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This neat Atlantic hasn't been the only one caught in the Oak Orchard for
the fall 2009 season. A nice bonus to the brown trout and steelhead action. |
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The Oak Orchard area smaller tribs also offer good chances for big, fresh migrating
browns this fall 2009. |
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nice steelhead/rainbow rounds out the mixed bag action in the Oak Orchard for
fall 2009. Nearly as many steelhead have been encountered as browns so that should
mean better action yet this winter and spring. |
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water flows has meant fairly consistent action in the Oak Orchard for Oct and
Nov 2009. Here's an "average" brown with plenty of bigger fish hooked
up. |
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Sept 01, 2009 brings a hard battling
big King to the net for the Licorice
Man at the Oak Orchard River mouth.
Come fishing now for your big, fresh
salmon! |
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They're getting bigger and since we
haven't seen you around fishing the
Licorice Man is forced to catch them
all! Sept 09, 2009. |
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Big, fresh female steelhead are the
reward for fly fishing in high
off-colored Oak Orchard flows. End
Feb 2009. |
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The Licorice Man joins in on the
high water fly fishing fun with this
nice male steelhead. End Feb 2009. |
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With generally low water flows in
the area smaller tribs, the Oak
Orchard flows and brown trout
fishing have been good thanks to the
Erie Canal water feed. Begin Nov
2008. |
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The Archer's Club and pres J. Paige
hosted a great fly fishing event
where all who participated had fun
and enjoyed warm hospitality. End
Oct 2008. |
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Lots of mean, green, big Kings in
the Oak Orchard! Upstream fast water
gravel sections pretty well packed
with fish. October 2008 |
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If you came out to fish the low -
mod flows of the Oak Orchard this
fall you were rewarded with lots of
hook-ups on strong Kings. October
2008. |
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Retired NFL linebacker and veteran
early season salmon chaser Steve
bests this tackle busting 30
pounder! Oak Orchard River mouth
early Sept 2008. |
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Former jockey and lucky angler Ron
lands this scrappy 15 pound King!
More big fish at the Oak Orchard
River early Sept 2008. |
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This angler found the end of Mar
begin of Apr 2008 high water in the
Oak Orchard just the ticket for good
steelhead action and little other
angling pressure. |
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The Oak Orchard area has many tribs
all within striking distance
allowing anglers to find good
fishable conditions during spring
2008 high flows. |
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A late winter fresh and tight
female steelhead caught on the high
and stained flows of the Oak
Orchard. February 2008. |
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A big male steelhead that has
likely been killing time in the
lower river moves up on the late
winter Oak Orchard high water and
intercepts the Licorice Man.
February 2008 |
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Now in Sept is the time to score
on the fresh arriving Kings at the
Oak Orchard rivermouth & lower
river. Sept 5, 2007 |
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Tom scores a King on a KO Woobler
and ultralight casting gear at the
Oak Orchard rivermouth. Sept 3, 2007 |
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Angler reward for fishing the Oak
Orchard high water end of March
2007. Big spawning male steelhead |
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Spring steelhead success means
fishing high water or the often
short windows of retreating flows
like on Johnson Creek begin of April
2007. |
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High water in the Oak Orchard was
no deterrent to this happy young
angler. He caught this nice brown
during the Archer's Club fly fish
tourney. Oct 2006 |
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Fall fishing means more then just
salmon or brown trout hookups. Lots
of rainbows/steelhead migrate to
join the salmon party too. Oct 2006 |
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Typical King salmon from Oak
Orchard River mouth caught Aug 28,
2006 on casting gear.
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Good pier action at the Oak
Orchard River mouth continues right
through mid and end Sept 2006. Green
and fresh - hard battling King.
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The first tug of the trib season
from an angry, fresh King. No
trolling needed here!
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Target the high water for fresh
steelhead in the Oak Orchard River.
Mid March 2006.
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Slightly stained and med to high
flows on the heels of higher water
will mean steelhead hookups in the
Oak Orchard. Mid march 2006.
