Mid-West Steelies | Tyler Cote

Hey focalFISH,

I thought I’d send along some shots in B&W from a steelhead trip last season. Anglers are Mike DeCoteau, and Scott Overbey. Last January the mid-winter jones took hold and we got pretty itchy, so we booked cheap motel, loaded up the truck, and made the 8 hour drive to the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY..

Crowding on the Salmon river is legendary, but come January with air temps in the 20′s, lake effect snows almost constantly falling, and the salmon dead and rotting on the banks, crowds were less of an issue. Pulaski is a beat, post-industrial town, that comes with a pretty healthy dose of grit.

Historically there were iron works along the banks of the Salmon River, which are long gone. Today the local economy depends on a different type of steel- the sort with fins.

The locals are friendly, and know enough to appreciate folks from away willing to travel there in the dead of winter to swing or drift a fly for the good numbers of steelhead migrating out of Lake Ontario.

So while it may be debatable whether or not these are “real” steelhead, and while the location may not be pristine, and most of the fish may not be wild- when it comes down to you, the river, the cast, swing, and the connection with a fish seemingly charged with raw electricity- it really doesn’t matter.

Thanks, Tyler Cote

Ed Note: Thanks to you Tyler for the neat BW images. Great content and we like your photographic eye. Keep them coming Tyler!