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FISHERMAN'S CALENDAR
KEY TO SYMBOLS
SO=season opened (or opens); SC=season closed (or closes); SV=season varies by district or water.
C=clear water; D=water dirty or roily; M=water muddy.
N=water at normal height; SH= slightly high; H=high; VH=very high; L=low; R=rising; F=falling.
WT50=water temperature 50°.
FG=fishing good; FF=fishing fair; FP=fishing poor. OG=outlook good OP=outlook poor.
ATLANTIC SALMON: NEW BRUNSWICK: Southwest Miramichi was 2 feet above summer normal last Sunday but falling and should be normal with OG until SC Sept. 30; Cains River SH, F, OG until SC Oct. 15; Renous River fishing well at North Branch and OG if river remains SH; most successful flies in this watershed are bear hair and squirreltail patterns (wet) on #6 or #7 hooks. Northwest Miramichi SH, FP, OP but most Sevogle River pools hold salmon and grilse, with small bright flies producing fair action. Dungarvon, Cains, Jacquet, Nashwaak, Big Salmon and a few other rivers are open until Oct. 15; Tabusintac and Big Tracadie are open until Oct. 31; OG for all streams as high water has kept fish moving.
QUEBEC: SC in all streams except Matane (Oct. 15) and Port Daniel (Sept. 30) rivers; both are H, D, FP, OP.
PACIFIC SALMON: BRITISH COLUMBIA: Chinook fishing slowing at Campbell River (in spite of one 58-pounder last week); FG at Alberni and Comox with occasional good fish reported from other points but OP for the province in general. FG for silvers in Brown's Bay, Campbell River, Parksville and Cowichan Bay. Tlell and Copper rivers in Queen Charlotte's Island are hot and outlook excellent for next two weeks as heavy rains bring fall fish in early.
OREGON: Exceptionally fine run of silvers in Siletz River, with salt-water spinning lures and mooched herring doing brisk business; shore casters scoring with Bear Valley spinners near mouth of bay; OG through September.
CALIFORNIA: Chinooks moving into Sacramento River with fall run due any day, and silvers also beginning to show at river mouths; OG in lower reaches of all salmon streams.
STRIPED BASS: NEW YORK: Montauk surf casters taking 6- to 8-pound bass on tin squids from Ditch Plains to the Light, but north side not producing yet; trollers are picking up fish from 20 to 40 pounds along south shore on rigged eels; mullet have moved in and should draw big bass into the beaches this week, and OG for beach fishermen next two weeks.
CALIFORNIA: FG in San Francisco Bay area with evening trollers getting best results; Suisin and San Pablo bays and Carquinez Straits producing limits for private and party boats. NORTH CAROLINA: Salt-water and brackish sounds are teeming with schooling bass but best fishing will start about Oct. 15.
MASSACHUSETTS: Several fish in 30-pound class reported from Martha's Vineyard and an early chill in the water seems to have started the big bass striking ahead of schedule; OG for surf and boat fishermen through October.
RHODE ISLAND: The Narragansett and Matunuck sides of Point Judith are producing school fish to 20 pounds and bulls are expected within two weeks; OG for next three weeks.
BLACK BASS: NEW YORK: Saranac dams and most Adirondack lakes starting to produce good fishing, with top-water bugs and plugs getting results. FG in Cape Vincent area for small-mouths a veraging 1½ pounds. Chautauqua Lake SH, and surface plugs taking good smallmouths along shore and weedbeds in early morning and evening.
MISSOURI: FF in Lake Clearwater with most bass taken on live bait; OG as cooler weather puts more zip in fish. Eleven Point River L, C, FG with most fish taken on live bait and river-runt plugs; OG.
CALIFORNIA: Cool weather promises good sport on reservoirs of lower Colorado River, Lake Mead, Havasu and Mohave lakes; live bait is best bet for lunkers.
PENNSYLVANIA: Susquehanna H, D, FP as heavy rains muddied most mid-state waters; best bet is Juniata River. Conneaut Lake and French Creek (Crawford County) producing nice bass despite high water, and with algae washed away the upper Allegheny River may be hot next week.
