LOO Fall 2015 FlipBook

www.LakeOntarioOutdoors.com
[YOUR OUTDOOR SPORT RESOURCE] FALL 2015 ISSUE
SHORE FISHING ON THE FINGER LAKES • HOT NEW PRODUCTS FROM ICAST 2015
DISPLAY UNTIL JANUARY 4, 2016
FLY
FISHING
THE TRIBS
HUNTING
DEER, TURKEY
& WATERFOWL

2 FALL 2015 ISSUE
Follow us on Social!
www.facebook.com/zerolimitadventures
@zerolimitadventures
Winter Flyfishing Special
Limited Time Only
December 15, 2015 - March 15, 2016
One Person: $200
Two People: $275
Visit Our Website To Book Now
www.zerolimitadventures.com
or Call (585)766-2421
Featuring New York’s Finest Waters: Oak Orchard, Genessee
River, Sandy Creek and the legendary Salmon River

LAKEONTARIOOUTDOORS.COM 3
Sheffieldwhen precision counts
RiversiderRiversider
R O D S
NEW FOR FALL
TO REEL IN YOUR CATCH
Features 2 EZO EXPOSED
Ball Bearings
lubricated with oil for
unmatched performance,
stainless steel shaft,
4.5” diameter
2 New Models
IM7 graphite blanks,
premium cork handles,
blank though handle
construction for
maximum strength
Float/Center Pin Rod
11’3” (2 piece) - RSB1132CP
13’ (3 piece) - RSB133CP
Michigan Style Handle Noodle Rod
9’ (2 piece) - RSB902L
10’ (2 piece) - RSB1002L
Made by
New Sheffield
Accessories
Weighted Foam Floats
and
Fish Grip Mitt
NEW
NEW
NEW
Sheffield EXP
Center Pin Reel
To find a dealer and see other Challenger family brands, CHALLENGERLURES.COM
Weighted Foam Floats
Available in 2 Sizes and 3 Colors
with removable lead pegs
Fish
Grip
Mitt
NEW
NEW
RiversiderRiversiderSheffieldwhen precision counts

4 FALL 2015 ISSUE
Fishing Reports: 1-800-248-4FUN - www.oswegocountyfishing.com

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WONDERFUL ADVERTISERS, AND LET THEM
KNOW YOU SAW THEM HERE IN LAKE ONTARIO OUTDOORS
ON THE COVER
CONTENTS FALL 2015 ISSUEVolume 21, Issue 4
From The Helm 8
BY CAPTAIN TROY A. CREASY
How to Stay Warm 8
When it is Very Cold
BY CAPTAIN TROY A. CREASY
Around The Lake 11
BY BILL HILTS SR.
Lake Ontario’s Small Boat 14
Fishery is Thriving
BY MARK ROMANACK
Shore Fishing the Finger Lakes 16
BY WAYNE BREWER
OMNR Efforts Increased for 21
Atlantic Salmon Restoration
BY BILL HILTS, JR.
Rigging Your Fly Gear for 24
the Lake Ontario Tributaries
BY ROBERT W. STREETER
High Pressure Pitches 30
BY MICHAEL PARZYMIESO
Fishing Egg Patterns 33
BY JAY PECK
Hunting the Fall Shuffle 37
BY JOHN DELISLE
Buck Fever Is a Real 41
Phenomenon in Deer Woods
BY MIKE SEYMOUR
Toast and Roast 43
BY LOO STAFF
The Great Lakes Salmon Cure 44
BY KYLE MCCLELLAND
Top tips for Late Season 46
Waterfowl
BY CAPTAIN BILL SAIFF III
ICAST 2015 / Product Reviews 52
BY LOO STAFF
Erika Stoddard, with a beautiful
Chinook she caught while fishing
with Capt John Kopy on the
Douglaston Salmon Run.
Subscribe Online Today
and have LOO delivered right to your door!
LakeOntarioOutdoors.com/Subscribe
Shirley Cochran from Erie PA caught this 31lb Salmon out of Bowmanville in Ontario Canada.
It was the biggest she has ever caught and her husband had it mounted for her as a present.
HEY GANG!We have the Photo Contest up
and running and here are a few
that were submitted.
HERE IS THE DEAL. Pick a
location, perhaps a vacation
destination. Take a selfie, or a
photo of you and a friend, or
your dog, with a copy of the
magazine and a landmark in the
background. Send it to us and tell
us where you were. We will pick
a winner each issue and send
you a LOO t-shirt. It is that easy.
We will put the winners on our
website and facebook page. You
can e-mail the photo to me at
Troy@lakeontariooutdoors.com

6 FALL 2015 ISSUE
SUBSCRIPTION
Yes! Please send me 4 issues of LOO
Enclosed is my check or money order for 1 year:
U.S. Residents - $15.95
Canada Residents - $19.95 (U.S. dollars)
Name ______________________________________
Address ____________________________________
City ___________ State _____Zip ______________
E-mail ___________________ Phone ___________
Make checks payable to: Fish U.S., P.O. Box 96,
Clinton, NY 13323
For quick delivery visit: LakeOntarioOutdoors.com/Subscribe
To order by phone call: (315) 624-9966
OWNERS/PUBLISHERS MICHAEL WADE
ROB GIOMBETTI
TED DOBS
EDITOR TROY CREASY
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING TED DOBS
315-264-6624
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS WAYNE BREWER
JOHN DELISLE
BILL HILTS, JR.
BILL HILTS, SR.
KYLE MCCLELLAND
MICHAEL PARZYMIESO
JAY PECK
CAPT. BILL SAIFF III
MIKE SEYMOUR
ROBERT W. STREETER
MARKETING DIRECTOR BRYANT ABBUHL
315-982-2103
CREATIVE DIRECTOR MATTHEW BROCKETT
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LAKE ONTARIO
OUTDOORS MAGAZINE
P.O. BOX 96, CLINTON,
NY 13323
INFO@LAKEONTARIOOUTDOORS.COM
Lake Ontario Outdoors is published four times annually: December,
March, June and September.
Lake Ontario Outdoors and the LOO logo are trademarks of FishUS, LLC.
All contents © copyright 2014 by FishUS, LLC. All rights reserved. No por-
tion of Lake Ontario Outdoors may be reproduced without written per-
mission. Readers’ correspondence and editorial submissions are welcome,
but we assume no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. The
acceptance of advertisements by Lake Ontario Outdoors does not consti-
tute an endorsement of the product or services advertised.
Trophy Brown Trout,
Steelhead & Salmon
Action!
Ron Bierstine – Owner/NYSLOG
▲ Central location for all western NY trout and salmon fishing!
▲ Fall,Winter,Spring fishing in the tributaries and lakeshore!
▲ Great selection of tackle and flies. Choose the best value fly,
spin or float gear - no prejudices!
▲ Always reliable stream & weather info - phone & web updates!
▲ QUALITY LODGING and GUIDE SERVICE!
“Your Resource for Oak Orchard & WNY Tributary Angling.”
585-682-4546 www.orleansoutdoor.com
Fly Shop • Trib Gear • Lodging
1764 Oak Orchard Rd.(Rt. 98) Albion, NY 14411
OrleansOut_1_4_Layout 1 8/29/10 1:35 PM Page 1
1764 Oak Orchard Rd.(Rt. 98) Albion, NY 14411Ron Bierstine – Owner/NYSLOG
Dick & Lori Krebs
405 Weaver Road
Sandy Creek, New York
Phone 315-387-5562
MOUNTAIN ASH
N ELK RANCHN
ELK MEAT CUTS
Work 315-298-6939
www.empireelk.com
dick@empireelk.com
Tenderloin (Boneless) .........................$24.00/lb.
Filet .....................................................$24.00/lb.
NY Strip..............................................$24.00/lb.
Delmonico Steak.................................$24.00/lb.
Eye Round Steak.................................$19.00/lb.
Sirloin Steak........................................$17.00/lb.
Elk Roast.............................................$15.00/lb.
Elk Sandwich Steak ............................$15.00/lb.
Elk Cubes.............................................$11.00/lb.
Sausage (Hot).......................................$10.00/lb.
Ground Burger Patties..........................$10.00/lb.
Ground Burger (Bulk)...........................$9.50/lb.
Elk Pepper Sticks...............................$1.50/stick
24/case...................................................... $25.00
9 Specialty Sauces & Marinades.........$6.50 each

1/8 - 2col
3.667” x 2.33 in
Douglaston Salmon Run … Where Sport Meets Spirit.
A Great Place to Fish!
A Great Place to Stay!
• 2.5 miles of private waters
• Year round fishing and lodging
• Approved and insured guides
Beginning May 15, 2015 –
NEW Prices and Passes
for every season.
NEW Seasonal lodging prices, too!
301 County Route 5, Pulaski, NY 13142
315-298-6672
www.douglastonsalmonrun.com
Seasonal lodging prices, too!
SLAM. BAM. THANK YOU MA’AM.
It’s called the Rumble B. A new lure so perfectly designed and engineered,
it is quickly becoming the “go to” lure for serious ﬁsherman. It’s uniquely
formed swimming lip causes the bait to roll and ﬂash that creates an
action they have not seen- yet. Tie one on and Get Ready To Rumble.
B A G L E Y B A I T. C O M
Bagley Bait Company, LLC
action they have not seen- yet. Tie one on and
action they have not seen- yet. Tie one on and

8 FALL 2015 ISSUE
So here I am trying to put the Fall issue to bed as
my deadline is a mere two weeks away. I am in a funk
as I don’t want to pen some sort of diatribe about the
summer we are not having. It is 60 degrees every day, it
rains about everyday and I have to cap off my editorial
talking about summer conditions and predictions for
the month ahead.
Well I can’t do it. We have not seen any summer as
of yet. So I will keep it real short this issue and just say
enjoy the pages of our Fall issue. Our staff worked really
hard to bring you the best of what the Lake O region
has to offer.
Give us some feedback, tell us what you want to
see. Send us photos, fish all you can, be respectful of
others and please put a few back for the next guy.
Tight Lines and Best fishes,
Troy
S
o you love to ice fish,
hunt, ski, skate, watch
football and everything
else that can make you cold.
Well guess what. There is so
much good stuff available
now that no one can say it is
too cold to go outside.
Thanks to companies like
Flambeau, Buff, and many
others, you can stay warm
even in the coldest tempera-
tures. Here are some of the
items we saw at ICAST that
we feel every cold weather
enthusiast should have.
Let’s start at the top. We
all know that a large amount
of our body heat is lost
through our scalp and upper
body, so that is where we will
begin.
HEAD, FACE, NECK
This combo neck sleeve
and beanie from BUFF will
not only keep you comfy on
the river or on the ice, but the
UV 50 Buff is a must for sun
protection. Yes, you can get
sunburn even if it is cold. The
sun’s damaging rays reflect off
the water and the ice. Proper
protection is a must.
TORSO AND HANDS.
We have three great items
to keep those patties toasty.
Flambeau’s new Hand
Muff and Vest both use a
larger 7.4-volt battery that
is interchangeable between
the two, and compatible with
Flambeau’s entire spotlight/
lantern line. I tried the muffs
on and can’t wait use them in
the tree stand this winter
Flambeau also offers
two different gloves. They
have their Heated Glove
Kit ($129.99) and the Heat-
ed Leather Palm Glove Kit
($159.99)
Both are both waterproof
and breathable and designed
to keep hands and fingers
warm for up to four hours.
The tough nylon outer shell
features a textured perfor-
mance grip to allow for sure-
¬handedness for all outdoor
activities. The Heated Gloves
are available in four sizes and
are sure to be a hit this winter
among ice fishermen.
As sportsmen and sports-
women, we can grind out way
though some brutal condi-
tions, but when your feet get
BY TROY CREASY
HOW TO
STAY WARM
WHEN IT IS
VERY COLDFROM THE HELM
By Capt. Troy A. Creasy

