Orleans Outdoor Archived Photo Page

Check out the previous fish pics below, and the Archived Fishing Tips.
	A late winter fresh and tight female steelhead caught on the high and stained flows of the Oak Orchard. February 2008.
	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
	Now in Sept is the time to score on the fresh arriving Kings at the Oak Orchard rivermouth & lower river. Sept 5, 2007
	Tom scores a King on a KO Woobler and ultralight casting gear at the Oak Orchard rivermouth. Sept 3, 2007
	Angler reward for fishing the Oak Orchard high water end of March 2007. Big spawning male steelhead
	Spring steelhead success means fishing high water or the often short windows of retreating flows like on Johnson Creek begin of April 2007.
	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
	Fall fishing means more then just salmon or brown trout hookups. Lots of rainbows/steelhead migrate to join the salmon party too. Oct 2006
	Typical King salmon from Oak Orchard River mouth caught Aug 28, 2006 on casting gear.
	Good pier action at the Oak Orchard River mouth continues right through mid and end Sept 2006. Green and fresh - hard battling King.
	The first tug of the trib season from an angry, fresh King. No trolling needed here!
	Target the high water for fresh steelhead in the Oak Orchard River. Mid March 2006.
	Slightly stained and med to high flows on the heels of higher water will mean steelhead hookups in the Oak Orchard. Mid march 2006.
	A recipe for winter steelhead success - mild weather, open streamcourses, receeding and clearing water flows. January 2006
	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
	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.
	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.
	Early morning, Sep 13, 2005 a big salmon comes reluctantly & angrily to the net at the Oak Orchard rivermouth at Point Breeze.
	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
	Persistence can pay off on the Oak Orchard, with this girthy female caught on March 13, 2005 in the cold, high flows.
	Anglers who fish the high, stained flows are often rewarded with chrome from the Oak Orchard. End of March 2005
	Some anglers braved Jan 05 cold temps and fished a spate of higher water and were rewarded with cold steel from the Oak Orchard.
	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.
	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.
	Some big male browns have already entered the Oak Orchard on the previous spate of hurricane high water. Mid Sept, 2004.
	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.
	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...
	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)
	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)
	Early March, high and stained flows after previous blown water conditions equals 33 inches of big fish chrome in the Oak Orchard. March 2004.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	A beautiful brown from the Oak Orchard early Nov 2003. Fish like this in good numbers have been present this whole fall season.
	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!
	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.
	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.
	Daybreak on Sep 03, 2003 yielded this fresh King by casting a spoon at the Oak Orchard rivermouth. Twenty + pounds of big fish fight!
	Early fall action in the lower Oak Orchard can be underway nearly a month before any consistent upstream action. Why wait, fish now!
	High water spring 2003. Note big steelhead, high water, no anglers in the upper Oak Orchard streamcourse. April 2003
	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
	Fall fishing on the Oak Orchard River means the chance to hook big, bruiser King salmon. Upstream gravel and river mouth hookups abound.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	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.
	A very big brown trout from a trib to the east. Orleans Outdoor guides can put their clients on fish like this hawg brown.

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.