In situations where the water is lower or I'm fishing more of a slower pool or the fish are more spooky I will drop down the tipppet to 14 pound flourocarbon line or maybe even 12 pound. If you have a longer switch type rod that absorbs shock you can land fish with the 12 pound line. I don't go lighter than that. I want enough drag that the fish has to pull hard but loose enough that when they pull they'll get the line they need. I go as small as I can on the terminal tackle though. This last year I just used a tippet ring to connect my tippet and not the typical barrel swivel people use many times. The smaller the better on terminal tackle as I don't want them seeing anything unnatural. If you are using split shot... I go as small as I can to get my fly down... I'll actually tie as much weight as I can in the fly itself so I can avoid as much split shot as possible. If you are using tin split shot that is shiny paint it grey to eliminate flash. Then I keep a tight line to the fly as this helps reduce foul hookups and flossing and you'll feel them take the fly just like you would when tight line nymphing. Also it is important to find fresh active fish. I would highly recommend the DSR if you actually want to catch fish!

[@sanchezjarrin8516]

your tips are good.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks... we try hard to catch them fairly and sometimes it isn't easy. I am always willing to help people learn ways to catch salmon fairly. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Handberrydea]

Nice video bro!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks! It was a fun day for sure!

[@tbathgate3171]

Awesome video. Giants!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks Todd.. Salmon fishing can be incredible if you hit it right. I love it when you have aggressive fish moving through!

[@NWoutdoorsadventures]

Awesome channel, +1 sub!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Thanks! Glad to have you join us! Hope you enjoy our adventures :)

[@fishfinder4]

Paying to fish a river that has been there long before the greedy owner! Thats crazy. Plenty of other prime fishing spots on the river.... FYI, Salmon are not feeding, the bite because it's in their way....

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I believe most of the biting is out of a territorial response and aggression and not feeding. But I don't really care why they bite as long as I can get them to do it.

[@northeastwildernesswalker]

Dude i cant wait to go do this in 2 weeks

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

That's usually when I go... going a little late this year though... Good luck! Thanks for watching!

[@northeastwildernesswalker]

@@WhiteDogTrailCompany ive never gone in the river jist down rigged in ontario, im excited as hell!!!

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Deric Rood Those big fish in the river is soooo much better and crazier than down rigging in the lake. I've been fascinated by the salmon migration since I was a kid. When you hook into them in the river your heart will get going quick! :)

[@northeastwildernesswalker]

Awesome fish though man congratulations im crossing fingers hopefully i can expierence a fish like that.

[@northeastwildernesswalker]

No

[@brianmcdonald3831]

I’ve been going there will be 4 yrs now literally didn’t even realize that DSR was abbreviated for Douglaston Salmon Run thought it was something else like a fishing tactic or fly or something I’m 43 not tech savvy or today’s abbreviation savvy I normally fish at the museum because it’s easier for my son who has autism who has gotten bored cause he hasn’t gotten a salmon any of our trips and quits before I can hook into a salmon for him to fight last year I asked him if he wanted me take picture with my fish and say it was his to his grandparents cause my father used to salmon fish too but he said no of course my brothers and I never went with him on those trips last year he gave me his custom fly rod from 80’s I used it October 2023 but didn’t get anything of course I switched out the 30lbs mono to 30lbs braid with 10LB leader I believe still hoping to catch one and send him a picture cause I’m the only kid of his that fishes especially sport fishes i definitely passed it down to my kids but my youngest son after years of loving fishing said he doesn’t like it could be because local fishing that start😢before Covid with bad invasive fish caused most fish to hide or leave so once it was throw line in fish on to being there line in 3 hrs later nothing except invasive fish multiple times

[@funnynader9149]

Hey I was wondering what materials you use for your wooly buggers? I was going to tie some variations but wasn’t sure what materials you use

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I actually have a fly tying video of the fly! Enjoy. I believe I have links to the materials in the description of the video too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKu0ppKwaZmgf6M

[@funnynader9149]

@@WhiteDogTrailCompany thanks

[@nicol4741]

Where is the DSR in relation to the salmon river? The estuary?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

The DSR (Douglaston Salmon Run) is a privately owned portion of the river that charges people to fish but also implements ethical fishing rules. They limit the number of anglers which in combination with the enforced ethical fishing practices makes it a very good experience. It is the most lower portion of the river starting at the estuary and going up river the first few miles. Being that it is the first few miles of the river the fish are fresh and aggressive. Once they get above the DSR they are hammered by huge numbers of people trying to lift, floss and snag them so they get pressured real fast and are much less likely to bite under that pressure. And they longer they are in the river the less likely they are to bite anyway. My best days of salmon fishing have all been in the DSR.