cold you are done, it is over.
Until now.
Flambeau offers the Hot
Feet Heated Insoles with a
remote ($129.99). They offer
anti-microbial coating and
a steel-encased battery for
maximum durability. Avail-
able in three sizes, the foot
beds will provide warmth for
up to eight hours, perfect for
an evening in the tree stand or
a morning in the duck blind.
T h e h e a t e d s o c k s
have Carbon fiber heating
elements designed to keep
your toes warm, along with
a wool, polyester, and cotton
blend designed to pull mois-
ture away from feet.
A l l h e a t e d g e a r i s
designed with larger batteries
and heating elements to offer
better output and longevity
than leading competitors.
The new heated gloves,
socks and insoles are powered
by Flambeau’s proprietary
Freerein® rechargeable
battery system. The light-
weight 3.7-¬volt lithium ion
batteries are removable for
the gloves and socks, built
into the insoles and good for
hundreds of charging cycles.
The lithium ion batter-
ies at the heart of Flambeau’s
warming collection use tech-
nologies proven in other
consumer electronics applica-
tions. The batteries are light-
weight, easy to recharge and
energy efficient.
Well if you are on the ice
you have to have something
to sit on so why not try this.
Five-Gallon Insulated
Bucket With Premium Bucket
Lid, bucket wrap, and Deluxe
12v/110v Aerator. Easy access
lid secures aerator and
doubles as a great stool. Insu-
lated for use in the coldest
temps.
The bucket wrap fits
snugly around a five-gallon
bucket, with rod holders and
pockets for tackle storage and
essential gear. Up your game
at the pier, or fish the bank in
style. Price is about $85.00 for
everything. M

10 FALL 2015 ISSUE
Quality Baits For Over 75 Years
www.atlasmikes.com
AtlasMIkes-DoItRight-15apr-final.indd 1 4/20/15 8:20 AM

WATERFOWL SEASONS
LOOK PROMISING
It is fall again and time to break out
the waterfowl hunting gear for another
crack at those elusive and fast flying
birds. Most reports from the duck fac-
tory areas of the U.S. and Canada re-
port good numbers of ducks and geese
to join their migration flights south
where they seek warmer climes. Lake
Ontario and surrounding waterways
are prime hunting areas for anxious
hunters.
It is interesting to note that Ducks
Unlimited (DU) recently began work
on two important wetland restoration
projects along the southern shore of
Lake Ontario. Braddock Bay Fish and
Wildlife Management Area (FWMA)
and Lake Shore Marshes Wildlife Man-
agement Area (WMA) are highly pro-
ductive wetland complexes consisting
of embayment ponds and associated
streams, marshes and uplands. DU
says they will restore and enhance 200
acres of waterfowl habitat on Braddock
Bay FWMA and 60 acres on Lake Shore
Marshes WMA this winter.
Previously DU did restoration
work in other parts of the Lake Ontario
basin to improve fish and wildlife habi-
tat. Preliminary results of projects on
French Creek WMA, Lakeview Marsh-
es WMA and on private lands in Jef-
ferson County show positive ecological
benefits from channel and pothole ex-
cavation. They intend to use the same
methods to restore habitat in Braddock
Bay and Lake Shore Marshes areas.
OLEAN ARTIST WINS
DUCK STAMP CONTEST
Congratulations to Jennifer Miller,
a wildlife artist from Olean, NY. Her
painting of a pair of ducks was judged
the winner of the 2015-16 Federal Duck
Stamp Contest. In July, her efforts were
recognized by the Great Swamp Con-
servancy in Canastota, NY with a One-
Woman-Two Day Art Show.
CANADA TARGETING U.S.
ANGLERS AGAIN
Much to the dismay of U.S. anglers
who like to fish the boundary waters of
the U.S. and Canada, authorities from
north of our border are once again tar-
getingYankee fishermen. This time it is
Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resourc-
es law enforcement officers who are on
the prowl checking U.S. anglers and
zeroing in on their bait buckets. If you
did not purchase your bait in Canada,
then you are in a heap of trouble. Min-
nows are what they are looking for and
if you can’t prove you purchased them
in Canada, break out your wallet.
A party fishing the Canadian wa-
ters of the upper Niagara River got
hassled by the Ontario MNR game
cops and even though the minnow in
question came from the same waters of
the Niagara River, because they were
not purchased in Canada, they were
guilty and fined $200, plus a $40 sur-
charge.
You have been warned!
N.Y. SAFE ACT CONFUSION
In July it was announced that the
infamous NY Safe Act was being“modi-
fied” with the creation of a Memoran-
dum of Understanding (MOU) between
the NY Senate and the Governor’s Of-
fice.The Assembly did not participate in
the MOU. The MOU supposedly would
relax the background checks before pur-
chasing ammunition and would allow
the purchase of ammo thru the Internet.
This information was widely circulated
and some of the pro-gunners even had
smiles on their faces.
Then the Governor’s office is-
sued a statement that …”the Safe Act
suspensions would not change state
laws regarding Internet sales…!”
Cuomo spokesman Rich Az-
zopardi said,“This simply acknowledg-
es what has been said previously – the
ammunition sales database will not be
prematurely introduced until technol-
ogy is ready and it does not create an
undue burden for business owners.”He
noted further,“This is not a permanent
abandonment of the database con-
cept.”
We knew it was too good to be
true. We should have known better,
considering who we were dealing with
… Shame on us!!!
2015 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
PASSED SPORTSMAN BILLS
The 2015 session of the State
Legislature adjourned on June 24th
this year. Several pro-sportsman bills
were passed.Thanks to Bill Gibson, NY
State Conservation Council Legislative
Vice President we have the information
on the most pertinent bills.
The three fishing lines Bill has been
kicking around for a long time and it
was passed allowing the use of three
lines for two more years. Gibson says
an effort to make it permanent passed
the Senate but was defeated in the As-
sembly EnCon Committee.
For the nimrods, Bills were passed
authorizing the use of rifles for big
game hunting in Genesee, Schenecta-
dy and Seneca Counties. Also, the use
of rifles for big game was made perma-
nent in Ontario and Wayne Counties.
A hot issue was the attempt by the
anti-hunting crowd that would have
virtually outlawed hunting dogs. Gib-
son notes that it took three tries be-
fore a bill was finally passed to protect
hunting dogs from being deemed to be
“running at large.” He notes that par-
ticular thanks goes to Senator Cathy
AROUND THE LAKE BY BILL HILTS SR. AND LOO STAFF

12 FALL 2015 ISSUE
Young and Assemblywomen Aileen
Gunther and Donna Lupardo for stick-
ing with this bill and steering it to a
successful conclusion.
DEC FISHING HOTLINES
NYSDEC notes that their Fishing
Hotlines are among the most popular
pages on their website. Their Hotlines
provide valuable information not just
about where to fish, but also reveal
fishing conditions and types of fish
found in the waters they are checking
on. They are updated every week.
DEC Region 7 – (607) 753-1551
DEC Region 7 Fisheries.
Orleans County – (585) 589-3220
Orleans County Tourism.
Niagara County – (877) FALLS US
Niagara Tourism & Convention
Wayne County – (315) 946-5466
Wayne County Office of Tourism.
DEC Region 3 – (845) 256-3101
Lake Erie – Dunkirk – (716) 679-ERIE
Lake Erie – Buffalo – (716) 855-FISH
DEC ABANDONS NHF DAY
PROGRAM IN REGION 8
There are legions of very unhappy
sportsmen in Region 8 following the
revelation that NYSDEC has decided
to terminate their participation in the
National Hunting and Fishing Day
program at the Regional Headquarters
in Avon, NY, after 42 years of very suc-
cessful events. Needless to say, the re-
gional sportsmen/conservation groups
are very upset over this untimely deci-
sion by the very people who benefit the
most from that annual celebration.
Something just doesn’t smell right
here! It certainly looks like politics is
rearing its ugly head once again.
Sportsman leaders all across the
state are asking the question, “Is this
a sign of things to come from DEC?”
The Livingston County Federation of
Sportsman Clubs and Region 8 DEC
have a long and close relationship and
it is most disturbing to see something
like this happen. They were one of the
first to organize and conduct a most
significant National Hunting and Fish-
ing Day celebration in the State and
many groups used that effort to fashion
their own events. To see it end like this
is truly worrisome.
Robert A. Ciecierega, vice presi-
dent of the Livingston County Fed-
eration of Sportsman’s Clubs has been
the main contact in this problem. He
can be contacted at 1-585-243-3356,
or mail him at the Federation, PO Box
577, Geneseo, NY 14454, or e-mail him
at: rciecierega@hotmail.com.
It should be noted that the Liv-
ingston County Federation will hold
their 2015 NHF Day event at the Mum-
ford Sportsman Club, Mumford, NY on
Saturday and Sunday September 26
and 27.
NYS OUTDOORSMEN HALL FAME
HONORS 12
The NY State Outdoorsmen Hall
of Fame proudly announces that it has
inducted 12 new members, including
two posthumously in the Pioneer Cat-
egory. The NYSOHOF is an organiza-
tion dedicated to honoring those in-
dividuals who have spent many years
preserving our outdoor heritage, work-
ing for conservation, or enhancing our
outdoor sports for future generations.
Gordon Batcheller of Rensselaer
County has been a wildlife biologist
with DEC and achieved the rank of
chief of the bureau of wildlife.
Bill Lansley of Onondaga County
has been a most important volunteer in
many county programs.
Frank Miskey of Erie County has
been involved with the Erie Federation
for many years in numerous roles.
Chuck Parker of Oswego County
has spent a lifetime involved in state
and regional sportsman groups and is
currently president of the NYS Conser-
vation Council.
Al Reigle of Erie County is a leg-
end in outdoor circles. He has served a
lifetime as a state trapper.
Leo Roth of Monroe County is
outdoor editor for the Rochester paper.
Dave Simmons from Oswego
County is a most active member of sev-
eral sportsmen organizations in Cen-
tral NY.
Larry Steiner of Otsego County
has been active in many organiza-
tions but especially in the Adirondack-
Catskill Chapter of Safari Club.
Bill Wilbur of Oswego County
has devoted many years to the Nation-
al Wild Turkey Federation.
Joan Wulff of Sullivan County,
is a legend in fishing circles and has
created many fishing programs in the
Catskills. She was married to the leg-
endary Lee Wulff.
In the Pioneer Category the HOF
inducted the late Joe Jemiolo of Erie
County and the late Lee Wulff of Sul-
livan County. Jemiolo was active with
the county sport fishing programs and
Wulff, like his wife Joan, is a sportfish-
ing legend.
AROUND THE LAKE

NATIONAL HUNTING AND
FISHING DAY IS SEPTEMBER
26 AND 27, 2015
National Hunting and Fishing Day
2015 is set for the weekend of Septem-
ber 26 and 27. Be certain to take your
family to your local celebration and
make some noise for the great outdoor
sports of hunting and fishing! Niagara
County has one of the largest events in
the state. The Niagara County Federa-
tion of Conservation Clubs joins with
the New York Power Authority each
year to produce a show that draws
around 20,000 people over the two
days.
This is a family event and the kids
will love all the animals. Paul Schnell
and his famous bald eagle Liberty will
not be there this year and they will be
missed. Paul and his lovely wife Anne
have moved to Chino Valley, Arizona.
Sadly, on the long trip, Liberty died and
is now in Eagle Heaven. The kids will
really miss him.
The 2015 event will be the 30th an-
niversary of the NHF Day celebration
at the Power Authorities PowerVista in
Lewiston, NY. Thanks to the NY Power
Authority for making this great show
possible. M
Bill Hilts, sr.
Bill Hilts, Sr. has been a veteran outdoor writer for
nearly 50 years. His credits include writing for sev-
eral regional and national publications, television,
radio, and editing the NYS Conservation Council
Newsletter. He is a founder, charter member, and
past president of the New York State Outdoor Writ-
ers’ Association, past president of the Outdoor Writ-
ers Association of America, and active in local, state,
national, and international conservation groups.
Currently he is editor of the “Bear Journal.”
BY BILL HILTS SR. AND LOO STAFF
Bud Cole of Pennsylvania
with a winter steelie.