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A recipe for winter steelhead
success - mild weather, open
streamcourses, receeding and
clearing water flows. January 2006
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This small chromer wonders, "this
guy thinks I'm a bass. Can't believe
I made it this far up this trib
before I saw my first glo bug, where
is everybody?" January 2006
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Fall 2005 has brought one of the
biggest and drawn out salmon runs
that the Oak Orchard has seen in
years. Lots of hookups on big,
tackle busting, green and fresh
fish.
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This Oak Orchard brown trout is
big and real pretty. Lots of good
fishing should prevail late into the
fall 2005 season through Nov and
Dec.
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Early morning, Sep 13, 2005 a big
salmon comes reluctantly & angrily
to the net at the Oak Orchard
rivermouth at Point Breeze.
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Another slightly smaller salmon
hooked by casting a spoon at the Oak
Orchard rivermouth practically in
the wake of a passing troller. Sept
13, 2005
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Persistence can pay off on the
Oak Orchard, with this girthy female
caught on March 13, 2005 in the
cold, high flows.
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Anglers who fish the high,
stained flows are often rewarded
with chrome from the Oak Orchard.
End of March 2005
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Some anglers braved Jan 05 cold
temps and fished a spate of higher
water and were rewarded with cold
steel from the Oak Orchard.
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Early Nov 2004 yielded this
beautiful brown trout on the Oak
Orchard. Want to catch the biggest
brown of your life? Then fall in
Oct, Nov, Dec is the time to do it.
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This anglers second experience on
the Oak Orchard gave up this
Atlantic salmon. He was also lucky
enough to hook browns, steelhead,
King salmon and lake trout. Nov
2004.
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Some big male browns have already
entered the Oak Orchard on the
previous spate of hurricane high
water. Mid Sept, 2004.
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An ornery male King like this 25
#er will hit hard, fight strong and
burn some drag. Oak Orchard river
mouth at Point Breeze Sept 15, 2004.
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Surely not the biggest salmon
around, but a start anyway to the
2004 & 2005 trib season, caught at
the Point Breeze breakwalls area on
Aug 31, 2004 by casting a spoon. The
bigger fish are coming soon...
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Twelve pounds of hard hitting
brown trout caught right from the
Lake Ontario shoreline. Good numbers
of 10 plus pounders have been
hooked. (end April 2004)
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Bonus smallmouth from the beach.
Through March and April this angler
caught as many fish like this nice
smallmouth as big brown trout.
(begin May 2004)
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Early March, high and stained
flows after previous blown water
conditions equals 33 inches of big
fish chrome in the Oak Orchard.
March 2004.
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Here's a smaller male ready for
the party who's shadowing the big
hens. Higher flows brought this fish
out of hiding from the lower river
course. March 2004.
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Some of the best early winter
steelheading in the Oak Orchard in
years. High and colored flows have
drawn fish in like this beauty right
through Dec 2003.
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Higher and dirtier flows
shouldn't discourage the avid
steelheader. These are the ideal
conditions that the Oak Orchard
hasn't seen during this time of year
in many years. Dec 2003.
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A beautiful brown from the Oak
Orchard early Nov 2003. Fish like
this in good numbers have been
present this whole fall season.
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Fall fishing on the Oak Orchard
means mixed bag angling. Too bad all
those steelhead keep biting Fall
2003 when anglers are trying to
catch brown trout!
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So far for this first part of Oct
2003 the salmon action has been
strong and consistent. Many fish and
most all in great shape and willing
biters.
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Brown trout action already for
early Oct 2003 has been good. Looks
like it will only get better. Many
fish much bigger then this "average"
fish already hooked.
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Daybreak on Sep 03, 2003 yielded
this fresh King by casting a spoon
at the Oak Orchard rivermouth.
Twenty + pounds of big fish fight!
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Early fall action in the lower
Oak Orchard can be underway nearly a
month before any consistent upstream
action. Why wait, fish now!
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High water spring 2003. Note big
steelhead, high water, no anglers in
the upper Oak Orchard streamcourse.
April 2003
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Big trout action through Apr,
May, Jun right from the Lake Ontario
shore-line. This is a 12+ pound
brown engorged with alewives. June
2003
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Fall fishing on the Oak Orchard
River means the chance to hook
big, bruiser King salmon.