[@nicol4741]

White Dog Trail Company thanks man sounds good going up in a few days

[@Tendy3172]

Salmon don't very often or even at all in pulaski, I've fished there for a few years now, the biting thing is a myth

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I believe that when fish are pressured in the main river by a high number of anglers and huge sinkers being slapped all around them that they are very unlikely to bite. No fish would bite under those circumstances. The more of the river they have gone through, the more they are targeted and the more times they are hooked they absolutely shut down. I have no doubt though that in the right circumstances that they absolutely bite. I have literally watched them chase my wooly buggers across a pool and bite on many occasions. I also believe that when they bite it is mostly due to instinct and aggression and not feeding. But I have had many trips where I have no doubt of receiving many bites from salmon. You can absolutely tell the difference when you keep a tight line on them and feel them hit. It is all about the way you target them and fish them. It can be done (in some areas of the river).

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I should also mention that when I first fished the river about 10 years ago I went to the main river and I was taught how to lift fish. I really wanted to catch them but I experienced the futility in trying to actually catch them there. It really felt impossible to get a bite and it probably was. Then I went the next year with a buddy and he showed me a little about how to do it. Mostly it was where you were targeting the fish. We avoided people as much as possible and tried to fish areas with aggressive fish who were all challenging each other for the female. We certainly got some aggression bites and I witnessed my first salmon chase my bugger and bite. I didn't land it but I didn't care... I was ecstatic to see it. In years after that I have fished low in the river (DSR) for a chance at the fresh fish that come in from the lake and especially when there are many fish they get really aggressive and bite. That is when I have had my best days. But in each year I have definitely gotten bites. Best of luck on the river!

[@Tendy3172]

That's cool that you've learned how to get them to bite, I'm hoping to get that down next year, good vid man 🎣

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Fish the DSR for starters.. I know it is pay to play but they limit the number of people and the fish are fresh. It is all about timing there though as the fish are only there when they are moving through. But when they are it is so good... just dead drift flies (eggs or buggers)... try to keep a tight line and watch your line closely. It will jump when they bite. If there are fish and they are moving and aggressive you will definitely get bit. If you fly fish, work on nymphing and EuroNymphing. It is essentially the same way I fish for salmon and steelhead (although way different leaders than when I fish for trout). You can swing for salmon too but that is a whole different game.

[@godie3893]

What wight rod do you use for salmon fishing?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I use a 9 foot 9wt fly rod. I would like to try a 9wt switch rod which is a little longer (usually around 11') though as it would give a better reach. I have a 11'4" 7wt that I use for steelhead and I love it! I know I would love a 9wt switch rod for salmon.

[@williamgyori7444]

Had a male that rammed me and dislocated my left knee out of the socket my instinct put it back together made to shore sat for awhile went back into the cold water kept fishing came home with one took a couple months to heal

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

OMG!!! That's crazy. I've had them run into me kinda hard but nothing that would really hurt me.

[@j.r.w6623]

What line are you running on this setup?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I go through my entire salmon setup in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3m3iJ6oZbFkhNk

[@joebostic1783]

Beautiful coho

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Yeah.... that one made my day! Just got back tonight from an early trip to the salmon river and did very well! Video will be posted within a week. Gonna be a good year. The size of the fish this year is pretty awesome!

[@shmuelb.1460]

What are the guidelines on what you can keep?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I don't keep anything from the Salmon River. Regulations depends on where you are fishing. I fish on the DSR property where you must release all trout species (Brown Trout, Steelhead, Domestic Rainbow) and Atlantic Salmon. You can keep 3 pacific salmon (chinooks or cohos) I believe although they are supposed to be high in mercury and not recommended to be eaten (although many people do). Outside of the DSR the pacific salmon regulations are the same but you can keep trout species (although I do not know the regulations on them).