14 FALL 2015 ISSUE
I
n the world of Great Lakes trout and salmon fishing, the
playing field is dominated by big boats. For decades the
charter industry has thrived by providing visiting anglers
the creature comforts that can only be found on hard top boats
working out of home ports.
It’s interesting to note that compared to the other four
Great Lakes, Lake Ontario sees a much higher percentage
of “trailerable” boats than you might expect. Because of the
prevailing west, south and southwesterly winds, anglers can
fish Lake Ontario without having to deal with rough water
more days than not. From the Niagara Bar all the way to
Henderson Harbor, Lake Ontario is a small boat fishing para-
dise.
The advantages of targeting trout and salmon with a
smaller boat are many. Small boat anglers have the luxury of
trailering to the hottest ports regardless of the time of year. A
small boat can also operate for a much smaller investment in
fuel, insurance, and even tackle.
Back home on my normal Lake Michigan stomping
grounds, it typically requires fishing with 12 to 16 lines just
to insure consistent bites. Anglers on Lake Ontario can fish
a more modest spread of six to eight lines and still routinely
catch their limits!
SMALL BOAT CHARTERS
The trend towards smaller boats is even invading the
charter fleet. Captain Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters
www.getthenetwet.com is typical of a new breed of big water
charter captains who favors a smaller boat.
Yablonsky’s charter boat of choice is a Starcraft 2100
FishMaster.This open bow deepV aluminum model has been
a flagship in the Starcraft line up for decades and fitsYablon-
sky’s run and gun style of fishing perfectly.
Yablonsky’s fishing strategy is simple. He hits the hottest
ports at the best times of year, keeping his customers on the
best fishing in the process. The ability to trailer from port to
port keeps Yablonsky on the fish all season, and keeps his
customers coming back for more of what Lake Ontario is
famous for.
The Starcraft FishMaster is typical of the 20 foot class
boats more and more anglers are investing in. What these
modest boats give up in fishing room and creature comforts,
they more than make up for in versatility.
VERSATILITY ON THE WATER
The ability to troll one day on the big pond and then
BY MARK ROMANACK
The author, Mark Romanack is
the host of Fishing 411 TV seen
on the World Fishing Network.
Mark and his film crew have
visited Lake Ontario several times
recently to sample the world
class fishing opportunities for
trout and salmon.
Lake Ontario’sSmall Boat Fishery is Thriving

jig fish for smallmouth or
plug fish for steelhead in
the Niagara River the next,
makes these smaller boats
invaluable. During a recent
visit to the Niagara region
of Lake Ontario, my film
crew from Fishing 411 TV
was amazed how much this
region has to offer the small
boat angler. At the same time
we were targeting king and
coho salmon on the open
waters of Lake Ontario, other
anglers were crushing the
smallmouth and steelhead
nearby in the Niagara River.
Coming to town in a
smaller boat that’s capable of
fishing the rivers, near shore
structure, and even off shore
waters opens up a wealth of
fishing opportunities. Should
the wind blow and fishing
off shore prove difficult, the
small boat angler can always
slip into the many rivers and
harbors of Lake Ontario or
concentrate on the endless
miles of near shore structure.
RIGGING FOR SUCCESS
To get the most from a
trailerable boat it’s important
to rig for success. Adding
a gasoline kicker motor to
perform the lion’s share of
open water trolling chores
has long been a strategy of
the Great Lakes troller.These
days, modern high-perfor-
mance two stroke outboards
idle down to the point the
main outboard can be used
for primary power and also
for trolling.
The Evinrude E-Tec G2
that I’m currently field test-
ing is a powerhouse of an
outboard, but thanks to new
technology this engine idles
down to under 2.0 MPH
making it ideal for most troll-
ing applications. Evinrude’s
new digital gauges and fly by
wire throttle controls allow
the G2 outboards to be dialed
into nearly any trolling speed.
The ability to make throttle
adjustments as refined as 1%
sets this outboard apart. Not
only is it easy to achieve any
desired trolling speed, main-
taining that speed for hours
of trolling without fouling the
engine is no problem.
A second piece of equip-
ment that’s critical to any
multi-species boat is the elec-
tric motor. Auto-pilot style
electric motors combined
with the primary outboard
team up to provide anglers
the ability to maintain a
course, return to produc-
tive waypoints, to duplicate
productive trolling passes,
and to tweak trolling speeds
more precisely than possible
with a gasoline engine.
Any time I’m trolling, the
electric motor is in the water
and helping to keep the boat
on course. Two motor troll-
ing as I call it has become a
standard among anglers who
understand how critical boat
control is to catching fish.
The electric trolling
motor allows the luxury of
controlling the boat from any
location. This proves essen-
tial for steering around other
boats and then getting back
on course. When fishing
structure like the Niagara
Bar it’s often critical to hold
the boat in a particular water
depth. An auto-pilot elec-
tric motor makes this chore
much easier than steering
from the helm.
SUMMING IT UP
The small boat angler
may be handicapped on
some Great Lakes waters, but
clearly that is not the case on
Lake Ontario. With so many
species to target and so many
ports to fish, the small boat
angler and Lake Ontario go
together like ice cream on a
slice of hot apple pie.
EDITOR’S NOTE: In our
continuous grind to keep LOO
the best outdoor magazine in
NYS, we would like to welcome
Mark Romanack to our staff
of writers. Mark is the host of
Fishing 411 TV seen weekly
on the World Fishing Network.
His broadcast team has
visited Lake Ontario several
times in recent years and will
continue to sing the praises of
the 5th Great Lake. For more
fishing information, visit
www.fishing411.net. M
This Starcraft is typical of the trailerable boats more
and more anglers are using to target trout, salmon
and other species on Lake Ontario.
Mark Romanack
Mark Romanack has worked in the
outdoor industry his entire career.
A graduate of Northern Michigan
University with a B. S. Degree in
Conservation, Romanack works full
time helping others better enjoy the
outdoor experience. Since 1981 he has
conducted countless educational sem-
inars, written thousands of magazine
articles, written 13 books on fishing
and produced dozens of YouTube edu-
cational clips. In addition, Romanack
spends copious amounts of time pro-
ducing the national television series
Fishing 411, seen on both national
cable and satellite providers.

16 FALL 2015 ISSUE
F
ishing the Finger
Lakes during the fall
can be very productive.
Public access is limited, but
on most lakes there are state
and local municipal parks,
piers, beaches, and other
public access areas. Shore
fishing can be good most
of the year, but it is usually
best in the autumn. During
the fall months many of the
fish species including trout,
salmon, perch, small bass,
and pike move back closer to
shore to feed. Fishing action
in the fall can be outstand-
ing. To help you enjoy some
of this excellent fishing, you
need to know the location
of some of the best public
access locations to shore fish.
OTISCO LAKE
The causeway at the
southern end of Otisco Lake,
which is located in south-
ern Onondaga County, is an
excellent location for shore
fishing. Anglers can catch a
variety of fish including bass,
tiger muskie, panfish, and an
occasional brown trout from
the causeway. According to
New York State Department
of Environmental Conserva-
tion (DEC) Region 7 Aquatic
Biologist James Everard, the
prize from Otisco is the wall-
eye, particularly for those
fishermen who fish after
dark with stickbaits. Black
and silver or fire/tiger stick
baits are the recommended
colors to use.
Anglers can access the
causeway along OtiscoValley
Road on the east side of the
lake and from West Valley
Road on the west side.
BY WAYNE BREWER
SHORE FISHING THE
FINGER LAKES
IN THE FALL
Kid Corbett of Syracuse
caught this nice small-
mouth shore fishing
Skaneateles Lake in the
fall. Courtesy of J.
Michael Kelly, author
of “Fishing the Finger
Lakes.”

SKANEATELES
LAKE
Fishing Skaneateles Lake
during the fall is a great time
to fish for rainbow trout, lake
trout, and landlocked salm-
on. Casting perch colored
jigs, stickbaits or spoons can
produce lake trout, salmon,
bass, and perch. The worm/
marshmallow rig is the local
favorite for rainbow trout.
The problem facing shore
anglers fishing Skaneateles
Lake is the limited amount
of public access. J. Michael
Kelly, author of “Fishing the
Finger Lakes” likes to fish at
Lourdes Camp on the south-
east shore of the lake for rain-
bow trout.The camp is owned
by the Syracuse diocese and
available in the fall when the
camp is not in session. Mike
uses the worm/marshmallow
rig, which consists of hooking
a nightcrawler on the bend
of the hook and a cocktail
marshmallow on the point
of a size 2 or 4 hook. Casting
lures or using live minnows
off the camp could produce
lake trout or salmon as well.
Rose, from Bearwood Bait and
Tackle (315-685-7243), says
the village pier in the middle
of theVillage of Skaneateles is
another spot to fish for rain-
bow trout with the worm/
marshmallow rig. Another
favorite location is the retain-
ing wall in the park next to the
Episcopal Church located in
the village. Salmon and perch
can also be taken from these
two locations.
OWASCO LAKE
Located in central Cayu-
ga County, Owasco Lake is
25 miles long with the City
of Auburn at the northern
end. Access for shore fish-
ing is very limited on the lake
with one major exception:
Emerson Park at the north
end of the lake in Auburn.
The park has a long pier that
provides a variety of fishing
opportunities for perch, pike,
walleyes, and lake trout, espe-
cially in the fall. The pier is
known for providing good
walleye fishing after dark and
during the fall of the year lake
trout and northern pike as
well. Stickbaits, jigs, and live
minnows under a bobber will
do the trick. Two miles from
the south end of the lake on
the west side you will find 100
feet of shoreline at Ensenore
Point (A Town of Scipio main-
tained boat launch). Anglers
wearing waders can walk out
and catch walleye, brown, and
lake trout. According to Mike
Kelly, anglers casting small
spoons like little Cleo’s can
catch lake trout at night off
this point.
CAYUGA LAKE
Cayuga Lake, the second
largest Finger Lake, lies
between Seneca Falls at its
northern end and Ithaca at the
south end. There are several
public access sites available
for shore fishing on both sides
of the lake for a variety of fish.
It is not well known,
but a few anglers have had
productive days perch fish-
ing with minnows from the
small swimming pier at south
side of Cayuga Lake State
Park, which is located on the
northwest shore of Cayuga
Lake. Perch anglers may also
want to try live minnows from
the breakwall at Dean’s Cove
State Boat Launch site on the
west side of the lake in the
Town of Romulus.
Going several miles
south to Taughannock State
Park using live bait, egg sacs,
and white jigs tipped with
minnows can produce trout
and Atlantic salmon. Steve
Williamson at Bear Bait and
Tackle (607-387-5576) in
Trumansburg recommends
that when using live bait
for rainbows, browns, and
Atlantics, keep the minnow
down about 20 feet below
the surface. Anglers also fish
at night from the park using
lighted bobbers and minnow
or bioluminescent jigs tipped
with a minnow. On the south
side of the park, anglers fish
from the pier with live bait for
lake trout. While on a fishing
trip in Florida a few years ago
with a friend (avid fisherman
and outdoor writer), the late
Dennis Lupin, told me about
a fishing trip he made to
Cayuga Lake in the fall of the
year and caught brown trout
at night using night crawlers
from Taughannock State Park.
On the southeast side of
Cayuga Lake the shore line
at the mouth of Fall Creek
is open to the public as is
the Town of Lansing Park
at Myers Point. There are
hundreds of feet of shore line
available for fishing at Myers
Point, located on one side of
the mouth of Salmon Creek
and State land controlled by
DEC on the other side.
Milligan station (AES
Cayuga) on the east side of
the lake, offers anglers the
opportunity to catch trout and
salmon; and something not
known by most, it is an excel-
lent location to take northern
pike using a live minnow on
a bobber. Continuing north
on the east side of the lake is