Upstream gravel and river mouth
hookups abound.
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A giant steelhead caught at the
Waterport dam in the winter.
Nineteen and one quarter pounds,
35 inches, it was the happy
angler's first steelhead ever
landed.
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Another Oak Orchard big steelie.
Thirty seven inches and 19
pounds caught in February after
receeding water levels. An epic
battle with a happy ending.
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Nice male brown trout from the
Oak Orchard River hooked in the
fall. "Average" WNY trib brown
trout are bigger then many
anglers will hook in a lifetime
of inland trout fishing.
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Here's proof that cast and
retreive fly techniques work all
winter long, even in cold water.
A steelhead late for the fall
party or early for the spring
fling.
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A very big brown trout from a
trib to the east. Orleans
Outdoor guides can put their
clients on fish like this hawg
brown.
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Orleans Outdoor Archived Fishing
Tips
Sportsmanship
As sporting anglers, we should
never presume to know it all.
There is always something new we
can learn to make us better
fishermen. Enjoy your favorite
fishing method, but don't let
envy or misinformation keep you
from being open and accepting of
others' legal sporting methods.
With mounting public pressure
against many outdoor pursuits,
(yes, even fishing) it is of no
benefit for sportsmen to rally
against each other.
Don't forget to consider your
impact on someone else's
fishing. Common sense stream
etiquette can go a long way
towards making everyone's day
astream enjoyable. Always
consider where you are wading in
relation to someone fishing a
particular hole or run. Give
other anglers some room or
politely ask if you can fish
near by. Do yourself, your
children and other anglers a
favor by practicing catch and
release. Catch your limit but
limit your kill and we will all
enjoy great fishing tomorrow and
on the next trip.
Be a weather watcher!
This may be one of the most
important traits of a successful
tributary trout and salmon
fisherman. The trout and salmon
runs occur in the notoriously
unpredictable Fall, Winter and
Spring seasons. For anglers from
out of the area, national
weather maps should be watched
carefully noting storms, wind
direction, and fronts predicted
for the fishing destination.
Don't assume that the weather in
your area will be the same along
the western New York Lake Erie
and
Lake
Ontario
shorelines. Watch for warming
trends and changing water
levels. Rising water levels
often bring migratory trout and
salmon into the tributaries, so
you should try to time your
trips to coincide with favorable
water conditions.
Tackle Tips
Use good gear. For the most
part, tributary trout and salmon
fishing is extreme fishing.
Often we use light lines, tiny
flies, and go out in less than
ideal weather conditions. When
that 15-pound Steelhead erupts
in a sizzling run, it is not the
time to find out your bargain
mono or tippet won't hold up.
How about that reel? If it's a
spin reel, is the drag
micro-adjustable and smooth in
below-freezing weather? If it's
a fly reel, do you have an
adjustable drag and enough fly
line and backing tied together
with good knots? An adjustable
drag fly reel takes the
guesswork out of attempting
control of a hard charging
30-pound salmon. Don't skimp on
terminal tackle. Use the best
hooks you can afford. The shop
carries the sharpest, strongest
hooks down to sizes
12-14-16. Don't fool
yourself with the notion that a
cheap size 14 hook will hold
that 12-pound Brown. It will
bend and your trophy will be
gone.
Foul Weather Clothing
How do some
anglers manage to stay on the
stream in
even the harshest weather? They
dress appropriately in
perspiration wicking layers,
neoprene waders, fleece gloves,
and a windproof, water-proof
shell jacket. Cotton long
underwear has long since been
eclipsed by more
thermal-efficient fibers that
will manage your perspiration
under neoprene waders. Use
fleece for your middle layers. A
pull-up or zip-up 200-weight
fleece shirt is a great choice
for maximum insulation.
Half-finger or flip mitt gloves
with Windbloc® can keep you on
the water when the temperature
drops. For maximum comfort,
consider the investment in a
technical shell jacket. There
are several quality windproof,
waterproof and breathable Gortex-®
like styles available. If you've
never owned a shell jacket,
you'll be amazed how well they
work. You will also discover
that you won't have to bulk up
in ten shirts any more.
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