[@sshiposh]

Is it only catch and release?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

No. You can keep salmon. If you fish the fly zones in that river you cannot keep any but the rest of the river you can keep some.

[@AndrewFishman]

I would not be able to stand fishing with a crowd like that. If there is one person at my spot, I move on elsewhere. Great fishing though.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Yeah... it is certainly not for everyone. But when there are lots of fish it doesn't end up feeling crowded. Thanks for watching!

[@randgray1869]

What weight are the woolly buggers

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I typically tie them in different sizes and in varying weights so I can adjust based on the water conditions and the fish activity. The more pressured the fish are the smaller I'll go... but I can still pack a good bit of weight into a small fly. I have a fly tying video of the bugger I tie. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKu0ppKwaZmgf6M

[@randgray1869]

I watched and tied the woolly bugger size 8 hook the weight was 16.4 is that about right

[@metromrtro9122]

beautiful scenery looks like great fishing you have to work a little on speach and personality. make it more entertaining and fun.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

LOL... Thanks I think. I showed my wife this comment and she said it sounded like her (she was joking though... I think) :)

[@heroryan7859]

What do you use

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I use wooly buggers for my flies but I tie them a specific way to make them heavy. Here is my video of how I tie them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKu0ppKwaZmgf6M

[@RF-ls2hg]

11:03 dead fish on the bottom of the screen?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

LOL... Yup... Looks like that one was floating back to the lake ;)

[@33elberon]

I can do the same thing with a bare hook. Glad you had fun

[@naklabtimothy2462]

Fish Fray is right, they are all floss jobs.Not one of those bit the fly.When a fish takes a fly it will be on the side of the mouth facing the angler. Every one of those hook ups is what is known as south side, that is, the side of the mouth away from the angler. What happens is you slide the leader through the mouth and the hook penetrates from the outside into the mouth on the other side of the fish.You will notice the fly is not in the mouth but hooked on the outside going in. It is flossing no doubt about it. It's okay though, they are only salmon, but you are not catching them because you fooled them but because you snagged them legally.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I think you are right for some fish with accidental flossings (even though I try to avoid it). But check the fish at 9:35 (you see a distinct jump in the line and the fish is facing downstream when I set the hook... and the hook is from the inside out.) and the coho at 14:10 (I am directly above the fish on the hookset and the hook is inside out) and the fish at 20:25 (that fish is inside out and I felt it hit). So I think some were accidentally flossed and some definitely were active biters.

[@fishfinder4]

Amen brother!

[@ezra4517]

What pool is that at the DSR?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

This is the Joss. It is one of the more popular pools but there is good water all over the DSR. I have often wandered away from the good pools to find some less crowded water with better fishing. The good pools are always a good place to start though. I am usually looking for any place where the salmon can stop their push upstream to rest temporarily. There are resting areas all over the place.

[@hypedog6219]

What are some of the other pools with less crowds @dsr

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

WILL HARBER All of the pools will have crowds during the height of a good salmon season. In fact the whole river will have crowds on a good year.. and this is a good year. If you're willing to walk further than other people you'll probably find less crowded water. One thing I definitely notice is come early afternoon people start leaving. Often times I'll have even the crowded holes to myself by the end of the day if you stick it out. That is a good time to explore. In years where the runs are not as good I'll start at a good hole but when the only people hooking up are purposely flossing the fish I will leave and explore new water looking for smaller holding areas that won't have fishermen. I am looking for fish that are not pressured because those are the fish you are most likely to get a bite from. If they haven't been hammered on all day and haven't seen 500 flies drift by in a hour then you have a better chance.

[@ezra4517]

I just got back from the DSR and fished for an entire week straight and it was awesome! I can barely squeeze my right hand I fished so hard lol. I know where that is on the river there was a ton of people squeezed in on it, I just wasn't sure the exact name of that hole. Tuesday Sept. 25th was the best day of the week. Hundreds of fish were coming up and hooked onto a few Kings but mostly Coho. It was a bit off and on throughout the rest of the week but pretty much hooked up everyday I was out there. Staying hooked and bringing them in was a different story though... Amazing fishery indeed.

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Nice!!! Congrats! When they're fresh they can be hard to land and when they wanna run sometimes you can't stop them. that's what it's all about! I've gotten better over the years at fighting these big boys and actually getting them to net... but it's always a challenge. Congrats on a great trip!

