I drove the 20 minutes to the Salmon River, NY on Saturday with high hopes. When I got there it was cold and snowing but undaunted I pulled into the packed parking lot and headed to the stream. When I got there, it seemed that everybody and his brother was fishing so I turned upstream until I no longer encountered any footprints or anglers. I found a nice run and waded into the frigid stream and cast my green egg pattern into the current. Almost immediately my strike indicator went crazy but unfortunatley I missed the hook-up. After about a half an hour with no luck I decided to try one more cast before moving on to another spot. My indicator traveled the path of the original hook-up and went crazy again. This time I set the hook beautifully and the steelhead started its run. Stupid me never checked my fly reel when I was breaking the ice out of my eyelets and wouldn’t you know it my reel was frozen fast! With no way to let out line the fight ended with a quick snap of my leader and tippet. Cursing myself for my newbie mistake I reset my rig and made sure everything was unfrozen before sending everything back out again. Five minutes later I was hooked up again. I could tell by the way that it was fighting that it wasn’t nearly the size of the first fish but beggers can’t be choosers. After I had fought the fish for a few minutes and tired it out I decided to pull out my digital camera and try and get some action shots for a post as a fish tale on Flies And Fins. Mr. Murphy reared his ugly head right then and sent my camera to the bottom of the river! It quickly vanished from view and I instantly saw my own death by my wife as she had paid three hundred dollars for it on my birthday two years ago! Well, I did land the 16 inch fish and as I released it I had the sudden epiphany that my chest waders were no longer water proof! I was soaked to the bone from the waste down and I had not noticed it because of the many layers of clothes that I had been wearing. I sloshed what seemed like 500 miles back to my truck and peeled the waders off, started my truck, cranked the heater and dejectedly drove home. What a day. I am still waiting to tell my wife about the camera!
Thanks for posting that Jeremy!! That definitely was not a fun day…although I did manage to catch a fish and the fishermen that I talked to on the way out hadn’t caught anything. Got to find the positive in life I always say!!!!
We’ve all had days like this. Too bad about the cam. Promise her you’ll wear a camera lanyard around your neck and store the camera in a plastic baggie.
she might use the lanyard to strangle me with :)!!
Happens to all of us, welcome to the Salmon River!!!!
I did that to my digi camera on South Sandy Creek and went out and got the pentax optio…It;s waterproof!
Good luck on future adventures
Those Pentax optios are great for fishing…Having a waterproof camera is worry free…almost
I was in Rangeley last Sept docking a boat I leaned over to tie it off and blup…the camera slipped from my pocket to the bottom of Kennebago lake! Fortunately it was only 10 ft deep so I recovered it. Now I keep it tied off…
Man, I really feel sorry for you…but, ya know, you`re really not alone….my wife bought me a decent digital camera for my B-Day a few years back….I took it on a trip for big L.Ontario Brown trout…took alot of really cool shots of big hook jawed monster browns…and…while ending the trip on the second day…and …after taking literally about a 100 pics!!!…unfortunately,my luck,on the last brown of the trip…I released the brown after a few quick shots and while reviving the big guy in a 3 foot back eddy, I happen to notice a glimmering ,shiny object lying on the bottom of the pool….Oh,My God!!!….yes, that object was the gift from my Sweet Wife…and yes,I released that too!!! I lost all my pictures of the whole trip also…but, ya know what…after some time, she learned to forgive me and she actually upgraded the useles submerged one for a better one.!!!But,..the one huge drawback…she told me if she caught me bringing it fishing, she was gonna kill me!!!
Hope this helps , alittle…glad you perservered and got into some steelies…size does`nt always matter…thanks for sharing…
Wb
I am always losing some piece of gear on the Salmon…now I just look at it as a gift to the river Gods….a sacrafice of sorts…The river giveth and the river taketh away!
Thanks for all the support guys which brings me to my next question…what kind of camera do you all use? I want to get one that does still images as well as lenghty video with editing capabilites. Any suggestions? Oh yeah…it has to A) float or B) be waterproof!!!!!
i loved this fish tale — i think that it is so many unpleasurable circumstances about steelheading (an you had a couple on this trip) … you know .. hang ups, freezing cold, snow etc…. but all of these things might be the very reasons why being successful from time to time and being rewarded with a beautfiful chrome fish … feels so rewarding … sorry about the camera jinxed247 … fortunately .. the prices of digi cams has come down alot over the last couple years ….
I totally agree with waterwhippa, one must appease the fish gods to catch fish and sometimes that means losing gear!!
What kind of camera do you use to make your videos and take pics with. You seem to get high quality images and I have enjoyed watching your videos in the video section immensely.
Also, where at in Maine are you? My wifes grandmother bought a house in Prospect Harbor on lighthouse road. Is that anywhere near you?
jinxed, several camera manufacturers offer water proof contaniners that allow you to use your camera above or underwater. they come with long laynards so a D ring can be attatched to a belt loop or vest loop. Keeps the camera safe from the perils of frozen fingers. I first saw one that Jeremy had I believe with a Sony. I have one for my cannon. Works great.
i am in portland maine .. where is prospect harbor??? what town/city?
ps — cameras — check out the new sony cybershots and you can get an underwater housing for them online .. just do a search on google for an underwater housing (sportspak) for whatever model cybershot you end up getting … be sure not to get confused with the diver pak also called the marine pack …. that is considerably more money … all you need is the sports pak .. and it is pretty cheap .. and will protect your camera and you will get to take underwater shots too…
I did a map search last night and unfortunately it is about 130 miles north of you along the coast. then i got even more news that we might have to wait until the following summer because the house is getting renivated. The house is almost right on the ocean. Maybe I can cruise by myself this summer but it’s looking doubtful. thanks for the info on the cameras and the camera housing. I will definitely be looking into it.
I may just buy a new camera and surprise her. Like my dad always says, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission!!”