18 FALL 2015 ISSUE
2,000 feet of shore and marina
docks at Long Point State Park
which DEC’s James Everard
thinks should also be good
for shore fishing in the fall for
lake trout. Perch and an occa-
sional pike are also possibili-
ties as well.
SENECA LAKE
Seneca Lake is the
largest of the Finger Lakes
located between the City
of Geneva at the north end
and Village of Watkins Glenn
at the southern end. DEC
Region 8 Aquatic Biologist
Brad Hammers says that
Klute Park at the mouth of
Catharine Creek is a good
location to fish for brown and
rainbow trout and salmon.
According to Pam Armit-
age at Brewer’s Sporting
Goods (607-869-5890) in
Ovid, shore anglers can target
a variety of species from the
breakwall at Sampson State
Park on the east side of the
lake in the Town of Romulus.
Anglers will find a smorgas-
bord of fish fishing from the
park.Whether casting spoons,
jigs, or using live shiners,
anglers can take lake trout,
rainbow trout, brown trout,
Atlantic salmon, or northern
pike. Smaller jigs or plastic
baits and live minnows can
produce yellow perch and
bluegills. Perch and bluegills
can also be found inside the
marina later in the fall.
A few miles south of
Sampson, is the State Park
at Lodi Point, where anglers
report taking trout, pike and
yellow perch. At the south
end of Seneca Lake anglers
fishing from the municipal
pier take yellow perch and
lake trout. Larry Japp at Roy’s
Marina (315-789-3094) in
Geneva recommends fishing
closer to the pier and marina
with small jigs, grubs, and live
minnow for perch. Anglers
targeting lake trout should
cast further out from the pier
with larger spoons and jigs
and larger minnows or shin-
ers. Larry says that the City
of Geneva pier at the north
end of the lake can produce
lake trout, northern pike, and
perch depending on the size
of the lures or baits being
used. Chances of taking lake
trout from the pier are much
better when the south wind
pushes waves and probably
bait closer to the pier.
Also, at the north end of
the lake is Seneca Lake State
Park. Fishing along the break
wall along the Seneca River
and the pier on the south side
of the park can produce pike,
perch, and brown trout.
KEUKA LAKE
DEC’s Brad Hammers
has heard that anglers cast-
ing into the deeper water off
Keuka State Park in Branch-
port near the boat launch
catch trout and salmon.
Heavier spoons or jigs that
sink faster are recommended.
There are reports that cast-
ing cleos and using flathead
minnows from the docks
and wall in the Village Park
in Hammondsport could
produce lake trout, brown
trout, and Atlantic salmon.
CANANDAIGUA
LAKE
Casting spoons, jigs, and
other lures into the deeper
water off Ononda Park on the
west side of the lake off West
Lake Road is the best bet for
lake trout. The park is main-
tained by the Town of Canan-
daigua. Call 585-396-2752 for
information on the park.
HONEOYE LAKE
There is no public shore-
line access, except the state
boat launch off East Lake
Road and a small town park
at the north end of the lake.
CANADICE LAKE
Canadice Lake is
located in western Ontario
County and is one of the
few lakes that shore anglers
can fish some of the deep-
est parts of the lake from
shore. The ledges along the
west shore and points stick
out from the east bank drop
to 50 to 60 feet below the
surface, which attracts bait
and lake trout. Almost the
entire shore of Canadice is
accessible for those that want
to hike through the surround-
ing forest. Casting lures and
bait from shore can produce
lake trout, rainbow trout,
and brown trout. We can not
forget that bass, pickerel, and
panfish are also available to
those fishing from shore.
Wearing waders might help
when fishing some of the
shoreline. According to Mike
Kelly the best time to fish the
lake is on cloudy days and
when the temperature drops
to 50 degrees.
HEMLOCK LAKE
Hemlock is located in
eastern Livingston and west-
ern Ontario Counties and is
much larger than Canadice
Lake. But, the two lakes have
much in common. They have
almost the same fishery with
lake trout at the top of the
food chain and most of the
shore is accessible year round.
CONESUS LAKE
C o n e s u s L a k e c a n
produce good walleye fishing,
but access for shore fishermen
is limited to a few small areas:
the DEC boat launch at Cone-
sus Inlet on the south end of
the lake, the State Park boat
launch off Route 20A on the
east side, the DEC launch on
the northwest corner of the
lake on Pebble Beach Road,
and beach area at Sandy Point
on the north shore. These are
the only public fishing access
areas on the lake and anglers
should become familiar with
these sites before trying to
fish for walleyes after dark.
Shore fishing the Finger
Lakes in the fall can be just
like the movie,“Fast and Furi-
ous.” Whether you have put
your boat up for the winter
or need a break from hunt-
ing, do not miss out on some
excellent fishing this fall. Grab
a casting rod and enjoy some
shore fishing from one of the
Finger Lakes. M
Wayne Brewer
Wayne Brewer is the retired Director
of Law Enforcement for the NYS DEC.
He is the author of the fish and game
cookbook Enjoying Nature’s Bounty
and a freelance writer for several pub-
lications. Wayne was recently elected
as the President of the NYS Outdoor
Writers Association.

Every Drift
FIRE CURE
Get Your First Drift,
PAUTZKE
CHECK OUT EXCLUSIVE CURING VIDEOS AND BLOGS FROM OUR PROS AT
The perfect cure for the Great Lakes,
is the only cure withPautzke’s
bite stimulants that salmon can’t resist.
of sulfites, bite stimulants and krill to produce perfect
eggs every time. Easy to use and consistently
yielding great results,
eggs milk beautifully and allow anglers to
Get Their First Drift, Every Drift.
Precisely mixed
has the right amountto perfection,

20 FALL 2015 ISSUE
S.W.A.T.F I S H I N G G U I D E S E R V I C E
CUSTOM FISHING TRIPS ON THE WORLD FAMOUS
SALMON RIVER
FISH AND STAY PACKAGES AVAILABLE
www.salmonriverfloatfishing.com
Contact Eric Geary NYS Licensed Guide:
315-395-5358 • samncrzy@yahoo.com
FOXHOLLOWSALMONRIVERLODGE
&TACKLESHOP
Ten New Full Hook-up Sites Available
Roger Wolfe & Darlene Mackinder
2740 State Route 13, Altmar, NY 13302
www.Foxhollowsalmonriverlodge.com
Call for Reservations 315-298-2876
Seasonally/Daily
• Access to the River
• Fish Cleaning & Custom
Smoking
• Open All Year
• 8 Efficiency Cabins
& Main Lodge
• Free Internet
Access
lakeontariofishingtrips.com
“we will book your charter”
lakeontariofishingtrips.com
“We will book your charter”

S
ince the Department
o f E nv i ro n m e n t a l
Conservation (DEC)
in New York manages the
lake in concert with Ontario
Ministry of Natural Resourc-
es (OMNR), it’s important
to share the information on
Atlantic salmon from across
the border. The most recent
effort started in 1987 when
research was conducted
to study the potential of
Lake Ontario tributaries
along the north shore as it
related to young Atlantic
salmon. The work that was
performed concluded that
fry and juveniles can survive
in the streams – the first
step of a long-term plan. In
2006, a major program was
announced that involved a
public-private partnership
with Atlantic salmon resto-
ration. That first year, three
streams were identified for
receiving a division of 400,000
fry, 100,000 fall fingerlings,
and 50,000 yearlings. Produc-
tion targets were slated to
increase in succeeding years.
In addition, a fourth stream
was added.
In 2013, those numbers
have grown to 455,000 fry,
171,000 fall fingerlings, and
79,000 spring yearlings split
between the Humber River,
Cobourg Brook, Duffins
Creek, and Credit River
systems. In addition to the
Sebago strain, OMNR has
worked with a LaHave River
strain from Nova Scotia and
a Lac St-Jean strain from
Quebec in an effort to deter-
mine what strain will work
best for restoration purposes.
“As you know we are
developing three different
strains of Atlantic salmon
and stocking them at three
different life-stages; spring
fingerlings (fry), fall finger-
lings, and spring yearlings,”
informed Tom Steward, with
the Lake Ontario Manage-
ment Unit for OMNR. “So
far we have only gotten one
of the strains up to produc-
tion target levels for stocking
(LaHave River, Nova Scotia)
with smaller numbers of Lac
St-Jean, Quebec, and Sebago
Lake, Maine strains stocked
thus far. Stocked fish seem to
be surviving at target levels
in the steams and all stocked
life-stages are contributing
to returning adults, but best
performance seems to be
BY BILL HILTS, JR.
OMNR Eﬀorts
Increased for
Atlantic Salmon
Restoration
Anglers travel the world in search of
a trophy Atlantic like this and we have
them right here in NYS!

22 FALL 2015 ISSUE
with the stocking of the spring
fingerlings. Surviving fish are
growing well and they seem to
be able to get along with the
other predators in the system.
The surviving adults are reach-
ing prime spawning areas, and
we are getting fertilized eggs.
We have seen small numbers
of young fish whose genet-
ics suggest they may be wild
progeny but this needs to be
confirmed. While these obser-
vations are positive signs, we
are looking to make some
improvements in our strat-
egy that will lead to increased
numbers and spawning activ-
ity in the future.”
Restoration efforts from
OMNR’s perspective are
different from a put-grow-
take philosophy. Anglers
can fish for Atlantic salmon
throughout the year, but
they must be a minimum
size of 63 cm or 24.8 inches
and they can only keep one
per day, essentially the same
as New York. The agency is
introducing large numbers
of young fish with the idea
that survivors are more likely
to imprint and return to the
stream that they were stocked
in. Biologists are comparing
the effectiveness of stocking
spring fingerlings, fall finger-
lings, and spring yearlings for
the restoration program.They
are also developing genet-
ic profiles of the fish in the
streams and in the lake.
“It is important to recog-
nize the difference between
stocking to establish a repro-
ducing population and stock-
ing to grow fish for angling,”
says Stewart. “The former is
much more difficult as you
need to find the right strain
and life-stage to stock that
will find the current state of
the ecosystem sufficient for
them to survive, return to
suitable spawning areas, find
mates, and produce healthy
offspring that can also survive.
Our biggest hurdle is figur-
ing out how to do this and
getting ourselves and the
public, both supporters and
Oak Orchard Creek is
giving up Atlantic salmon
like this one every fall.
SIDEBAR ON CALEDONIA FISH HATCHERY AND
EARLIER RESTORATION EFFORTS OF ATLANTIC SALMON:
Restoration of Atlantic salm-
on in Lake Ontario has been an
ongoing initiative since 1864
in New York and 1866 in Cana-
da – even before the fish were
extirpated out of the basin.
The Empire State’s famed
Caledonia Fish Hatchery,
located just south of Roches-
ter, was the first fish hatchery
in the Western Hemisphere –
the brainchild of fish magician
Seth Green. He started with
the rearing of Atlantic salmon,
but later expanded to include
shad and trout. Last year
was a milestone year for the
facility, celebrating 150 years
of fish production. Unfortu-
nately, the problems with the
ecosystem were too great
to overcome – all relating to
helping species recovery.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service were involved with
a short restoration effort in
the 1990s when Dieter Busch
was the Director of the Lower
Great Lakes Fisheries Office
out of Amherst, NY. The focus
was to attempt to restore
Atlantic salmon in the John-
son-Jeddo Creek system in
Niagara and Orleans counties,
as well as in Lake Ontario. The
program was halted shortly
after Busch retired. Initially,
there was some interest in
creating fish passage around
the Lyndonville dam, but that
did not materialize because
of a lack of funding. In addi-
tion, there were concerns
about poor habitat upstream
from the dam due to warm-
er temperatures as well as
potential contamination in the
water and sediments. It
was felt that unless the habi-
tat was restored, the Atlantic
salmon restoration efforts
would not be successful.
Across the border, the first
efforts to assist Atlantic salm-
on population numbers came
from Samuel Wilmot when he
established the first govern-
ment-sponsored fish hatch-
ery in Newcastle, Ontario in
1866. His work paid benefits
early on, but by 1881 there
were very few fish in the lake
and streams. The species was
declared extirpated in 1896
with the last reported catch
taking place in 1898.
While Lake Ontario was
enjoying the success of a
substantial Atlantic salmon
population, some fish were
transported to Maine. The
Sheepscot River may still
have some Lake Ontario fish
genetics; the Cobscook River
population is believed to be
extinct. The Sebago Lake
strain of fish may be a direct
result of Lake Ontario-stocked
fish. There was also an effort
to restore Atlantic salmon in
Ontario, Canada in the 1940s
using a New Brunswick strain.
After five years of trying, the
program was halted due to
high summer stream tempera-
tures and predation of juvenile
salmon.
New York’s program was
revived in the early 1980s,
followed by the early research
phase conducted through the
Province of Ontario’s Minis-
try of Natural Resources. The
current effort is the biggest
ever. Is this the Hail Mary
pass?

