There are very few things that will get me out of bed at 5am on a cold fall morning. Every year, the tributaries of Lake Ontario come alive with an amazing feat of nature known as a Salmon run. Huge King Salmon that have been living in Lake Ontario instinctively swim back to their birthplace fueling the cycle of life. While in the lake, they are focused on one task - eating. They feed with such voracious vigor that they grow to 20+ lbs in 3 years. Their mouths are huge and capable of ingesting vast amounts of rich Omega-3’s in one rush through a bait pod.Everything changes when the temperatures begin to drop in the fall. Massive numbers of King Salmon stack up at the mouths of rivers and streams that flow into the lake. It’s as if they’re teenagers piled up outside the door anxiously awaiting the opening of a rock concert. As soon as the stars, moon, water level and temperatures are within spec, they make a run for it. The Salmon’s brain switches from eat to breed as they propel themselves up river with a grace an elegance that must be seen to appreciate. The survival of their species depends on this mission so they rely heavily their natural camouflage.

As the Salmon’s brain switches from eat to breed they also transition from predator to prey. Hungry sportsmen have been hunting Salmon since this great natural phenomenon started a long, long time ago. It is something that you can count on year after year. Salmon don’t have the benefit of generations past to bring back advice following their journey up river. Those that successfully navigated the gauntlet die and never get to pass along their knowledge of how to outwit thousands of heavily armed fishermen.

The Salmon’s determination to push upstream is solidified by watching their amazing and unnatural acrobatic and swimming feats. These huge beasts can rip through two inches of water, slither among the boulders of the rapids, and leap over waterfalls like jet propelled torpedoes. Their superhero feats of propulsion are nearly as amazing as their ability to lie motionless in a rushing rapid as if they are attached to the riverbed.

The focus and mental determination of these creatures is beyond belief. They have completely turned off the part of their brains that says “I need some food”. If the Salmon’s favorite meal was a T-bone steak. You could tempt it all day long with a prime cut and it wouldn’t eat. They won’t even take a taste. They might get mad and bite it out of frustration, but they have no plans on eating it. This characteristic seems a little like one of those defense mechanisms like camouflage for the Chameleon.

My favorite places to hunt Kings are the smaller tributaries to Lake Ontario. The fish are plentiful; the people are friendlier and more sporting compared to the shoulder to shoulder fight for your life action at larger rivers. There’s nothing like big Salmon in small water. When you hook one, the stream explodes with action. Sometimes they run upstream, sometimes they run downstream, but usually they run up and down and side to side a few times before you’re able to land them. It is hard to comprehend the power that these creatures can pull together after not eating for so long. They can run against the current spinning your drag out of control for 100 yards and turn around and rip downstream for another 100 yards.