TROUT: WYOMING: FF with flies on Platte, Laramie, Green, Snake and Wind rivers; WT 55-60 as local experts favor grey and brown hackle patterns and hairwing Royal Coachman. For lake fishing, Boysen and Jackson lakes are best bets, with mackinaw rising in shallow water at Jackson.
IDAHO: FF on Salmon River and tributaries as stormy weather moves trout into deep pools; Ramshorn, Antelope and Grouse creeks producing good baskets on flies, with Renegade and Coachman best patterns; Lost River watershed near Mackay and Arco in excellent condition for dry-fly work; high mountain lakes still hot, with copper wobblers and Mickey Finn streamers working well when fished deep.
MAINE: SC Sept. 30 for brook trout, but meanwhile your best bet is Sourdnahunk Lake near Mt. Katahdin, for fast action with squaretails to 3 pounds, and grand scenery to boot.
MONTANA: Unsettled weather making some days unproductive but in general fishing is excellent on the Yellowstone, Madison, Gallatin, Big Hole and Firehole rivers, with dry or wet fly, nymph or streamer.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: FG for sea-run cutthroats in most Vancouver Island rivers and estuaries; Fraser River bar fishing improving daily; Serpentine and Little Campbell (lower mainland) have heavy runs; coastal lakes generally producing well. OG for continued fine rainbow fishing at Lac La Jeune, Kamloops, Hihiume and most interior points.
CALIFORNIA: Sierra trout fishing excellent, with OG for fly fishing next two weeks as frosts kill natural fly hatches and start fish prowling the pools and riffles.
ONTARIO: Rainbow season extended to November 30 in Owen Sound District; 15-pound 7-ounce rainbow taken from Sturgeon River at Waubaushene on last day of season.
OREGON: Sea-run cutthroat fishing is hot at Elk River near Port Orford, with weighted streamers deadly in low, clear water. OG through September.
BLUEFIN TUNA: RHODE ISLAND: Tuna are gone, and so are most of the boats that used to fish for them.
NOVA SCOTIA: No tuna boated at Wedgeport last week as hurricane Edna blew season apart with final tally 288 bluefins brought to Wedge-port docks and 16 to St. Mary's Bay.
STEELHEAD TROUT: IDAHO: Fall run has not reached mouth of Middle Fork of Salmon River yet, and only a few fish being taken at Riggins on main river; freshwater clams and egg clusters are producing most fish; fly fishing poor to awful.
OREGON: Steelhead fishing now in full swing in lower Deschutes River with fish to 10 pounds taking red-&-white spoons and flatfish in low clear water; fly fishing good and OG through September.
CALIFORNIA: All coastal steelhead rivers offer hot prospects as heavy rains clear sandbars at mouths.
BRITISH COLUMBIA: Great fishing in the Coquihalla and on the Stamp as Brem continues good and heavy run of small fish in the Campbell provides fast dry-fly action; OG in most B.C. waters.
MUSKELLUNGE: WISCONSIN: One 43-pound fish taken from the Chippewa River flowage near Hayward last week, but most fish from that area (Teal, Twin and Lost Land lakes) were under 20. Small fish reported from Rhinelander area, with good fishing in Crescent and Big Pine lakes and Eagle River chain.
NEW YORK: Mr. & Mrs. Louis Scott took 39-and 33-pound fish on same clay from Sherman's Bay in Chautauqua Lake last week; anglers who braved bad weather found muskies in striking mood as cool weather has started them feeding; OG (especially for night fishing with live bait).
PENNSYLVANIA: OG on Conneaut Creek near Albion (Erie County); OG in Allegheny River as rains clear algae.
WALLEYED PIKE: NEW YORK: Good pools on Delaware River above Port Jervis (to Narrowburg) should begin producing on trolled Junebug spinners immediately after first frost.
BLUEFISH: NEW YORK: OG at Montauk as 4- to 7-pound fish provide scattered action for surf casters and fair hauls for charter boats. FLORIDA: Some blues being caught in Tampa Bay on slow-trolled drone spoons. On east coast, a wind shift could bring bluefish into shore waters from Stuart to Miami Beach as mullets are still abundant.
MASSACHUSETTS: Blues are plentiful and big (to 8 pounds) on the south side of Martha's Vineyard as alewives and sand eels keep them close to the beaches; OF through October.
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