critics, to accept that this is
difficult, takes time, and we
won’t necessarily get opti-
mum results with our first
attempts.”
Growth and survival of
stocked fish is being assessed
in the streams by biologists,
too.They will use convention-
al electro-shock assessment
techniques, as well as a new
rotary screw trap – the only
example of this kind on the
Great Lakes. They perform
no fin clipping or tagging of
these fish.
Another Great Lakes
innovation to help moni-
tor upstream migration is a
resistance board weir that
was put into place in 2013 in
Duffins Creek. This state of
the art equipment was origi-
nally developed on the West
Coast to monitor salmonid
migrations. Made possible
through a grant of the Great
Lakes Fishery Commission,
the specialized weir has never
been used in the Great Lakes
before.
As we have mentioned,
there was a significant
amount of private support for
the Atlantic salmon program
in Canada. For Phase One,
lead sponsor was Australia’s
Banrock Station Wines. Phase
Two is Ontario Power Gener-
ation. The Ontario Federa-
tion of Anglers and Hunters
is also an active supporter of
the program along with a long
list of other sponsors of the
program.
“I think the future of the
program will be one of long-
term continual improvement
in our restoration strategy and
its implementation,” contin-
ued Stewart. “We will ulti-
mately see Atlantic salmon as
part of a diverse salmon and
trout community and fishery.
The exact nature of the fish-
ery, and whether it includes
some level of tributary fish-
ing as well as open lake fish-
ing, will depend on further
review and public and partner
consultation.”
The Atlantic salmon
restoration effort is alive
and well in Lake Ontario.
Samples of its success can
be found in both New York
and the Province of Ontario
(especially in many of the
tributaries on the New York
side of the border like the
Oak Orchard and Salmon
rivers), but these agencies are
looking for bigger and better
things when the right strains
of fish have been adapted
to the ecosystem. Find out
more about the program at
www.bringbackthesalmon.ca
or www.dec.ny.gov. M
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Bill Hilts, Jr. is Niagara County
Sportfishing Promotions Manager
and Outdoor Sports Specialist for the
Niagara Tourism and Convention
Corporation. He is currently presi-
dent of the Lake Ontario Sportfishing
Council and the Association of Great
Lakes Outdoor Writers. He is an ac-
tive member and past president of the
New York State Outdoor Writers’
Association and the Outdoor Writers
Association of America. Contact him
at bill@niagara-usa.com.

24 FALL 2015 ISSUE
W
hen you’ve hooked the fish of a lifetime, success or fail-
ure comes down to a simple fact - you are only as good
as your rigging. One knot that’s not perfect, a fly line/
leader connection that won’t slide into the guides when that
big fish is close enough to land, and ping it’s all over.You stand
there watching a monster steelie or salmon swim off knowing
that there isn’t going to be a hero photo for your Facebook page.
We’ve all been there. I’ve certainly lost a few fish of a life-
time and pretty much learned about landing big fish the hard
way. While the School of Hard Knocks admits all students, it
is a tough university that really teaches you where you went
wrong. Here is a look at how to rig your fly tackle for Lake
Ontario salmon and steelhead, and some ideas that will hope-
fully help you land that trophy.
From Reel to Fly
Rigging a fly rod for trout and salmon on the Great Lakes
tributaries requires precision and deliberation.Are salmon going
to run you into the backing all the time - certainly not.There will,
however, be times when a big fish will get into the current and
take off downstream on a tear. If things are not right with your
rig, kiss an expensive fly line goodbye. This obviously isn’t an
everyday occurrence but I’ve seen it happen.
Rigging fly tackle starts at the reel arbor and ultimately ends
at the fly. Even with perfect rigging fish are still going to be lost,
but the number will be fewer, providing more enjoyment to a
day’s fishing.
Reel and Backing
With big fish, having plenty of backing is a good thing.The
best way to maximize the amount of backing on the reel is to
first wind the fly line onto the reel, then tie an Albright knot
to connect the fly line to the backing. From there, wind on as
much backing as the reel spool can hold. Don’t overdo it and
extend the backing beyond the edge of the spool. Once you’ve
done that, go outside and peel all of that backing and line off
of the reel then connect the backing to the reel spool with an
Arbor Knot and wind it back on the right way. One other help-
ful hint, don’t do what I did one time when my chocolate lab
was running amok in the yard while I tried this procedure!
Setting the reel up in this manner maximizes the amount
of backing on the spool (and hopefully you’ll experience
Proper rigging of your gear
will give you results like this!
Rigging Your Fly Gear
for the Lake Ontario
Tributaries
BY ROBERT W. STREETER

the need for that backing one
day).
Most backing is around
30 pound test and fly lines
are typically about the same.
The only way you should ever
realistically have to part with
all of it is if there is no knot
tying the backing to the reel.
It is also important to test the
Albright knot between the fly
line and the backing and the
Arbor knot by pulling hard
on them to make sure they
won’t fail.
Fly Line to Leader
W h e n i t c o m e s t o
connecting the fly line to the
leader, there are a couple of
options. Many new fly lines
come with the woven mono-
filament loop connections,
but I prefer to make my own.
I make a loop in the line by
bending it back on itself and
tying two Nail Knots on the
doubled fly line to make a
loop. I also coat the two Nail
Knots with a flexible adhesive
like Pliobond.These loops are
very strong and I’ve never had
one fail. For connecting the
leader, it is a simple matter of
tying a double Surgeon’s Knot
in the butt end of the leader
and loop to loop connecting
it to the fly line.
Sink Tip Setups
Speaking of making your
own loops, we also make our
own sink tips from fast sink-
ing shooting heads cut into
5, 10, and 15-foot lengths.
The sink tips use the same
double Nail Knotted loops
tied with monofilament. You
can also use straight fast sink-
ing lines like the Cortland LC
13 to make sinking sections.
The sink-tips will work on the
front of any weight-forward
fly line or double taper line.
Yes, some of us still use the
double taper. In my case, I like
theTriangleTaper fly lines in a
dull olive color.
Leader Rigs
Leader rigs can get you
in trouble on the Great Lakes
tributaries.The current regula-
tions along the Great Lakes
mandate that you can’t exceed
four feet between the fly and
any added weight, and that
any added weight cannot
hang below the fly when the
rig is held vertically. On the
Salmon River, the total length
of the leader can’t exceed 15
feet. These are the current
regulations, and are subject
to change, so always take the
time to check the regulations.
My basic leader rig was
something taught to me by my
friend Jim Kelso, who I regu-
larly fish with on the streams
along Lake Ontario. Instead
of a standard tapered leader
with a heavy monofilament
butt section, I use a straight
leader of 10 pound test fluo-
rocarbon for steelhead with a
loop on one end to connect to
the fly line and a small (black)
barrel swivel on the other.The
reason for the straight leader
is stealth. Pressured fish are
leader shy and the straight
ten-pound leader catches
more fish because they see the
butt section coming. For salm-
on, when the fish have had
a lot of pressure, Jim goes as
light as 10 pound test on the
butt section, and if they aren’t
as leader shy, he goes as heavy
as 18 pound test fluorocarbon.
Itietheleadertothebarrel
swivel with a Clinch Knot, and
leave about 4 inches of tag for
attaching split-shot to while
“chuck and duck” fishing or
swinging streamers. The little
barrel swivel serves a couple
of purposes. If you use the
tag end of the knot, there is
no way for a split shot to slide
up the leader and put you at
risk of a ticket. If you hang up,
the split shot also usually will
pull off saving time getting
back in the game instead of
having to tie a new rig.
On the other end of the
swivel, I attach three feet of
tippet suitable to the fish I’m
after. For steelhead I usually
go with 5 pound test fluo-
rocarbon, and for salmon a
little heavier, usually 8 pound
test fluorocarbon. In terms of
tippet, not all of it is created
equal. Buy the best you can
get, and get fresh spools each
season as it actually can decay
and loses strength as it gets
old. The tippet is what usually
fails when you have that big
fish up close.
Tying Knots
When you tie knots in
monofilament, always moist-
en them with a little saliva
before tightening the knot.
Monofilament will heat up
from friction when the knot
is tightened and will lose
strength. I definitely believe
this results in more landed
fish.
So the next time you are
out there on a salmon stream
and are tied into a big king, if
you’ve taken the time to rig up
your line, backing, and lead-
er it won’t always come out
perfect with that great hero
shot, but the odds will certain-
ly be on your side. M
Rob Streeter
Rob Streeter enjoys fly fishing for
many species, especially trout and
salmon in the Lake Ontario tributar-
ies. He is the outdoor columnist for
the Albany Times Union and free-
lances for several publications. He is a
member of the NYS Outdoor Writers’
Association and the Outdoor Writers’
Association of America.