[@chromedruggie]

Is this fly zone?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

No.. This is the Douglaston Salmon Run on the lowest part of the river. The Lower and Upper Fly Zones are up in Altmar and are the 2 highest sections of the river you can fish. For salmon I start at the DSR to have the best chance of fresh biting salmon. The longer they're in the river the less chance they'll be aggressive and bite unless they are getting ready to spawn and challenging each other. For steelhead I LOVE the fly zones! Thanks for watching!

[@holderwide6912]

What you using for a fly rod

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

LOL... nothing special here. In fact this is the least impressive fly rod of all of the ones I own. It is just a cheap 9' 9wt graphite fly rod I picked up at Dick's over 10 years ago. It is actually fairly heavy and I have been meaning to replace it with a better rod but there is a piece of me that kinda loves this rod now because of the adventures we've been through together :) My steelhead rod is a Redington 11'3" 7wt and I love that rod. I would like something similar in an 8 or 9wt for salmon. It would really help extend the reach on a drift. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@holderwide6912]

I have a 9wt wonder rod I love that rod I need another one for landlock salmon and brook trout do u have any suggestions?

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I suppose it depends on how big your landlocks and brook trout are and if you are casting or trolling for them. I get discounts to certain manufacturers for being a guide so I pretty much only buy Redington and Sage these days (Sage if I can afford it). The brook trout we fish are mostly in small streams and I have this great little Orvis (7.5' 3wt) which is awesome for them. We used to swing rivers for Atlantics in the 3-7 pound range and I would use my 11'3" 7wt switch rod. There will be a hundred options depending on what you are looking for and how much you want to spend and each manufacturer will have their range from beginner to expert (priced accordingly). Redington rods are great rods for a great price. Sage rods are incredible and I am seriously in love with every Sage I own but they ain't cheap :) I used to buy LL Bean but I had so many issues with their Silver Ghost switch rods, Shearwater reels and even waders that I completely abandoned them as a supplier (although I believe their other rod lines are fine). If you post your question in a fly fishing group on Facebook or elsewhere you will get tons of great responses... So many in fact that you may be more confused afterwards ;)

[@User-es2yz]

OutdoorsmaineTV for trolling for salmon and trout (no bigger than 3-4lbs) a nice 6wt is hard to beat. For any bigger than a 7wt will do. 8wts and 9wts are good for rivers like the miramichi

[@79monte]

Only reason that everyone's happy in the Douglaston cause most people can't afford 75 dollars a day to fish in a pond kinda looks that way I fish up river were it's free and more challenging

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Yeah... I totally get that! I know a lot of people feel that way too. I hear that if you are willing walk you can find less crowded areas up river too. Thanks for the comment!

[@fishingcentral7027]

Dirty boots don’t bite but cohos do

[@colbyrobeson3555]

All the fish you got the hook was on the out side of the mouth there for they did not bite you flossed them

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

I think you are right for some fish with accidental flossings (even though I try to avoid it). But check the fish at 9:35 (you see a distinct jump in the line and the fish is facing downstream when I set the hook... and the hook is from the inside out.) and the coho at 14:10 (I am directly above the fish on the hookset and the hook is inside out) and the fish at 20:25 (that fish is inside out and I felt it hit). So I think some were accidentally flossed and some definitely were active biters.

[@bazingabert3346]

sorry but if u need to fish next to each other, no thnx !! why not spread out abit

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Yeah... salmon fishing is often like that. in the years since this video I departed the crowded holes and went looking for fish in less crowded waters and had a lot of success doing it! Some days I was almost completely alone and other days there were more people but it is always a blast!

[@RAltounian]

Hahahahahaha

[@zakmazur3895]

Just like a dentist. #stopflossing

[@WhiteDogTrailCompany]

Haha... I disagree for several of the fish but I did like the comment :) Some of the fish were accidentally flossed (can usually tell by the direction and placement of the hook) but several were not. The hooks went from inside the mouth to the outside of the mouth for several of the fish and I felt the bites on many. Either way... I go to great lengths to avoid fouling and flossing... but if they end up accidentally flossed I'll fight them and land them.

[@scottsmith5304]

Snagging