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After the Salmon have entered the tributaries, Steelhead will follow them closely up the river. The main run of Steelhead will start at the end of the Salmon run but they will be mixed in as well. From late September straight through to March, these Steelhead will fill the river and give fly anglers a true test of their skill. Throughout the Fall 2014 season, we saw our largest Steelhead on the river. There are plenty of Steelhead in the weight class of 15 to 20+ pounds. The hardest fighting fish around, they will take all anglers, regardless of skill, for a ride. During this time, fishing with indicators and egg patterns as well as swinging flies with two handed spey rods are very productive methods.

Chinook salmon are the largest of the Pacific salmon. While specimens exceeding 100 pounds have been taken on the Pacific coast, New York State’s record fish is a 47 pounder caught in Lake Ontario. Chinook Salmon have a limited distribution in New York State and are only found in Lake Ontario. Non-natives of New York State, Chinooks were first stocked in the Great Lakes in 1873. Although they were sporadically stocked throughout the years, it was not until about 20 years ago that they became abundant. At that time, New York State aggressively stocked Chinooks in Lake Ontario to provide a sport fishery. Using the tremendous population of alewives as a food source, Chinooks thrived and produced a spectacular fishery. Since there is not enough suitable spawning and nursery area to naturally produce enough fish, most of the salmon caught in New York State’s Great Lakes are hatchery-reared.

Cohos, or silver salmon, are smaller in size than their cousin the Chinook. Although larger specimens over 30 pounds have been captured, a typical adult coho weighs ten pounds. Cohos were stocked in New York State waters along with Chinook salmon in the late 1960s. Today, they are routinely stocked in Lake Ontario (and its tributaries) and provide excellent lake and river sportfishing opportunities. While natural reproduction of Coho salmon has occurred in New York State waters, it is too limited to support a viable fishery. Therefore, DEC annually stocks hundreds of thousands of Coho into the Lake Ontario system.

The Atlantic Salmon is one of the most highly regarded sport fish in North America and Europe. Known to many as “the leaper,” Atlantics are noted for their spectacular fighting ability, which usually includes several jumps completely out of the water after being hooked by a lucky angler. In New York State, Atlantic salmon spend their entire lives in freshwater and are usually called landlocked salmon.

For many anglers, there is nothing finer than catching a brilliantly colored wild trout. There are excellent opportunities to catch wild and stocked brown, brook and rainbow trout in many of the Western NY Trout Streams. Wild trout tend to be more finicky than stocked trout, and they can be challenging to catch.

The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. Adult freshwater stream rainbow trout average between 1 and 5 lb, while lake-dwelling and anadromous forms may reach 20 lb. Coloration varies widely based on subspecies, forms and habitat. Adult fish are distinguished by a broad reddish stripe along the lateral line, from gills to the tail, which is most vivid in breeding males.

Brook Trout live in coldwater streams and lakes and depend on clean gravel areas for spawning. It is native to all 18 watersheds, although it has been stocked and managed in additional waters where it is not native. Its range has diminished in all watersheds partly due to invasive species including yellow perch and brown trout.

Northern Pike inhabits lakes and large rivers with associated wetlands and submerged aquatic vegetation. It is native to the Great Lakes and Allegheny watersheds. It has been introduced to the Atlantic slope watersheds. It continues to expand its range to lakes at higher elevations of the Adirondacks.

The fish of legends & teeth runs deep in New York & Vermont. Once brought to near extinction this apex predator is a champion game fish, with fast attacks and stunning strength. This unusual fish with unusual tackle and flies will test your skills and sanity.  From late winter to late fall Zero Limit Adventures can put you on the fish of 10,000 casts.

Smallmouth Bass inhabits streams, rivers and lakes in areas associated with cobble and submerged aquatic vegetation. Spawning occurs in streams with clean gravel. It favors cooler and more riverine conditions than largemouth bass. Smallmouth bass is native to watersheds of the Allegheny and Great Lakes drainage, including Champlain.