26 FALL 2015 ISSUE
FISH307.com
www.fish307.com
1-800-FISH307/1-800(3474)307
Authorized Service Center.
Minn Kota Trolling Motors &
Cannon, Scotty, Walker downriggers
Send your gear in for repair or just a tune up, or order
parts online from our complete schematics.
Fishing Tackle Superstore
315-243-2389Capt. Troy Creasy • 229 Krebs Road Pulaski NY 13142

DEC Announces Proposals to
Amend Hunting Regulations
for Wild Turkey and Deer
“This proposal is an important step in a multi-year study to understand and respond to
long-term declines in turkey populations, while maintaining some harvest opportunities,”
Commissioner Martens
said. “DEC staff and our
partners have worked hard
over the past several years
to collect and analyze infor-
mation on the influence
of habitat and weather on
turkeys in different regions
of the state, to understand
what hunters want, and to
assess seasonal survival and
harvest rates of hen turkeys.
This proposal is based on
the results of those research
endeavors.”
As DEC and many
hunters have noted, wild
turkey populations have
declined dramatically since
their peak around 2001.
Reasons for this decline
include changes in habi-
tat, higher predator popu-
lations, poor reproductive
success in years with above
average rainfall during the
nesting season and harvest
of hen turkeys during the
fall season. Although condi-
tions vary across the state,
nearly all regions of New
York have fewer turkeys
today than in the past.
Since 2012, DEC biolo-
gists and researchers at
SUNY ESF and Cornell
University have worked
to better understand the
biological and social factors
associated with turkey
management. This includes:
• A study of how weath-
er and landscape-scale
habitat features interact and
influence the number of
turkeys found in different
parts of the state;
• Surveys of turkey
hunters to identify what
they value in terms of turkey
populations, a high qual-
ity hunting experience, and
the trade-offs they are will-
ing to make between hunt-
ing opportunity and turkey
abundance; and
• Field research where
more than 450 hen turkeys
are banded annually, some
with satellite radios, so biol-
ogists can determine their
survival and fall harvest
rates.
The weather and habi-
tat study indicated that the
current configuration of
fall turkey hunting zones
is more complicated than
necessary, and that four
zones instead of six is more
appropriate. The survey of
DEC is proposing to adjust fall turkey seasons in all
areas of the state by limiting the season to two
weeks only with a bag limit of one bird of either
sex for the season.

28 FALL 2015 ISSUE
fall turkey hunters indicat-
ed that the most important
factors in their satisfaction
are hearing and seeing birds
and having the chance to
go afield prior to the regu-
lar deer season. The banding
study revealed that summer
survival and fall harvest rates
of hens are low, but reducing
the harvest should result in
higher turkey populations in
the long-term.
Based on those stud-
ies, DEC concluded that the
best way to enhance turkey
populations while maintain-
ing some fall hunting oppor-
tunity is to offer a two-week
season in all areas of the
state, with a seasonal limit of
one bird of either sex. Season
dates will be staggered
among three broad regions,
which will provide more avid
hunters the chance to hunt
turkeys for more than just
two weeks: October 1-14 in
the Northern Zone; October
17-30 in the Southern Zone;
and November 21 - Decem-
ber 4 on Long Island (Suffolk
County). This represents
a reduced season length
in most of the state and a
modest increase in season
length for Long Island.
The proposed fall hunt-
ing season changes will be
evaluated as part of a four-
year research program. DEC
staff will continue to band
and track hens in 2015 and
2016 to help evaluate the
effects of fall season changes
on hen harvest and survival.
This information will be used
along with information on
turkey abundance, produc-
tivity, and hunter activity and
harvest data collected annu-
ally, to determine future fall
harvest opportunities that
are sustainable under current
environmental conditions
and trends in turkey popula-
tions.
Proposed Antlerless
Harvest and DMAP
Regulations
DEC is challenged to
manage deer populations
across a diverse range of
environmental conditions
and desired population
levels. Currently, despite not
issuing Deer Management
Permits (DMPs) in Wildlife
Management Unit (WMU)
6A in the St. Lawrence Valley
since 2011, managers have
identified the need to further
restrict antlerless harvest to
increase deer populations
in that area of the state.
Antlerless deer continue to
be harvested during bow
and muzzleloader hunting
seasons, with the greatest
harvest occurring during the
seven-day early muzzle-
loader season. Over the
past 25 years, DEC modi-
fied muzzleloader season
opportunities in the North-
ern Zone, switching between
either-sex, antlerless-only, or
antlered-only as needed to
achieve management objec-
tives.
This proposed rule will
restrict harvest during the
early muzzleloader season to
antlered deer only in WMU
6A until such time as popu-
lations increase to desired
levels and the season may
again be returned to an
either-sex opportunity.
In stark contrast, antler-
less deer harvest must be
increased in WMUs 1C, 3M,
3S, 4J, 8A, 8C, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8N,
9A, and 9F, which include
Suffolk County, portions of
southeastern New York, and
much of the Lake Plains and
northern Finger Lakes area
of central and western New
York.
In these areas, deer
populations are above levels
desired by local stakehold-
ers, resulting in unaccept-
able impacts to residents
and local ecosystems. Offer-
ing increasing numbers of
DMPs each year is no longer
a productive way of increas-
ing antlerless take in these
areas because the supply has
exceeded demand, so new
strategies must be imple-
mented to achieve greater
antlerless deer harvests.
Consistent with the DEC’s
M a n a g e m e n t P l a n f o r
White-tailed Deer in New
York State, 2012-2016, this
proposal will allow hunters
to only take antlerless deer
during the first 15 days of
the early/regular bow season
and during all of the late bow
and muzzleloader seasons in
the areas listed above.
Additionally, DEC is
proposing to refine the
DMAP to improve harvest
reporting, increase program
accountability, expand
opportunity for landowners,
reduce paperwork burden
of applicants and DEC,
and increase flexibility for
DEC staff administering the
program. DMAP provides
site-specific management
options for landowners
and land managers. Specif-
ic proposed amendments
include:
• Remove the prohibi-
tion of using DMAP during
the September portion of
the early bow season in the
Northern Zone;
• Extend the duration
of DMAP permits from one
year to three years, while
retaining annual reporting
by permittees and hunters;
• Modify permit eligibil-
ity to: (a) limit one appli-
cation per “land parcel”
instead of per“land/resource
manager or group of land/
resource managers”; (b)
remove the requirement for
municipalities to prepare a
deer management plan; (c)
allow forest landowners to
submit one application for
“multiple, non-contiguous
parcels of forest land of at
least 100 acres each within
the same or adjacent Wild-
life Management Unit(s)”;
and (d) create a new appli-
cation category for proper-
ties adjacent to “a parcel of
publicly owned land that is
at least 250 acres and that
is not open to deer hunting
by law, regulation, or public
agency policy”(e.g., adjacent
to Green Lakes State Park);
• Clarify that application
instructions will be avail-
able via DEC’s website and
change the application dead-
line from September 1 to
August 1, beginning in 2016;
• Clarify DEC’s flexibility
to issue DMAP tags in accord
with need and management
objectives and to allow each
hunter to use up to 4 DMAP

tags per permit where need-
ed; and
• Require that govern-
ment agencies receiving
a DMAP permit “ensure a
process of tag distribution
that provides equal opportu-
nity for all licensed hunters.”
For more information or
for instructions for submit-
ting comments, go to the
DEC website.
Editors Note: We welcome
your comments and thoughts
on the above. Here at LOO
we know that while there are
strong populations in some
areas of the state, the majority
of the upstate counties have
seen major declines over the
last ten years. Harsh winters,
late wet springs, coyotes and
fisher’s have decimated them
in Northern Oswego, Jefferson
and other counties. Where you
used to see 50 you see 5. Where
you saw 10 there is now none.
Many hunters didn’t even
venture out this past spring
because they want them to have
a chance to repopulate. The
DEC is doing the right thing, in
our opinion. M
I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission.
Photo:KristianReynolds
Call (800) 499-9615 for our free
ON THE WATER GUIDE
or visit our web site at
tourcayuga.com
Lake Effect
New York’s Finger Lakes Region
best
vacation
ever!
A phenomenon in which crystal clear lakes
mix with spectacular scenery,
resulting in your

30 FALL 2015 ISSUE
O
ak Orchard Creek meanders and winds through Genesee
and Orleans County before draining into Lake Ontario.
Each autumn and winter the creek fields wave after wave
of chinook and coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout tear-
ing upstream to spawn.
Such productive runs are certain to draw fishermen and
Oak Orchard is no different.
Anglers from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and all
across New York State flood the fishable sections of the Oak
Orchard looking to hook up with trophy size fish.
At any one of the species peaks, the wide gravel and boul-
der strewn runs are packed with fishermen. For example, on
a day just before the salmon peak a productive short stretch
of water that was fast, deep and had a narrow channel in the
middle had fishermen spaced less than ten feet apart.
During the height of any run the space between angles in
prime areas can be can be chopped in half.
In some years the run the problem of space is amplified
because of a lack of rain can leave the stream low and very
clear.
Such high fishing pressure in limited space combined
with low water means that drawing strikes and landing fish is
far more difficult.
However, there are things that an angler can do before
making a one to six hour drive to Oak Orchard that will
increase their chances of tangling and landing a trophy fish.
THINK SMALL
While fishing for salmon or steelhead in low clear condi-
tions use a small presentation. Single egg patterns that are
bright orange all the way to a pale washed out orange will
draw strikes under the most difficult fishing conditions. In
this case, it is in a sense “matching the hatch.” An orange
single egg pattern bouncing and drifting downstream in
BY MICHAEL PARZYMIESO
HIGH PRESSURE
P I T C H E S
Photo courtesy of Zero Limit
Adventures Guide Service
(585) 766 - 2421

the current is exactly what
a fish is expecting to see.
Furthermore, it is a presenta-
tion that they will strike as a
food source and not simple
annoyance or anger.
A small egg presenta-
tion will help increase the
chance of a strike under diffi-
cult conditions.
Additional small egg
patterns are…
• Glow Bugs
• Nuke Egg Roe
• Sucker Spawn
CARRY A
BIG STICK
Once a fisherman has
floated a small presentation
though a deep channel and
enticed a salmon or steelhead
to strike when the fish had
ignored other lesser presen-
tations the angler now faces
the next obstacle - landing
the fish.
For salmon and steel-
head it is best to use a longer
and stiffer fly rod. For salm-
on, start with an eight or nine
weight rod in a nine or ten
foot length.
The reason for the large
rod is that hooking up with a
thirty-pound chinook salm-
on fresh from Lake Ontario is
somewhat like latching on to
the bumper of an afterburner
equipped dump truck.
Salmon in Oak Orchard
are often over twenty to thir-
ty pounds and have the abili-
ty to torpedo a hundred yards
downstream while ripping
everything off the reel includ-
ing fly, line, leader, and tippet
all the way down to the back-
ing in just seconds.
In four hours fishing
Oak Orchard, there were
examples of snapped fly rods,
burned out drags, numer-
ous broken and tangled
lines. The culprit was often
large punishing fish fighting
against a willowy underpow-
ered short rod.
There are two advantag-
es to a longer stiffer rod. The
first is control and the second
is power.
Control comes in two
forms. It means that, one,
the presentation can be cast
further and, two, more easi-
ly maneuvered through the
hole.
A crowded stream means
that a fisherman will have an
extremely difficult time on
the back end of a cast. Trees,
bushes, and other fishermen
behind the angler are just
some of the obstructions that
prevent a long back cast. In
tight quarters nobody likes a
woolly bugger whipping by
their ear – especially if it is
not their woolly bugger.
A short rod in a crowd
means the fisherman will
have less line out on their
backcast. If there is less line
behind the fly caster there is
also less load on the rod and
less bend, which leads to a
shorter distance that a fly can
be cast.
The longer rod makes
the best of a shorter backcast
and the caster able to drive
the line further.This gives the
angler more options to fish
in the prime areas of a run,
pool, or riffles.
A presentation can also
be guided though the deep
runs and between rocks
and boulders into the best
sections by the rod tip. The
advantage of getting the
presentation into places
where others cannot leads to
strikes.
A shorter rod does not
allow the anger to take
advantage of these areas.
The second advantage of
the longer stiffer rod is pure
power. It can be frustrating
to drive six hours to fish Oak
Orchard only to find out that
the three hundred dollar fly
rod you brought is woefully
underpowered for the task
at hand.
A heavy, long rod dimin-
ishes the strain on the leader
and tippet allowing the fish-
erman to handle the most
ornery and chunky salmon.
Ultimately, the larger rod
allows the angler to slow
down and wear out the
fish far more quickly than a
smaller one. Once the fish is
ready the bigger rod allows
the fish to be directed to the
best spot for landing and
harvesting.
FACETIME
Once an angler has a
good presentation prepared
and an appropriate rod the
focus needs to be on finding
fast moving water that leads
to long deep pools.
During times of the
prime fishing conditions,
i.e. high water with a bit of
color to it, at Oak Orchard
there are numerous sections
to choose from. However, as
water levels drop and more
fishermen enter the water
fish holding areas get smaller.
In these circumstances,
some of the only waters left
to fish are very shallow clear
water between pools or the
fast water at the head of a
pool.The faster, deeper water
offers a better opportunity
for fish.
For example, on one
section of the stream a
couple of dozen people
crammed a deep fast section
of the creek with little space
between them. Two fisher-
men worked the very head
of the pool while the rest
of the fishermen ignored it
even though there were fish
holding or passing through
the upper short section. One
angler consistently hooked
up with fish while the other
did not. The successful fish-
erman reasoned that by
using an extra weight shot he
slowed the pattern down just
enough to reach the fish and
allow them to see and strike
at the fly.
FLY FISHING
EQUIPMENT
Rod 8/9 weight
10/11 foot length
Backing 150 yards
20 pound test
Leader 36 inches
16 pound test
Tippet 24-36 inches
12 pound test
Fly Glow Bugs,
Nuke Egg Roe,
Sucker Spawn,
Woolly Bugger M
Michael Parzymieso
Michael Parzymieso is an avid fisherman
and target shooter. He works for Buffalo
Public Schools as an English teacher. He
is married and has three children.

32 FALL 2015 ISSUE
Lodging & Full Hook-up Sites • Water & Electric • Hot Shower
Guide Service • Laundry • Convenience Store • Tackle
Dump Station • Fish Cleaning Station • Trailer Rentals
2904 Route, 13 Pulaski, NY 13142 • 1-315-298-2325
www.salmonriver.net • e-mail: mstone7659@aol.com
• SALMON FISHING •
OVER 200 ACRES ON THE SALMON RIVER Sportsman Selling Recreation
www.eagleriver-realty.com
Buying or Selling?
“Marketing Rural, Recreational and Agricultural properties”
315-824-8989 - Hamilton Office
845-397-1937 - Roscoe Office
info@eagleriver-realty.com
Visit our website www.eagleriver-realty.com
A-Tom-Mik
Pro-Troll
Spin Doctor
Okuma
Michigan Stinger
Northern King
Big Weenie
Silver Streak
Live Bait - Worms/Minnows • Near Mexico Point Boat Launch
Early
HoursMichigan Stinger Super Store
Jons.qxd:Layout 1 11/14/09 8:06 AM Page 1
315-298-6597
2627 State Rt 13, Altmar, NY 13302
THE COMFORT ZONE
Bed and Breakfast
Fishing on the
Salmon River & Lake Ontario
Connected to ATV
& Snowmobile Trails
www.TheComfortZoneBedandBreakfast.com
EXPERIENCE PULASKI/EASTERN SHORE
Call (315) 298-2213or E-mail:
info@pulaskieasternshorechamber.com
For calendar of events visit
www.pulaskieasternshorechamber.com
The Pulaski Chamber can help you plan your next
family vacation. Whether it's enjoying our beautiful
beaches, golfing, fishing, antiquing or camping,
contact us today for your information packet.
See Our Fishing Museum
info@pulaskinychamber.com
For calendar of events visit http://pulaskinychamber.com
Mexico • Adams • Redfield • Boylston • Pulaski • Sandy Creek
Lacona • Boylston • Williamstown • Orwell • Richland • Altmar
EXPERIENCE PULASKI/EASTERN SHORE
Call (315) 298-2213or E-mail:
info@pulaskieasternshorechamber.com
For calendar of events visit
www.pulaskieasternshorechamber.com
The Pulaski Chamber can help you plan your next
family vacation. Whether it's enjoying our beautiful
beaches, golfing, fishing, antiquing or camping,
contact us today for your information packet.
See Our Fishing Museum
info@pulaskinychamber.com
For calendar of events visit http://pulaskinychamber.com
Mexico • Adams • Redfield • Boylston • Pulaski • Sandy Creek
Lacona • Boylston • Williamstown • Orwell • Richland • Altmar

1/8 - 2col
3.667” x 2.33 in
E
gg flies are most likely the most popular fly for fish-
ing the Great lakes tributaries. For many of us, these
are first flies we used when we first started fishing the
tributaries. This is not without warrant. There are times when
egg flies are the most productive fly patterns on the rivers.
Even when the fishing gets tough, we can often depend on egg
flies to save the day.
Why are egg patterns so effective? When it comes to a
food sources for trout, eggs seem to have one of the strongest
food attractions as anything you can find in the wild. Both
trout and salmon will readily respond to eggs that are freely
drifting. It does not matter if these fish are actively spawning
or not. When it comes to trout, they will key in on eggs faster
than any other food source. Even when spawning activity has
wound down and eggs are no longer readily available, trout
will still respond to a well-presented egg fly, the memory
remains.
As you can imagine, with all the attention and fisherman
using egg patterns, there is a large variety of patterns, ranging
from very complex to the very simple and basic. Even though
egg patterns are relatively simple patterns to tie, there is wide
range of flavors and styles of patterns. Egg patterns are often
tied with various colors of yarn and Estaz, glow chenille, and
other basic fly tying materials. Fly tiers will often try to imitate
the nucleus of the egg and even incorporate minute blood dots.
Egg patterns can also be very simple and basic, tied with basic
egg yarn. Obviously how flashy you would like a fly or subtle
an egg pattern is, will depend on fishing conditions. Since egg
patterns are easy to tie and we use in expensive materials, it is
always a good idea to carry a large selection and supply of flies.
Fishing conditions on the tributaries can and do change very
quickly. Water conditions will play more of a role in what type
of egg patterns to fish. When the water is running high with
some color in it, the more colorful, flashy and slightly larger
flies will be more effective. These egg flies are tied with flash-
ing material such as Estevez and glow chenille. Just the oppo-
site is true when fishing in low clear water or fishing pres-
sure is heavy. The more natural looking smaller egg patterns
will be far more effective in these conditions. These flies will
be tied with egg yarn in natural looking colors. This type of
The author with a dime bright
Ironhead that fell vistim to an
egg patterm.
BY JAY PECK
FISHING
EGG PATTERNS

34 FALL 2015 ISSUE
tying material does not have
a lot of flash in it. In these
conditions you do not want
to visually overload the fly.
We are trying to imitate a very
basic food source. I prefer to
keep egg fly patterns simple,
because, fished correctly, right
along the bottom, we have a
tendency to go through quite
a few flies.
Fly tying tip:
When tying and design-
ing new egg flies, I always
incorporate a light veil over
the pattern with some sort of
egg yarn. The reason for this,
when a trout takes an object
into its mouth and instantly
decide this is not what it want
and reject that object instant-
ly. The idea of the veil around
the egg pattern is to cause
the fishes’ teeth to temporar-
ily hang up in it. Giving us a
chance to realize the fish has
taken the fly and it’s time to
set the hook.
All of this fly design does
not mean much unless the fly
is properly presented. Nature
has designed eggs to be dens-
er than water. This way the
eggs will stay for the most
part, where the fish deposit
them in the river bottom. We
think of eggs drifting through
the water column similar
to the way aquatic insects,
nymph do. This is not the
case; an egg drift is more like
an egg roll. That is, the egg
does more rolling or bounc-
ing along the bottom than
drifting just off the bottom.
Obviously, the trick here is to
imitate this egg drift – rolling
along the bottom. We need to
slow down the speed of the
drift; an egg drift is consider-
ably slower.
W h e n f i s h i n g e g g
patterns keep in mind the
type of water you are fishing
in. This will play a big role in
your success. Feeding trout
will be located where the
food is most concentrated.
This way they can feed more
efficiently. Simple sound-
ing concept, but, the trick is
to find these prime feeding
spots. These feeding spots
can be anywhere. Howev-
er, during active spawning,
any locations where there
are cuts in the river bottom
and the current is concen-
trated this will also concen-
trate stray eggs. Very simply,
locate actively spawning fish,
down river where the current
is being compressed forming
a cut in the river bottom.You
will find feeding trout. When
spawning is over and winter
settles, the eggs are not as
accessible to the fish. We can
still easily predict when we
will see a good egg bite. Every
time the river has a water flow
increase, these waterfalls will
dislodge stray eggs and send
them adrift, creating a feed-
ing opportunity, an egg bite.
This egg bite will last for a
few days to a week after water
flows stabilize. So keep this in
mind when you are trying to
decide what to fish. M
Jay Peck
Jay Peck is a fishing guide on the Lake
Ontario tributaries. He fishes the
Salmon River for salmon and steelhead
in September and October then Sandy
Creek and the lower Genesee River in
for brown trout from November on. He
fishes the Salmon River from mid to late
spring for steelhead. To contact Jay,
e-mail him at jay@jaypeckguides.com or
check his web site www.jaypeckguides.
com. You can also contact him at
Coleman’s Fly Shop 585-352-4775 or
www.colemansflyshop.com.

THE SHAPE
THAT
LAUNCHED
A THOUSAND
IMITATIONS!
P.O. Box 450
Marblehead, OH 43440
419-798-9125
fax: 419-798-9012
Original shape, original colors... original Reef Runner!
WWW.REEFRUNNER.COM
USPatent#2,491,908
CONVENIENTLY LOCATED
8032 STATE RT 3 • PULASKI, N.Y. 13142
Between the Salmon River and Sandy Creek
Across from Rainbow Shores Road.
20 ROOMS • 2 HANDICAPPED ROOMS • WI-FI • SATELLITE TV • AC
MICROWAVE • SMALL FRIDGE
FISH CLEANING STATION AND FISH STORAGE
315-298-3730
WWW.DEERCREEKMOTEL.COM
MOTEL
DEER CREEK
“THE ULTIMATE IN FISHING BEADS”
**All our beads are proudly made in the USA**
Currently available at the following stores;
UV
COATED
OVER
70 COLORS
AND COLOR
VARIATIONS

36 FALL 2015 ISSUE
Maple Grove Resort
2870 State Route 13 - Pulaski, NY 13142
(315)298-7256
Book today by calling us at:
1000 feet of private river access!
World class private log cabin
4826 Salina Street
Pulaski New York 13142
Guide Services
Available
Located on Salmon River’s
famous Town Pool
WE NOW HAVE NYS
HUNTING AND
FISHING
LICENSES
www.salmonriversportsshop.com
SALMON RIVER
HOTLINE:
315-298-4343
4826 Salina Street
Pulaski New York 13142
Guide Services
Available
Located on Salmon River’s
famous Town Pool
WE NOW HAVE NYS
HUNTING AND
FISHING
LICENSES
www.salmonriversportsshop.com
SALMON RIVER
HOTLINE:
315-298-4343
72 SOUTH JEFFERSON ST
PULASKI, NY
(315) 298-5599
CNY’S LARGEST HEARTH & FIREPLACE SHOWROOM
10%
DISCOUNT
ON ANY SOVE
IN-STOCK
SEPT. 1 - DEC. 31, 2015
COME SEE US AT
THE FALL CLASSIC
HUNTING AND FISHING EXPO
SEPT. 19-20 • SYRACUSE, NY

E
ach autumn when the woodland foliage begins to turn
from lush green to the brilliant fall colors that decorate our
autumn landscapes, the local wild turkey flocks are going
through a change of their own. That change is what we fall
turkey hunters refer to as“The Fall Shuffle.”
The“Fall Shuffle”is that time of year when mature hens
and their young of the year begin to seek out other family
groups of turkeys in which to spend the fall and winter months
together.These fall flocks can range in number anywhere from
10 to 50 individuals…sometimes double that.
At the same time, the young jakes and mature gobblers
form age-specific groups of their own. These groups range
anywhere from 3 to 10 individuals in which they too will spend
the fall and winter seasons together until spring break-up.
Young jakes will oftentimes mingle with the larger hen flocks
however mature gobbler groups become secretive and stick to
themselves.
HUNTING
THEFALL
SHUFFLE
BY JOHN M. DELISLE
Beginning turkey hunters often opt
to shoot a young bird of the year.
CENTRAL NEW YORK’S PREMIERE
RECREATIONAL SHOOTING FACILITY
Call Ron 315-796-4587 • Club Phone 315-982-7045
to set up your event, find out more about the range or book a lesson
3291 Burns Rd. • Vernon Center, NY 13477
www.vernonnational.com
SPORTING CLAYS
SKEET RANGE & WOBBLE TRAP
PISTOL & RIFLE • ARCHERY RANGE
GROUP AND CORPORATE EVENTS
PHEASANT HUNTING • SHOOTING INSTRUCTION

38 FALL 2015 ISSUE
For a free fishing packet call
800-527-6510
®
ILOVENEWYORKisaregisteredtrademarkandservicemarkoftheNew
YorkStateDepartmentofEconomicDevelopment;usedwithpermission.
Photoby:JackKidd
Lake Ontario • Finger Lakes Region
Visit Beautiful Wayne County
Monster King Salmon,
Browns and Steelhead
and perhaps the best
Smallmouth Bass
fishing in the
Empire State.
www.waynecountytourism.com
Wayne
County
Finger
Lakes
Rochester
Syracuse
Ithaca
Lake
Ontario
Located between Rochester and
Syracuse in the Finger Lakes Region.
Veteran turkey hunt-
ers also know that they too
will have to change their
turkey scouting and hunting
tactics as well. No longer are
the quiet, tranquil pre-dawn
mornings broken by the thun-
derous gobbles of amorous
gobblers. Nor are the quiet
evening sunsets accompanied
by that final gobble that lets
the local hens know where the
big boy is roosted.
Like most veteran turkey
hunters, I’ve learned over the
years that preseason scouting
is an important segment of fall
turkey hunting success.Initial-
ly, my fall turkey scouting
begins by driving the country
roads around my home look-
ing for flocks of turkeys feed-
ing on insects in mowed hay
fields. I also make it a point
to check out all harvested
cornfields since turkeys can
be found feeding on whatever
residual corn is left behind by
the harvester. During these
early scouting forays, a pair of
10 X 50 binoculars allow me to
identify the make up of those
distant flocks I observe. Once
a number of flocks are located,
I begin my infield scouting.
My first priority is to
scout those woodlots adjacent
the fields where I have seen
turkeys feeding. I am interest-
ed in learning if the oak and
hickory trees in those wood-
lots have had a good mast
production year. You can be
sure that once the acorns and
hickory nuts begin to fall, the
turkeys will begin feeding on
them as well.
In the meantime, I look
for telltale turkey sign that
indicates frequent use by the
local turkeys. Tracks are good
indictors that show turkeys
frequently use an area. They
can be found along muddy,
damp areas such as tractor
bar-ways, streamside edges
and in muddy, cutover corn-
fields. Any track found that
measures more than 4 ¼”from
the tip of the center claw to the
heel is most likely a gobbler.
Tracks smaller than that are
those of a hen or bird of the
year.
Tracks are not the only
sign the fall turkey hunter is
looking for. Turkeys also leave
behind droppings, feathers
and scratchings in the leaf
litter as they forage. Turkey
droppings can clue the hunter
in as to the sex of the bird.Hen
droppings appear spiral-like
resembling a three-tier scoop
ice-cream cone. Gobbler
droppings are shaped much
like the letter“J”with the larg-
er diameter dropping being
that of a mature gobbler.
Finding a primary
wing feather no matter its size
simply tells the hunter that a
turkey has passed through the
area. On the other hand, find-
ing a smaller contour feather
lying on the woodland floor
or in a dusting site will tip the
hunter as to the sex of the bird.
Contour feathers with a black,
iridescent band along its outer
edge indicates that it came
from a male turkey whereas
one with an iridescent brown
band indicates it came from
a female turkey. These differ-

ences are what make a gobbler
appear black at a distance and
why a hen appears brown at a
distance.
When foraging for food,
turkeys leave “V” shaped
scratchings in the fall leaf
litter. An abundance of these
“V” shaped scratchings over
a rather large area indicates a
flock has fed through the area.
Singular scratchings located
at the base of mast trees, and
here and there throughout
the woodland, were probably
made by gobblers however
that is not always the case.
Once satisfied that I
have found enough signs, I’ll
continue my scouting efforts
however this time I concen-
trate on learning a flock’s daily
routine. I want to learn what
trails, travel corridors and rest-
ing areas the turkeys prefer
to use or seek out on a daily
basis. To learn this informa-
tion, I simply take up a watch
along a field edge or log road
with a pair of binoculars in
hand then wait for the turkeys
to appear. As they move off,
I’ll try to follow them staying
a good distance away so as
not to spook them out of their
routine.Once I have an idea as
to their comings and goings, I
then wait for opening day to
arrive.
In the meantime, I spend
my evenings reading as much
as I can about turkeys, turkey
biology and turkey hunting. I
also spend time practicing the
fall calls that are most often
used by turkeys at this time of
year. Although I have heard
gobblers gobble in the fall,
they more often than not use
sharp, snappy clucks, course
yelps and raspy whines to
communicate with their flock
mates.
Jakes (immature toms)
and Jennies (immature hens)
on the other hand are at that
stage in their lives when their
voice is beginning to change
from a poults high-pitched
whistle to yelping, much like
teenagers do when they go
through puberty. Their calls
are known in the turkey-
hunting world as a Kee-Kee
and Kee-Kee Run. The Kee-
Kee consists of a series of
high-pitched whistles only
while the Kee-Kee Run starts
off as a whistle then switches
over to yelping.
The best way to learn the
various calls of wild turkeys is
to listen to live wild turkeys in
their natural habitat. A quick-
er way is to buddy-up with a
veteran turkey hunter or to
listen to renditions of them
available on various tapes,
CDs, or on the Internet. It’s
important to get the tone and
correct cadence along with
adding urgency to your call-
ing whenever trying to call in
a turkey into lethal scattergun
range.
Many beginning turkey
hunters just want to get a fall
bird whether it’s a mature
hen, young jake or jenny.
One way to up your odds of
calling such a flock within
lethal range is being able to
realistically reproduce their
calls on a variety of call types.
Like humans, each turkey
produces a unique voice and
tone. By becoming proficient
with a variety of calls such as
box calls, slate calls, tube calls
and mouth diaphragms, the
turkey hunter has the option
of switching calls and sound-
ing like a different turkey
lost and looking for its flock
mates or, a group of turkeys
wandering through the hard-
woods.
It’s a fact that hunting
mature fall gobblers is a lot
tougher than hunting the hen
flocks and their young of the
year. The reason being is that
fall gobblers become rather
reclusive at this time of year.
However once located, strive
to accurately mimic their fall
calls using the proper cadence
and coarseness while calling
sparingly.
Lastly, keep in mind that
it takes confidence in your
scouting interpretations and
calling abilities. Addition-
ally, it takes a mountain of
patience to wait out a flock
or a lone longbeard to come
sauntering in range of your
load of number 6 shot. M
John DeLisle, Sr.
John DeLisle, Sr. is a freelance writer
and a member of NYSOWA and
OWAA. He spends much of his time
hunting and fishing throughout New
York.
Mini (Model 50) Medium (Model 100)
Replace your old planer boards today!
The Original and Still the Best!
• Better Tracking & Able to Handle Heavier Weight (Model 100) 250’, (Model 600) 350’ of Copper Wire Line
• Now available in 3 sizes – Model 50 = 5”; Model 100 = 8”; Model 600 = 10”
• Durable “Recycled” ABS Plastic with a Rubber Foam back pad
• 2 adjustable, wide pinch pads that holds all lines
• Lowest Prices of any major brand board for a 35% - 51% Savings!
• Tattle Flag System Included at No Extra Charge!
WWW.YELLOWBIRDPRODUCTS.COM
815-469-9686
We invented
the Side Surface
Planer Board
in 1970!
45TH YEAR
ANNIVERSARY!
Large (Model 600)
New – IMPROVED & TOTALLY REDESIGNED

40 FALL 2015 ISSUE
74,000 Acres Of Wild Forest
And 44 Lakes Await You
Make Fulton County your destination this Fall
for shing, deer and waterfowl hunting, and
much more. Be sure to visit our Wildlife Sports
and Education Museum and the New York State
Outdoorsman Hall of Fame during your trip.Outdoorsman Hall of Fame during your trip.
Come enjoy an Adirondack vacation you won’t
soon forget!
44 Lakes...44 Choices
Visit www.44lakes.com or call
1-800-676-3858 today for a
FREE Travel Guide.
Hunting Supplies - Hunting and Fishing Licenses
Whether you’re an avid hiker, or are
seeking a family-friendly walk in
the woods, Newcomb has your trail.
Climb to the fire tower atop Goodnow
Mountain for one of the Adirondacks’
best views, explore the trails of the
Santanoni Preserve and visit Great
Camp Santanoni, or access numerous
High Peaks—including Mt. Marcy—
from Tahawus and the Upper Works
Village. Point your compass toward
newcombny.com to discover more.

1/8 - 2col
3.667” x 2.33 in
T
he rhythmic, crunch-crunch sounds on the carpet of
dried leaves alerts the hunter to an approaching deer, and
when the hunter glances over his right shoulder he sees
a massive set of antlers moving through the trees. At the sight
of the largest rack he has ever seen, the hunter’s breathing rate
quickens and his heartbeat thumps in his chest.Too, his shoul-
der muscles tense, and he begins to tremble.
Meanwhile the buck stops, raises his head, and sniffs the
air, actions which afford the hunter a broadside-shot opportu-
nity. The hunter immediately turns to his right, fires a shot at
the deer, and ejects two cartridges from his .270 bolt-action as
the buck bounds away in the direction from which it had come.
In the aftermath of the shot, the distraught hunter is
unable to find any sign of a hit. He can’t believe he rushed such
a makeable shot at his buck of a lifetime. When relating the
incident to his fellow hunters, he is unable to vividly recall the
details of the shot, and his case of“buck fever”leaves the hunter
disheartened in the ensuing days.
Buck Fever
“Buck fever”is actually a natural, physiological response
to a threatening situation. In such cases, the heart rate
increases, and the body produces epinephrine or what is
more commonly known as adrenalin. This adrenalin surge
results in a “fight or flight” response, actions intended to
serve a human’s safety and survival. In a“fight”response, an
individual might save a child from oncoming traffic or lift a
massive weight to free a trapped person. In a“flight”response,
an individual might elude a would-be attacker or flee other
imminent danger.
“Buck fever” falls into the “flight” response where the
affected person experiences anxiety. In deer hunting, this
anxiety typically arises during shooting situations particularly
when a big buck appears on the scene. The anxiety manifests
itself in rapid breathing,increased heart rate,rising blood pres-
sure, muscle tenseness, and shaking. Then the anxiety leads
to a focus on the antlers, aiming at the deer’s body instead
BY MIKE SEYMOUR
BUCK
FEVERIS A REAL
PHENOMENON
IN DEER WOODS
He spotted you. Now What?

LOO Fall 2015 FlipBook

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to LOO Fall 2015 FlipBook

Similar to LOO Fall 2015 FlipBook (20)

LOO Fall 2015 FlipBook